2How to train your dragon koi.
This rom com xianxia is a barrel of laughs. It is about an ancient spirit dragon Tian Yao who falls for the wrong woman, a rancid Taoist harpy called Su Ying. She steals the guileless Tian Yao's heart and scales at the altar, dismembers him and stashes his core magical parts in different directions. A shadow of his former self, he encounters a dauntless, money loving, ousted Taoist disciple Yan Hui. They form an uneasy alliance that subjects the embittered Tian Yao to the indignity of becoming her demon familiar, a dragon koi. His plight wins Yan Hui's empathy and she vows to help him recover his shards. She soon discovers that learning how train your dragon koi is an arduous and dangerous task. Despite his deceptively benign appearance of an odd hybrid of koi, deer, pony and dragon, Tian Yao is a very dangerous creature. Apart from having deadly taste in women and friends, he also has a nasty habit of stabbing first and asking questions later.The interference of a mysterious shadow cupid Bai Xiaosheng comically advances their romance until the enabler turns into an obstructor. It is pretty much three's company as they go on many adventures, picking up lifelong friends along the way. Despite some run-of-the mill xianxia tropes and cardboardl villains, the friendships and adventures shine and are the high points of the drama.
Zhou Ye again proves her mettle as one of the most promising young actors out there. Her Yan Hui is spellbinding. She infuses the role with that effervescent joie de vivre and passionate idealism of youth that inevitably eludes older, perhaps lovelier and more seasoned actors. She looks shockingly good with Hou Minghao, whose acting is to say the least, a work in progress. But dang, he is so drop dead gorgeous that I barely register that he looks constipated at the most inappropriate moments. In some ways, his casting is brilliant as a rather uncomplicated and overly good character that loves and hates with equal ferocity. After all, dragons, kois, ponies, deers are all creatures with bigger hearts than brains. So he does some really (let's admit it) not smart things but he is so pure hearted it's almost impossible to fault him. Notwithstanding some acting rough spots, this splendid pairing had me rooting hard for them all the way.
As for the plot, its biggest criticism is that it strays from the original beloved novel in some unforgivable ways in terms of both Yan Hui and Tian Yao's characterisations. I didn't read the novel so I won't opine on that. What I can observe is this drama hooked me from the start despite the low budget and the somewhat cartoonish CGI with phenomenal storytelling. I loved Bai Xiaosheng and found him to be a wickedly good accretive addition to the original story. Unfortunately, about halfway through the characterisations of Bai Xiaosheng and Tian Yao take an abrupt nosedive. It is as if a different writer took over and defaulted into the worst, laziest tropes out there. Although the narrative recovers from a massive hiccup in the middle, it falls well short of the beginning momentum. The writer failed to capitalised on such a fresh and unusual character such as Bai Xiaosheng and turns him into a tired trope that gets sidelined toward the end. Nonetheless Wang Yilun is hugely entertaining in this role and though not as pretty, he is incredibly charming and out acted Hou Minghao. As for how Tian Yao's character is assassinated, I have no words and although he more or less redeems himself, I wish they had not gone there. I am told Yan Hui is also diminished in this adaptation but as far as I am concerned, she is perfect in her imperfections. She elevates Tian Yao to the extent, that I can forgive his character's stumbles in the middle.
While I enjoyed this drama from start to finish, there are too many shallow sub-plots in the latter half and the theme of love obsession is over-exploited. The ultimate antagonist had repetitive indifferently narrated motivators that while hateful enough, lacked depth and complexity. In fact, Su Ying was a more interesting villain than the final boring mastermind who is just beyond meh in terms of motivation, acting and complexity. Overall, this is a humorously told story that re-hashes well explored xianxia themes with no profound new revelations. Indeed the underlying substance, emotion and message of the original works is perceptible but is neglected and abused in the telling. I had big fun and many laughs with this drama but I can see how it missed the opportunity to be a whole lot more and can only rate it 8.0/10.0. I may have gone with an 8.5 had they rolled out Hou Minghao in that spectacular white wig earlier on in the drama.
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Wonderful People in a Wonderful World
"In the middle of life's journey, I got lost and wandered. No matter how much time passes,losing someone precious to you will always be lonesome. I will try to keep going. If i keep going, one day the pain will lessen. I hope all those grieving find comfort. I hope the world will be more friendly to those in pain. I hope a beautiful world will come while you overcome your pain."I never thought a story of revenge and salvation can be this satisfying.
Full on heavy drama shows are never my priority to watch. With so much content nowadays, you have to have a list of priority and this initially wasnt in my top, but i ended up eagerly waiting for each episodes. This series is anxiety-inducing but is also satisfying and inspirational.
