This review may contain spoilers
Why do people like this drama so much?
This drama is highly talked about and recommended so I thought checked it out and wow...Beware of Rant.
Worst Romantic-Gaming drama I have ever seen:
1st - The FL is a stalker. Let's just put it out there. She is. She follows the ML around & sends him weird spam-like messages from a fake internet cafe account & follows him places. How he doesn't block, ghost her and file a restraining order I really don't know.
2nd - The FL is famous on her own but for some reason, she's still incredibly stalker-like & timid. She has her own fan base but has 0 confidence. I can't tell you how many times I was cringing at her behavior towards the ML.
3rd - The ML's reason for leaving his old team... I was waiting for this big reason why he left his old team. The captain must have done something pretty terrible for the ML to cry & whine so much about his old captain choosing to leave the team right? Wrong! Turns out the ML is crying & whining over the captain leaving FOR HIS CHILD!! The captain chose to take care of his child over the team. In what world does a grown man guilt someone else over taking care of their child??
4th - If you love dramas with gaming this is not the drama for you. The "gaming" is poorly portrayed. "Here's a black screen with boxes and code, & OH we won!" It's just poorly poorly done.
5th - The Chinese nationalism. Nationalism is fine but this was way overboard.
Honestly, I had such a hard time getting through it. The only saving grace is how absolutely handsome the ML & his cousin are. It does get better after episode 30 or so but I do not understand the hype of this drama. At times its absolutely painful to get through.
Would not recommend.
Would never re-watch.
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?????
this film has many problems, perhaps some viewers (mainly men) did not notice. the fact that Rei during the film says that she lost her virginity only at the age of 29 and that she had a relationship with a woman, there was probably sex in him too, as if her virginity was intact just because she hadn't had sex with men, that it is a view mostly present in men. another thing that bothered me a lot was Rei having quoted and thinking that she could only "complete" Nanae sexually if she had a penis, extremely nonsense. the obsession that Rei felt for Nanae doesn’t make sense either, killing someone who didn’t keep in touch for 10 years and who NEVER showed an affective interest in her .... in fact, during the entire film Nanae only showed romantic interest in Rei last 15 minutes of film, the most beautiful scene in the film is just one of the final scenes where Rei is in the cabin with Nanae and they talk about the past. the sex scenes in the movie are very long, I had to stop the movie several times because I couldn't stand watching it without saying that Rei spends half the movie fucking men even though she always says it is LESBIC, the scene she has with the taxi driver seems that was introduced in the film just to perform sexual fetish of the men who watched it, it does not make sense and there is no plausible explanation of the reason for the sex, at first I thought it was for money, but when the man offered money to Rei, her face makes us think the opposite. Nanae clearly uses Rei's feelings for her own benefit, it gets disgusting, and it seems that Rei's only life goal was to have sex with Nanae ... Rei knew that Nanae used her and left it just to keep her close, that it is noticeable when Nanae said that she called the police for Rei to surrender and Rei did not question whether it was a joke or not, she simply knew that Nanae was capable of doing such a thing! hitting a woman who suffered domestic violence? ..... this film is problematic in so many ways .... it is two hours of film made only for men to satisfy their fetishes, a lot of boobs, a lot of nudity, although the movie " The Handmaiden "also having sex and nudity scenes is completely different from this: the handmaiden scenes are more artistic and visibly beautiful, while in" She "it looks like porn.If you want to watch a good LGBT-themed film see "The Handmaiden" this is a true masterpiece.
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A Background Story Review
P.s. this review focuses more on the background story, hope that others can grasp what's going on better.Mirror: A Tale of Twin Cities (镜双城) is a xuanhuan drama, adapted from the novel with the same title, 镜·双城by 沧月 (Cang Yue). The novel is broken down into 6 series: Su Mo, Bai Ying, Zhen Lan, Na Sheng, Yan Xi, and Yun Huan. But their stories are all correlated. Mirror Twin Cities drama adaptation focuses more on the story of Su Mo and Bai Ying.
A little background story for those who didn’t read the novel nor watched the donghua yet, the story takes place in the Yunhuang continent. In Yunhuang continent, there are 6 countries (Kongsang, Cangliu, and more). 7000 years earlier, Kongsang destroyed the sea kingdom. The previous sea emperor made a pearl to preserve his power and bloodline; and 7000 years later, a mermaid unaccidentally swallowed the pearl. Thus, Su Mo was born.
