Reviews

I enjoy action/adventure stories, that's what initially made me interested in this drama but... I have to say it's a complete mess.
The story on its core it's a really interesting one, with plot twists, intriguing characters, interesting old history but... It's so badly executed! And I don't mean the production, which is pretty good for a chinese drama. The script is a mess... I'm sure the books are really great, but there are lots of times in this drama when you have no idea why something happened, or why the characters are doing what they are doing. I know that some things are left unexplained simple because this is intended to be an 8 part series, but I mean things like: one of the main characters appears out of nowhere, nobody knows who he is, he doesn't speak, he joins the party and everybody plays along with that. I don't know, maybe I'm too picky, but I think this had the potential to be very good and instead it's nearly mediocre.
On the bright side, I'm really interested in the books right now =P

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Maybe I have to modify my view on Korean queer films because of this.
Unlike its counterparts in other countries, most of the Korean queer films, in my opinions, have always been dark and gloomy, but at the same time they try to reflect the reality of gays living in Korean society. This film is one of the greatest I ever watched in terms of queer films.

This film is not an exception. The overall mood is gloomy, dark, and painful. However, at the same time, Director Lee-Song Hee Il magically depicts passion and warm, heart-beating romance at the same time. I don't know why Director Lee-Song's films are mostly dark and gloomy. Maybe he thinks it is so in Korea, which I agree but don't like much.

This film is about a story that occurs in one night. But that occurrence leaves a deep impression and love in each other's heart. If you are meant to meet someone, when and how doesn't matter.

The story is so good, touching your heart soon and acting is great. The emotions of the actors are delicate and abundant. I watched this film in Korean version, so I dont know if the English translation is good or not. Maybe you cannot get the exact impression that I got if watching it with English subtitle.

I strongly recommend you to watch this film!  You won't regret  it. 

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As a fan of James, I had to watch this. This had a Neung Nai Suang 2015 feel at first mainly due to the time setting and, of course, the fact that James was also the male protagonist. I'd say, though, that's where the similarities stop. Differently from Neung Nai Suang 2015, where the main character's love relationship is extremely childish and lacking in communication, Padiwarada delivers a very mature perspective of love and that was intensely refreshing for me. The concept that love is something you build over years of understanding and caring for the other is rarely explored in dramaland and in my opinion, was well presented in this drama.

Rin was a good female protagonist, had great sense and presence. From beginning to end I admired her and, to be sincere, if I ever come to marry I hope I'll be able to be at least 30% of the wife she was. Even when the female rival plotted against her and Saran's wedding, she always acted accordingly with elegance. It's hard to find a main character like her in dramaland in general, so I was really surprised to find one in a lakorn of all things.

I think some of that also applies to Saran. From the moment he started opening up to Rin (what happened really early, another good surprise) he was really sweet. The only thing about him that made me a little mad was that he was too gentle for his own good at times. His first love didn't deserve 1% of his consideration towards her... That bitch really irritated me.

Now, besides the usual bitch character that is always present in any romance drama there is, the only other thing that I must complain about was the "White Tiger" and his magic thing. For me, that part of the lakorn was totally unnecessary and what would cause me distress if I ever were to recommend this to someone who isn't really into dramas and lakorns in special. Watching that part made me extremely silly, I wasn't even believing what I was watching at times and every time someone would enter my room I would simply stop watching out of embarrassment. I mean, really... Magic powers and all that in that kind of setting was horrible. This wasn't supposed to be a fantasy drama!!

The OST didn't really stand out to me. I would rewatch this only to see Saran's and Rin's beautiful relationship develop again. I just wish there were more kisses on the mouth instead of kisses on the forehead (which was seriously over used... I mean, there was this one episode where I counted at least five of them!!!)

