1How 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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1Shin Hye Sun Running Circles Around Oppas that Can’t Act and a Crappy Plot that Can’t Plot
You know a writer has overestimated themselves when a show with an interesting premise, distorted timelines, flawed characters and major potential turns into pure, convoluted, nonsensical garbage.❌ The writing and execution in this is seriously bad. Like one of the worst I have seen in a long time. While the drama starts out very promising with unreliable protagonists who slowly reveal their intentions, it loses the plot somewhere in the middle and just ends up being vomit on screen that calls itself a script.
❌ Some things are added just for the sake of it - no logic or reasoning required. Random dead bodies in random freezers, random trucks of doom, random cabins in the freaking forest. There is so much randomness is this show, I was half convinced the writer was on shrooms.
❌ The drama tries desperately to be complicated but ends up coming off as confused as a floppy fish out of water. This was what I was afraid of when I saw who the director was. I have watched almost all of his dramas and things with him go either way. Either he nails his execution and gives you masterpieces like 25-21 and Search WWW or he completely fucks things up like in King Eternal Monarch. Unfortunately, this drama has the same floundering headless chicken execution that King Eternal Monarch had and it’s just sad.
❌ Then, there are the crappy love interests. There are literally three of those in this drama. The third ML is there for no reason. He is also basically a brother figure of the FL’s long term ex boyfriend (the ML) and his pursuit and feelings for her are just awkward, messy and add zero substance to the plot. Just one of those random things the show throws in just for the sake of it.
❌ However, ofcourse, the major downfall of this show are the two main oppas. First of all, neither of them are good actors. They are bland, plastic and have zero nuance to them. Also, their screen presence is in the negatives. I swear Kim Nam Gil’s sock has more screen presence than all of these 3 oppas combined.
❌ Second of all, both of the two male leads are severely unlikeable and selfish for the majority of the show.
❌ The first ML, Hyun Oh, who breaks up with the FL after eight years of dating is trash human being number one. He is selfish and thinks that the world revolves around his mommy issues and the fact that he has two dozen grannies to take care of.
❌ Oh, poor him, his sad oppa problems give him a get out of jail free card to be the most toxic, wishy washy faded red flag that you want to 10000% avoid in real life. And, when I say red flag, I don’t mean the sexy bad guy red flag, I just mean dirty mud blood red flag that is just disappointing and annoying.
❌ Their entire relationship is just about him. He constantly makes her feel like he is better than her and she constantly doubts herself. After dragging her along for eight years and breaking her heart, he still doesn’t cut it off clean. He keeps giving her mixed signals and doing things for her she never asked for so she can never fully move on. And the moment he hears that she COULD move on, he is all scandalised about it.
❌ This man’s head is so far up his own ass that he never realises how someone who he has claimed to love for YEARS is in unbearable pain. And while, I did like their past relationship scenes together and was initially rooting for him, with every episode it seemed he just got worse and worse. By the last episode, I wanted to throw him off a cliff and call it a day.
❌ Then, comes the second main oppa, Ju Yeon. I didn’t like his and Hyeri’s (Fl’s second personality) dynamic from the get go because it came off childish, awkward and silly. Which is fine because that was who Hyeri was supposed to be as a character. What is not fine is that when he learns about her disorder, his reaction is the WORST thing imaginable.
❌ Instead of consoling her or feeling for her, he makes her apologise for hurting him, REPEATEDLY. And then, keeps insisting that she bring the other damaged personality around because he is in love with it.
❌ The whole delusion around the fact that he is in love with a fictional personality and wants her to remain sick just so he can fulfil his own kinks is SICKENING.
❌ After that, I really didn’t see the romance in him waiting around for the personality to show up. It was just stupid and even though the drama later tried to convince us that he’d take her as both Hyeri and her original personality, his actions clearly reflected that he is still very much hung up over Hyeri.
❌ Ofcourse, it’s inevitable that the oppas do get some redeeming moments in the last couple of episodes where they finally focus on people other than themselves but I don’t really give a fuck. I make judgements on characters as the way they are throughout the entire drama not their last minute actions and from the way these two were, the only happy ending for the FL would have been was to stay alone and away. Hell, the 3rd ML who was basically irrelevant cannon fodder was the most likeable option.
❌Also, speaking of shitty things in this drama, let’s talk about the whole DID thing. I usually don’t care about the science and logic of these tropes and I don’t care here either but I feel like it’s almost romanticised. This constant question of were you more happy as the other personality? Then this whole grown ass man being in love with and constantly reinforcing the other personality after knowing the woman for one single MONTH.
❌It gave me a bad taste in my mouth because the FL’s second personality is just a defence mechanism and it’s unnatural, born out of trauma and shouldn’t even exist in the first place, much less be reinforced and constantly validated.
❌ But, I shouldn’t have cared about the technicalities because this drama seriously does not give a shit about authenticity. It pulls out the worst “Oppa’s love heals everything even if it’s freaking DID” card I have ever seen in a drama.
Especially when that love is toxic, unwanted, weirdly codependent and downright stupid. They didn’t even try to pretend like they were using the illness as anything other than a plot device.
❌ To top off the nonsense, every single problem in these people’s lives MAGICALLY gets solved in the eleventh episode. DID? Cured by good old Oppa humping. ML’s reason for breaking up with Fl in the first place which led to this 14 episode worth of junk being made? Solved in 2 seconds. Love triangle? Solved with a good old smiley, breakup date.
It is just outlandish how bad the writing is. There is no real healing or character development anywhere. You won’t find it even with a NASA grade microscope.
✅ So, is there anything good about this show? Yeah, it’s Shin Hye Sun. She is one of my favourite actresses and like always she does an excellent job here as well. Her acting range is insane. She is nuanced, charismatic, expressive and delivers both her roles with perfection.
✅ I loved her as the damaged, sassy, broken, insecure, overly dependent and deeply flawed Ju Eun Ho. She made me feel for her struggles and I absolutely rooted for her. (Atleast, I did root for her before she became a manic panic obsessed oppa groupie who was legit like “I missed your toenails” to her shitty ex boyfriend.)
✅ While I wasn’t as much of a fan of her Hyeri personality with how over the top she was with the whole childish get up, and the exaggeratedly slow speech, I still appreciated SHS for it because it did the job of what the show wanted to deliver with her.