In Yunhuang, the mermaids were tortured and enslaved. A mermaid’s tears will turn into pearls, the mermaids were forced to cry; and if they cannot try, their eyes will be gouged out. Mermaids were tortured, forced to break their tails, and sold as a commodity and slaves. Both Su Mo and his mother are also very miserable. His mother has her hand and leg amputated and turned into a human swine. Su Mo was also tortured, and in order for others not to have his eyes, he gouged his own eyes. So Su Mo itself is a very dark character and he hates Kongsang people.
Mirror Twin Cities drama narrative centers around Su Mo and Bai Ying. Su Mo is a merman who also bears the identity of a sea emperor, he has the responsibility to bring the mermaids back to the sea. Meanwhile, Bai Ying is the eldest daughter of the Bai clan who has the responsibility to marry the Kongsang’s crown prince. The drama story timeline takes place when Kongsang was invaded by Cangliu, and after the sea emperor resurfaces again and wants to bring the mermaids back to the sea.
The first few episodes of the drama tell the flashback of what had happened 100 years ago. It has very weird and fast pacing, everything is thrown at you so sudden that you might need some time to process what’s going on. And you also won’t feel their chemistry yet. But stay and keep watching, it gets better! It has a pretty average script, but it has gorgeous landscape shots and CGI! But the editing and set are lacking, there is a lot of choppy editing especially during their fight scenes. The fight scenes are beautifully choreographed, but the shots and choppy editing makes it hard for people to understand whats actually going on. In addition, the set is also poor, this is a S+ project but the set looks like its a low-budget project. The "real" locations such as forest, houses, mirror tower were still okay but some like the sea kingdom, underwater scenes are poorly executed
Mirror Twin Cities is led by Li Yifeng (Su Mo), Chen Yuqi (Bai Ying), Zheng Yecheng (Zhen Lan), and more. This drama is Li Yifeng’s comeback historical drama after almost six years. Li Yifeng's portrayal as Su Mo is right on the point. A lot of people may say, “his expression stays the same”. But that’s what Su Mo was like, he is a cold and emotionless man. And also Li Yifeng looks REALLY GOOD in a historical drama. Meanwhile, Chen Yuqi's portrayal as Bai Ying was fine, she did improve a lot from her previous projects. But I can’t help but to notice that she has almost the same expression throughout the whole drama (except when she’s crying). Last but not least, Zheng Ye Cheng acting in a historical drama never disappoints, from his fighting scene, articulation, looks, everything is superb. Zheng Yecheng is also really commendable for being able to portray two totally different characters
In addition, Mirror Twin Cities also has an amazing OST lineup with star studded singers! And I love how there’s a specific OST designed for each character and situation that’s happening. The line up for Mirror Twin Cities OST includes:
1. 念归去 - 周深
2. 无惧 - 阿YueYue
3. 爱若无声 - 毛不易
4. 不为喜欢 - 张碧晨
5. 我是你的雨 - 银临
6. 相思不相忘 - 利胜
7. 风月唱 - 锦零
8. 问酒 - 姚晓棠
Sung by Zhou Shen, Mao Buyi, and Zhang Bichen, you can expect how much angst this drama has.
As someone who has read the novel, I’d say the drama has changed around 80% from the novel, especially character-wise. In the novel and donghua, Su Mo is a very cold and ruthless character. In the novel, Su Mo has no real feeling for Bai Ying at all. All he did was use Bai Ying to overturn Kongsang and try to rebuild the sea kingdom. It was only after Bai Ying jumped the tower, did he realized he was long fallen for her. However, in the drama, he is someone whose more emotional and compassionate (not that it is a terrible thing). For instance, during episode 1, you can see Su Mo as a bright young man helping other mermaids passionately, but that was not the case in the novel. Going through torture and betrayal when he was small, he was a dark and cold character. But in the drama, Su Mo has a straightforward attitude towards his love for Bai Ying. All in all, the drama focuses more on the romantic side of the story. If you have read the novel or watched the donghua, you may find the whole Mirror Twin Cities character deviate from the novel or donghua, except Zhen Lan. But when you are watching the drama, just try to forget the novel and donghua.
