To fight all this s***** life and actually work towards your dream is not an easy thing to do. What's harder is finding such a teacher. I was fortunate to meet such professors back in college and I'm trying to be that kind of teacher to my students -i'm far behind though- but not every one is as lucky as I was.
The student-teacher relationship in this film is so touching. It's the kind of special relationship I would love to have with my students but too scared to. To get involved into somebody else's life is terrifying.
The chemistry between the two actors in insane. No wonder they were dashing in Secret Door.
Kang So Ra was so cute. I loved her role.
No matter who was singing, the songs and music just went straight to my heart.
The story is so touching; I kept crying throughout.
There are many funny scenes which lighten the mood.
Perfect! Will definitely watch it again -though I never rewatch anything-
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a mystery/thriller series that tried something different
Overall: I appreciate that this series had a unique premise. This is more mystery/thriller instead of horror/gore, there are some very heavy topics and things shown. Aired 14 episodes about 45 minutes each on GagaOOLala. Make sure to watch the entire post credits scene in episode 14.BL content: I'll put this in a spoiler comment
Content Warnings: there are some really heavy topics, see my comment with a spoiler for the full list
What I Liked
- unique premise
- blended different elements well
- acting
- liked in episode 2 how Dan sought communication from Nai
- a few sweet moments (including the friend cuddle)
- production value
Room For Improvement
- unless I missed it, 2 characters should have been shown being arrested by police but the writing seemed to suggest that their own miserable lives were bad enough (but they should have been arrested)
- how much Josh & Nai believed Dan who they had recently befriended stretched credulity a bit
- where was the teacher at the pool???
- I dislike that the school priest tried to force forgiveness
- open ending
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This review may contain spoilers
Gut-wrenching drama that will haunt you for ages with an incredibly compelling male lead!!!
SPOILERS....As a veteran drama watcher (grew up watching Asian dramas), I'm extremely picky and only like dramas (prefer romance or ancient historical fiction) with a decent script and production. Story and characters are the most important to me and I find many romantic dramas these days to be crappy with non-existent plots.
"Goodbye my princess" took me completely by surprise and will go down as one of my favorite romantic dramas of all time along with "Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms" and "Someday or One Day" (both are well-crafted/quality dramas with a romance that stole my heart). "Ten Miles" also has one of the most charismatic/powerful MLs (male lead) who's as relentless as Li Chengyin (ML in "Goodbye my princess") when it comes to the FL (female lead) -lol, love it!!!
I initially never even bothered to look at "Goodbye my princess" as not only is it a tragedy, it's based on a novel by Fei Wo Si Chun, an author I avoid like the plague because I don't like the type of angst she writes -depressing plots and angst just for the sake of torturing her characters. Even when someone who shared my exact taste for possessive MLs recommended it, I still resisted.
Luckily, my sister stumbled upon some clips and finally convinced me to watch at least the first and last 10 episodes since it has the kind of angst I like, an extremely compelling and obsessive ML, and a very lovable FL. The clips she showed me peaked my interest and the rest is history. I hunted for the director's cut and knew from the first episode that this drama was going to be my jam. It had everything I wanted in a drama: Irreplaceable leads with explosive chemistry, an obsessive/powerful ML, a high quality production, and a decent script that mainly stayed on track even if the pacing did slow down massively from episodes 15-29. I loved episodes 1-15 and 30 to the end the most (though the drama did get rushed towards the end and I would have liked to see more episodes of Chengyin dealing with his memories coming back -that kind of angst would have be stellar).
And aside from being a tragedy, GMP (Goodbye my princess) surprisingly embodied the kind of romantic angst I love and avoided almost every type of angst I hate.
The kind of angst I hate in a romance is noble idiocy (ML pushing the FL away for her own good, etc.), cheating/constantly parading women in front of the FL, angst for the sake of angst, ML being too passive and self sacrificing (I only love MLs who go after their girl no matter what and like to take the initiative), and ML giving up/letting the FL go (only love MLs who never give up or let go of their girl).
GMP mainly had angst I liked and it all fit into the story organically and didn't feel forced. I generally can't tolerate the ML sleeping with anyone other than the FL, but in GMP, he actively avoided it as much as he can while keeping up his charade and it can even be argued the number of times he may have touched the secondary FL, Sese, was minute as she was constantly subjected to house arrests by the Empress due to his shenanigans. I was able to handle it because the drama made it clear Chengyin only wants to be with the FL, Xiaofeng, but is forced to spend the occasional night with Sese to keep up pretenses. Even then, he does his best to keep himself pure by using work/the Empress to ward her off.
Above all else, when it comes to the love story, the ML encompassed everything I could possibly want in a leading man. He's obsessive/possessive and relentless when it comes to Xiaofeng -will never give up on her. Plus, he's faithful, capable, intelligent, charming, charismatic, hot as hell, and can see through subterfuge.
