This review may contain spoilers
People who watched the first season should know that Age of Youth (2) is a slice-of-life drama about five flatmates living under one roof. AoY to me was always about the realistic portrayal of friendships. We see how the flatmates stand by and support each other through their individual difficulties. It's really different from most K-dramas which tend to use same-gender relationships as a sort of fan-service. In AoY, all the interactions are natural, not over-exaggerated and not amplified. It's exactly like how I imagined friendships to be (I have no friends, jk). In short, it's an accurate depiction of how friends are like in real life, and as a viewer it's easy to relate to.There are a couple of cast changes in the second season. In particular, Park Hye-soo was swapped out for Ji Woo. I think a lot of people disliked the character. I do agree that she's a lot less likable in this season. Rather than attributing this to the new actress, I feel that the writer has gone slightly wayward in her characterisation of Eun-jae. Or perhaps as viewers we are more partial to the meek Eun-jae than the transformed Eun-jae. I think the scriptwriter probably wanted to show character growth, but the execution was unfortunately not up to par.
Kang Unni is also out of the picture at Belle Epoque, with Choi Ara playing the new-comer Jo Eun. I liked the introduction of Jo Eun. I thought her character was really interesting, especially her "friendship" with Ye-ji. They also briefly touched on homosexuality, although the topic was quickly brushed over. After I watched the finale though, I was really confused as to what this "friendship" was to each party. I would really like them to elaborate on it. Anyway, I thought this was a nice touch and they probably could have explored the plotline a little more. I don't really care for her romance with Seo Jang-hoon though. I don't dislike it, but I didn't think it was a highlight. This is just personal and from the comments I've seen, most people quite like this couple.
Ye-eun's loveline is the one I liked most (other than the Song-sung couple that is). I don't know how Onew* would have been, but I feel that Kwon Ho-chang was perfectly cast. And nerds are always endearing. His relationship with Ye-eun is like a reversal of power compared to her previous relationship. In any case, I felt that they were really cute.
Yoon sunbae is the glue that holds the house together. She's seemingly aloof on the outside but she's really taking care of everyone else, and not getting appreciated for it. I don't like the job she was given in this season. I thought that with how they had emphasised so much on her struggle with jobs and internship they'll hand her a job of a higher perceived social status. I'm not saying that working at an entertainment company is bad, but it's certainly no where near the top of my "dream jobs" list. Also, I personally do not follow Kpop and all, so I'm really indifferent to the storyline with the idol group which was cast aside. It's alright, but I think this could be done better.
This season though, the spotlight is on Song Ji-won. I don't think I need to elaborate further on how fantastic her character is. Her story was the focal point this season, and provided some insight on how her personality came to be. I think a lot of people may feel that her storyline didn't get closure, but I thought it was the best way to handle the situation. Because if everything went perfectly, this wouldn't be called Age of Youth. I still like her interactions with Im Sung-min. *SPOILER ALERT* I really do hope for another season just so we can see them get together. There are hints since the man holding the girl's hand in Ep13 is clearly Im Sung-min, but I would like their relationship to be more explicit and not just implied. *SPOILER ALERT*
In summary, I think AoY is an awesome drama. In the first season my attention waned towards the end but this season I sat through the whole drama, catching up on episodes as they air. I rate the sequel a little higher than its predecessor, though it may just be the freshness playing on my mind.
EDIT: Corrected name of original actor for Kwon Ho-chang.
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Chills
I literally get chills on my body whenever I think about this drama, week in week out and unsuspectingly we get wrapped up in the world of Mouse thinking mouse as always been the prey so this will be no different. This drama showed us the different side of Mouse the prey we think it is and then on the flip side the predator it as always been . We have a victim who gets stronger and is hell bent on revenge, another victim who tries her best to move on with her life, a victim/genius who can't provide any significant help and instead gets all the blame, a perpetrator who everyone loves and adore. The first half of this drama present things to us in a way that you can't help but have mixed feelings about the second half. Mouse you have ruined my critical thinking ability forever. The casts are excellent ❤️Was this review helpful to you?