✅ Shin Hye Sun grossly overpowered all other actors with her talent in this drama and it showed. She single-handedly carried it on her back and I hope she asked for a freaking full body deep tissue massage along with a hefty paycheque for this.
✅ To be honest, there are some other good aspects of the show as well. For one, the skin ship and the kisses in it are good. Some episodes pack a surprisingly emotional punch. There are some great cinematography and OST moments. Moreover, the ups and lows of a relationship in flashbacks are also nicely shown but overall, it’s not enough.
❌ Because when you don’t have all the plot holes, the unlikeable male leads, the bad acting, the terrible writing and the confused timelines, you have uninteresting side filler characters taking up the screen.
❌ The grannies are boring, the office people are annoying and all other supporting characters are lacklustre. The only one interesting side character is Hye Yeon but she doesn’t have enough agency to make you invested.
❌ Which is why, on the whole, this drama does feel like a lot of wasted potential and has the tendency to turn your brain cells to rot.
Take my free advice; save your time and your IQ and go watch something else.
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This review may contain spoilers
SIAN’S INFERNO: A PREDICTABLE, HAREM-FUELED SNOOZEFEST
***DISCLAIMER: THIS IS JUST MY OPINION ON THE ENTIRE SEASON YOU DON'T HAVE TO AGREE AND I'M NOT HERE TO ARGUE WITH ANYONE.***My comment section is not safe for Sian and Junseo fans or sympathizers. I will probably call out everyone and you might not like what I have to say. To protect your peace I suggest you just keep scrolling because I am not be going to go back and forth with anyone over this show.
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OVERVIEW (SPOILERS AHEAD!)
I really thought Single’s Inferno 3 was the worst season yet, but Single’s Inferno 4 somehow managed to be even worse. A predictable, uninspired mess that revolved around one contestant—Sian—and her never-ending harem of men chasing after her like lost puppies. The show stopped being about romance and connection and instead turned into a glorified dating sim where Sian held all the cards, leading on multiple men only to predictably choose the red flag in the end.
The worst part? It wasn’t just the cast that made this season unbearable. The editing, production, and overall pacing were awful. Netflix completely fumbled what made Single’s Inferno work in the first place—an organic blend of romance, drama, and character development. Instead, we got shallow interactions, choppy editing, and emotional moments ruined by horrible music choices. They even changed the iconic opening song, and for what? Sorry but “SAY YES” will forever be the best… this new theme song didn’t do anything. Every time a moment could have been impactful, the editing undercut it. There was no buildup, no emotional investment, just scene after scene of surface-level connections that felt hollow.
And then there’s the predictability. This was yet another season where the entire cast revolved around one person, and by the finale, three men were standing there, waiting for Sian’s decision like it was the final boss battle of a romance RPG. The same thing happened in Single’s Inferno 3 with Gwanhee, and I’ve had enough. It’s lazy. It’s boring. It’s exhausting. We get it—people like the thrill of competition, but if every season is going to end with the entire cast worshipping one contestant, what’s the point?
Now let's get into everything that went wrong...
THE DOWNFALL OF CAST DYNAMICS:
From the moment Sian stepped into Inferno, she took over the entire season. It quickly became clear that every guy would orbit around her while the other girls were left struggling for screen time. This isn’t even about jealousy or whether she was “too popular”—the issue is that it made for bad television. There was no balance, no real competition, and no variety in storylines.
Sian herself? She drove me nuts. She kept insisting that she wanted a man who was thoughtful, kind, and vocal about his love—yet none of her choices reflected that. Who was she trying to fool? She wasn’t drawn to stability or sincerity. She wanted toxicity. She wanted the thrill of push-and-pull, which is why she clung to Jun Seo despite him being emotionally unavailable and a walking red flag.
She gaslit herself into thinking she wanted a sweet, considerate guy, but deep down, she craved an “alpha male” type. That’s why she played mind games with Theo and Jeong Su, leading them on for days before ultimately settling for the worst option.
Like many have said before, she treats men like Pokémon, collecting them for the thrill of it but never truly valuing them. The better men—Theo and Jeong Su—were strung along only to be discarded at the last minute.
And the worst part? Her indecision and selfishness meant no other female contestant got a real chance. Though I want to believe it's their choice not hers... there's no way the other men didn't want to get to know anyone else. I feel this season was written after the script, and the producers pushed the candidates in the direction they wanted to achieve the desired outcome.
THE EDITING & MUSIC RUINED THE EMOTIONAL DEPTH:
What made Single’s Inferno great in earlier seasons was its ability to pull viewers into the romance through music and editing. Remember the soft, sentimental background tracks? The perfectly timed instrumentals that made every confession feel weighty? All of that was gone.
The music choices this season were horrible. At times, they felt out of place, almost like they were taken from a generic reality show rather than a romance-focused dating program. It stripped away any emotional connection I might’ve felt.
And the editing? A disaster. Scenes were choppy, emotional beats were cut short, and crucial interactions were often rushed or left out entirely. At one point, we were getting random reaction shots from the hosts instead of seeing actual conversations unfold.
For example, they completely cut the scene where Dong Ho called Arin “chagi” (honey/dear), which would’ve made it clear he was never swayed by Hae Lin. Instead, they edited it to seem like he was conflicted, when in reality, he was always set on Arin.
Why are key moments being left out in favor of manufactured drama?
Oh, right. Because Netflix took over production...
THE SHIFT IN QUALITY:
This is where I need to rant. Season 1 and 2 were produced by JTBC, and the difference in quality was glaring. JTBC focused on love, friendships, and genuine emotions. Netflix? They just want toxic drama.
Seasons 3 and 4 had this overproduced, almost scripted feel that sucked the soul out of the show. Conversations felt more forced, editing choices felt more manipulative, and the cast interactions seemed heavily controlled to push certain narratives.
For example, I know some of the guys were told to create fake tension in the final episode. Junseo walking past Minseol like he was going to pick her? Jong Hoon walking past Hye Jin only to turn back? That wasn’t natural. That was producer interference to create a moment of “shock” that nobody bought into.
It’s lazy, it’s transparent, and it makes the show worse.
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES & WASTED CAST MEMBERS:
There were so many great contestants who got zero chances because of the production’s obsession with Sian.