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Just one word: disappointing. I have to say that at the beginning of the drama, I got really excited because it was so different than other dramas. But I would have liked it better if it was one of those cliched dramas. I think my hopes were set too high for this probably because Cheondoong was in it (A+ here). Well, that serves me right for watching a drama only for one actor. But I know I'll do it again in a heartbeat.
The story was different than what I usually watched, so it grabbed my attention right away. The whole girl disguises herself as a guy has been done quite a few times, but I don't recall any where there are a bunch of flower boys painting nails for a living. However, the whole gumiho concept just didn't do it for me. It was introduced and carried along through the first like 3 episodes. After that, it just became irrelevant. And then out of no where, it shows up again in the very last episode. Not acceptable. Sorry, but NO. Also, I found myself drawing further and further away from the main couple. I found the love story between Jin and Ji Soo much more interesting and cute. I was more worried about them than I was for Bunny, Kay, and Alex. They are now officially my favorite side couple! (\(^-^)/) They are the only reason my rating is a 6. without them, it would've been a 4.
As for the acting, it wasn't horrible, but... it wasn't all that great either. I feel like there were only a few of the actors that portrayed their roles well. That would have to be (in my opinion. no hating) Kay, Jin, and Ji Soo. They may have not been excellent, but it was much better than the others. The others' acting was good at times, and was just a ship wreck the rest of the time. But they tried; I'll give them credit for that.
The music was nice. There was a song or two that I didn't really like and some that I thought were over played, but overall, the music was good.
I highly doubt I would re-watch this. Maybe if I was pointed a gun at my head or if I literally have nothing else to watch besides this (pretty much impossible).
All in all, it wasn't anything special like I expected it to be. If you want to watch a cross-dressing, fantasy, confusing, rushed ending, short drama, then maybe you'll like this. If not, then turn away and look for another drama. Hope I didn't spoil anything. If I did, I'm really sorry. Bye!

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This is one of my favorite dramas. This drama just my 2020-2021. I don't usually watch historical dramas and when I do it is usually something that has to do with present days like this drama. I really liked how the main character switched to the Josean which made it even more funnier. The characters where very funny and I loved all of them a lot. I didn't expect so much romance, but I love how the King started to like the Queen. My favorite parts were when the Queen just roasted everyone and proved to all of them that she is greater than them. I really liked the ending, which in some dramas I don't always like them. It would be pretty cool if they showed the baby at the end. I was happy that both Jang Bong Hwan and the queen had a good ending. It was so weird to see the present days because I was so used to seeing the palace.

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the story of this drama was in two parts. both parts were thrilling with a similar vibe to them yet the second part had more impact. when i heard that the drama was about banks i thought it was going to be some boring thing but no no no this drama had me on the edge for every episode. the sotry, the twists and turns, all the characters in it. the sweet moments between the main couple.

the acting was superb. honestly this drama is an acting powerhouse. sakai masato, kitaonji kinya, kagawa teruyuki, oikawa mitsuhiro was even splendid in this and of course takito's acting. you could even see the growth in some of the characters it was obvious in the acting.

the music is just how it should be. it escalates the feelings however it doesn't make you pay attention to it which is a good thing. drama music should not make you pay attention to it more than you would pay attention to the drama itself.

lastly, i don't think that i would rewatch this drama anytime soon. mainly the high thing about this drama was the suspence. you can't enjoy a suspence drama when you rewatch it definitely not as much as the first time but this drama would definitely have it's good points to rewatching.

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A complicated poem saved by the bell

Choi Yu Jin fled to America after his slave parents were murdered. Due to the harsh treatment which he endured for being a slave in the Joseon period, Eugene feels no love or kinship towards Joseon. In America, he is known as Eugene Choi and has climbed his way up to be a distinguished figure by joining the American military. Several years later, he is stationed in Joseon during an American expedition. There he meets a noblewoman Ae Shin who by day seems to be a quiet lady but by night she's running across rooftops with her sniper rifle, secretly fighting for Joseon's independence. He falls for her but he isn't alone as she is also loved by her joyful quirky fiancee Hee Sung and a yakuza Dong Mae whose heart is a black box. Neither of them is really sure if the other is a friend or foe. This makes three relationships that look like they can never be: Ae Shin and Eugene, Ae Shin and Dong Mae, Ae Shin, and Hee Sung. This is not a love square but a love pentagram because there is also a mysterious hotel owner Kudo Hina who is also a fencing master. So there is lots of love but no one's really happy, yes it's very sad.