The first episode hooks you in. The perfect perfect casting of Kin Nam Joo and Kim Kang Woo as perfect husband and wife Eun Soo Hyun and Hang Soo Ho, and parents who tragically lost their kid due to a an accident. The accident and the justice system's inability to punish the criminals made Soo Hyun take matters in to her hands - destryoing her once perfect life by killing the man responsible for the death of her son. This is the story of her (and her husband's) disappointments, healing, salvation and triumph.
The series also introduced us to Gwon Seon Yul. A man-child seeking revenge to those who have destryoed his family - with a surprise casting of Cha Eun Woo. The character needed the depth of someone who has lost everything in life - someone you are supposed to despise but is too good looking to hate. He fits the bill perfectly and I am pleasantly surprised with how well he acted in this series - i never thought Id say this but with the right direction he has finally proven something and has indeed become an Actor here.
Fanatics beware this is the part were i say some things you might hate. The story, to be quite honest, is not really unique - in fact a lot of times it verges on the typical melodrama soap opera. The overall plot is predictable and we can see from a mile away who the real culprit is. The attempt to make Seon Yul's character the fadeaway villain is also not convincing - like I said in the last pharagraph Cha Eun Woo is just too good looking to hate and you know all their efforts for a fakeout is not believable. Also, I am sorry to say but for me, the pacing too can sometimes be a little slow (I watched most of it in 1.25 speed) with a lot of emphasis on quiet, thinking scenes.
With all that said, this is still a very satisfying and inspirational series and the series finale was executed beautifully - tieing up Soo Hyun and Seon Yul's storeis perfectly and leaving viewers with a feeling of hope that no matter how dire their cumstances are, good things are still bound to happen and that no matter how hard life is, thare are still wonderful people and this is still a wonderful world to live in.
Maybe a hard sell for a rewatch, but seeing it one time is enough to send its message. Overall its a 9.5, especially for the acting and direction. A show most reccommendable to watch.
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It was one of my highest anticipated dramas of 2017 and I was expecting that first episode in and I'd be ready to give it a solid 10. However, as I watched the series, one by one all my hopes came crashing down.
The drama's worst flaw was its lack of an original plot. The fact that it was extremely badly written with a truck load of plot-holes and stroppy pacing, didn't help the case. From the first episode to the last, I guessed everything that was going to happen. It was such cliché, same old bs that at one point, I was even correctly predicting the character's dialogues before they spoke them. I saw plot-twists coming from miles ahead. I knew exactly what the main leads were going to do and how they were going to do it. Trust me, it ain't a nice feeling when you're ten steps ahead of your main leads.
Some people say that a show is only as good as its antagonists and that is one another point where Witch Court loses out on. From the daily episodic rapists to the main antagonist, all the villains were less than mediocre and slight variations of one another. It's like they were trying way too hard to be evil but unfortunately, ended up being cheesy instead.
You know how when kids do something bad, like steal a cookie and you ask them about it and they're all innocent smiles to your face but the moment you turn your back, they start smirking mischievously, triumphant that they managed to ''fool'' you? That's exactly how the bad guys were in this show.
The cringey smiles and 'evil laughs' they gave behind our main lead's back just added to their extra personalities and not in a good way. I mean how many times before have we seen a story about a corrupt Mayor in power being the villain, acting all nice and kind infront of the camera? Too many times to count. Bring me something new, please.
All the side characters were poorly constructed, barely making any contribution to the plot.
At first, I was very intrigued by our male lead. He seemed like a breath of fresh air, unlike the typical macho alpha assholes. He was supposed to be this smart, gentlemanly guy who actually gave our heroine the upperhand. How amazing, right? Not really.
Even though he is made out to be different from all the other drama male leads, the show still shoves him into the 'cool tall neighborhood oppa' stereotype. I'm always amazed when everyday prosecutors adopt ninja fighting skills out of nowhere. But those things were the least of his problems, because as the show progressed he became increasingly annoying. I love my upright handsome guys who're adamant to uphold the law but, Prosecutor Yeo was just all talk and no show. He had the classic 'dumb but heroic' vibe throughout. Way too self-righteous and equipped with dramatic declarations, he didn't do any of the actual work and soon became a pain in the ass I could really do without.
Even though the show is tagged 'romance' there was nothing of that sort here. The main couple had no chemistry and they just seemed like regular colleagues on good terms.