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This Drama is…Mmm! Mmm! Good
I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect when I first started watching this drama. But boy, was I happy that I started watching it. You will not be disappointed because this drama grips you from the very beginning because of the two main leads. Which I can only say, they are hot!Leo Yang (Zhu Guan Wen - ML) and Chen Shujun (Lin Bao ER/Xin Tong - FL) have the most amazing chemistry. Sparks fly as soon as they look at each other or are on screen together. You never know what you will get or who is going to make the first move.
Leo Yang just oozes sexiness with his subtle gazes and that husky voice. Chen Shujun holds her own with him quite well. I loved seeing that she remains the "smart woman" throughout this drama. She was able to show her true self in every scene which was leading and teasing him making her a woman who was not only in control of her emotions but his as well. The way they banter between each other and their flirting at every opportunity keeps you totally immersed in the world that they have us fall into as we watch this mysterious love story unfold.
Miss Mystery revolves around Xue Tong who witnessed her family being brutally murdered. For 18 years she waited to take revenge against those who killed her family. She returns back to her hometown under the guise as Miss Lin Bao Er, the daughter of a weather Nanyang businessman.
This girl is no shrinking violet, she is clever, smart, cunning, good with a gun, skilled with strategizing and understanding her opponents. As she is being chased by men, she knocks on the door of the charming young master of the Zhu family - Zhu Guan Wen. As he opens the door (only in a towel mind you), Lin Bao Er burst in and pushes him up against the door, telling him to be quiet. The men come to Zhu Guan Wen’s room (he is now dressed) and are met with him pointing a gun at them telling them they are messing up his good time, as we see Lin Bao Er hidden under covers.
Once the men leave, the two being to have a fight with a gun. Getting the upper hand on Lin Bao Er he takes the gun from her and tells her she owes him a favor for saving her. Not to be outdone, she then gets the gun from him. Toying with him, she runs the gun down his open shirt which shows his naked chest. Putting the gun down from him, she runs her hand down his chest as he says to her, “Ms. Lin, are you satisfied with my charm.” Which her response was taking his tie, wrapping it around his neck and pulling him towards her, as he leans in to kiss her, she places her finger on his lips, “Too bad, I already have plans, or I would spend some more time with you.” Thus, begins this very sexy “cat and mouse” game.
The sexual tension between these two is off the charts. Their game gets more intriguing when she shows up at his engagement banquet which she did not have an invitation. But upon his arrival, she latches on to him to use him as her entry to get into the banquet. But he turns the tables on her, because this is his engagement banquet to which he announces the love of his life and his fiancée…Ms. Lin Bao Er. As she stands there in shock amazement along with the other guests, oh and the girl who thought was going to be his fiancée, he leans in and says, “Now, this time, are you satisfied?”
They both need each other so they entered into this contract:
- Zhu Guanwen and Lin Bao Er are engaged in name only, with no interference in each other’s personal lives.
- During the contract period, Lin Bao Er can engage in business in the capacity of Mrs. Zhu, with profits split fifty-fifty.
- Lin Bao Er will reside in the Zhu Manor during the contract period but with separate beds and not disturbance to each other (you see how long that last).
You can’t help yourself cheering for Zhu Guanwen who has fallen hopelessly in love with Lin Bao Er by episode 5.
He finally confesses to her after another close moment of being injured: “It’s in Zhu’s manor, or more precisely, in Xue’s manor. At that time, you were hiding in the closet, and bore scars on your shoulder. I didn’t know why you were there, but all I knew was I had to hide you, protect you, and keep you out of sight from others. I never thought I’d ever meet you again. At first, I was just curious about you. But slowly, I was captivated by your every move. I couldn’t help but want to know more about your past. I even imagined every day how I wished I could be with you and protect you all the time in the 18 years since we first met. So now, I’m really grateful to fate for bringing you back to me and letting me fall into your trap. I don’t care if you’re using me. I don’t care if you’re Xue Tong or Lin Bao Er. All I know is…I love you.” She finally accepts his ring…and the kiss…whew, what a kiss…. which leads to, well, you know…
Lin Bao Er wants to get revenge at those who murdered her family, the Zue family which are: Zhu Mao, Yang Jian, Qian Tong, and Dou Huaizhong. Every opponent she takes down with precise precision except for one and he turns out to be Zhu Guanwen’s father - Zhu Mao.