A few things that draw me into this drama are first, I know this is a show of quality and I'm gonna enjoy it. There is an artistic flavor to how every scene is set up and shots from the color grading to the music to the overall backdrop are very breathtaking. However, it's not glamorizing life, for every gorgeous breathtaking sunset there's a brutal portrayal of war and violence and death and these scenes are visually engrossing. Second, it was deeply rooted in real important history and also it is set in the early 1900s which doesn't feel that long ago, there was real political scheming in this drama that still left an impact on today's society.

The five leads came from multiple cultures but don’t really belong anywhere, their stories are so full of heart and their arcs are so noble. I think a lot of diaspora like me can relate to Eugene as a character who doesn't belong to either Joseon or America, he's in this gray area. He is a very nuanced character and he holds the whole drama together. Even though he's happy being accepted by the American, as the show progresses he becomes more and more interested in the Korean culture and he wants to find his roots. I just love that his one bullet was used with such wisdom and just such grand effect. Ae Shin is a very compelling character, I love Kim Tae Ri played this role with such unbelievable complexity and nuance that I want to watch her and everything that she does: she gets a lot across with simple looks and she also has an extremely royal noble way about her presence. Kudo Hina, the hotel owner is truly one of the best most complicated female characters and the script took her exactly where I wanted it to.

I absolutely loved the iconic Dong Mae with the double swords at his hip and his sweaty hair, open chest, and half ponytail. Simply Yoo Yeon Seok acting was amazing as the dark and tragic Dong Mae. Hee Sung is such a man with tremendous growth, he goes from this total privilege boy to a guy running an underground newspaper to spurn on the resistance and I was so proud of him at the end. I really loved when he realizes his fiancee is not going to be with him and he respects it, he still loves her but he is respectful. His character was so well written and played so amazingly by Byun Yo Han.

However, I didn't enjoy a significant chunk of my watching experience as the story goes on because this show is very heavy with political maneuvering. It's really taking 20 episodes' time to set up and I got bored but I keep watching for the main characters. Also, there are a lot of different languages being spoken there's Korean, Japanese and then there's American English with a very weird accent. I'm very sensitive to dislike English-spoken very weirdly in Korean dramas. It feels like they're trying to over-pronounce things correctly. These elements dominate the screen time and are really too dry to watch. It is so unfortunate because there are a lot of actions with gunfights and fist fights within each episode and when they do action, these scenes are so well-choreograph almost perfection! I wish there had been a bit more action and bromance moments.

This drama has a fantastic and unlikely bromance between Eugene, Dong Mae, and Hee Sung at its core. Whenever they were on screen together, they made me so happy because they blurted out humor and heart to the drama. I was not expecting these three weird trio were going to be so beloved and it was definitely the highlight of the drama for me. Without giving any spoilers, the finale is an absolute masterpiece, which is really impactful! I dropped my heart because it just gave such cathartic blows. It feels like I was being rewarded for all the time I sit through and overcome the frustrations I had in the first 20 episodes. Thus, my overall impression is actually really positive as time goes by. I'm glad I watched it and the way it impacted me when it's done makes me feel like I came out a better person. If I can divide my enjoyment value, I would give up 1-20 a 7 and ep 21 - 24 a 10.

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In Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None", ten strangers gather to an isolated island where they will have to witness a murder - just to become hunted themselves. It's a psychological thriller where we get to see, not only the people's deepest thoughts but also the group dynamic in a very extreme, absurd situation that you can only create in fantasies.

White Christmas' main themes are very similar to the masterpiece by Agatha Christie that was written over seven decades ago. What happens to the people in extreme fear when they can trust no one but themselves and they can't escape the danger they are confronting? Each of them reacts to the situation in their own way and various different social bonds are formed. But while "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie is clearly a detective story where the reader is fooled until the very end, White Christmas offers us rather clear hints throughout the series. I would say that in the end White Christmas' best offering for the viewers was not the mysterious guessing game but the psychological themes it dealt with.