Surprisingly, the show did its flashbacks fairly well but like I mentioned before, the pacing was shit. Things that needed to be drawn out and be dramatic were so anti-climactic and things that needed to be rushed on were dragged out.
Some things that happened were so questionable because they were far out of the sphere of logic. Most of the times, our prosecutors won the cases because of convenient plot devices instead of actual smarts.
So seeing all these flaws, it's quite just that I rate it low right? But why then, does it pain me so much to do so? Well the answer is: Ma Yi Deum.
The heroine of this show was undeniably the saving grace. She was the only thing unique about the otherwise run-of-the-mill drama. Watching her antics was absolute bliss. Jung Ryeo Won brought forth a character that was extremely real and relatable. Often, I felt like she was my soul sister considering how many similarities I had with her. This is also why she was so easy to connect with.
I loved the fact that she went through life staying true to herself and not giving a fuck about what people thought. Even though, at times, she acted like she was all over the place, in reality she was a very composed and strong woman. Her face remained impassive in the worst of situations and she always had some clever tricks up her sleeve. Her bright smile, dark red lipstick and bad hair cases gave me so much life.
She was the one making the show, for every second she went off-screen the show turned utterly boring. Ma Yi Deum was so lovable and a character that I'll always remember. This is the reason why, even though I have a lot of problems with this show I still reccomend it so that other people can witness Prosecutor Ma's quirky weirdness and like me, be thoroughly entertained by it too.
The fact that the show revolved around rape cases is something I found to be commendable. Rape is a taboo topic and people often hesitate talking about it so openly and this show (while not perfectly) still managed to bring some fairly brutal cases on the forefront and that effort needs to be acknowledged.
The OST doesn't really stand out but the instrumental that plays at Ma Yi Deum's badass moments was really good.
I hope who ever reads this considers this review a good thing, instead of being let down because this will lower your expectations and then when you do end up watching the show you'll be pleasantly surprised.
While this is not a drama you can go in with the thought that your high hopes will be met, it is definitely a good time-pass.
Enjoy!
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Remember us and all we used to be.
After One and Only stabbed me in the heart, I needed justice, I needed closure and most of all I needed to hear Shi Yi say "Zhousheng Chen, remember us and all we used to be." Theirs was such a splendid, intense love with so much passion and yearning that could not run its natural course. Sadly, after being restrained for ~5000 years, all that is unleashed are faint echoes of the past. Thus, my final impression is that what was, is never again.What this is, is a very sweet, very ordinary, reasonably touching but hardly memorable love story that is markedly lacking in intensity. It falls down hard in its failure to connect the characters of the past with the present. Aside from appearance, both Zhousheng Chen and Shi Yi could be entirely different people and this an entirely different drama. Of course in the present, they will be different but there must be that je ne sais quoi, that certain aura that lingers. Even the essence of their relationship changes, in fact it regresses. Shiyi and Zhousheng Chen of the past were of one heart and mind - she gifts part of her dowry to pacify Nanxiao and accepts her marriage hoping to reassure Zixing of her Prince Nanchen's loyalty. Shi Yi of the present asks no questions, she just trusts Zhousheng Chen absolutely without understanding his family's background or his plans. And he tries to protect her without telling her anything - it is the one thing about him that bugged me in the novel and it is the one thing they should have but did not change! As such, the sense of them being soulmates that are connected on a level beyond words is not there.
Ren Jialun and Bai Lu are both very solid actors with good enough chemistry that I genuinely enjoyed the good (pink moped), bad (lame kiss) and ugly (I am ready) of their moments together. Overall I enjoyed Ren Jialun's endearing portrayal of the shy, awkward and introverted professor whose world goes from revolving around uninhabitable planets to revolving around Shi Yi. That said, there were some truly cringe moments and he often came across as having no fire in his belly, likely due to his heavy sighing and lethargic, monotonous line delivery. I must praise how even though it took awhile, they fell into a much more natural rhythm as a couple in the last quarter of the drama and I was moved by how they grieved together and consoled one another. So despite some initial hiccups, there is genuine relationship development and that aspect finishes strongly.
The main issue with this drama that it lacks both plot and engaging and complex supporting characters. Everything really revolves around the two main leads and their romance, which moves too slowly and uneventfully to really anchor the drama. Besides Uncle Lin and possibly Mei Xing, none of the supporting characters are that likeable or empathetic. Zhousheng Chen's stepmother is the only truly complex and interesting secondary character, everybody else including the villains are rather two dimensional and the two cloddish servants are downright annoying. The plot is for the most part suspended in favour of the romance before it rushes through to the end. It is also rife with somewhat melodramatic rich family tropes from greed and envy to infidelity.
