Voice 4: Judgement Hour -- Intergenerational Impact of Abuse
To think that this season is based on a true event is mind-boggling; that a Dong Bang Min actually existed in this lifetime is horrific. To imagine that what happened to Dong Bang Min in the drama may have happened to a child to the extent that the child needed to create personalities to escape it is unimaginable; the fact remains, though that abuse does not excuse the horrendous acts the child/man goes on to commit no matter the cause. While watching this drama, I read many comments on Song Seung Heon's performance and how he didn't measure up to detectives of seasons past, but I beg to differ. He was probably one of the most balanced. I am one who strongly believes the first season of this series remains the best. But of all the detectives, I found Derek Jo to be the most rational and composed, particularly since he, same as the rest, struggles with his own demons while fighting to bring some of the most horrific crimes and criminals to justice.I loved this season's cases and stories despite some of them being hard to watch at times. I liked the message each story left behind even more. I commend the writer for depicting such heartwrenching true event stories and the director for bringing them to life. Still, the actor that shone the brightest without a doubt is Lee Kyu Hyung as a villain tormented by self-hate but more the need to survive in a world devoid of love or appreciation. A job well done all around. I liked the drama's choices and the awareness it tries to bring on the importance of the family unit, the damage of abuse and neglect, and the devastating and long-lasting detrimental effects it has on children and society alike. Just as a family can be everything for some, they can be hell on earth for others.
I wasn't ready for Voice 4's end; it felt more personal than the other seasons; I enjoyed it greatly for what it was and came out from it with more appreciation for all the actors but especially for Lee Ha Na in her continued calm, supportive and balanced depiction of the Golden Team and Emergency Center Director for the run of the seasons, Song Seung Heon as the calm, clever, and extremely focused Derek Jo, Baek Sung Hyun as the tormented Shim Dae Shik with a second chance at redeeming himself, which he more than does and very bravely. But mainly, I admired how the show depicted all of Bang Min's personalities and the way he came to realize what he had become in his desperate bid to survive his nightmare.
The message I am left with here is that although the physical, psychological, and behavioral consequences of child abuse and neglect weigh more heavily on the shoulders of the children who experience it, the impact of it does not end with them. Society pays the price both directly and indirectly; covering up the issues under the guise of protecting the family harms more than helps, especially when the family is the root of the problem. It is in the best interest of the families in particular and the communities as a whole to act to stem the effects of such abuses and, rather than find fault with the abused, support them and provide families and communities with the tools to stop maltreatment before it occurs and mitigate intergenerational impacts. To this, I say thank you to the production team.
Now that the Circus Man's journey has come to an end, I look forward to a new journey into Kang Kwon Joo's superhuman hearing abilities. I can't wait to see what else the Voice series has in store. I loved all the OSTs but especially Coming to you 그래쓰(GRASS).
Was this review helpful to you?
great show but you must put yourself in the kdrama mindset
this is a really really good show..it deals with a lot of real life issues.. no matter how old you are.. some of these things are real...
yes its true.. u probably wont like anyone in the drama for the first half of the drama.. even maybe till the 6th episode.. except the male lead and his best friend..
and even more so if your not in the kdrama mindset.. (ie suspend real life thinking.. ) then you probably would hate EVERYONE except the forementioned male lead and best friend...
but if u can get past reality (or just suspend it) and just listen to the story and see the growth of all the characters.. it really becomes a joy of self love.. self discovery and acceptance.. of who you are and what your limitations are.. whether its real or imagined..
the acting from the male lead is great.. the fl lead is decent.. was the chemistry between the two.. depends.. on how u see it.. its not lovey dovey.. and in my opinion. it shouldnt have been.. its acceptance. that.. your partner may be lacking in areas.. but.. u still consider them.. wonderful enough to be with.. as in real life
the music was good..
the support cast was fun and good.. though.. the sister.. i just wonder why they wrote her.. in.. headcount..? :)
really really good show.. yes.. it has its issues and yes in real life..what some of these characters did.. should be and would be despicable.. but.. thats why i watch kdrama.. to escape real life.. and to suspend my belief in reality for a few hours at a time
Was this review helpful to you?