The characters of the story were very well written. They had realistic background stories, as well as the personalities they had formed until now. The most interesting was to watch how they all would develop in the journey of eight episodes. None of them was entirely good or bad, and everyone of them had to deal with their own problems, their own values and their own emotions, and to answer the main question of the drama: "Are monsters born or created?"

Besides the great plot and characters, the production of the drama was done very well. The drama was very artistry - but not in a way that it would look forced or unnatural. The set was very simple but in the same time even more stunning. In the end you don't need some fancy effects if you know how to film: the talented use of the angles, light etc. The silent scenes with stunning views and some well-thought music, and you have everything you need for a very emotional scene. And not only was it just nice to watch - the talented production made the atmosphere very eerie and stagnant, something to get you completely absorbed into the story. I also liked the fact how the characters' uniqueness was emphasized by the way they were filmed - all in their own way.

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The above was my main thoughts after watching the the whole drama in one day (night, woops :D) - I will discuss more of the cast, music, story etc. below! :)


Story - The story was in the end pretty unpredictable although that viewers were given pretty clear hints about the mysteries in the drama throughout the series. Altogether White Christmas is a fresh and unique drama among the sometimes very cliched dramaworld. The greatest pros in this drama were the deep, well-thought characters and the many thoughts it offered to the its viewers in every single episode. Some illogical gaps though made me reduce half of a point in this section.

Acting/Cast - I have nothing bad to say about the cast or the acting. Although there were many rookie actors (e.g. Kim Woo Bin, Sung Joon) I never felt that they were actually "acting" - was it then the direction of the drama or the well-written characters, I really got into it and felt more like they were real characters rather than just normal people behind the characters they were trying to create.

Music - This soundtrack didn't have songs of its own but it borrowed many famous and also not-so famous songs from around the world. Majority of the songs were Western songs, varying from pop to alternative rock and ballads. But who could have imagined that Vivaldi's Nisi Dominus would actually be so creepy?

Rewatch value - Although I love thrillers, the series always suffer from it as well. As you know what's going to happen in the second time when you're watching the series, it doesn't really feel exactly same anymore. That's why you should always cherish the moment when you watch a drama for the first time. (:D) But with great production quality and the many thoughts that the drama offered, I think that it would still be pretty enjoyable when it is watched for the second time! (And I'm sure that I'm going to watch it for the second time for sure! ^^)

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This is the 2nd Thai movie I've seen since the day I got hooked with Asian films and drama series. It falls under romance-drama genre in this site, but I think it's more of a rom-com type of film. Though it's not your typical romantic-comedy movie. Lead actors don't have mushy lines to utter nor it has cliche scenes that we commonly see in a number of rom-com films. But trust me, you would absolutely find yourself smiling over sweet moments in the film and even laugh heartily on more than a couple of funny cute scenes.

This is more than boy-meets-girl kind of movie where the story usually just revolves around the lead actors being in love and how they conquer anything and everything that hinders their relationship. This movie, on the other hand, will give the viewer a glimpse of both lead actors' selfless character that one would agree that they really deserve each other and would hope that they end up together. It's unique in it's own way; smartly revealing each of the lead actor's amusingly cool character that any film viewer would be able to relate to and appreciate.

The concept of destiny that often seen in romantic films was given a different twist in this movie. A must-watch film that will leave a smile on your face and a smile in your heart and soul.

What are you waiting for?! Go check out this wonderful Thai movie!

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Added to my favourite comedy, suspense and action-filled fantasy drama!

I have been eagerly waiting for the second season of this series ever since I accidently discovered this Masterpiece. I'm not into anime or Chinese comics but while searching for suspenseful, fantasy, comedy and mystery packed drama, I luckily stumbled upon this gem. I absolutely love the 1st season and the 2nd season has entered my top favourite drama list. Its definitely worth the watch! Highly recommended by me.