If this drama premieres after The Longest Promise (Xiao Zhan and Ren Min), the audience would probably grasp better whats going on.
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From the beginning this drama draws you in. This drama made me cry my heart out (no joke I cried for hours...yeah i dramathoned this drama). The story is just amazing. Despite Kim Tak Goo facing many difficulties he always has a smile on his face, moving everyone around him. His character just captures your heart. Kim Tak Goo Fighting!!!
So if you are in the mood of watching a drama that will make you cry, smile, laugh, then I recommend you to watch this one.
This is a must see!!!
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This review may contain spoilers
The most disgusting and despicable main lead in the history of BL...
This is hard to rate and I'm sure I will not find the right words (even in my native language).What begins as cat and mouse game between the leads spirals out of control quite fast and is very hard to watch. It's hard because "the president" is really an awful human being for several reasons, but he does care for his love in a very twisted way also. His trauma to be left alone made him do unspeakable things in the name of love, so that his partner can't ever escape him.
But as also as in real life, most lies will come out and crash down on "the president". When he nearly lost everything including his love "the director" he aknowledges his faults, his errors and tries to redeem himself. Mr. director has his own baggage, an orphan who was taken in, an orphan who made himself as small as possible to not stand out because his early life served as lesson to survive. But his outward very calm demure is just a fassade and it breaks due to the actions of "the president".
In the end, they can't escape each other regardless of all the pain they endured, regardless of all the hurting things they did to each other.
Production quality is top notch, only the lip syncing could have been better, but besides that, there is nothing to complain about it. Both actors did an incredible job with such heavy roles. I can't recommand this series to anyone with mental heath issues at all, it's taxing to watch. They made it feel so real that it really hurts. This series is not fluffy to begin with and it's outside of the "norm" of most other BLs. It's not really toxic in the normal way, it's not cringe, it just feels awful most of the time. I would have liked if the finale episode would be 10 minutes or so longer to have some real nice moments, but we need to wait for the special episode. Overall a series which breaks the "law" of normal BL series, but still with a happy end.
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And I couldn't deny that the best part of this drama was the acting of, and chemistry between, all the actors. Props to all cast members, including the director and staff with the beautiful sceneries and cinematography. But of course, I have to say this out loud: Jang Dongyoon and Kim Sohyun's chemistry was heckin exploding!!!! I just love them both!!!!! I was pretty much lukewarm with Kim Sohyun before, but I'm a fan now. And don't get me started with Jang Dongyoon—he's just too good to be true! Very much looking forward to their next projects, and I really really hope they do another project together. Maybe not in the near future, but hopefully someday, when they're a bit older. It's been a long time since I wanted to ship lead actors and wished for them to date in real life, but I just can't help it. These two look cute together and I am deluding myself into believing that they can't act like that if they didn't have real feelings..... or maybe they're just really good. Either way, I am fine with that! <3
OST and sound effects were great for me as well. I just wished they didn't use songs with repetitive English lines (but the "one of a kind girl" kinda grew on me eventually haha). I love the all-Korean songs, like Younha's Shine On You. I had it on repeat since it became available on Spotify. Became a feel good song for me since it reminded me of all the Nokdu-Dongjoo soft happy moments.
Rewatch value—definitely watching this again! Just until I get over my Jang Dongyoon-Kim Sohyun feels.
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It has one of the best varieties of different characters representing different viewpoints. The supporting cast is not just a background for the main character to shine. They all have individual stories to tell that are well incorporated into the main plot. As much as they are shaped by Baek Seung Soo’s decisions and actions, he himself is also affected by people around him. It’s an amazing group dynamic that makes you care for every and each character.
For a drama focused on the sport, it deals with a lot of different, important topics like: women in positions of power and workplace, nepotism, disability, patriotism, family versus work. All in a really natural and not “in your face” manner. This way you can enjoy the depth of the story without feeling lectured and patronized.
The cast did an amazing job in bringing these characters to life. While I’m not the biggest fan of Nam Goong Min, I loved him in the role of Baek Seung Soo and I could not picture any other actor playing it. While at the beginning Seung Soo was a bit mysterious of a character, and it was not easy to figure out his motivation, as we progress more into the story, we can discover how gentle and simply good of a person he is.