But there is a mystery behind Zhu Mao which both Zhu Guanwen and Lin Bao Er discover which tells her why her parents were murdered. Zhu Mao was originally a gang member active in the underworld of Guangzhou. He transformed himself, or so everyone thought but was secretly trafficking humans. He even secretly murdered Zhou Jishu, a rich businessman in Guangzhou and took his wife, Chen Peiqin. This was Zhu Guanwen’s mother. He was forced to accept him as his father.
Further revelations ensue, Zhu Mao tells Zhu Guanwen that his father and him were best friends in childhood. He tells him he passed away at a young age. He saw how pitiful his mother was, so he took them in. Lin Bao Er’s family was murdered because they knew too much about Zhu Mao.
The final showdown does come, with Lin Bao Er and Zhu Guanwen facing off with Zhu Mao who gets his demise at the hand of Lin Bao Er. Justice has been served.
Now with all of the drama behind them, they now have a beautiful wedding with plenty of fireworks, oh and not those just in the sky, but those many kisses too!
I have to say each episode to me kept getting better and better. I could not wait to watch the next episodes because their love seemed to be deepening along with their sexual desire for each other. You will see that it is not only Zhu Guanwen who is the aggressor in initiating these sexy encounters but Lin Bao Er as well because she tried to but could not help but fall in love with him. This couple will just make you smile because they are so good together.
Oh, and the sexiest scenes are two, and trust there are plenty because these two just sizzle – but a piece of candy and a lollipop will have a whole new meaning for you after you see how he kisses her, and she kisses him. It is Mmm..Mmm..good!
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Breath of Fresh Air
Rainless Love in a Godless Land is an urban fantasy drama which main premise revolves around kakarayan (him), kawas (gods), humans and nature.The narrative of the drama is straightforward and uncomplicated, enabling the audience to know the background and past incidents that shape the present. At the beginning of each episode, there is a short folktale regarding kakarayan, kawas and more, enabling audience to grasp the background story more easily. With its relatively little number of episodes, the plot unfolds at a fast pace. In the first episode, the drama was already telling us that there is the creator of the world (kakarayan) and gods (kawas) in this world. However, kakarayan will stop giving blessings to the world because of human’s ignorance and negligence.
The main storyline and characters build up are taken from Amis People culture, one of Taiwanese indigenous culture. The concept of kakarayan, kawas and everything originated from the Amis People. And the drama has also portrayed their culture in correctly, such as their chest covers, skirt, the colour scheme (red, black, green, white). They definitely did justice in portraying the Sikawasay (medium for communicating to Kawas and Kakarayan) through the vivid and bright coloured clothes.
Rainless Love in a Godless Land has a captivating and refreshing storyline, with a progressively and engaging pace. The drama storytelling is executed near to perfection, there is not a single dull moment or cliched plot devices. In addition, the drama also uses a lot of different plot devices and themes that work harmoniously well together. The drama manages to blend comedy, romance, fantasy, tradition seamlessly. With it, it makes you entertained and engaged.
Rainless Love in a Godless Land also has a wide variety of complex and realistic characters with strong and fleshed out performances from the casts. The female lead of the drama, Xie Tianti is acted by Joanne Tseng. She has acted in many remarkable dramas and you definitely do not need to worry about her performance. Meanwhile, the male lead, Orad (the rain god) is acted by Fu Mengbo which has also delivered a stellar performance. But Alice Ke as Toem (Cloud god) definitely steals the show. How she portrays her role is definitely *chef kisses*!!