This show was awful, horrible and miserable down to every scene. I wanted to punch the fuck out of every single character at one point. It was so dark, disturbing and frustrating and yet, it was excellent too. To the point that it captured me so deeply that it was a downward spiral that I couln't help but be swept into.
This is precisely the reason, I understand its poor rating on MDL but also why it was a super duper mega hit in Korea when it aired.
The acting and character development definitely took the cake in this one.
Jo In Sung. Jo In fucking Sung left excellence behind with his role. I have no words to describe his acting. It was simply wonderful. His character, Jung Jae Min, violent, crazy, childish, often pathetic, vindictive, violent and simply irredeemable didn't leave much to be desired and yet, he definitely made the list to become one of my most favorite characters of all time.
Ha Ji Won, ofcourse the queen of queens. Her character has to be one of the most despicable characters in K-drama history. Lee So Jung was a slap in the face of every self respecting woman. Greedy, desperate, classless, disloyal, annoying to the point of making you feel violence and yet, there was nobody but Ha Ji Won who could have played her. Because, despite the fact that she was everything I couldn't stand, I still found myself rooting for her. Like I said, only Ha Ji Won.
This was So Jisub's breakout role and I can definitely see why. He is the king of emoting from the eyes and he did it spectacularly here. Out of the three of them, his character was the least dislike-able and yet, despite my love for him, I found myself rooting for him the least.
Many international drama watchers think the show is famous for So Jisub but that's not true. This show is Ha Ji Won and Jo In Sung's through and through.
People said it was the greed of the characters that made them destroy each other but I think it was the desperation, madness and pain that each of them harbored. They were all victims of life in their own way and that made them make all the worst decisions possible. This was humanity at its worst with selfishness at its peak and yet, you couldn't help but feel sympathetic for these unlucky souls.
The show is a hard watch. I can't even count how many times I had to pause in between because I was so sick and emotionally exhausted by the complexity of these characters and their actions. But I was unable to drop it and now that I have finished it, I don't regret watching it at all.
The ending was exactly how it should have been. The OST was spot on. And while the show is dated, it still does not fail to pack a solid punch even after all these years.
So all in all, it's a show that you will hate with characters you will hate but if you aren't afraid to tread into dark waters and get out of your comfort zone, once you'll start you'll be unable to stop. And when you end it, you'll have no regrets.
Definitely one of my favorites.
Was this review helpful to you?
Contains less insects than you might expect!
No, really. This show doesn't actually involve many insects at all, considering that's the literal title and summary. So don't let that stop you from giving it a try.In this show, you will find very lovable characters that defy drama clichés. Sweet, developing relationships without a focus on romance. Teacher/student, Mentor/mentee, Siblings, Parent/child, you will find them all!
The cases are interesting but not as interesting as the drama wants you to believe. I enjoyed them and the twists did surprise me, but no, I did not need to watch the same flashback five times. Thankfully, they only started doing this in the second half of the drama.
The ending did actually manage to surprise me and I was satisfied with it! Overall, I enjoyed the time I spent watching these characters - Would recommend! (And the ending song is amazing, I'm absolutely in love with it.)
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
They are so adorable.
Literally at first I thought when p'fah will know that poon likes him he won't be able to accept but lately I understood that somehow fah also likes him episode 5 was too good I really like the way he accepted phoon's love , and started loving phoon also I liked the way he teased phoon after knowing he was the person in letter . Fah was so understanding even after phoon lied to him , he knew everything but he waited for phoon to say it I loved the way phoon was so dedicated towards loving fah as a person in letters or he himself even if they stopped talking to each other fah remembered phoon was afraid of dark and thunder he came and hug him helped him overcome his fear .. I have to say fah did a lot for phoon ( finding his mom , getting rid of his father , giving him encouragement , getting rid of his trauma and more ) , phoon thought fah will be disappointed in him but instead fah was the most supportive part of this story ....Was this review helpful to you?