The storyline of the drama like S1 is super engaging, passionate, cohesive, entertaining, suspenseful and thrilling. It kept me on edge through out all of the episodes. The goal of solving the mystery and capturing CD became base plot of this season. S2 ensured that the new important characters had solid back grounds build up just like in S1. The story moved along with the action, suspense and comedy packed events, while unravelling the vital and mysterious back stories of new characters.

The story also highlights the differences between Real outsiders and the ones made by the soul refining furnace. Real outsiders experts are formidable and force to be reckoned with because being outsiders they have lead lives of suffering and they had to work extremely hard to master their techniques to its full potential. Unlike last season where mostly bad or good outsiders were the focus,  this season showed the behaviour, goals and intentions of NDT express headquarters. At certain times their motives seemed well intentioned yet tinged with hidden agendas. Their is subtle power/control struggle going on between   outsider world and NDT express leaders.

This season was as fast paced as S1, so it's very important to pay close attention to the details of the events, explanations, emotions showed by characters and implicit or explicit impact of actions of all characters in the past, present or future. As always the live action kept true to executing of iconic scenes from the comics seamlessly well. The fight scenes are among many important highlights of this series. They are beautifully choreographed and are super action packed at times touched with this series signature hilarious moments.

The actors have portrayed their characters immaculately well. Through impeccable acting they have conveyed their emotions, aims, qualities, relationships, attributes and thoughts extremely well. All characters are dynamic, they have contributed very well to move the story forward, provinding powerful insights and successfully ticking our curiosity related to their behaviour. Not forgetting to mention many outsiders are effortlessly funny in their own unique ways. Each outsider character displayed their super power really well. S2 has introduced many new characters with different personalities along with new types of powers like beast tamer, armorer, divine forge technique, poison technique, close combat techniques, magical weapons, summoning god powers/divine mask etc.

The outsider characters from S1 ZCL, FBB, WY, EZ and ZQ showed old and new sides to their personalities and demonstrated further character developments. More of their intriguing and impactful back ground stories were revealed. ZCL has always been clever, witty and bold. In this season he has become more insightful and is being very strategic. Everything he does is to help his best friend FBB. He finally  harnesses the old farmer technique his Grandfather passed down to him. FBB is as funny and mysterious as ever has become more adept at using her powers effectively and have even become a beginner at crafting magic weapons. She unconditionally trusts and relies on ZCL and follows his instructions/plans. WY uses his wisdom to protect and guide his friends while using his unique immensely powerful techniques to intervene in the fates of people posing threat to the peace of the world unintentionally or intentionally. He is willing to save the world even if he has to bear the consequences by himself for changing someone's fate. ZQ faced internal conflict when tempted with one of the eight supreme technique, the divine forge. However he successfully overcame it, learned Samadhi true fire and showed talent in divine crafts and helped ZCL when his help was crucially needed. EZ has always been resourceful, clever and humorous but this time she showcased her new capabilities in dire circumstances.

The new special agent outsider characters introduced are very funny and eccentric. WZQ is my new favourite he is mischievous, cunning and playful yet he works hard to master his techniques. He learns how to use his magic mask to its full potential by understanding righteous faith. XZZ is truly frightening person yet he has found salvation despite having psychopathic tendencies and works to stop others from crossing the bottom-line. LM is very kind-hearted and thoughtful person appears to be weak and helpless but has mastered his techniques evolving them with scientific research knowledge to make them more deadly. HGE gives rough and tough man impression at first but is very caring, loyal and soft hearted person as well. CD is most tragic character I have come across this series. She is the main focus of this season's plot. She is very kind-hearted and thoughtful person despite fate being cruel to her in every way. Her tragic story is very heart wrenching yet has heartwarming side to it too. She impacted many hearts and minds along her journey. She was born in circumstances she couldn't control but with the help of friends she was able to finally make some decisions and choices for herself.

MXH is a pitiful character too. He is caring and kind-hearted but stubborn, arrogant and ambitious person. He has good intentions but he is misguided and used by QT, who has altered his memories and is manipulating him to hatch an evil plan that could possible destroy the world. Just like FBB and CD has some parallels, ZCL and MXH has parallels too discovered by WY. Both are good people but their fates are influenced by someone, very deeply and dangerously.