I also truly enjoyed how much of a loser the main villain was. He was not this powerful, all knowing, smart and cunning mastermind. He was a power hungry man who was willing to give up his integrity to keep the social status he was able to achieve. Extremely scared, extremely cowardly, extremely desperate.
It had its fair share of character development, making me, by the end of the drama, love a character that I despised at the beginning. We see a truly natural and gradual change in our main character, as he slowly opens to people and is willing to let go of his fears and struggles.
Overall, I thought it would be a sure drop from me, and I gave it a chance only because I adore Park Eun Bi, and yet, I enjoyed every second of it. The strongest point of the drama is for sure the amazing cast and set of main and supporting characters. I fell for more than one character and will come back to at least rewatch some scenes from time to time.
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This review may contain spoilers
Soooo boring
Honestly, I've seen slower paced shows than this one, without being this bored.Throughout the entire show, all I remember is constantly checking which episode I was on and thinking "How is it only episode 8??" or "How am I supposed to make it through another 20 of these?!"
The cast was good, the music was okay, the plot seemed interesting. All the ingredients were there. And then you start watching and you don't really care about the FL, and you get tired of all the marriage talks, and you're no longer sure whether the characters have chemistry or not, and the only interesting person ends up being the CEO.
And then that ending. That stupid ass ending. What's the point of deciding to never get married if you're going to exchange the couple rings. And then hold the ceremony where you exchange promises to each other. And proclaim your love and announce your life plans to your entire extended circle of friends and family. That's exactly what weddings are, dammit!!
Just. Skip this.
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The story contained a lot of lessons, which are realistic, and it was not only focused with the two young student, who happened to get to know each other unexpectedly. I like how the ending left a strong impact to its viewers and somehow it successfully made me feel how weary and guilty the characters are.
The theme of the story was truly melodramatic which was given justice by the cinematography, music, dialogues and even the characters. Everything just fits well, great enough to make me feel what the director and actors were trying to portrait. Probably the reason why I was deeply affected and bruised at the end, so a great kudos for that!
The story was meaningful and realistic to this generation specially to the young ones. Romance was just right, enough to make the viewers feel the connection behind the Minsik and Yejoo. I'm glad it wasn't overly done like a typical romantic movie to attract most of the viewers taste. Like I said, romance was just right for the story plot.
The acting was great! I guess I wouldn't feel as wrecked as this if the actors/actress did not give justice to their characters. Yejoo's character was on point. An isolated girl, who only wanted an acquaintance and comfort. She was only being tough to everyone but she's really a soft and kind hearted. I love to see her smiling at most parts. And, I really like the way she opened up with Minsik. I felt relieved somehow. Minsik's character was also on point. Although, it's somewhat hard for me to describe his personality, I personally think he was locked with his own self, which caused him to restraint his actions, making him like a coward. Most of the viewers will probably hate him, and I did because he just triggered my every nerve! But I honestly felt bad at him more than how I felt bad at Yejoo. The ending was impactful to the viewers and it was strongly addressed to Minsik...
I think the story wanted us to step forward and act ourselves because no one will act for us. Guilt will forever serve us if we acted too late. Also, it tells us that attending Church meetings wouldn't cleanse our souls if we do not act and think accordingly to what was being preached there.
I don't know what else I am missing but this story is too meaningful!
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Girl Who Got Loved In A Painful Way
This was a very unique, creative and well acted black comedy psychological thriller series. There are three departments where i absolutely adored the show.Firstly, the production quality is visual stunning and stellar. Starting from cinematography, background music, editing, lighting, color grading, styling, set pieces to locations. Everything was refreshing and eye pleasing.
Secondly, the acting here is award winning, amazing and heartwrenching. Each and every character be it positive or negative has left a mark of their acting chops on me. I personally loved everybody's performance. Yes it was damm amazing to watch such a star studded show.
Thirdly, the storytelling is very unique and engaging. The X factor about this show is that each character here be it positive or negative is always a protagonist of their own story. The characters are extremely complex and the narration shows that very well through giving equal screenspace to every character.
Every episode shows different kind of drama. There is office drama, school drama, prison drama, sex drama, family drama. Each episode tells a different story keeping one protagonist in constant but with 3 different faces. So i would like to applaud the webtoon writer for being so creative and Mask Girl team for being so unique with their visualization that they presented such a highly dark and gritty psychological story through elements of adult and black comedy.