Sian herself was frustrating beyond belief. She treated men like playthings, keeping Jeong Su and Theo on the hook while clearly being drawn to Jun Seo’s bad boy persona. She knew she was going to choose Jun Seo. Everyone knew. And yet, she kept leading Jeong Su and Theo on, acting like she was confused when in reality, she just enjoyed the attention. She thrives on chaos and emotional tug-of-war, and she got exactly what she wanted—men fighting over her while she played the victim.
Jeong Su, for all his initial coldness, actually turned out to be one of the more sincere contestants. When he finally let his guard down, it was heartbreaking to watch because, by that point, it was too late. Sian had already set her sights on Juns Seo, and no amount of sincerity was going to change that. Theo, on the other hand, deserved so much better. The fact that he still chose Sian at the end, despite everything, was hard to watch. He stayed true to his emotions, but for what? She never truly considered him a serious option.
Jun Seo, of course, was performative to the end. The way he strutted very near to Min Seol like he was about to pick her, only to continue walking and choose Sian, was disgusting. It felt producer-driven, especially since Jong Hoon did the exact same thing to Hye Jin. These fake-out moments didn’t add drama—they just made the guys look like clowns.
Then there was Tae Hwan, who had no excuse for his nonsense. When Ji Yeon confronted him about his earlier statement that he wanted to stay single, he tried to worm his way out of it with weak justifications about hoping someone would change his mind. But that’s not what he said when they were in paradise. He knew Ji Yeon’s dream was to get married and have a family, yet he clearly didn’t care. In the end, Ji Yeon still left with him, but it was obvious she didn’t really have another option. He looked almost nervous, like his ego was bruised by the idea that she might reject him.
As for the other women, they were done so dirty. Imo You Jin was hands down the best girl in the entire inferno. I like her bright personality and how she’s able to make everyone feel at ease / comfortable and light up an entire room. It’s just too bad she wasted her first couple days on Jun Seo. If she had more time in the inferno plus more time to talk to the other men, I’m sure she would have turned more heads. Her choosing Jeong Su in the end was sweet, but it was hard to get invested when we barely saw them interact.
Hae Lin, the wildcard / game changer, had a similar same problem. She was initially interesting, but coming in on day 5 basically ruined her chances. I feel bad that the men initially hyped her up so much only to basically ignore her or decide she wasn’t worth giving a chance or their time. The wild card contestants always get screwed over just like Minji last season and it pisses me off to no end.
Dong Ho and Arin were maybe the only couple I wasn’t upset at. They at least had some form of connection. The show tried to make it seem like he was wavering, but in reality, he was set on her from the beginning. Their paradise date confirmed that, especially since they worked in the same industry and lived in the same neighborhood. Arin calling it fate was a little sappy, but it was cute, I guess.
Hye Jin and Dong Ho were a pity couple. They only decided to end together because there was no one else. I’m sorry but I genuinely didn’t feel like there were any sparks between them. They seem to have an ok to mid rapport and are cordial with one another but to me it seemed like Hye Jin was just quicker than the other girls when it came to getting his attention after he got rejected by Sian.
THE FINAL EPISODE:
By the time we reached the finale, everything was painfully predictable and anticlimactic.
• Sian picked Jun Seo. Obviously. She wanted her “whirlwind” romance, even though he’s the least stable choice.
• Theo stayed loyal to his emotions. He deserved better.
• Dong Ho stayed true to his feelings for Arin but I still felt like production did Hae Lin dirty, typical whenever they bring in a wildcard.
• Jeong Su poured his heart out, but it was too late. I actually felt bad for him.
• Hye Jin got done dirty at the last minute. Jong Hoon’s little fake-out move was unnecessary af.
• Ji Yeon settled for Tae Hwan. Even though she knew he didn’t want a serious relationship. We needed Dex in the inferno!
Nothing felt satisfying. The entire structure of “three people chasing one person” is overplayed.
Netflix needs to take notes from the first two seasons, which were produced by JTBC. The difference is night and day. JTBC focused on love, friendship, and organic relationships, while Netflix is obsessed with toxic drama. That’s why the last two seasons have felt so off. The production quality has tanked, the editing is disjointed, and the emotional depth is completely missing. Instead of real connections, we get fake love triangles, forced drama, and empty relationships that don’t last beyond the finale.
And don’t even get me started on the final choosing ceremony. They need to do something else, having everyone spread out over the island waiting for the men to walk to the woman of their choosing is beyond ridiculous. I also wish contestants could choose themselves because girls like Ji Yeon and Hye Jin got the short end of the stick in that regard. Morevover, watching the leftover contestants stand there awkwardly after not being chosen was depressing. They should let them change their minds and couple up with whoever’s left. It would be way more satisfying than watching them stand there awkwardly while the camera panned out.
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MATCHES:
Couples —
• Dong Ho x Arin
• Sian x Junseo
• Jong Hoon x Hye Jin
• Ji Yeon x Tae Hwan
Singles (+ their choice) —
• Theo → Sian
• Jeong Su → Sian
• Hae Lin → Dong Ho
• Hye Jin → Jeong Su
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FINAL THOUGHTS:
Single’s Inferno 4 was an absolute waste of time. The production was sloppy, the cast was forgettable (except for Sian and her harem, unfortunately), and the season was so predictable that I almost regret watching it. The emotional depth that made the earlier seasons interesting is completely gone, replaced with surface-level connections and producer-driven nonsense.
I used to love this show because it gave me a mix of romance, friendships, and unexpected pairings. Now, it’s a tired, predictable mess where one person dominates the narrative while everyone else fades into the background.
The editing sucked.
The music sucked.
The cast felt wasted.
And Sian’s harem was the least interesting part of the show and ruined it for me.
I never thought I’d say this, but Season 3 wasn’t even this bad. At least that season had multiple storylines going on.
Would I recommend Season 4? Absolutely not! It’s completely skippable. I feel like it’s generous to even give this a 1/10. My rating doesn’t even reflect how I truly feel because I’d give this a 0 if I could.
Initially, I considered a 2/10 solely for Theo and Youjin, but even they couldn’t salvage this mess. Those two were the only redeeming qualities of an otherwise atrocious season. They deserved so much better than to be wasted on this trainwreck of a show.