If One and Only is slow burn, Forever and Ever is like watching paint dry by comparison because there is no burn. I had to entertain myself by speculating on who got reincarnated into who and looking for hidden clues and traces of the past while mourning the fact that I was not going to see Zhousheng Chen reborn as a present day sexy beast. Which begs the question: considering how tortuous One and Only was, should Forever and Ever be watched as a standalone romance? Well, without the backstory, this is just about how an absolutely gorgeous but likely slightly delusional voice dubber falls head over heels in love with a fictional ancient drama character Prince Nanchen. She throws herself at a complete stranger; a nutty, loner of a professor with the same name who is a bit slow on the uptake but eventually realises he just got very, very lucky and thus the story unfolds. If that works for you, then by all means, skip the heartache that is One and Only.
I only watched this because I was looking for Prince Nanchen and Eleven. Sadly the future is but a mere shadow of the past. But still this is a sweet, well acted love story so I am not throwing rocks at it or at the actors. Nonetheless, this sequel did not live up to its potential so I can only rate it a 7.5. I would give both dramas together a 8.0-8.5.
Postscript:
For those of you who still need closure, there is a very well fan made alternate ending ending for One and Only produced by industry professionals. I have fan subbed it and hidden it as a spoiler in the comment section of my One and Only review.
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The soundtrack was the best I could hope for, with the main bulk of it being K-Indie, which was absolutely fitting for the atmosphere created by the drama.
A pity that the drama experienced some controversial issues over the directing as well as bad publicity from the original webtoon - this could be attributed to the mishandling of the issue by the PD, plaguing the last few episodes of the production and generating a slew of negative and angry feedback by the viewers. Despite these setbacks, this drama was truly a great reflection of reality - the troubles and setbacks one would face, the workings of the inner mind, the suspicion of other individuals, and a whole lot more. Definitely worth a watch!
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This review may contain spoilers
Cute Couple -- Wily and yet Charming FL + Multi-faceted ML
Having watched this drama, I must say that I enjoyed the ride! :)What I liked:
- The leads are good-looking. Oh man, the two leads are gorgeous to look at and so cute together.
- I like a smart FL who can take good care of herself and Hua Liu Li (HLL) does just that. She can take good care of herself and others around her. I like her charms and her gift of the gab. She can be coquettish. She can be feisty. She is a capable person.
- I like a devoted ML who loves and protects his sweetheart. The ML is very handsome and very manly. I think he acts well too because in front of HLL, he is all puppy-eyes and wanting her attention. However, when it comes to being the Crown Prince and handling his duties, he is all intelligent, competent, courageous and a force to be reckoned with. He is THE MAN, for sure.
- Yuan Wei (YW), HLL's maid, is the best maid ever. HLL and YW are so cute together. She looks adorable and she is smart and capable too.
- Tian Jia Min (TJM) and her mother, Princess Shun An, are so cute. TJM is all bark and no bite. She became reluctant and yet, good friends with HLL after both girls were kidnapped and went through "thick and thin" together. TJM's mother is always fan-girling about HLL's mother. So cute.
- The king is a nice man and a good king/ father (on the whole).
- HLL's family members are nice. They support her and have her interests at heart.
- Yun Han understood the error of his ways and stopped betraying ML.
- I like that Ying Wang and the third prince are not out to usurp the Crown Prince's position. The brothers actually co-exist nicely despite the machinations of their scheming mothers.
- The "Easter egg" endings are funny.
What I didn't like that much:
- Psycho plotter/ mastermind who has a Jekyll and Hyde personality. Atrociously manipulative. I do understand that we need to have some tension and suspense and something happening in the plot but he was a pain to watch. So nasty and horrid.
- Song Shu dies in the end which made me cry too. He really held the fort and was a father/ brother figure for HLL.
Overall, the plot is engaging and riveting enough (IMO). I truly enjoyed watching both FL and ML. They are good-lookers who light up my screen. Their acting is also good. There is also a lot of heart in this drama. I highly recommend this drama! It is a pretty fun watch!
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If you are looking for a drama that has great acting, great chemistry between the characters and is a comedy...This is the drama for you!
If you want to be entertained and REALLY just enjoy a drama from episode 1 to the finale...This is the drama for you!