Overall i simply loved and enjoyed. For me this is a sheer masterpiece. I only wish this had more episodes so i could have enjoyed it a little more.
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This review may contain spoilers
This drama is so intense and dark... it’s way darker than voice 1. The story outline is so tight and detailed... maybe that’s why it took 2 season to finish this arc.The brutal scene and music that can make you cringe and hold your breath for a few seconds.
I didn’t even expect the cannibalism part... that was so unexpected.
For the ending... it’s the most suitable and realistic. Try to understand that it’s not easy to fight his demon... let’s give him a break and hold your idealistic happy ending.
There’s a post credit. Hoping for next season.
If you haven’t watch this... then give it a go and prepare yourselves.
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To sum up this drama is valuable in acting, art (costumes are great) music and dancing also the storyline is interessting. The only thing you need to prepare yourself is getting a bunch of tissues ready as it gets really emotional ;)
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This review may contain spoilers
WHY did I watch this?
Season 2 of a series, regardless of its genre, should be reserved for a series that was highly successful and popular in its first season because of a memorable plot/storyline, solid acting, or good writing and directing, that left everyone wanting more.Sadly, most of the series that have gotten a second season lately, especially Thai BLs, have been utterly disappointing (see for example "Love by Chance 2", "Tharn-Type season 2", "Love Area season 2", among others) as they couldn't overcome a myriad of flaws and some questionable acting and directing that left us viewers regretting our decision to watch.
Gen Y season 2 is NO exception despite what one reviewer (who has only watched 4 episodes) said about this being a wonderful show. It is NOT... Gen Y2 became 12 episodes of dull acting, bad directing, many storyline plots that were even more boring to watch and useless situations that were dealt with in usual BL fashion of not being dealt with at all. Here's why.
The storyline/plot:
This story seems to follow the concept of the original "2Moons" with Wayu (instead of Wayo), Kit and Pha remaining constants from that show and with virtually identical characters. The idea of having Wayu and Thanu as the main couple in season 2 was created by the plot of Pha leaving Wayu alone in season 1 and telling Thanu to take care of Wayu. It took all of season 1 and then nearly a third of season 2 to finally know that Pha is sick (I believe he had a sort of brain tumor judging by what Kit is reading while doing research on the disease) and is dying, so he leaves Wayu because he doesn't want him to see him like that. Really?! The love of your life and you just leave one day, ask another guy to "take care" of Wayu for you, and vanish into thin air without an explanation? So this was sinkhole #1 in the plot.
Then Kit and Mark have their own issues... the cat and mouse game Kit plays in season 1 by rejecting Mark's advances and flirting until he finally breaks his walls and accepts that he likes Mark, shift into Mark and Kit having a dull relationship (in my opinion) with Mark acting cute all the time because of how much he loves Kit and the other trying to restrain himself and control Mark's personality at the same time. And then, they drift apart when Kit applies for a scholarship abroad (one of the usual Thai BL clichés) and decides is better to take some time apart from seeing Mark to make sure both get used to living apart from each other. Really?! If I knew I was leaving to study abroad, I would have spent every single second I could possibly spend with my loved one before I had to leave, not the opposite... Kit is basically training Mark (and himself) to be alone in case he leaves but both spend countless episodes crying and sighing because they miss each other. So this was sinkhole #2.
Pha reappears early in this season but is to reveal he is dying. This takes Kit on a quest to save him, trying to apply for an experimental study in the US, neglecting Mark and almost everything else to save Pha. Thanu feels sad about his friend and also a bit guilty by "keeping" Wayu. And Wayu has no clue of what is happening at first, until Sandee (more on him later) reveals the truth, making Wayu feel guilty about being mad at Pha for what he thought was just Pha breaking up with him and then compensating by staying with Pha all the time at the hospital, feeling a bit angry because nobody told him about Pha's health, and then guilty again for having feelings for Thanu while Pha is dying. We had to watch nearly entire episodes of these scenarios I mentioned above and they became quite boring after a while as nothing was developing with the other couples and Wayu-Thanu-Pha kept this love triangle from dying out. Finally, Pha does end up dying (in a poorly edited scene with Pha's mother saying "he is gone", but then Wayu, Kit and Thanu going in the room to find he is actually alive, before he finally dies) which released us from watching Wayu suffer because he loves Thanu but wants to take care of Pha. So this was sinkhole #3.