The OSTs, CGI, cenimatrography and FX are mind blowing. They are placed appropriately in the drama suitable to the needs of the events. The sets and the environments shows a lot of effort put in to anhance its suitability, usefulness and impact to the related scenes. The scenes have their own unique features and design requirement. The costume styling is well throughout that adds details to characters, highlighting their unique personal attributes. Their clothing was not just about appearance but eminated their spiritual resemblance too. They have used more sophisticated equipments to enhance lighting and shadows and Cinematography of special moves the characters use. For example, WY's chaotic time shift technique was filmed in slow mo but this time MOCO was used to capture it perfectly. Even subtle conveyance of eye contact and micro-expressions were considered thoroughly to bring the characters to life, these expressions are unique to live action dramas. Also about actors deliverance of their martial arts styles and signature moves it really showed that they have practiced very hard to deliver them perfectly.

Finally, S2 has successfully built up the foundation story for the S3 leaving me deeply curious about what are ZCL's next moves and how will MXH break free of QT's control. What does QT intends to do and why? And it seems S3 will finally reveal FBB's complete past. Only bad point about S2 is that I wanted more episodes. Hopefully, S3 will have sufficient number of episodes. I will be waiting for S3, hopefully the original perfect cast will remain the same or it will be terrible tragedy to recast them all. 

I hope people watching it give it a fair chance and watch it till the end.

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Messy but Charming

Honestly when I watched the first episode of this drama, it was so far removed than what I thought this drama was going to be, I was going to drop it and move on....I AM SO GLAD I DIDN'T! If you stick with it, don't take it to seriously, you will be won over and love this drama when you finish with it.

STORY: As I stated above, do not take this drama and it's storyline too seriously. Just go with the flow and you will enjoy it more. I am not saying that the story was bad it just had its moments where it seemed very farfetched and messy, some parts even were a little predictable for it being a spy drama. If you don't look that much into it, you will find the story to be charming, exciting, funny and adorable all at the same time. It is a fun ride to be on.

CASTING: At first when I started this drama, I did not like some of the characters because they seemed to be a little tropey and annoying but as the drama went on, the characters got more depth and color which helped you as a viewer fall in love with them and their interactions. By the end of the drama, it was hard to say goodbye to them. MY favorite characters HANDS DOWN in this drama was the Ahjumma group and Jin Young Tae surprisingly (I found him to be annoying at first). I thought the actors did a great job and the drama was well casted.

MUSIC: I LOVE LOVE LOVE THE FIRST OST FOR THIS DRAMA!! I listen to it all the time. I also liked the music that played when the action was happening. It gave depth to the fight scenes and made them very exciting to watch.

REWATCH VALUE: I would rewatch this again if it was a rainy day and I had nothing else to watch. It is an easy drama to watch.

OVERALL: Even though this drama was messy and all over the place, you can't help but fall for its charms. It was a drama that didn't take itself to seriously and had action, comedy, and a little romance. If a second season happened, I would watch it. It would be interesting to revisit all the characters and see where they are. Just watch this drama for an easy drama to watch and go with the flow. Also So Ji Sub with kids is always a plus

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Disillusioned life scenario, yet spiked with moments as the ego steps aside + heartopening happens

A wonderful movie in many ways.

This KMovie is aiming straight at the heart. This is already indicated in the international title "Keys to the Heart". Also, that the piano plays a key role - i. e. its 88 white and black keys.

The original title is more like "This only is my world" and refers in its own way to the piano, because this is the world of the autistic protagonist Jin-tae. However, this also refers to the (also limited) world of his brother Jo-ha, to which Jin-tae starts belonging. Additionally, revolving around Jin-tae (and Jo-ha) is their mother. "Keys to the Heart" is a story about that mother and her two very different sons. She left one of them decades ago as a little boy under dramatic circumstances and to date he hasn't forgotten, let alone forgiven. The other is autistic with savant syndrome.