He can be ruthless to everyone except for his beloved Xiaofeng and that just really appeals to me in a romance. Ruthless and powerful MLs who's only soft towards the FL and can't live without her is my kryptonite in a romance. Never in a million years did I expect one of Fei Wo Si Chun's stories to have this kind of ML. Especially when the source novel has Chengyin being abusive and always hiding his affections.
I never expected the drama to portray the "abuse" in such a humorous and charming manner. It just never felt malicious to me (there was too much love/affection in Chengyin's eyes and mannerisms -he acted more like a spoilt child) as the drama made it so blantantly obvious that every cruel act's a show that I was thoroughly entertained and enjoyed all of their bickering. Lol, I found it as endearing as Chengyin did. He's literally engaging in foreplay with the heroine even in their public fights and whenever he gets mad for real, it's always due to his petty jealousy. Lol, this guy becomes wary of every male Xiaofeng has a good relationship with. It's like he wants to be the only recipient of her smiles and laughter.
I really felt Chengyin's all-consuming love for Xiaofeng: I actually loved watching their married life because even though he couldn't display his feelings in front of her, he still wore his heart on his sleeve for us viewers. Every one of his supposed "mean" actions toward Xiaofeng was juxtaposed by his pained/regretful reactions when he later talked to his subordinates.
Lol, as a viewer, I actually thought Sese suffered more in the palace than Xiaofeng because of Chengyin's fake love that effectively used her as a meat shield to protect Xiaofeng from the Empress's jealous antics. Many people in the palace were very nice to Xiaofeng as the ML concentrated on surrounding her with trustworthy people.
Unlike some fans, I didn't mind his scenes with Sese as his fake interactions with her made for a brilliant contrast in comparison to his genuine interactions with Xiaofeng. His eyes literally light up whenever he sees her, even when Sese's around -his eyes are always kind of dead when he's spending time with Sese. In my opinion, Sese's presence in this drama highlights Chengyin's deep love for Xiaofeng even more.
He always acts so distantly polite whenever he interacts with Sese and it just gets worse as he finds it harder to rein in his passion for Xiaofeng. Towards the end, he looks like a zombie and is struggling to even maintain decent courtesy whenever he bothers to see her. I found it hilariously entertaining and can't understand the fans who think his scenes with Sese were too lovey-dovey. His affections were so obviously (his mask was always on and I felt no affection) fake and it only served its intended effect, which was to keep the Empress off of Xiaofeng.
I love Chengyin and find him to be one of the most fascinating and compelling protagonists I've ever seen. I've always loved more villainous MLs and Chengyin is a poster child for that trope. I live for drama characters like him. Honestly, the only thing Chengyin did wrong was to both fall in love and covet the key pawn in his plans. His unwavering love for Xiao Feng is both his curse and salvation.
My heart bleeds for both Xiaofeng and Chengyin as she can never be with him with her memories intact and he can never stop himself from chasing after her because she's his only hope of happiness, the light to yank him back from the darkness. Only when Chengyin is with Xiaofeng does he let down his guard completely and reveal his true self. I completely understood why he went nuclear and full on yandere when he thought she hated him and loved someone else. He's terrified of losing the one thing he can't live without. It's utterly heartbreaking when what he feared the most inevitably happened and he couldn't even follow after her as he was binded by his promise to her to live on. Even then, he had to delude himself into thinking she faked her death in order to make it through those 30 yrs. His love for Xiaofeng is all-consuming and he will go down as my favorite ML along with Ye Hua from "Ten Miles."
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BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita: Crank Up Hen
24 people found this review helpful
stellar comedy, need a season 2
Overall: this crack comedy made me laugh but it also made me empathize with Aoyagi. 3 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/3919/i-became-the-main-role-of-a-bl-drama-2023-e01What I Liked
- laughed many times, it has an exaggerated style of humor which I can struggle with, but they made it work
- the two managers (I need more info on their background)
- how they differentiated between the acting scenes and other scenes
- characters weren't unrealistically stupid, they figure things out
- sweet moments
Room For Improvement
- who falls asleep like that and then doesn't wake up in ep 1???
- needed 5 more seconds at the very end of episode 3
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I first got into MARS because of Meteor Garden, which also starred Barbie Hsu and Vic Zhou. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much from the two of them. Meteor Garden was their first acting gigs, and I figured they didn't have the experience yet to be truly great. Boy was I wrong (and gladly!). The amazing depth with which they imbued their characters left me wanting more in the subsequent dramas I watched. Sigh...
Music/aesthetics wise - this drama was waaaaaay back in 2004, when taiwanese dramas had terrible funding, bad fashion (at least how we would consider it now), and different filming styles. Don't expect amazing packaging or cinematography, and expect most of the boys to wear their hair long. In this case I feel like MARS doesn't suffer from it however, since the character's personalities are the most appealing and strongest parts of the drama. There are two songs that are particularly gorgeous, but most of the other tracks were instrumentals and easily forgotten. Not that that's a bad thing (I'm looking at you Almost Paradise!).