The drama also has a beautiful and mesmerizing production and cinematography. You can just see how the big budget is allocated into impeccable cinematography, exquisite set, beautifully shot landscape, and more. Every shot of the drama is of high quality, there is also some breathtaking panorama scenery. This drama also uses minimal CGI, mostly relying on a real set. Such as, the void space (on xie tienti's dream and more), it is all made from real sets and props. The use of vibrant and bright colour palette also makes the drama a pleasant viewing experience. In addition, I also love how the drama does not use any airbrush or skin smoothing filter on their faces. It has also a really pretty yet simple outfit, the outfit is what one would wear every single day, but its outfit mix and matched very well done.
Another commendable aspect of Rainless Love in a Godless Land is its music scoring and OST. The OST is made up of different songs with different genres, yet everything is so compatible with the drama. My personal favourites are 最後一秒鐘 (the last second) by九澤cp and 想對你說 (Too Much to Say) by 原子邦妮 Astro Bunny. But still, every single of the OST are enjoyable and good to hear.
All in all, Rainless Love in a Godless Land is an excellent produced drama that definitely deserves more attention. The urban fantasy genre drama makes the drama a refreshing drama in the current market.
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As If You Whisper tells the story of Bom Soo, an aspiring singer that is stuck doing vocal guides despite his talents as a musician. Then he meets Hyun Woo, a man that's been watching him for awhile. Though the story doesn't focus solely on the romance, I think the happy ending combined with Bom Soo's self realizations is such a wholesome completion. It'd be easy to make this a sad ending, but they didn't.
The music is also great, and the actor worked hard to record it himself. All together it's just a really solid, inspiring production.
I bought this on Vimeo for $6.99USD and I really recommend you do the same if you can. Please try to avoid watching this on YouTube. It's a small production company specializing in queer Korean films (which is a country already lacking in high-quality LGBTQ content). I really think they deserve the support so that they can make more amazing films and dramas like this one. I'm so glad I watched it, and I'll definitely rewatch it.
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You have to take it with the context, there are only 3 episodes so the story does not go into great detail, but with the time that they had I thought they nailed it! What made this drama as great as it is was the casting, Benz and Prom's chemistry between their characters had me blushing the entire time I was watching. I mean look at Praram's smile how can you not just melt.
I hope they either give Benz and Prom another series together or possibly redo this story but a full series so it can go more in depth into the storyline!
Benz's acting really made this drama to be honest, he is a very talented actor and I constantly found myself forgetting that he was both Pralak and Praram and that he does not actually have a twin. I will definitely be rewatching this drama as I cannot get enough of these characters, my favourite of the En of Love's so far probably!
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"Suffering is the human condition" in art form.
"Moneyboys" is a raw, visually stunning drama that exhibits the gritty and provocative lifestyle of young, gay escorts. While there are some steamy moments, the story focuses less on the "customer service" aspect and more on what motivates these characters despite the risks involved. With an impoverished upbringing and the weight of his family on his shoulders, prostitution is a means of survival for protagonist, Fei.What we get as viewers is a study on this character. We're taken through a series of experiences and events that make up Fei's life. We witness how the stigma of both his sexuality and profession effects his family life and the mental toll it takes on him. Through Fei's various interactions with other characters, a clear theme rings throughout the film: the sacrifice of one's happiness for the sake of others. Lovers sacrifice themselves for the ones they love, young adults sacrifice themselves to meet family expectations, LGBTQ+ sacrifice themselves to fit the molds of society. When does the cycle of suffering end?
The story finds its anomaly in Fei's childhood friend, Long. Unlike the often numb and apathetic Fei, Long is brimming with life. He sees the perks of being a money boy as a way to live happily for himself and not for the sake of others.