Netflix needs to hand this show back to JTBC before they ruin it for good.
At the very least, I hope Netflix realizes that the one person with multiple suitors storyline has been done to death. It’s lazy and boring. I can't believe they are getting a S5 after this disaster of a season. Honestly, they need to pack it up! Like are they seriously not going to switch things up for S5? The same stale format is getting old. How about some actual eliminations to shake things up? And can we please make the contestants put in some effort to get to know each other? It's infuriating to watch the guys sit around all day, waiting for the women to do all the work.
And bring back the rule about not picking the same person for Paradise twice in a row! It's ridiculous that people can just fixate on one contestant (*cough* Sian, Gwanhee, Seulki and Jia *cough*) This season You Jin, Hae Lin, and Hye Jin were totally robbed of their chances / potential because everyone was too busy fawning over Sian. And don't even get me started on how Sian got to pick Jun Seo after spending time with him in Paradise the day before. I think 10 days in paradise is too short to actually fall in love, it's all a hoax, it's all for PR and I don't believe any of these couples will last. Four years has been long enough. I'm so done with this mess of a show – it's time for me to find a new guilty pleasure!
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SIDENOTE:
Just because I hated it doesn’t mean you will. You have to watch it and see for yourself, but truthfully if you are a S1 or S2 enjoyer this season is nothing in comparison. It's just as annoying as season 3, but it's somehow worse because Gwan Hee maintained his ignorance throughout but Sian and Jun Seo were very aware of what they were doing. In my opinion you aren’t missing out if you decided not to watch and you’d probably get the gist from Tiktoks / edits on YouTube.
Anyway, good luck but don't say I didn't warn you...
Thanks for reading!
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
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The tale of two straight chefs who try to be lovers and enemies but fail at both.
I am keeping this short and sweet, because well, the series is very short and so sweet it is the equivalent of a diabetic coma. Now, the opening scene is a feast for the eyes, just like that other food BL Bite Me (which has a multitude of its own problems). That is, we fade into the "Hot" Chef of the duo showering, shirtless, and showing the goods as much as Asian television will allow.Now, I suppose this should have been a warning (Hindsight is 20/20 ya know). The production team on both shows were basically letting you know what you are here for, and its not story, characters, plot, or drama. You are here for hot guys and maybe two of those hot guys will kiss before it's all over and done with if you're lucky. Nothing more and nothing less.
If that is all you're looking for. If that is all that is required to be a success in your book. If that makes the time spent here decent enough. Then by all means, this will not disappoint. But if you expect anything, and I do mean anything, above this very low, low, (Did I say low?) bar, then you likely aren't gunna be too keen on this in the end.
Now, My Sweet Dear begins winningly enough. While the production shows its seams, the budget clearly at the shallow end of the Korean pool, the series does a decent job of choosing where to spend that budget. Yes, the show reminds me of 1990's US independent Gay cinema (Trick anyone? Anyone?) production, but it does have a banging soundtrack that is ready for all the girlies to hit shuffle to on Spotify. And well, that's the core audience here. As long as the music is good, the boys are hot, and they have lovingly long stares, it wins.
Well, kinda. You do get a trickling of "Well like on a snowy or rainy day where I just need something bubbly and cute," that seems to say its not REALLY worth your time, but will do if you need it to.
Jang Eui Soo as our new, attitude filled, hot shirtless chef Jung Woo, comes out swinging. In the beginning he gives it his all and makes a character you instantly do not like, but still want to drool over. He's cocky, arrogant, conniving, and all kinds of sexy that led every commenter from here to Mars to brainstorm backstory in hopes of clearing his asshole set-up. But, that backstory never materializes and, well, you are left with who and what his character is, and that aint very pretty.
Somewhere Eui Soo gives up. I'm not sure where, but his acting becomes more cardboard-like and his swagger dissolves as the story progresses. Did he realize what type of series he actually signed up for and just decided, ehh, who cares?
Lee Chan Hyung never manages to turn our other half Yoon Do Gun into anything more than a grumpy one dimensional statue. He seems bored from the beginning. Wooden in every interaction. And uncomfortable when the script tries to force him to do anything resembling intimacy. But, the character of Do Gun does come off as the victim and kind. So you can at least still root for him. If you want.
There is another player in Laura, the owner of Laura's, the restaurant that houses most of the story. She is a villain. That is all you will learn about her. So I guess, let's move on just as the series did.
Now, the premise is outrageous; a Michelin star chef being forced to compete with a no name to keep his job. It is preposterous in every way and, well, you just have to swallow it if you really want to sit through the 8 episodes. (They are only like 12 minutes so its an easy gulp.)
Somewhere in the middle you will become invested and will be treated to yet another long winded frolicking BL beach scene. Wasn't Why R U enough? This is basically the "middle" of our story development in the series, simply they go to the beach.
Then in episode 6 the underlying plot gets turned on high, but it never simmers. It just comes to a raging boil in episode 7 and then is immediately taken off the flame. When this very simple easy plot actually manages to create tension, conflict, and drama, it is snuffed out unceremoniously for the sake of creating a happy ending.
Characters serve the sketched outline of a plot and do not act or behave like human beings. Instead they are Ken Dolls ready to be posed in an empty forever smiling embrace for viewers to set as their wallpaper. You will get that kiss guys, but it will make you squirm in discomfort and make you wish that maybe they just held hands (I'm a gay guy and I'd rather see that from these two....that is bad). And well, for no apparent reason one lead forgives the other lead for everything, just because, and you are served an audience tested and approved ending.
OMG THEY ARE LIKE SO CUTE AND ARE MY LIFE. ITS SO FLUFFY AND AMAZING AND MAKES ME SO HAPPY. JES IS SOOO HOT!!!! DO YOU ALL KNOW WHERE I CAN FIND THE OST?
And Korea says YES!!!! We won again!!!!
But, did you? Really, is this what you wanna call a win?
Anyway, 4.0/ D-, 2-Stars. Hardly worth watching.
If you wanna add some zest, make a BINGO card before you start and mark down BL plot points and endings...It will be fun!
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Big Applaud to Female Lead and the Fascinating Plots!