It´s a given that the story intends to bring tears to your eyes. Yes. The story wants to get to the heart. But not generally in a tender, comforting and blissful manner. In fact, there is nothing but pain drifting around those hearts in this story. The framework of the plot draws a disillusioned, depressed scenario of the lives of ALL characters - regardless of whether they are rich or penniless, or otherwise have a more or less comfortable living. (The exception to the rule here is the autistic Jin-tae.) As if it were the most natural thing in South Korean everyday life for people to suffer. There is a good deal of social criticism in this KMovie. I think that's often overlooked in its critics or reviews.
There's the drinking, beating father; the abandoned son; the penniless son who can do nothing but box; the brutal world of dog fighting, where boxers beat each other bloody for money; the single mother with cancer; the mother with guilt; the autistic son; the depressed, suicidal, rich, once famous invalid; the Jaebeol CEO, whose money doesn't help her to be able to buy back her daughter's happiness. Eventually "Key to the Heart" is a dreary, sobering contemporary document. Not a picture of society of the crisis-ridden 1990s, no. It is a simple, unpretentious social inventory of the South Korean affluent society from the year 2018...

Now, some heart-warming light is shining into this fundamentally gloomy everyday world. (And in those of the audience as well.) In rather small spots though. These are brief details, inconspicuous moments (apart from the big spotlight of the finale, which is a bit more spectacular). However, those little spots make all the difference. Not a flash of inspiration, rather a flash of the heart, in which the injured ego steps aside for a moment: for a moment of clarity for the essential: actually, what´s NOW. For a moment, people can just let go of all grief and become open to what life has to offer just NOW: beauty, warmth, joy, hope. This NOW can transform, heal, completely change the view of the world. The world on this earth itself is the same, yes, the planet does not change its orbit because of it. It's not suddenly 'everything will be fine again'. And yet it is something like 'everything-IS-good'. ... That brings us to the KMovie's favorite quote: "Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion." (Muhammad Ali)

Admittedly, a button is pressed when it comes to the piano music. The classics take their space. But here, too, the story does not fail to take the opportunity to point out the ego-driven business with it - the talent and passion of the musicians may be on the one hand, but the very personal interests of teachers and directors are on the other...
Of course, with Jin-tae as a young man with an autism spectrum disorder with savant syndrome, the KMovie is deliberately pressing another selected button, with the intention of moving hearts. Nevertheless, even this developmental disorder is not romanticized, yet shown as demanding and exhausting to deal with.
Particularly pithy and powerful: The contrast between the world of the buttoned-up, reserved, respectable, reasonable and properly dressed classical music scene and the childlike, impulsive and playful but brilliant Jin-tae, whose piano playing tears down walls for a moment.

At last, we are back at the beginning: a story about that mother and her two very different sons... There is hurt, sorrow, the pain of loss and guilt - all is there, what life has to offer to become estranged from each another, or to feel lonely and abandoned. And that's where love - no matter how screwed up - finds its screwed-up moments. I don't think predictability is a problem with this movie, because it doesn't want to be 'enthralling'. Yet, it wants to touch the heart, and it does. Eventually, that's good for everyone. With this movie, it is the HOW that is decisive: by sober narration of a basically rather depressing story that thrives on short, unspectacular moments (and the actors) in which 'new' NOW-decisions are made and heart opening becomes possible.

Great!





--------------------------- SIDE NOTES --- Savant syndrome ---

Savant syndrome has often been a topic in the cinema, for example in the US production "Rain Man". There are only around 100 "Savants" known worldwide (from the French 'savoir' = knowing, how to do it). Accordingly, the phenomenon has only been scientifically examined to a limited extent. In the musical field, there are various examples of Savants (like the fictitious Jin-tae here in the movie) who, without any music lessons, are able to play the most difficult pieces of music with accentuated detail after just hearing it once - solely thanks to their perfect hearing.