Before I had a grasp on the film's narrative, I was already in awe of its cinematography and editing. The moment I clicked play, I got the feeling I was in for an artistic experience. Atmospheric lighting and color grading sets the dark and solemn tone for the film. Neon colors pop through the screen. There are some close-ups and shaky camera shots that make for intense moments, but you'll mostly see the use of still-camera wide shots. Frame by frame, it appears as though characters are moving through a sequence of modern life art pieces. It doesn't linger on one shot for too long though, especially in the beginning. Scenes are often fleeting, dialogues seem to end just shy of a complete conversation. A stylistic choice that gives the film obscurity and keeps it from dragging, but disappoints story-wise. At times, I was left wishing I knew more about what these characters were thinking and experiencing.
Aside from maybe one actress with a bit part role, all actors were convincing. Lead actor, Kai Ko, did well portraying the emotionally detached Fei. He surfaces the character's vulnerable side in ways that feel both realistic and relatable. The charm and charisma of Bai Yu Fan's Long is definitely one of the film's highlights. There aren't many dramatic acting moments so if you're worried about it being a tearjerker, you're in luck. "Moneyboys" is pulsing with emotion but it isn't necessarily a sad movie, just realistic. It's a bit longer than the average 90 minutes, but very much worth the watch.
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1This review may contain spoilers
A Sweetly Delicious and Heartwarming Drama
This drama held my attention from the very first episode; so many deliciously sweet moments that you just could not stop yourself from smiling while watching.The ML (WinWin aka Yan Yue) was perfectly cast. This is the first drama that I have seen him in. I am now looking forward to seeing him in "The Shadow" his next drama. That smile and dimples, everyone will be crushing over him because he is just so handsome. The FL (He Hong Shan aka An Ran) complimented him so well. She was funny, bright, pretty and she did not overly act like she knew everything being that she was older.
The drama was about An Ran who became an entrepreneur for a start-up company she started called "Sweet Games." She was always looking for investors. And you know the saying, "robbing Peter to pay Paul and robbing Paul to pay Peter back?" Well, that was An Ran. She was always short of money, but she somehow would make it work. Enter Yan Yue who was a successful voice actor that had known her when they both went to the same university. He had a secret crush on her, but he never would step to her.
Fast forward and we have An Ran renting the apartment next door to him. Yan Yue knew who she was, but she didn't remember him. So, the day that she rents the apartment she heads to a reunion at the university (as does Yan Yue) and while there she tries to get investors. It does not work out and to make matters even worse, she trips, and everyone sees the tags still on her clothes. Yan Yue was making his way to help An Ran, but her best friend Bei Meng Yao interceded before he could get to her. She helps An Ran to go the restroom where she basically tells her she is fine and that she can go. But you know she wasn't. She gets drunk at none other than a convenience store. Yan Yue comes and helps her home. She shares a kiss with him when she falls and wakes up the next morning in his bed. Yan Yue leads her to believe that something happened because he comes out in his robe.
We also have the ex-boyfriend from her university days that left her but now he tries to come back to get her. You know his situation with the girl he left her for didn't work out, so he is coming back to An Ran. An Ran is smart enough to know and doesn't want to have anything to do with him. At this point, I was a little ticked off by her bestie because she was trying to get them back together and dissing Yan Yue saying he was too young, and she didn't feel that he was the right person for her. He basically told her that it was none of her business what their relationship was and left her sitting at the table by herself. (I was high fiving him for that!)
Both parents of An Ran and Yan Yue did have similar thoughts regarding their relationship. But I was happy to see that the parents were not that forceful in trying to break them up due to the age difference. They both spoke to their parents in a way that they understood that it was no longer up to them to interfere, and they won them over.
Her game does become a success but you she did have those that tried to take it from her by planting a spy in her office and they did a cyber-attack before it was release because people were only using the beta version. Then Yan Yue was taken out of doing voice acting due to doing an audio for a book that the company was not given permission to do. There was a lot of drama here and he basically made a statement that put not only the company but An Ran's company and their relationship out for everyone to bash on the internet. Yan Yue leaves and retires from voice acting. This crushes An Ran but she waited patiently for him to return, which he did. Everything did work out with her company's game, and he got back to doing voice acting again.