STORY: This drama sure has a roller coaster of a ride for a story. Every episode has a cliffhanger which makes you want to click next episode as fast as possible. It is just a fun and wild ride. Basically the story is a group of people with different backgrounds and skills come to together to fight against corruption. It is so much more than that but you know...spoilers. The only downside of how this story structure turns out is that at the beginning of the drama, the action and story is like a 2 episode story arc and then moves onto the next mini story arc. I loved that but the further along you get into the drama, the less and less the writers told the story that way. I completely understand why and it didn't become distracting or hurt the story in any way, I just liked that the story was episodic BUT I usually like my crime dramas episodic.
ACTING/CAST: I thought the acting and choice of cast was PERFECT for this drama. Everyone played their role beautifully. It was like they were made for the role they were given in this drama. Also the cast had such great chemistry together too. Also anytime I see Kim Won Hae in a drama...It goes to the top of my list.
MUSIC: I usually don't notice the music all that much but this drama's music stood out. The OSTs for this drama are fantastic! I have been listening to them on repeat. I think the music that is played during the intense parts and the themes played with each character really added to the ambiance of the drama.
REWATCH VALUE: I will 100% rewatch this drama again...I WANT A SECOND SEASON OF THIS DRAMA!
OVERALL: I just loved that I chose to watch this drama. I kind of picked it up on a whim but NOW I am sad that it is over. I will miss the hodge podge group of ruffians that I was used to watching every week. WATCH THIS DRAMA! You won't regret it. It is just a fun time with great characters that are well rounded and have depth and flaws and a drama that has a good storyline (granted could have stuck with the episodic structure for a little longer).
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These three ahjummas and a country schoolboy who are originally strangers, randomly meet and start a revenge a club. This is quite an unusual plot in dramas history. The second episode got me hooked already, until the very last revenge! I love our Bokja club members: Madam Jung Hye with her cheap food addiction, Dong Hee unnie with her braveness, Mi Sook unnie with her elegance & patience, and Soo Gyum with his smart brain (lol i bet the helpless ahjumma will get the revenge nowhere without him). I would really love to join their club if i could! Even the bad guys are actually hard to despise. Every revenge plan is really fun to watch (with ahjumma's way, of course), some might fail but some other succeed. But in the end our heros always win!
My only dissapointment is that they don't include Soo Gyum in that poster (oh God, why?) eventhough he's the main member of Bokja club.
Well-spent 12 episodes and every minute is worthed. One of the best dramas in 2017. So if you're hesitating, go watch this now! Enjoy the fun ride. You'll laugh with their silliness and you might also cry while you're on it. For me it's 10/10. Bokja Club, hwaiting!!
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I see this drama as Hotaru no Hikari with a sprinkle of Nodame Cantabile. There's the same sort of chemistry between the leads as in both but, unlike Hotaru no Hikari, I didn't find the lead unbelieving silly but, more like Nodame, just too kind, which some people look down on or take advantage of. When you see her for the first time, you think it's probably going to be a drama going around in circles but it's actually very direct. Kyoko Fukada is so versatile you don't know what you're going to find with her; her character, though too kind for her own good, is also very honest. Let me tell you, for a drama like this, that's actually refreshing.
But what I liked the most about this drama and the main reason I'm actually writing a review is the following: this is a romantic drama with love triangles and unrequited feelings in which none of the involved ladies take it on each other. They're not resentful, not vindictive and actually talk to each other about things other than the men in question. Heck, I even liked the relationship between the lead and her co-workers, which got developed from cliches that may have been unnecessary to something more realistic and interesting. There's a lot of ladies standing up for each other in this, I don't know if that's a merit of the manga which this is based of or not but hey, I'm so grateful.
All in all, I was faced with situations in which I thought the drama was intending to go towards a cliche and there it was, doing something else (especially with Shohei Miura's character). It's not devoid of cliches, mind you, there's a stern cold-seeming male lead saving a heartwarming cutesy female lead, but there's a lot in between I found absolutely worthy of my time.
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Story : The story is very normal, little cheeky and stretched. Its obvious that stories like these are driven majorly by the "guy-girl-living-together-and-trying-to-keep-it-a-secret" plot. The guy shown as a cold and mean jerk whereas the girl is cheerful and enthusiastic. The writers of this story threw the "Boss-employee" relationship in this one. And ofcourse, to spice it up, "The Dating Ban".
Acting/Cast : They lightened up the story, they brought it to life. I really liked Aaron Yan and Kou Puff, their characters and how well they portrayed them. Lin Lyla as Ding Jia Yu, did a little bit of over acting (especially her "crying" scenes). The side characters were good, only the weird thing being, in a plot of "Forbidden Love in Office", everyone liked the other employee and ended up in a relationship (except the character of Dean!), if you noticed.