However, Savant syndrome usually goes hand in hand with autism spectrum disorders. This in turn refers to developmental disorders of varying severity. The people affected typically have little interest and competence when it comes to social interaction. They prefer to live in their own world. Generally, their perception is strongly focused on details and does not weight them like the otherwise socialized majority around them. Details that others usually overlook become subjectively crucial, while information considered essential to their environment may not play any particular role at all. Information is initially unfiltered, being of equal value in its perception. Thus, without the social-cognitive filters that non-autistic people learn to develop, the moment of sensory overload followed by stress is quickly reached.
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After just having finished the last episode of Sparrow an hour ago, this review is going to be in a somewhat bullet-pointed format, and mostly just room for my final thoughts and feelings towards the drama.

First off, would I recommend the drama? Yes. Rewatch? Potentially, after some time has passed, though personally I'm not one to rewatch many dramas, no matter how great of an impression it left. Did I like it? Of course, and I was hooked like nothing else mattered, which led me to binge all 61 episodes in less than 4 days.

Now, onto the details:

I watched this series on TV at first, then on Youtube, both of which had no English subtitles. It took me a while to decide to continue watching because the first three episodes start very slow, and they're mostly there to set up the main characters' positions. From what I saw in the comments on every episode, every watcher seemed to greatly dislike the female MC, Xu Bi Cheng, to the point where they blamed her (as a character) for every mishap in the story, or claimed she ruined the drama. I have to admit, I didn't particularly like her either at the beginning, nor in the first twenty or so episodes that followed, because she was pretty clumsy (especially considering her job as an agent) and tended to cause trouble for the other MCs, which wouldn't be so bad if she would actually learn from enduring all the dire consequences that others have to suffer from as a result of her own recklessness and selfishness. Throughout the drama, she continues to have other clean up her messes and never loses that vexing everyone-will-take-care-of-me perception - until one certain event becomes her turning point. Thus, this is a bit of a let-down as she IS the female MC so we automatically set up high expectations for her performance and role from the beginning; however, it could also be down to the actress selection, since Zhou Dong Yu, though feminine and petite and perhaps fitting a Shanghainese beauty ideal in that period, has an expression that makes her look 10 years younger and perpetually petrified like a deer caught in headlights (i.e anything but mature, sophisticated, and steady in mind). But worry not, because in the last arc of the drama where things get to their climax, we do see her finally think more rationally about her actions before carrying them out, and manages to play a part in saving others, including the MC: Chen Shen.

Chen Shen and Xu Bi Cheng's relationship? I liked it. I think it was simple, straightforward, and pure. Considering all the manipulating, strategizing, and assassinating that occurred constantly around them, I think their love was refreshing and heart-warming from when it started to the end, regardless of how XBC herself was as a character for the most part. With such complicated plots like the one in this drama, the relationship drama should be toned down to keep it balanced, which imo this drama did perfectly well.

Plot twists: this drama was full of them, and while some were fairy predictable from the beginning (like who "Sparrow' really was), many did catch me by surprise, and I thoroughly enjoyed the guessing/watching process. The drama was also never short of touching moments, where some did trigger some tears, especially towards the end, which you'd expect from the overall vibe of the drama and its intro song.

Music was used beautifully at just the right moments, and the quality of filming is definitely not to be worried about.

The antagonists were truly masterpieces of the drama, for it was a struggle between hating/wanting them dead and loving/wanting them to survive with the MCs the whole way. The relationship between the MC Chen Shen and his closest friend Bi Zhong Liang was unique among all the MC-Antagonist relations I've come across in the dramas I've watched. Just this focal relationship alone should make many people want to watch this drama.

Finally, the ending. The ending is always a huge deciding factor as to whether or not a drama will become a favourite, or an absolutely terrible experience you wish you hadn't set foot upon: because what happens in the end can either ruin everything that has happened till then, or make it all worthwhile. For dramas like these, set in the revolutionary period of Shanghai, I always feel dread towards the end because tragedies have become so common, even as a plot twist in happy-go-lucky dramas, never mind in such a suspenseful, intense drama like this one. I can say that the ending was fitting and well-rounded, and I am satisfied, though I won't say it wasn't bittersweet or that it didn't leave a slight pang in my heart, which was to be expected from the beginning.

A masterful piece that is worth your time; even if suspense/mystery isn't your usual genre, please give it a try.

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