Haven't been watching Korean historical drama for quite a while, or maybe I would say even if I watch, there isn't any that keeps me fascinated throughout the series; but this one, YES YES! One of the best historical drama I've watched over the past few years!In the past, K-dramas are pretty successful in pushing out long series drama such as Queen SeonDeok, Jumong, Dae Jang Geum etc., however I realised these days, some people (Not All) tend to lose interest when the historical drama became intense and dark; short comedy historical drama on the other hand attracts people more, like 100 Days My Prince, The Tale of Nokdu etc. Not complaining because I love it!
I enjoyed how this drama has an equivalent amount on the intense and hilarious scenes. Just when things gotten serious, they insert plots that make you giggle, have the main story going on while keeping you entertained from time to time! But what's special about this drama was probably the interesting characteristic of two main leads; the King looks like a baddie from the outside but inside being allured by the bold Queen despite her wild and inappropriate actions, how he always thought the Queen was playing "hard to get" when she is actually dealing with her "hormone dilemma" XD!!! The plots were always so random but their chemistry had made the series even greater! So fun to watch!
I was also impressed by how Shin Hye Sun pulled off this role again and again in every episode, how she tweaked between acting as a male and female. Just when I thought her acting has achieved to a certain level, she then exceeded my expectation again, just no limit to how good she could be. TBH, among all the actresses who I've seen trying to act as guy, she got the best portrayal! The way she sits, she walks, even the detailed expression on how she reacts, just so natural that I never had a second to not believe it's really a male trapped in a woman's body! (Plus point on her height too)
Mr Queen has a pretty solid story for a 20-episode drama, and I really enjoy drama that has a good plot arrangement, not just good in the start and boring in the second half. For the ending, I would say the team did a pretty good job in creating a perfect ending for it, you know for time travel genre, you can never expect a perfect ending as there were always two voices; which one would prefer the main leads to stay together in the same era and the other voice will be siding towards having them to go back to their own world. It might be pretty sensitive for this drama too, especially the female lead is actually a male, if they were to touch based on the excessive bromance, it might be an issue for them too. So more like treating this as an interesting journey where both of them grown from the experience and wishing the best for each other in their own world. Shouldn't be complaining.
Overall, worth being given a high rating and great production with well-chosen casts!
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This review may contain spoilers
THE SIGN of Better BLs to Come
If anything, I am happy that Thai companies are expanding beyond the typical BL storylines. its A SIGN that the genre is evolving and has a lot of potential.Quick recap. Phaya and Tharn are reincarnations of Garudas and Nagas - mythical deities in the Buddhist/Hindu culture. Their connection was so strong that even at childhood, they were drawn to each other and Tharn became an unofficial protector of sort to Phaya. The end. Okay, Im kidding so many things has happened in this show that its so hard to make a quick recap.
What i like about the series:
1. I really love the first episode because it hooks you in to want to see more.
2. Great production value, you can see that they have really thought hard about the story and execution to deliver us a unique story. Even the action sequnces, which may often feel too rehearsed, is commendable. The CGi somewhat feels subpar but it is very acceptable considering that this is from a somewhat new production outfit. Hands off to them.
3. Maybe one of the best looking cast in a BL ever. Do i need to say more? Billy's scenes in those black boxers are BL gold. Babe is undeniably a gorgeous boy. I love all the support cast. The first episode with all the fake nude scenes is like a rain blessing to water the dryest dessert. And yes, the almost obligatory NSFW scenes in almost all episodes (but more on this later).
4. Im really happy that this is not just another university/high school story.
What i dislike:
1. I thought Tharn as a Naga is in female form, that were the dream sequences, werent it? They made such a big deal about it in the beginning but the later episodes Tharn Naga became just Tharn with long hair.
2. While a lot of the viewers like the weekly crime solving cases and the overall human baddie, i hated it. The truth is they weren't used to advance the story of Phaya and Tharn and their love story. In fact the big case turned out to be not important in the scheme of things.
2, Chalathorn turned out to be nothing but a dud instead of being the menacing villain.
3. There were too many subplots. The show wanted to be so many things. This show is worth at least 2 good BLs rolled together in one - the result is a mishmash, 2 half-baked pies and confused if its an action or a fantasy series.
4. One blatant proof of the show's identity crisis is with Tharn - one second he was this strong guy solving cases next second he is this soft crybaby blaming himself for whatever accident Phaya has gotten himself into. He is a police officer who will suddenly leave his post just to save the damsel Phaya. His character, lost consistency and could have been handled better.
5. While the male cast is the focus of the show, the young female support and the GL is acted so poorly. Even the grandmas who were suppossed to be lovable just werent. Their lines were so cringy and could have been edited out of the story to make it leaner.
6. The show got so convulated in the second half that i was watching the episodes in 2x speed. From being a must-see show it became a tedious watch, a show i just needed to finish because i want to see the ending of the fantasy story.
7. The almost obligatory NSFW scenes. For crying out loud, Phaya escaped the hospital in episode 9 just to answer a booty call.
8. The cashgrab finale. I get it, i get it, the producers wanted to capitalize and earn a little extra and god knows they deserve it for all their hard work, but it left a lot of sour taste in the mouth . Once i saw that ad showing the last episode will be shown in a streaming event, i almost decided to drop this show. What made it worse, the 3 week break between sepisode 11 and the free -to-air episode 12 turned out to be non-climatic after all, with so many plotholes and unexplainable things happening. Action scenes and that forest chase scenes became laughable, and that mythical love that is supposed to be epic in size just werent.
9. Please also explain to me how did Tharn saved Phaya from falling off that cliff from mid-air because that defied time and logic. That must have been a very very high thousand kilometer cliff because so many things have happened during that fall (the criminal was even able to get back to the base and shoot Chart) and yet Tharn still managed to save Phaya mid-air. and I watched it a few times to get a sense of it but just cant. Boy they didnt wrap this show properly.
Will i rewatch this series. No. It is tedious and there are tons of other contents right now. Im just giving it a 7.5 for all the effort and what it could have been. Will i reccommend? Sure, even with all the inconsistencies it is still a good watch, the boys alone is worth it.
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If you're looking for a good quality bl, Reset is the answer.