Music : It is simple, less and plain. As always, "Unstoppable Sun" by Aaron Yan is a song beautifully sung.
Rewatch Value : Yes, I have to be honest that despite this drama being stretched to 21 episodes, I do have some moments that I'd wanna look back at and if some of my friends ask me to watch together with them, I would. But, watching it alone in one go again will be very boring as the story will be known and it'll just feel like a drag.
Overall, A light story and if you're looking for Rom-Com (like I was until I stumbled at this!), then this is it, you're reading the right review. Enjoy watching. :)
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This review may contain spoilers
The best slice of life youth drama i ever watched!
First of all i would like to apologize as my english is not that good, but i simply want to share how i love this so everyone won't miss this beautiful drama! This is first time i write a review.Story:
Like other youth dramas, the story is about the friendship, school life, puppy love, problem with their parents. There are 5 main leads, they're childhood friends who grown up in the same neighborhood. The story is so simple, but the screenwriter combine with great acting of the actors make this drama is so beautifully done! The drama can make u laugh so hard and sad at the same episode with no evil characters, like "how can a highschool student plotting something so evil?" ( *cough At Eighteen). I love the relations between parents and childs even the relations between neighbors and build up romance of male lead and female lead. Even though romance is not the main plot, but romance in this drama is so satisfying especially in the last episode, make your heart melt with ML and FL sweet moment together. 16 episode is definitely not enough!
Acting/cast:
All the casts acting are so great, even the neighbors. But for me female lead is the star of this drama, she is so adorable and lovely. I love how Tian Xi Wei act as Cheng Zi who is cheerful, caring, positive and fragile at the same time, make me want to hug her everytime I see her cried. The way she act cute is so natural. I watched Marcus Li's other drama, go go squid and fairyland lovers, his character is not far from those two dramas so I guess he doesn't have problem acting as Tan Song. Finnaly he get a chance to be a male lead and I'm glad he did pretty good job. His chemistry with female lead is top notch, how they quarrel, get jealous and how they console each other when one of them have problem is so satisfying to watch.
Music:
Music in this drama are good, especially the ending song make u drown in emotion when it plays in romantic scenes. You can search it at youtube.
Rewatch value:
With great acting and no evil characters definitely worth to rewatch without skipping any episode
Overall:
If u like youth story, slice of life, satisfying romance and most importantly no evil characters this drama is yours, and I promise u won't regret it!!
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One of my personal favourites but might not be yours
My humble apologies as this review is not in my normal style. I did start to write the typical review but after several paragraphs, I had to stop. I was doing my usual breakdown of the plot, discussing certain scenes and review the acting when I realised that I'm not making sense why I like this show so much. So let's try something different . . .On paper, this is a mid budget, college romance with no big name actors. AKA a B-grade c-drama that is turned out by the dozen every year to feed the programme scheduling beast. I would go as far as saying that it is better than a typical idol drama but still hardly a top tier show.
Now that we have laid the cards on the table, please indulge me with a bit of subjective rambling. ;)
As a college romance, my expectations are quite low. I’d be happy with a decent filler while I wait for the next blockbuster release. What I didn't expect is to binge watch all 24 episodes with barely a pause. I still can't quite quantify the reason why I liked it so much but it just clicks with me. May be a lot has to do with the script resonating with me. I was fully invested in their lovelines. Even the little acts of love and kindness feel just right to me and spark joy. I actually watch with anticipation which is rare these days. Meet Yourself was the last show that touched me in a similar way but that show is S class.
Similarly, the acting of the leads resonated with me. Yes, their characters are cliches. The usual feisty FL and ice king ML but there is depth to their characters. Both have damaged psyches due to their upbringing and the breakup of their family unit. They have a fear of abandonment and while the FL hides behind a facade of exaggerated cheerfulness, the ML learns to show no emotions as a way to survive living with his demanding and abusive mum.
While many shows have used the fate card to tie the leads together which usually involves some form of childhood entanglement or accidental encounters that are nothing more than contrivance, this show actually sticks the landing. The leads' childhood friendship is quite poignant and has a long lasting effect on both of them. How they resolve their historical misunderstanding is beautifully done. Once again, this is a very subjective point. Some might see it as dribble and a blatant act to tug at our heartstrings. That is a fair call and I can only say that it works for me.
I am also surprised that the 2CP is good as well. They are not the lazy pairing of the typical BFF's just to fill the quota and use up some screen time. Their romantic journey is heartfelt and I can ship them wholeheartedly.
Both CP’s have great chemistry and a decent amount of skinship. Once again, they just appeal to me. I like how they complemented each other. They're provide each other with what their SO is longing for.