There are some really deep questions posed in this story. If you knew how long you had to live, would you spend that time differently? Would you want to know or not? I think it does a great job of just reminding us all to seize the day now, mend those fences, meet back up with old friends now and don't wait until your funeral for all your old school friends to get back together, do it today. If even one person comes out of watching this story and acts on that message I think it's done its job.
The story has three main "chapters" really, the first is a very happy and fluffy romance story and I think that the transition to the second "chapter" is what throws people because suddenly it's not happy anymore, it's downright depressing, it's hard to watch and there's lots of crying (on the show too, ahem) - but it has purpose. The third "chapter" is then the resolution, which I thought was really great. The conclusion needs you to take a few things at face value and not ask too many questions - but then you're watching a show where someone can see clocks on peoples bodies so let's not get too caught up in the "science".
Choi Mika, the lead character played by Lee Sung Kyun, has the weight of the world on her shoulders, I absolutely cannot understand how her character is tagged "Weak Female Lead" in the tag list for the show because she's one of the strongest characters i've seen to date. She knows when people are going to die, more than that she knows when she herself is going to die and even worse - it's not that far away, 3 months or so. Knowing any of that, let alone all of it, I think most of us would utterly fall to pieces. She's learned to accept it and start saving to help her family after she's gone and she's working to make sure she achieves her dreams before she goes. Yes, she cries a lot once things turn south, but if you can't understand why, that's a shame, it's not because of any kind of lightweight reason.
In the first "chapter" of the story, she meets Lee Do Han who she discovers can stop her clock from counting down and even better, she finds her clock starting to go up and suddenly she has a new lease on life.
I won't go any further into the story because from here on it's spoilers, but suffice to say that if you have even remotely appreciated the weight on her shoulders as the story begins, it becomes unimaginable as the story continues to unfold, and it's here that the crying starts. There's a fair bit, but I don't think any of it unjustified, everyone involved is having an insanely hard time, so it's natural to be sad about it.
In other characters - Lee Do Han (played by Lee Sang Yoon) was good but not the star of the show, which was absolutely and entirely Lee Sung Kyun. Her sparkling performance both in the drama and on the stage within the drama were a joy to watch. Songs from the musical were performed brilliantly by everyone and i'm hoping to find some of them on the OST.
In an unusual twist for me - the other point of the "love triangle" was also an absolute highlight for me. I don't normally like this kind of character at all regardless how well it's played (or love triangles themselves, for that matter) but I thought Im Se Mi completely captured the character as she descends gradually in her composure and sanity throughout the entire story until her dramatic pinnacle when her story comes to a head. I always enjoyed her scenes, even if I was verbally shouting "booo! get off!!" to the TV every time (we'll talk about my own sanity another time).
As demonstrated by the reviews, this is NOT going to be a story everyone gels with, the gear shift from the happy fluffy romance almost within 60 seconds to something entirely different will throw people off, especially how joyful that first bit is, you'll miss it and you'll feel the pain, the author does a good job of making a sky high go to a hellish low.
This is an absolute re-watch for me at some point when I start repeating shows, although it won't have as much magic and mystery the second time around I will enjoy the journey and the amazing music just as much.
Was this review helpful to you?
There's nothing new under the sun, the film is about a Ronbin Hood-like gang who steals from the corrupted rich and gives to the helpless poor. Set in the twilight years of Joeson period, the film is a hybrid historical piece about martial arts, nobility and revenge. The plot takes its time to make the main character meet his destiny but the remaining space wasn’t wasted at all; the screenwriting always focused on the remaining characters and some colourful dialogues in between.
Kundo depicts a strong combination between the usual Asian melodrama and martial arts’ style. It was successful at portraying both flying fighting scenes as well as the characters’ feelings within. It also focused on inserting some pretty nice dark humour sequences without disregarding the serious melodramatic tone of the period piece. The over use of explanatory narration might come out wrong in few sequences. The screenwriting over-focused on some trivial side stories but it managed to come back into the right track soon enough.