We still have a few more episodes to go, but everybody can see that this show is definitely one of the best ones this year. I would like to point out that I really appreciate the fact that there aren't a lots of unecessary NC scenes like we usually see in other Thai bls. Instead we got perfect acting, perfect chemistry, perfect storyline and a genuine unconditional love between the mc's. This show will really make you YEARN for a partner like Tada, but you will adore it anyways.My final say - MAKE MORE BLS LIKE THIS
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This review may contain spoilers
If you are bored then it’s quite interesting to watch . But the plot was very annoying.
What I like in this drama is it’s very light, watchable to avoid boredom and the story was slightly different from other dramas.But I seriously hate this drama because of the FL’s character. She is nice, cute and simple as it shows. But without knowing the truth how can she just move out from the house and blamed her parents for her biological parents’s death. Is it really that simple. If someone addopted you adter your parent’s death and loved for the long time, and suddenly someone tells you that they are the murderer of your parents, how could you believe the stranger instead of them who are so nice to you along the years. How could anyone be so rude to them? If I was in her place, I would suspect them, but thinking of all those years when I’m being loved by someone that much, I’ll definitely try to find out the truth but I wouldn’t leave them that easily. This is the only reason why I hate this drama.
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Kiseki: Dear to Me
63 people found this review helpful
YOU STILL HAVEN’T WATCHED IT? THEN YOU DEFINITELY SHOULD!!!!
This is one of the best bl ever created not only for Taiwanese but overall bl series. The plot, the acting, the shooting, the actors, everything is ONE HUNDRED OUT OF TEN! The chemistry between the two couples /especially the main one/ is astonishing! The story isn’t moving too slow, neither is moving too fast! The last 5 episodes aren’t out yet, but I am so loving it! It’s definitely worth watching! Add it to your watchlist! For a true bl fan, this is a must watch! You better give it a try - don’t miss such a good one!Was this review helpful to you?
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This Series Would Probably Have Been Put Together Better By A Single-Celled Organism...
With Kim Hong Seon, PD of masterpieces such as Voice and The Guest behind the works of the show , an ensemble of fairly talented actors ( not least Kim Rae Won, Kim Sang Ho Lee Da Hee and Kim Sung Oh) taking up the personae of screenwriter Chung Sung II ‘s characters( The Package,Your Honor), everything in relativity about “ L.U.C.A; The Beginning” screamed out " masterpiece" . Then, not even several episodes into the actual story, we find ourselves going down into the previously mentioned rabbit hole of cataclysmic screenwriting, which only seemed to crumble further into the abyss as the series went on...
The premiere episode of ‘ L.U.C.A’ did initially introduce some fairly innovative story writing techniques. The most evident offering hope for viewers to grow alongside our protagonist Zi O ( Kim Rae Won). Like our amnesiac main lead, we know little about Zi O’s world, identity and his mysterious link to detective Gu Reum ( Lee Da Hee). This should have by default allowed us to become attached to Zi O emotionally, had our hearts pulled out when he confronts the terrible and clandestine truths about his past and felt broken-heartedness to part with him and Gu Reum in the finale also.
Instead, trying to become attached to Zi O as a character even later on the show was fairly out of bounds for viewers . This is mainly because the characters lacked the innate, individualistic core of profound personality flaws and traits, rather than cliche plot mechanisms in order to keep a poorly-paced storyline motivated.
Whilst dramas often like to take the approach of the “ wild card” rebel trope in order to keep audiences entertained, this approach to Zi O soon began to collapse when every episode would follow this expected , fundamental structuring of Zi O having “ lost control of his powers again” or “ gone into a fit of rage” over a small (and often trivial) issue. It is not necessarily always a terrible approach to a character, but normally a show tends to foreground why this personality transition should be so shocking or surprising for viewers. Naturally, as we know little about his past, this aspect of knowing more about his identity , is drawn out of the question until later episodes. On the other hand, it is still interesting to note how Zi O’s character slowly begins to fall into the cesspit of lacklustre characterisation, even from his initial introduction in episode 1.
When Zi O is first introduced, he is notably marked as being “ different” by screenwriter Chung Sung II. He had few qualms over animal abuse , but somehow easily allowed his emotions to boil when someone who had grown close to him such as Gu Reum, was injured. This is not saying that Zi O should have remained an emotionless android in the drama, but it did seem peculiar for a character who struggled with emotional and psychological isolation over the course of the series, to suddenly see Zi O transitioning into emotional outbursts and tantrums. This can be mainly sourced to the problem of having few focal points over the course of the series which allowed Zi O to come to grips with his state of mind or mature as an individual.
It is important to address the controversial dilemma of miscasting for Zi O as well. Before anything else, it is important to state that Kim Rae Won is a good actor. However, Zi O as a written character respectfully felt slightly younger that Rae Won. This is not claiming that a “ fresher actor” would have been better at the role( as anyone would struggle with what was given to them by screenwriter Chung Sung II).Again, this is more the fault of poor casting than Won’s ability as an actor, however, it will certainly raise eyebrows for viewers to see a man nearing his 40s taking a temper tantrum as his character onscreen before storming off in order to ‘’ cool down’’.
This naturally draws us onto what led Gu Reum from being possibly one of the most profound female characters in a TVN drama, to a senseless cardboard cutout not even several episodes later. Gu-Reum is a character who was initially established as the “ advisory cop” archetype with a prolonged desire to find out what happened to her parents. It wasn’t honestly an original backstory, but it did bring the potential to explore Gu-Reum as someone caught in the crossfire between duty and morals over the course of the drama, who learns to becomes stronger as a consequence of her enmity towards Zi O.
Instead, Gu Reum seemed to have been a female lead drawn into this unexplained cliche of having an inferiority complex against her male associates in early episodes before being completed reverted into a “ damsel in distress” who faints, or gets clunked over the head by an object in the later storyline . Da Hee certainly was quite a good actress in the show, however, it was hard to take her role seriously when her character transitioned from intelligent cop to unintentional comic relief in seconds flat , especially due to with her relationship with Zi O.
The “ enemy to lovers” is a popular trope amongst dramas and given the right storyline and characterisation, this can work incredibly well. Yet, “ L.U.C.A; The Beginning”’s problem can be found by the sudden and illogical transition from Gu Reum being at Zi O’s throat in early episodes and Zi O “ accidentally” pushing her around with his powers, to Gi Reum suddenly eloping and holding his hand affectionately like a shy school girl not even several episodes later . If you think it can’t get worse than this between the two characters and their “ affections”, then (without any spoilers), it is important to confirm that it certainly does. Although this was necessary to the storyline, there’s little sense of actually building up the characters , let alone pairing them off from enemies to lovers in nearly seconds flat.