The most beautiful part I felt, and my heart was just filled with such love is when I saw him doing the voice over for a book for the children who were blind. It was wonderful to see this incorporated into the drama. To see the smiles and when the one boy asks him if he could touch his face...oh, it just melted your heart. That whole part of the drama is performed so well. Kudos to the writers for these exceptional moments.
The wedding was one which was exactly how you would envision, with their closest friends and colleagues. But the wedding vows of Yan Yue were too much.
Here are the vows of Yan Yue to An Ran:
An Ran, before I met you, my life couldn't be without music. When disputes occurred, I could only choose to escape, I was used to being shackled in my own world by a pair of headphones. I thought I was living happily, free, and fulfilled. Until one day I realized that after falling in love with someone, all those noisy sounds will disappear. And the most beautiful sounds will form melodies. The perfection you gave me is a shore I can't reach by myself. Meeting you and knowing you again, I found I still have the butterflies in my stomach when I first met you. You seem to be the goddess of my campus days. So sunny, so beautiful. Thank you. Thank you for constantly blocking those unpleasant things for me. Thank you for dragging the boy hidden in the headphone cave into the sunlight. In the future, I want to grow old with you, I want to embrace your body, your heart, your dreams, your past, present, and future. An Ran, would you let me stand by your side?
Here are An Ran's vows to Yan Yue:
Yes, I would. Of course, I do. I never thought that I could become someone's strength, I always thought that life is a battle one fights alone. Yan Yue, thank you for resolutely walking towards me. There is a kind of heroism in this world knowing that marriage is hard, yet still longing for it. Now I finally understand this heroism because of you. Because of your love and tolerance, I finally have this courage. Whether our future is dark or bright, I am willing to forge ahead with you. Mr. Yan, would you exchange our missed youth for a lifetime of championship?
Of course, he said I do.
I highly, highly recommend this drama because it is just the stuff that we are all looking for so get yourself a nice piece of sweet chocolate that leaves a lasting taste in your mouth just like this drama will. It is so good!
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Profound, idiosyncratic mixture of different genres, coherently combined to form a new whole
The story is surprisingly exciting and complex, with an inscrutable main character and her mysterious past. Basically it's a thriller. At the same time, however, the story also offers plenty of food for thought and/or empathy about modern educational concepts. In any case, the story falls outside the scope of the usual KDrama stuff. On the side, one also gains some impressions of life in the middle class, of the difficulties of single parents (although men have it a bit better than women), of bullying at schools or of abusive parents-in-law.A central storyline revolves around the now: the employment of Park Bok-nyeo in a family with a single father and 4 children who are dealing with their traumatic recent past - the suicide of the mother/wife. The second central plot line works in the background and deals with Bok-Nyeo's own traumatizing past, which shapes her behavior to this day. It is inevitable that both strands eventually become entangled.
Choi Ji-woo marvelously represents the housekeeper Park Bok-neyo. She fulfills her tasks calmly, patiently and disciplined. Always clearly demarcated without ever pulling a face (in 20 episodes)! (Ok, maybe once...) However she can hide well behind her role as a housekeeper and like that escape her own inner emptiness, as she herself is emotionally broken and limited in her ability to relate. Her own traumatic past is now catching up with her and threatens to turn her current life upside down again. But she is older by now, more mature and thus she tries to face her fate emotionally strengthened and resolutely and prepared to get over it to some extent. In the process eventually she offers a variety of psychologically and pedagogically valuable interventions in the everyday life of all family members. It's not all cliché, but offers touching, funny and very serious moments.
So this is not a love story. "Suspicious Housekeeper" offers an idiosyncratic mixture of different genres that are coherently combined to form a new whole with a surprisingly profound entertainment value. All actors, up to the 4 kids, contribute to the living impression of the overall work of art.
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Best psychological drama seen in a while.