Led by the overly charismatic Ha Jung Woo, the acting department was impressive. The main character had a very rough start that made him a part of the Kundo tribe, his journey was pretty much enjoyable and Jung Woo was too darn good at making it feel real – except the age part of course, there’s no way he looks 18 to 22 year-old.
On the other hand, Kang Dong Won was the freaking king of the action department in this film. Being used to swordsmanship due to his other period action films; he did the whole remarkable martial arts himself without resolving to stunts; that’s in itself is too wonderful for words. Other than that, he was amazingly good at playing the role of the dangerous villain. Of course, the back story provided to his character was extremely helpful at setting an unbreakable ground for what he has to portray. It’s been a long time since I last saw a very detailed back story of a villain; as if they’re making you think that any monstrous thing he does is legitimate.
Other actors were pretty good; they were fit to each character they played especially the Kundo group where Ma Dong Seok, Jo Jin Woong and Lee Kyeong Yeong are only few to mention.
Inspired by Kurosawa and Tarantino’s filmmaking, director Yun Jong Bin pulled off a memorable piece. His directing style was poignant with top notch technicalities. It’s a fact that visuals worked so well for this film, the lavishing designs and well-chosen colours were a great plus for this film’s cinematographic appeal. Even the polished sceneries, well-crafted aristocrats’ mansions and clothes were very well handled.
Watch if:
-You like dramatic period pieces with action.
-You like combination between Asian and western filmmaking.
-You like the main actors because Ha Jung Woo and Kang Dong Won were extremely good.
Do not watch if:
-You dislike historical pieces.
Despite some minor flaws, Kundo Age of Rampant is a very pleasant period film that’s well-worthy of the domestic success it witnessed upon its release.
Was this review helpful to you?
Fear and Paranoia, Moral Ambiguity, Identity and Ideology, Survival and Sacrifice - Nostalgia!
"Deep Lurk" serves as an intriguing exploration of a critical chapter in Chinese history, intertwining themes of loyalty, moral ambiguity, and the pervasive atmosphere of distrust that characterized the Chinese Civil War. A more nuanced critique of the drama reveals several layers of complexity that merit consideration:
Balancing Act of Historical Representation
The drama's strength lies in its ability to weave personal stories with grand historical narratives. By focusing on character arcs amidst significant events, "Deep Lurk" illustrates how the political turmoil affected individual lives. However, there is a fine line between dramatization and distortion; the portrayal of historical figures and events should stimulate audiences' understanding while retaining a fidelity to historical facts. When historical accounts are manipulated for dramatic tension, it risks oversimplifying intricate situations and potentially misinforming viewers.
Character Depth and Development
The characters in "Deep Lurk," all well chosen (FL too wooden) embody the struggles and ideologies that were prominent during the Civil War. The depth and complexity of their motivations in part reflected the harsh realities of the time. Not sure if I connected with all the characters as one should. A well-rounded portrayal allows viewers to connect with the characters' dilemmas, fostering empathy and a deeper appreciation for the consequences of their actions. If characters resort to clichés or lack credible development, this undermines the show's capacity to reflect the historical environment authentically.
Representation of Ideological Divides
“Deep Lurk”hints at the stark ideological divide between Nationalists and Communists. Not knowing the historical facts, viewers today should have a critically, portrayal of these factions presented in a balanced perspective rather than falling into black-and-white portrayals. It is crucial for viewers to grasp the motivations and struggles of both sides, as this adds a layer of realism and complexity to the narrative. Such representation can encourage discussions about the nuances of loyalty and betrayal, transcending mere entertainment to evoke thoughtful engagement with history. Having said that, I was gripped and was on Wikipedia checking the history…
Cultural and Social Context
"Deep Lurk" must also be scrutinized for its reflection of societal norms and daily life during the Civil War. How the drama encapsulates the interplay between public sentiment and personal choices can serve as a microcosm of historical realities. Showcasing the diversity of experiences, from the bravado of espionage to the quiet desperation of civilians - enhances the portrayal of wartime China. In this aspect I believe the drama fails to capture this spectrum adequately, which gave audiences a skewed understanding of historical events.