Whilst the pacing of the show was quick in parts, a major issue with its sudden fast-pacing can be found through the myriad of plot inconsistencies which arose throughout the drama. Whilst there are some evident reasons explained in the plot behind this, it naturally draws more concern how Zi O, a mutant who has never been registered for official residence was able to not to be caught as a figure of interest amongst CCTV footage after initial reports in the past as well as not legally queried over his job entitlement as well. Whilst minor, it often subjugated the drama’s “ unintelligent violence” without deeper meaning, or at least unique film techniques to make these fight sequences more than a brawl, but fine art.
Arguably our show has several “ main antagonists”, however, the most reoccurring and prominent “ puppet working for the brains” in the series appears as the gruff former-solider Lee Son ( Kim Sung Oh).With an interesting and personal motive behind the reason for getting back at Zi O, Lee Son had the potential to be a fairly well-crafted, Machiavellian antagonist with actual depth due to his experiences in the field and profounder reasons for working for nefarious scientist Ryu Joong Kwon ( Ahn Nae Sang). Instead, Lee Son turns more into the classic “ brainless and inhuman combatant ” than a worthwhile or interesting opponent, often resulting in his actions coming off as more “annoying” than “baleful” .
On the other hand, the one character in the show who was surprisingly intriguing came in the form of Choi Yoo Na ( Jung Da Eun). Although Da Eun hasn’t received as much credibility in performances as some of her costars , she did surprisingly capture interest within her well-performed role as the mysterious and laidback Yoo Na; a young woman who became a field agent for Jong Kwon’s organisation after the initial operation upon her leg ( as shown in the first episode). Yet like most side characters out there, Yoo Na didn’t really have the opportunity for viewers to see her character grow or deepen over the course or the series.
Meanwhile, the ending of the show took a cliffhanger approach rather than particularly “ bittersweet” or “ happy”- appropriate for the genre, but nevertheless a little disjointed and arguably anticlimactic rather than an ending which felt complete and worthwhile.
“ L.U.C.A; The Beginning” can probably be seen as the epitome of the recent problem of “ throwaway” dramas emerging out of the action genre in South-Korea. With notable recent predecessors such as “ Alice” (2020) and “RUGAL” (2020) also suffering from the same fate of being high-budget extravaganzas, but often lacking screenwriting quality , it is probably fair to say that “ L.U.C.A; The Beginning” is the type of show to watch if you’re bored and want to binge-watch something with mindless violence without a second thought . However, “ L.U.C.A; The Beginning” greatly suffers from its own demise as a memorable and well-written show due to poor characterisation, miscasting, plot inconsistencies, deeper meaning and plot incoherency as well. A shame for a drama which had potential to be one of the best dramas of 2021 .
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A short, nostalgic cute warm and fluffy drama....
Serendipity's embrace is a short romcom about first love, second chance romance, friendship and more.It's a drama filled with warmth, lots of cute and fluffy moments and is most definitely going to give you nostalgia from the old Korean romcoms.
It's a cute drama that balances romance and comedy and considering its short, nothing felt repetitive or draggy....
The PLOT is something you have seen before, it's cliched and troupey but definitely executed in a way that feels warm and entertaining and engaging....the pacing is decent, nothing feel too rushed or too slow..it's the perfect pacing for the eight episodes.
The CAST did a great job, I must say this is one of my most loved characters of Kim so Hyun..her character as hong Ju is fun vibrant, clumsy, cheerful but at the same time not cringe or annoying...you could tell she was having an amazing time taking on this role.
Chaejongyeop's eye acting is definitely something worth of praise..he expresses him self through his eyes and that's something you could see especially in the earlier parts of the drama where he came off as a bit unexpressive...I also loved how he wasn't the typical cold male lead but rather just quiet, calm and mature...
Other characters were also a fun addition to the overall casts and I love how we got little to no toxic characters..it felt refreshing.
The characterisation was perfect and I loved the cast chemistry and how they all complimented eachother perfectly which added to the charm of the series.
The CHEMISTRY between the leads was one of the major points of this drama, their interactions felt cute and warm and natural, I loved how their conversations flowed so naturally at times it didn't feel acted and if anything made me wish that this drama was a bit longer then it's definitely the leads interactions together which gave me lots of flutters and butterflies.
Overall this drama was amazing, something simple yet cute to watch as in to take a break from the heavy plots we have been getting recently, something to remind you of the old k romcoms that were the reasons why we became kdrama find, something funny and cute to giggle it....this drama was exactly what it promised to be, a cute fluffy ROMCOM.
Do I recommend it?
Absolutely....you will have a great time watching this especially if you looking for a short, simple yet cute ROMCOM to watch!!!!
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10/10 for creepiness
Trigger Warning: Immense Cult Practice, Killings, Gore, Brainwashing, Terribly Scary and awfully creepy.Cult thriller trope is not very new for Kdramas and has it's own separate fanbase but what makes HOMETOWN different is the execution and portrayal of real cult shits that might take a toll on your mind, so be careful in case you're sensitive.
HOMETOWN is set up in the fictional small rural town namely Saju (somewhere in Busan irl) in the year of 1999 with a major past of the year 1987 connected to it. Everything starts from a welfare centre that existed years ago, then a series of tragic incidents in 1987 and then in 1999 where a number of serial killings take place, all rooting to a mixtape cassette with mysterious creepy sounds.
It involves MIU Detective Choi Hyung In (Yoo Jae Myung), who has been connected to the entire event all along in his subconscious. He discovers astonishing facts related to his life while trying to get to the root of it, simultaneously dealing with his deteriorating mental health. Jo Jung Hyun (Han Ye Ri) is determined to find his lost niece who is already staged to be dead. In her journey with his old friend, she discovers horrifying truth about her past and finds herself in terrifying situations that might eat her up to the core. Uhm Tae Goo (Jo Kyung Ho) is Jung Hyun's brother and a terrorist who is prisoned for life for killing a number of people at Saju Station in 1987 by releasing toxic Sarin gas. (These ain't spoilers bcs you'll find them in the synopsis.)