Of course it can’t be all rainbows and unicorns. There are some narrative issues. For instance, while the show is angst lite, it is not all smooth sailing. Although none of the protagonists are really evil, their actions still have a significant impact on the leads and their friends. Yet they are readily forgiven and everyone just carries on as if nothing has happened. That doesn’t sit comfortably with me. Some of the side plots are meaningless and some of the support roles are straight out of central casting. I don't mind them in the bigger scheme of things but others might take umbrage.
I can see the good and the bad of this show. They are not dissimilar to other shows. Yet, it hits me in the feels like few others. So my score for this show is more subjective than usual. You might have a different opinion and I respect that.
I am happy to recommend this show but your mileage may differ.
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This review may contain spoilers
First of all, I will be honest that almost dropped this show watching the first two episodes, because I thought it would be one of the trending "relationship-between-human-and-robot" stories. However, I returned to this show after I was unexpectedly spoiled by YouTube and realized my guesses were wrong.This show focused on human relationships rather than real-life problems that happen in airports. Typical plots in airport dramas such as airplane accidents and troublesome passengers were covered, but briefly. Other than the relationship between the top two, the security couple, the manager couple, the lonely friend, some stressful bosses were covered.
The con reasons I gave 7/10 overall for this drama are the following:
- There was nothing deep or surprising. Basically, some ruined relationships in the past were fixed with some gangsters involved. They could have been fixed easily by simply communicating.
- Too many unique characters, and some were irrelevant to the story. Scenes like witnessing a husband cheating, workplace rumors, and relationship with some dark forces... these incoherent incidents messed up the main plot.
- Ending sucked. All those emotional struggles surrounding his disability became unnecessary in the end, because no one cared about it including him in the end right?
Like it said during the show, everyone is unique and have different views and opinions, despite working at a place where they serve customers who only care about themselves, because it's an airport. You can think of each other as "someone passing by in your life", and you will eventually forget about the encounter. I really liked this message.
It was really heartwarming to watch, with the help of some great OSTs. They really matched the theme of this show. However, it all ends up to this feeling, as if I rid on a ferris wheel instead of a roller coaster. Everyone carried stresses in the middle, but they all got along in the end.
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A Heartwarming Friendship Fluttering Across Backgrounds And Age...
Based upon the eponymous webtoon by Ji Min, Navillera was adapted onto the small screen by screenwriter Lee Eun Mi ( Tunnel-2017) and director Han Dong Hwa ( 38 Task Force, Miss Lee) with the hope of bringing to life this story’s heartwarmingly atypical friendship between 70 year old Shim Deok Chul ( Park In Hwan) , and a young man his early 20s Lee Chae Rok ( Song Kang) who are both united through their shared adoration of ballet . A heartwarming friendship tale, Navillera tackled some profoundly upfront issues about ageism, mortality, mental and physical illnesses as well as social prejudice also.
Park In Hwan was undeniably brilliant with his role as our main protagonist Shim Deok Chul. Although older characters are not uncommon in K-dramas , it was a breath of fresh air to come across a character in his twilight years who took central stage as a less glamorised or “ fresher” protagonist in a Korean drama with an equally heartbreaking character growth over the course of the series .
Naturally, it is important to respect South-Korean culture and expectations, however, ‘ Navillera’ pivotal focus is highlighted by the peculiar friendship between two individuals of different ages, with different backgrounds and personalities, who learn to surpass these boundaries through their friendship. Deok Chul respects Chae Rok both as his teacher and being his “ manager”, both inside and outside of the practice room. This allows Deok Chul to take on both the “encouraging figure” and the “friend role” for Chae Rok by his kind actions and standing up for him especially against his young mentor’s rival Yang Ho Beom ( Kim Kwon). ( As well as developing a friendship with this individual also.)
This of course moves us onto the deuteragonist of ‘ Navillera’ Chae Rok. Whilst actor Song Kang’s previous performances have been a little stiff , he seemed to truly capture something vividly brilliant behind his character Chae Rok; a young ballet dancer caught between the pain of the past, and struggling to move forwards to a brighter future. Yet whilst ironically Chae Rok’s archetype does undeniably fall into the cliche of the “ young and good looking main character”, his role in the series is nonetheless just as multifaceted as Deok Chul. This did not push Chae Rok down the stereotypical root of being a ‘ heinous and bitter person’. He’s seemingly aloof and judgemental as well as quick to complain about Deok Chul, however, he is shown to constantly battle with loneliness due to the circumstances of his father Lee Moo Young ( Jo Sung Ah) . He possesses also a similar streak of altruism and kindness as Deok Chul, which manifests throughout his actions over the course of the series.