While primarily a work of fiction, "Deep Lurk" potentially reflected contemporary issues within Chinese society, such as national identity, the legacy of past conflicts, and the ongoing exploration of loyalty in an era marked by rapid change. These reflections has the ability to provoke conversations that challenge audiences to think critically about the lessons of history and how they inform the present.
My Final Thoughts
Overall, "Deep Lurk" is a multifaceted examination of a pivotal historical period in China. To garner both critical acclaim and audience engagement, the drama must carefully balance compelling storytelling with a responsible portrayal of history. By doing so, it can serve not only as an entertaining piece of art but also as an educational resource that invites audiences to ponder the complexities and consequences of the past. As viewers immerse themselves in the world of "Deep Lurk," they should walk away with not just a newfound appreciation for the drama itself, but also a deeper understanding of the historical realities it seeks to represent.
Ultimately, I believe that this drama "Deep Lurk" is a success, filmed in 2019 pre Pandemic, low budget (based on my research) editing, continuity poor in places - still evoked the emotional resonance. The sheer brutality of war, coupled with personal loss, sacrifice, and moral dilemmas, spoke to the audience on a personal level. These emotional elements to me were portrayed authentically, they elevated the narrative, ensuring that the historical context was not merely a backdrop but a living, breathing element of the story.
Loved the costumes, houses, furniture, street scenes and especially the old telephones ( which I remember) this all gives away my age!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
This is dog poo
Never watched the original story so I thought this was an engaging plot with lot of potential. In the end, there is a few good thing and huge bad bad things.1/ STORY
Romance part: The cause of the pregnancy is convoluted but the evolution of the story is interesting. It was a good and understandable progression considering the personalities of the three characters involved. The story of the original couple SML and FL drifting apart and breaking up was well presented. The part of the FL and ML getting closer was badly told and even totally unbelievable. And the end is.. omg... You would have wanted to mock your audience you would not have done anything different.
Thriller part: Very convoluted from start to ending. Chasing after a drug dealer, SML and the other cops go through events and clues which appears out of the blue. At the end, the writer gave the nice role to Kang Jae when he did wrong all that time... lol... of course.
2/ CHARACTERS / ACTORS:
Woori : Interesting character with a quiet personality and not confident. She is not assertive and let others take the lead professionally and in her couple. But pregnancy makes her take decisions and evolve to become confident about her baby, her life and happiness and her job. And suddenly in the end .. taddah!!! I owned you.
Raphael : Allegedly grew without loving parents and cured from a cancer so he is a very human guy who cares about family and wants to build his own. There was a wrong characterization of him as the writer put most of the goofy and silly tone on him when he was the ML. He appeared very inconsistent, not likeable and the actor was too wooden face to make him endearing.
Kang Jae: Not the right guy for Woori but strangely the most wholesome guy of the drama. From start to finish, he is himself: selfish, self-centered, workaholic, reckless … he does plenty of bs but in the end taddah! He is now the greatest guy ever because suddenly the writer gave him a great Deus Ex Machina background story out of the blue.. Poor guy was raised by not his father... OF COURSE!!!.
Ma Ri: Silly daughter who is an accomplice of a bigger schemer to con other people but finally has a conscience and saves herself. The most interesting character in the end who ultimately did right. I love her.
Woori’s mom : super annoying
Woori’s dad : useless character
Woori’s colleague: She is fun and supportive.
3/ OST
OK, nothing specially out of place
4/ Rewatch value:
Zero.
5/ OVERALL:
A very good idea in the beginning but spoiled and wasted by terrible directing with bad editing, scenes badly cut, convoluted situations, uncontrolled misplaced goofy cartoonesque moments. ML’s actor was a bad choice of leading actor, or they asked from him what he could not do. SML was the worst and then in the end it is a miracle of the writer, he is the cream of crop because these stupid idiot writers understood how lame they turned the ML to be so they gave the big prize to the SML...
Seriously? This drama just mocked the audience. 1/10 because I could not give 0/10. Fck them.