I started this drama with no expectations because I was wary of the psychological aspect not being handled well but holy moly was I proved wrong. In fact I started this expecting a cheesy romance as mango TV trailers all showed the romance aspect and once again I was proved wrong.In fact the romance in this drama is a background. Its a slow burn. Its irrelevant. Therefore fans of romance might need to be patient with this one.
The story happens at a psychologist firm with one of the leads as a co-owner. After a meeting with the fl ,they embark on solving several psychological cases that happen in our daily lives,to us and the people we might know.
They explore each case and resolve it with in episode per episode.
There are many stories that you will relate to and feel like this is dejavu. The stories are educational and the way they handle them is excellent.
Also the ML (Lin Shen) our psychologist uses hypnosis as major way to handle these cases. I don't know much about hypnosis so I can't tell you how accurate it is but I do love how cases are handled with sensitivity.
I'm one of those people who first didn't like the fl character but later learnt she is a minor flaw to the greater picture.
I highly recommend watching this because it might have a story and lesson for you. The romance between the main leads is a pleasant bonus.
Do not let the rating deter u. Many people are harsh to psychological dramas because they're not used to them & consider them boring when they're the most educational & always carry important messages.
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The acting was just lush Yoo Ah In is by far the BEST KING, every Monday and Tuesday i waited to see him, he will melt your heart. Kim Tee Hee also did an amazing job. However the story dragged on a bit for like 4ep but it picked up right away that's why its (1 point away from a 10)
Please, please, please please do not hesitate to watch this drama give it a chance you will love it as much me and the other hundreds who watched it.
THE BEST DRAMA FOR 2013 FOR ME :)
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Just finished this drama, and the ending is pretty good. Of the three dramas that deal with returning to Kanxi's reign that I watched, Scarlet Heart, Palace, and this one, I think this one fits right in the middle in terms of a "happy ending," because Yinxiang was not able to travel to her time, but she meets his reincarnation, who has no memory of her. The story is well-written but not as well as the other two in my opinion. Everyone got good endings, even the evil sister, which is a surprise. When the drama ended, I didn't feel the need to watch a season 2, whereas for Palace and Scarlet Heart, I really wanted to watch a season 2. The characters with the most character development were Yinti and Minghui. They actually changed their personalities at the end of the drama. So people who rooted for them and wanted to watch them instead shouldn't feel bad at all.
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Mainly because I read the manga and wanted to see the drama's adaptation. Then, I found out that Okada Masaki is the lead actor so I became more excited to watch it.
2) Storyline/Plot:
Honestly speaking, the storyline is kind of silly but it wasn't boring or unattractive, it was surprisingly enjoyable.
Positive Points:
*This drama is one of the nicest manga adaptations that I've seen so far.
*Main Genres:
--->Humor: I remember laughing several times during this drama, mostly in the third or the fourth episode. There were some hilarious moments in here that I had to pause in order to continue my laughter.
The style of Japanese comedy has always proved its way in making any drama lighter and enjoyable.
The comedy scenes weren't randomly present, it was nicely calculated in order to bring laughter when it's needed; that concept was highly appreciated.
--->School: This drama can also be considered as a school drama since it had all the elements that indicates so. The school side was the most hilarious part with a teacher like Hanazawa Yumeko who was really fun to see around, also the kendo teacher (Ryo's father) and all the classmates that made this part enjoyable.
*Another positive point that I should mention; it was really fun to see Asuka's Otomen friends and their ways of hiding their true self; it was very hilarious at many points.
*The imaginations moments that the characters had were always great and enjoyable.
Negative Points:
--->Romance: the romantic concept wasn't appreciated, I would like to think about this drama as a funny school drama rather than a rom-com; it's really better to think about it that way because romance hasn't deliverd much that can make you watch the drama because of it.
The romance was the annoying light type sometimes, it wasn't completely hateful but I can't possibly mention it in the positive points column.