Sandee is the bad guy (I guess) of this season as he tries to "fix" the couples to what he thinks is best. Thanu with Phai and then also messing with the Tong-Pok couple because Tong switched his grade with Pok's so he could be accepted in the university. Ok, I get you're angry at Tong because your grade was switched... but when Sandee confesses to Phai about what he did and then in episode 12 when he talks to Pok, he reveals the switch didn't affect either of them as the grades were identical. Really?! You went through all the mess of threatening and blackmailing Tong, being outcasted by your group of friends, having Pok beat you up a little, and for what? In the end the switch didn't make a difference! And then trying to put Thanu and Phai together serves no purpose in the series as Phai already made it clear he will not interfere in the Thanu-Wayu relationship, so what... Sandee likes Phai? Maybe... Sandee just wants to play matchmaker due to his distorted idea of what love should be (all the fate-destiny crap he and Phai talked about since season 1) Maybe... but we never know for sure. So this was sinkhole #4.
Pok and Tong have an almost toxic relationship with Tong refusing to kiss as he is "saving that for his real love"... great... but his conservative nearly puritan perspective goes to hell when both are being fuckbuddies and doing nearly everything (including the shower scene before they break up) but with Tong still refusing to kiss. They lack communication, they let Sandee influence them quite easily, they never listen to the rest of their friends and then all is solved in episodes 11 and 12 when they each find out the truth (from someone else), Sandee apologizes, and all is well in the world of Pok and Tong. So this was sinkhole #5.
Then we have the secondary characters who have nothing to do. Jack and Ko could have been the best side couple of this season as the actors worked together as a couple in "My Mate Match" but they barely get screen time with all the characters in this series. At least they have a decent and cute ending... We also have the mystery that Padbok was in this show. He was constantly fighting with Thanu in season 1 for what he thought was his friend's betrayal... but then he disappears in season 2 with the excuse of him taking care of his sick father. He briefly appears in the waste of episode when the whole cast dresses up for the mini-plays but leaves after literally 10 seconds when he sees that Thanu will be involved in the scene as well. Then in episode 12 he listens to Thanu and Wayu, then Jack and Jew confirm the story and what could have been solved in about 2 minutes of the show, ended up being solved until the last 10 minutes of the season. Not sure if Junior (the actor who played Padbok) was busy with the new BL he will lead (something called "Boxer in Heart" where he will play the main couple along with Tiger from "My Engineer" and "Top Secret Together") but his absence in this season was made even more evident by the choppy scenes he had to film to solve his problems with Thanu. The rest of the characters either play matchmakers or provide some sort of comedic relief but they barely add anything to the story. Phai more or less gives some good advice to Kit in a few episodes but nothing that good. So this was sinkhole #6.
The acting:
Sadly, most of the actors, while attractive, have fallen in the same sort of roles. Bas (playing Wayu) is stuck with the suffering damsel in distress character that needs a big strong man like Pha or Thanu to help him and all his characters have that similar feeling. Kimmon (playing Mark) and Copter (playing Kit) have fallen in the playful/flirty character (Mark) and the serious, uptight, centered character (Kit). Bank (playing Sandee) and Pon (playing Phai) were nothing like their characters from "The Moment" and "The Moment Since" where they had some soul and personality, here both were quite dull. Big (playing Pha) had mostly bed-ridden scenes in the hospital and maybe he was also focusing on his support role in "Something in My Room" (where he doesn't appear much either and his character is quite weird) but his scenes playing a sick man were forgettable. The other Bank (playing Pok) and Bonus (playing Tong) could have used some acting directions as they had some of the most intense scenes, whether having sex or arguing, in the series, but they didn't convince me much. The rest were just there.
In the end, Gen Y 2 ended up being another disappointment in what is becoming a long list of disappointments now, as companies are just producing BLs because they see them as profitable or trendy but don't bother too much in terms of quality. So, yeah, avoid this season if you can.
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The actors have also put up good performance but at the moment Barbara's Huang Rong still the best imo.
Michael Miu's Huang Yao Shi and William's Guo Jing are both very watchable.
Overall, great drama. Must watch. Entertaining. Nothing over the top. Perfect pace.