Was this review helpful to you?
Don't waste your time
this has GOT to be a joke. it started off as well as any other drama, honestly I was very into it until episode 10. it COMPLETELY lost me. it was already boring leading up to episode 10, with more screen time with the neighbor and her freaking GRANDPARENTS than any other thing but it was fine because the chemistry between the FL and ML was honestly pretty good, but it became such a dumpster fire. I was unfortunate enough to waste several hours on this show, so please take my warning and don't even bother. it starts off good, but the downfall is so dramatic and awful that you forget what's even happening. It gets to the point where you just have to laugh because what is even going on?!Spoilers but this is what I hated-
ML shouldn't have almost cheated on FL with Jessica, he went too far in the car scene
ML got SAed way too many times, and it gets so uncomfortable because it's honestly disgusting how he is treated
FL is way too trusting, it was refreshing at first and I enjoyed her trusting the ML, but it got to the point where she was just stupid. after finding the condom in his car, she BARELY gave any backlash to him
ML has no personality, and honestly the second ML would have been such a better choice, Mr. Aodd was a perfect guy that the FL should have gotten with. the ML was NOTHING compared to Mr. Aodd, only an attractive guy.
the grandpa. point blank and period, he is the most annoying character
the grandpa literally tries to shoot the ML at the end, ends up shooting the freaking mom, and then just goes back to FL and tells her he finally approves of her BF when it's like... bro, you just shot my mom over this??? get away from me!! this was honestly the most laughable part!!!
Truly a disaster. I hated it so much, and I'm so mad that I've wasted my life on it. it could have been so much more then what it was, but it was garbage. if I could give it a zero, I would. immediately. please please please don't even bother watching.
Was this review helpful to you?
Dope Web Series - Leaves An Impression
Goosebumps through and through - For anyone who likes noir teen dramas with a dark concept. The story is quite tormenting and not easy to watch - still addicting ...Production / Music >> 9.0
Hope or Dope consists of a heavy and dark plotline that is undermined by a capable filming and editing crew. Several closeups enable the audience to get a set image of emotions and mental states, which are worsening as the story carries on. On one hand, the lighting consists of mostly warm colours during the night and is used as another tool to set the mood which contrasts with the cold and dark vibes, on the other hand, some moments during the daytime are giving off a more cold coloured vibe.
Plot >> 8.5
Generally said, the plot is extremely thrilling and emotional, clarified by how pathetic and miserable each character is and how natural and not exaggerated their situation seems because they almost have no unrealistic turns/ twists. I also found their in-character behaviours quite appealing since they never really acted OOC.
Cast >> 9.0
There is nothing that irritated me while watching, rather the opposite, I kept admiring Wo Ji An for her portrayal of such a complicated and bitter character like Kyung Da Jung. The two brothers Gong Yoon Tak and Gong Yoon Jae, portrayed by Yoon Chan Young and Yoon Hyun Soo, also left a positive impression on me. All appearances in this drama were solid.
Rewatch Value >> 6.0
Eventhough this drama is quite good and I really enjoyed the story and kept admiring the crew and cast behind it, it´s still sometimes heavy to watch. Therefore my second run might take some time but who knows, I´ll eventually be back since 25 - 35 minutes per episode is not dragging to watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
This drama is absolutely brilliant! From the first seconds to the last ones. If you try to decide to watch or not to watch this drama after reading the plot you'll be mistaken, as even the best written plot will never prepare you to what you're going to experience during this drama.. it didn't prepare me...
As I wrote in one of my episode reviews, the plot changed with such speed... the characters were full of hope for surviving one moment, and the next they were thrown into the hole of absolute hopelessness... that was making me constantly very worried about the safety of the characters, and I came to fell their pain, loneliness, hopelessness... so naturally... when they were jumping over the canyon I wasn't even breathing... not to miss any rock falling from under their feet, any sigh or deep breath they breathed while jumping... my heart was bout to burst.
This drama had the most unexpected events happen, so I could NEVER ever guess what to expect further... This is the first time I was watching a drama and not expecting the ending even slightly...