These 3 actors are indeed seasoned artists with main acclaimed works & recognitions and their performance surely will surpass your standard, no doubt. Especially, Uhm Tae Goo as a psychopath,who can control mind, served his role so well that you might wish to kill him, every time he comes into the frame. Him sighing is one of the creepiest things I have ever experienced, eww.
Other than them there are also some other good actors in the major role. Choi Kwang Il as Im In Gwan is deeply involved with the cult group. Cha Rae Hyung as Kang Young Taek, Jung Hyun's highschool friend and a part of the magazine club. Jo Bok Rae as Lee Si Jung is a Sergeant and Det. Hyung In's partner. The 4 teen actress were also good; Lee Re as Jo Jae Young and Heo Jung Eun as Kim Moon Suk are major parts of the story.
I must say that this drama needs a lot of patience, even when you're an avid thriller fan, because till the last 2 episodes of this 12 ep drama, the ultimate reason of the entire event is very very confusing. The way everything is unfolded one by one, in an intricate way will make you go crazy to a great deal. For viewers, it's like solving a puzzle to reach the answer whose fragmented pieces are scattered in a disorganized way. It's like you'll have to analyze, compare and relate the information you have and group them in an order first, before you set everything into their rightful places and finally get the biggest picture on the board.
You'll have new information revealed at each episode and there are lots of flashbacks to reminisce and extract out the tiniest of detail from what you've seen till the moment. The plot development is not steady, rather scattered with many flashbacks and revelations, which are not entirely revealed at once. For a 12 episode short drama, the progression along with plot-twists and mystery divulgence is drawn very well by the writer. The writer has done a good job in presenting the character arcs of all the 3 main characters well.
I somehow felt the 6th episode was kinda slow and nothing that interesting of sort took place in there except the ending, though that episode was also filled with revelations and realizations. After binging 10 episodes in 2 goes, I was concerned how they'll wrap it up in the finale week because there were still so many things to be revealed along with the primary force behind everything. Again after the 11th episode revelation, it was a tragic feeling but also gave rise to more anxiety as to what's next but glad they wrapped uo everything without any issue. Also, the seemingly intertwined story and it's details were still to be revealed in the finale, which were surprising ngl. However, it felt a bit slow and was a lil uninteresting in the 1st half. What was more worrisome that the script might have some potholes left but glad it was all fine.
Hometown also stands out for using a different approach in cult thrillers that's Hinduism. Most of the cult dramas rely on Christianity and Shamanism to showcase cult behaviour but for the first time the makers of Hometown has dared to go for Hinduism and has even executed it very well. The ancient tradition of guru-sishya (teacher-student) was basically incorporated with pseudo-religious practises with immense brainwashing and drug abuse. Only thing that seemed funny was the symbolism of that "crossing-hand" mudra, it wasn't well explained I felt. It felt like they were trynna make a scary gesture but it was in fact very funny. Otherwise, they were able to keep up the intense and thrill till the end and I liked it.
Note: This is not insulting to neither Hinduism or the Indian tradition, rather a fictional portrayal involving pseudo-religious practices which give out alternative interpretations of any particular belief. If other religions could be used then why not this. It's not my pov as an atheist rather as a avid stan of dramas & movies and their values.
The sound production is top notch. They knew very well how to make the mood creepy with the accurate use of background scores and the cult mantras. What also accompanied in grace was the rainy weather scenario. The sound of heavy rain was a perfect feather to the thriller cap. Cinematography is also appropriately handled. Since it's a thriller that too investigative mystery and cult group story, the frame is mostly dark and shady. The camera movement focusing the objects and zooming sequences are well edited. The main prop used in here is the mixtape cassettes with creepy and chilling sounds which was the cause of all the tragedy.
The finishing sequences of the story that summed up the entire event was good enough for a decent thriller. There was no philosophy or justification to the acts done but there sure was learning. Ain't gonna say the actual reason but sure only word to describe the force behind it is an action that can be simply described by 2 words, one starting with 'r' and the other with 'v'.
Overally, Hometown surely is a thrilling and catchy watch which will keep you up till the very end. Starting from it's biggest advantage, i. e. to direction, script, production value, etc. have been taken care of well with a lot of effort. Can't say it's amazing though it's one of the creepiest but it sure is a good one in terms of cult thriller mystery. I made sure not to talk about the story a lot because idk to how to explain things without spoiling. Just make sure to remain sane throughout, haha.
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Legend of awakening (or) The Failure of Plot Twists
I don’t normally watch the currently airing dramas but I gave Awakening a try since I have anticipated it for a very long time.There are a lot of good/ bad comments so I am going to give my opinion;1. Story- The story itself is not very bad, it has its twists and turns. But the execution of the storyline is very poor. It has a very promising start, very interesting till episode 20 or 30 but it suddenly went downhill. Some episodes contain no proper message and they are there just for the sake of dragging the story. I’d say there are too many cliché scenes as well, it was such a huge disappointment.
2. Acting & Chemistry- The casts are not bad but not very outstandingly impressive either. You can see many bad comments about Cheng Xiao , I’d say I like Cheng Xiao as an actress, the acting is not that mediocre but her character in the story is not very likeable.
The main problem is the lack of chemistry. Chemistry between (Lu Ping) Chen Feiyu and (Qin Sang) Cheng Xiao? No.
Chemistry between Xifan and Ling ZiYan? No
I couldn’t feel any emotional love between these two pairs. Su Tang and Mo Lin are not bad tho.
3.Who is the real villain?
It is where the twist failed. I can understand ,the director wanted to surprise us by telling us that the villain is not who we guessed before, but it failed. It failed to the point that I lost focus. One villain killed ML’s parents and another villain is gonna destroy the world, who should ML choose? Just suicide lol
4.Character-in- depth
Su Tang, portrayed as ML’s younger sister, lacks character background. We don’t know who she is or where she comes from, I thought the Director is going to surprise as by telling us that her parents are someone powerful? But, no.
5.Music
The songs are very good.
6. Overall
I fast forwarded a lot of scenes for the sake of completing it. It was a disappointment since it could have been done much better. I kinda regret that I wasted my whole month for this drama.
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