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The setting of the drama is what initially attracted me. At the turn of the century, it is an important time for Joseon, where their fate for the next few decades, even up to our day and age, would be determined during that time. One of the themes that were emphasized in this drama is the injustices some Koreans went through at the hands of their people, especially due to hierarchy. This resulted in many people with a grudge against their own country, especially against the nobles.
Another very strong point about this drama is the character development. Other than the Japanese antagonistic, and the depiction of some traitors, many of the characters were given layers and layers, that you can't help but feel for. Of course, it all bloomed thanks to the talented actors behind it. Starting with Kim Tae Ri playing the character with a mission Go Ae Shin. This character could've easily become overbearing (think Gaksital FL), yet here she remains constant. As the story goes on, you can't help but be driven by her plight. And that is what happened with all 4 other leads. Eugene Choi on the other hand is the character I connected with the most. The feeling of not belonging to neither country can be lonely. You see him struggle daily trying to understand where he stands. I admired how he never felt ashamed of his origin and felt for his pain and grudge against those who caused it. Then you see his grudge falter as he is met with people that kept challenging the preconceived notion of his birthplace. Lee Byung Hun really gave his all for this character, especially towards the end.
Watching Yoo Yeon Seok after seeing him in "Hospital playlist" it is difficult to accept that is the same person. Looks aside, his character is the most pitiful and toxic. He has no problem slicing anyone in half if they got on his wrong side, yet he won't hesitate to protect them if he sees anyone being unfairly treated. The most tragic character is Kudo Hina / Lee Yang Hwa played by Kim Min Jung. Having been sold off previously like some commodity really shaped her personality. She is all about being in control, however, the one thing she could never control is the action of her parents. This breaks her time and again throughout the drama. You can also sense the sadness in her eyes. Finally, Kim Hui Sung played by Byun Yo Han was the main reason for me for starting this drama. He was the actual sunshine here. His smile lightened my day, even when you could feel the heavy burden behind it.
Of course, what made this drama memorable is a large number of supporting characters. Gunner Jang was a character I followed and rooted throughout. This story was as much his story, as it was Go Ae Sin's story of a man who rejected the leaders of his country but chose its people. He was the forever rebellious Jang. Another character that stood out is the king. He was frustrating for most of the drama, but as the story went on, you realize how helpless he felt, and how carefully he chose his actions to protect his people. Being in his place is the most crumbling experience. There were many more, too many interesting characters.
The horror of colonialism is really well exposed here. The actions the Japanese did makes you wonder if it was possible to lose one's humanity to this point. Now, I do not know if what was portrayed was exaggerated. Some instances couldn've been, while others not. However, I do know the dangers of collective brainwash. When being constantly fed on how those "other" people are less than you, your brain accepts it and you become desensitized. Seeing what my beloved Japanese people did was really conflicting. But that is the truth of becoming a colonizer. Though they suffer a lot later due to losing the war, I think that was a blessing in disguise. It helped them reflect on what they have become and change. That opportunity was never offered to those that never lost a war.
Action scenes were great overall, but especially the sword fights with Gu Dong Mae. The scenery was beautiful, and some scenes were haunting. The train scene will probably go down as one of the most beautiful scenes in my memory.
While the drama had all those great things going for it, it still took me so long to finish. I lost my motivation to watch due to the lack of direction for the story to take. Each episode was between 75 - 80 minutes, with much of it had the characters walking around and eating dessert. The actual story starts at around episodes 19-20. Yes, it took THAT long for the story to take off. That is too much fat needed to shed. There is also the mix of history and myths that bothered me, and no reasoning given for actions that took so long to be taken. For example, the Mori character made no sense. They used it to turn the Japanese colonization of Korea to be some family centuries-old conspiracy when this had nothing to do with the truth, nor the overall story. Just added drama that didn't amount to anything. The portrayal of America is also in the same vein. On one hand, it's treated like this paradise, only to be brought down to reality by our Korea-American hero. One line said really stood out:
"America & Britain lent Japan a total of $410 million dollars, and 40% of it is being spent on the war. The two countries basically forced Japan into the war. Hence, America will never help Joseon. The Russo-Japanese war will result in a great deal of profit for America”
The music was overall negligible, but there was some sweet background that brought peace to the scenes.
It was overall a good drama to watch if it wasn't for the dragginess. I do recommend it to all.
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