The movie has almost no cinematographic value, so if you're looking for beautifully shot drama, this one's not for you.
This drama's highest value bear the dialogues, you should hear the words being said, or being kept silent but at the same time reaching you so clearly...
Definitely one of my favourite dramas from now on...
'Ima wo ikiro!'
Was this review helpful to you?
Hana and Alice is a story about two best friends and their friendship. Though the whole plot while centers around both falling for the same guy, it deals with a lot of other things too. Both girls are very likable but I felt like Alice made more of an impact on me. Some of its scenes were so realistic that I felt like I was actually watching these girls in reality.
I have to commend the director because he portrayed some parts beautifully and realistically. The film has impressive cinematography and a great background score. Although it runs longer than required, its artistic shots will keep you well occupied. Also these girls played their parts so well that I can't imagine them not being best friends off screen too.
The overall mood of the film is light and dreamy. It has a poetic feel attached to it and leaves you with a feel good factor. It is relatable in a lot of ways. I am sure most of us have had some problems with our best friends once in a while. I particularly liked the ending scene because it reminds us how much of good friends Hana and Alice are.
While it does have a few boring parts, I'd suggest you skip through them. If ballet suits your taste then it is a treat for you as there is quite of some screen time devoted to it. The film also have some good humourous moments and it will leave you with a smile at the end of the film. Definitely recommended.
Was this review helpful to you?
Story
Oscar-winning story! It is about the tale of 1 Former-Exo Tao and 101 girls competing. You can watch Tao "amazing" hosting skills, which include half-assed praises, confusing monologues, and untimely comments.
As the story progresses, you start to see alliances: the foreign group, the 25 & older group, the girls that stayed on for no reasons, the popular girls who have slightly above-average capabilities...
Acting/Cast
I do not know you would call them actors, but they were entertaining! Each contestant is hand carved for their role. When you watch this show you have to keep in mind these people were chosen for their talents.
Music
The music inspired me! I now truly believe even me, who get 10% on the tone-deaf test, can become a singer. My bar for music has altered, I now praise any singer who knows when to start singing a song.
.
Conclusion
For reference, I actually heavily enjoyed the show, watching it every week and voting almost every single day (as a female college student). The show had a handful of good singers and like 3 good songs.
In addition to the show itself, I highly recommend watching the ?? ??101 showcase, which truly displays the top 22 talents! In the end, my ultimate bias became the sound crew! Pick the sound crew!
This show lets you believe you can do anything if you set your mind to, as long as your face is above-average.
- Love, someone who was heavily addicted to the show for no reason!
Was this review helpful to you?
A Masterpiece of 2023
Best Chinese Drama of 2023.I am hooked with the story, the chemistry, and the business cases.
Gong Jun as Xu Si and Zhong Chuxi as Jiang Hu are the best decision ever.
Running against the wind. Beginning with Jiang Hu.
When rising with the wind, Zhaoyang will be there for you.
My final points for this drama why I choose this drama as my #1 drama:
1) The drama is as realistic as it can be in C-drama world
2) All scenes are important, not even single scene is some kind of filler
3) The leads have their strengths and weaknesses and have great character development each other
4) The chemistry of the leads are great. Smart and Powerful Couple ever
5) Learning business cases by watching a drama
6) Xu Si is also NOT usual CEO-Type male lead. The finest grey flag man ever. Xu Si yaaaaaaaaa, you’re my top character male lead drama of all time now🔥💕
7) The OSTs are superb
Full playlist of this drama : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbaz30HW30w
Compilation of Xu Si and Jiang Hu Best Moments (Part 1) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRKwBU-J8_g
Was this review helpful to you?
Recent Discussions
-
Which Was the Last Drama Episode You Watched? Part 326 seconds ago -
GL Drama Lovers Club3 minutes ago -
Role Reversal (RR) Drama Lovers Club14 minutes ago -
Thai PBS info & recs17 minutes ago -
BL Drama Lovers Club39 minutes ago