Over the course of 12 episodes, the duo’s friendship begins to truly bloom. Even Deok Chul’s normally hypercritical wife Choi Hae Nam ( Na Moon Hee) taking a later shine to the younger dancer .
However, against all odds of cliches,the side characters of the series were often given intriguing backgrounds also. Chae Rok’s mentor Ki Seung Joo ( Kim Tae Hoon) has had a complicated divorce and past due to his career as a former- ballet dancer and is determined to not let his young prodigy walk down the same route. Similarly, Deok Chul’s youngest son Shim Seong Gwan ( Jo Bok Rae) ‘s changed career decision often leads to tension during family meetings, whilst the eldest Shim Seong San ( Jung Hae Kyun)’s harsh attitude towards his daughter and wife is certainly more complicated than it seems whereas Deok Chul’s daughter Shim Seong Suk ( Kim Soo Jin) supporting her husband Byun Young Il ( Joong Hee Tae)’s decisions were equally endearing storylines .
Yet the notable story arc which should probably be mentioned along the way can be seen within the staged romance between Chae Rok and Deok Chul’s granddaughter and Chae Rok’s colleague Shim Eun Ho( Hong Seung Hee).There was nothing inherently “ terrible” about this romantic pairing.Eun Ho and Chae Rok were mutually respectful of one another , and shared common ground within their close relationship with Deok Chul. On the other hand, it is fair to say that whilst partially necessary for allowing both characters to overcome their own lack of self-esteem in different ways, the romance respectfully wasn’t the most intriguing or exciting part of the show.
Similarly, another major focal point of the series occurs within Yang Ho Beom’s long-held “ enmity” towards Chae Rok. Without revealing too much about the reasons behind Ho Beom’s contempt of Chae Rok ( due to feeding into the main storyline), it is pivotal to point out that this “ rivalry” begins to filter into the storyline many cliche events, though, this does gradually begin to fizzle out due to their circumstances. However, this is what was refreshing about Ho Beom as a character and minor antagonist . He was far from being a “flawless person ”, but, he wasn’t entirely shown onscreen as having “ no humanity” either. Without any spoilers , there is one particular scene in which Ho Beom later approaches and sits down for a meal with Deok Chul, in a heartwarming moment of the drama.
Besides some minor flaws of the series, the ending of “ Navillera” was bittersweet. An amazing ending point to see just how far the characters had come and the difficulties which Deok Chul is taking one step at a time.
It is easy for shows like “ Navillera” to become overwhelmed with cliches by detracting from the more important points of character growth and storyline. Admittedly, the drama didn’t entirely stray away from these angst-ridden tropes, however, they were used to screenwriter Lee Eun Mi’s advantage allowing " Navillera" to become a heartwarming, tearjerking from beginning to end about family, friendship and self-determination. An enjoying and heartfelt watch with prominent character-growth and pivotal and universal messages throughout.
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But once the players entered the playing field…That is when I sat up straighter, started to smile, munch happily on my overly buttered popcorn and get that excited feeling as if I am sitting in a theatre waiting for something good. Let the Games Begin! The game played in Reborn is intricate and will keep you entertained.
The cast of characters in the series are as quirky as ever. Mushroom Head and Gold Tooth both make appearances but most of the characters are new so it kept things fresh. The location is crazy. It looks like a really cool upscale techno nightclub that has been bombed and forgotten. The set design was awesome.
The execution of the game and plot was fun and entertaining. I love how smart Akiyama is when breaking down the game, forming alliances and figuring out his incredibly clever strategies. He is so cool in his plotting, so patient for the outcomes and totally badass when he needs to be.
The one thing that brought this film down a notch for me was indeed the absence of Kanzaki Nao. There was a chemistry between the lead actors and a relationship that developed between their characters that was lacking with this new pairing. There was a special dynamic from the series between Nao and Akiyama; his cynicism was attracted to her goodness. She softened his edges and that little touch made Liar Game a little more than just a drama about puzzles and ultimately enhanced the tension of the outcome. I felt the loss keenly. Matsuda Shota is a very solid actor and the rest of the cast does a great job...I simply missed Nao. I wish that wasn't the case.
The music was actually great. I liked the techno beats and some of the strange compositions that fit the mood and the tension of some scenes. As always, the theme playing when Akiyama enters the game was just as cool as his character. Loved it.
Overall, I totally recommend this film. It wasn’t perfect but it was a lot of fun.
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