Story: 8/10
3)Acting/Cast :
*Okada Masaki:
I like him as an actor , I've seen many of his dramas and appreciated most of them. Here, he had the most adorable role ever as a very "cute" role. He didn't fail my expectations; he's always a great actor so I was right for watching this drama because of him.
The character wasn't very different from the one in the manga, actuallly, it was more appealing. I always focus on characters when I watch a manga/anime adaptation in order to see their potency in portraying the orginal ones. Here, I must say that I liked Asuka's character; the way he was trying to hide his love for girly cute things while being the tough kendo captin that everyone loves and finding friends that share his Otomen self in the meantime: It was more than satisfying as a live character adaptation.
*Kaho:
I only saw her in "Tokyo Girl" but I don't judge an actor/actress over a film so let's say that I am not very familiar with her before this drama. Here, I believe that her role was nicely done although I believe that her acting skills are lacking something.
The character didn't attract me, at least, not the way Asuka's character did. I loved the times where Ryo was saving Asuka; those where some great moments.
Ryo's character can be clueless while being on a tough girl mode. It's true that I didn't fall for her character but as a manga adaptation it was an acceptable character.
*Other Cast: I loved the remaining cast, every character in this drama had a unique concept plus there were funny characters everywhere!
*Appreciated Character: Tonomine was a very appreciated character all the way through the drama whether he was Asuka's rival or tough mainly man; he always had interesting scenes.
*Relationships:
--->Romance: I can't possibly speak about romantic chemistry because romance wasn't heavily present. Instead, I will mention that Asuka and Ryo's relationship was really cool to watch.
--->Friendship: Asuka's relationship with the kendo members, Tachibana, Ariake and especially Tonomine was literally mesmerizing.
Cast: 7.5/10
Acting: 8.5/10
4) The ending:
The closer scene was one of the nicest dramas closures. Overall, the ending was cute and adorable.
The ending: 8.5/10
5) My impresion (How did it affect me):
* I really enjoyed this drama, I think I enjoyed it a little too much.
*Laughter moments were very present so there weren't any chance to get bored.
*I really appreciated the characters in this drama and the adaptation overall.
*Is this drama memorable: Yes, it is. I still remember its event (especially the funny moments) even though I watched it a long time ago.
My impression: 8/10
6) Overall:
*If you read the manga then you would appreciate this drama's adaptation.
*If you like funny dramas then you would enjoy this.
*If you're looking for a romatic drama, you shouldn't expect much from this.
*If you like Okada Masaki, you need to watch this because it will give you another image aboout this actor.
Overall: 7.5/10.
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Cha Eun-woo taking that next step
This is probably the best acting I've seen from Eun-woo without a doubt. Like it feels soo good to see him in roles other than the cold smart guy, seeing this new side of him is just so refreshing, and shows how versatile of an actor he really is. He's portraying his character to absolute perfection. The FL is really beautiful and her acting skills is also pretty good. The other ML is also good, but Eun-woo stole the show for me and was the highlight. Cinematography is just simply amazing and the story got me hooked on the very first episode. I highly recommend this drama if you're into suspense, thriller, and action.Was this review helpful to you?
1- If you're the skipper type who skips scenes. Then believe me, in this drama you won't dare to.
2- If you're the 'I-dont-miss-any-second-of-drama' type then this one will make you replay each scene twice.
One word describtion for it, Brilliant.
Story: '10' wow! It blow's off the mind and it teaches you a lot about the real world.
Acting skills: '10' they make every scene so real.
Music: '10' each song suits the scene it's on for and the music with the amazing lyrics deepen's the feeling you have.
Romance: '10' think you know what's prefect chemistry is? You thought wrong. Because unless you watch this one. Then you know nothing about chemistry.
Speed: '10' nothing was rushed, and nothing was slow. Every piece of lego was placed in the right place.
Overall: '10+' why? Because the hidden secret behind the title is "This Is Perfection". Made up for all the dramas I spent watching forecfully in 2013.
a one ending sentence: A-Must-Watch!!!!!
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