A word of warning however - this drama deals with dark issues, and may contain possible triggers. I'd suggest looking up the summary before watching it, because I know that personally I watched it better knowing the general subject and plot.
Now where to find the next drama up to par with this one?
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This review may contain spoilers
Far from a perfect drama and yet it will pull you in right from the first scene. I usually do not watch melodramas or revenge dramas, but this one seemed interesting enough. This drama's strength lies in its plot, cast, the great camerawork and the TERRIFIC soundtrack!! I thought the plot of this drama was really creative. A lot of things introduced in the first episode tie up well towards the later half. The revenge part and the parallel investigation by the cop were wonderful. There was no need for romance in the drama according to me. It could have done well on its own. Although it can be a bit slow at times, it won't bore you.
Kim Nam Gil is the star of the whole drama. This is my first time watching him in anything and I must say, I was totally enchanted by him. He has an amazing screen presence and acts with such depth and emotion that its impossible to tear your eyes away from the screen. I will also mention his long hair and moustache- suits him rather well. :D His character was the type you would want to see in a revenge drama. He is willing to go to any length to destroy those who did him wrong. Of course, he is very, very human and you'll see his soft side a lot of times.
Kim Jae Wook was super likable in his role. I would love to see him play a tortured guy again. He was a breath of fresh air, because he wasn't your typical doormat second lead. Although he gets too repetitive after a while, I enjoyed his acting. Plus, he's great to look at! In fact both guys are eye candies.
Han Ga In didn't impress me. She's pretty to look at and wore fabulous clothes but her character was really fickle and annoyed me at times. Her part in the drama made no difference to me. She was interesting in the beginning but went redundant later on. Her sister was a far more interesting person and she was the only HILARIOUS person in this drama.
Although its one of those dramas which screwed its ending, I wouldn't say that it ruins the drama. The drama is worth watching minus the last 3 episodes. From the beginning I was prepared for what was about to come. If I hadn't known the ending, I would have been super mad at it. So I'd recommend to be prepared beforehand by reading the spoilers or skip this drama altogether.
Bad Guy's OST will probably always be in my Top 3 Kdrama soundtracks ever. Every single song is beautiful, melodious and will make you want to listen to it over and over. Even the background scores were amazing.
I liked how this drama was filmed. Its camera work managed to capture the right tone and mood of the story.
Though this drama is not meant for a rewatch, it was entertaining enough the first time around.
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Boy was I wrong.
The teasers all showed sport and excitement. Could the final product live up to that hype?
The good:
The actors are amazing! The sportsmanship, the comradery, the brothership all felt through their performances!
The stunts were totally believable! Sports can be dangerous, but these actors were actually in the action!
The action! Wow! From the opening scene there never was a slow moment!
The epic:
That soundtrack! Those emotional songs! Perfection!
The characters! Well rounded as 8 episodes can make them! They did not feel flat! Just the amount of background to set up their issues! Even the background characters become part of the team, they don't feel like fillers.
The story! Wow! Clearly set-up, well executed. Never left the audience wanting!
The creative use of the camera to create tension, slow motion, zooms! Superb! The director (can't remember his name) has produced amazing work in the past and it shows here!
All in all an amazing story, if short. Takes Thai Drama to another level and in another direction! Great start to the rest of Project S!
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Don't expect fan service or fast pacing
So right off the bat you need to know that this is a slow moving, sentimental film that builds emotional attachment to the characters through repeated use of flashback scenes.What you won't find: passionate kissing scenes, sex scenes, bare abs, etc.
What you will find: lots of staring into each other's eyes, good acting, scenes that make you cry,
The actors are both new and do a phenomenal job in this film, which is a story about how memories helped two people reconnect and get through a crisis together. The story is set in the early 2000s and they manage to set that time period really well, with the main characters in high school at the beginning and then again 4 years later.
The ending seemed a little truncated and I wonder if there was meant to be more, but Thailand was thrown into lockdown earlier this year and a lot of dramas had to adapt. But the story of Nut and Phob is complete, and if you like very sentimental stories I recommend you give it a try.
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Content Warnings: kick, maybe kind of something at the end?
What I Liked
- the friendship
- some of the humor was funny like the failed flirting with that girl
- cute moments
- that poor communication didn't drag on
- good kissing
- music, especially the rap song at the end
Room For Improvement
- the relationship/romance felt rushed, I think they could have cut out some other scenes and fleshed out more how/why they developed feelings with each other
- the ending is a bit open/wish they had gone a different direction with it
- how wearing glasses was considered less attractive
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Yet another saga of how power corrupts people who in turn corrupt others as well. An honest judge is forced to convict an innocent man. The convicted man's daughter who is a cop, decides to set things right. Things start off badly between the protagonists, but they gradually come to understand each other and work together. It starts off with a lot of promise, but it gradually turns out to be a tug-of-war. Expected things happen, but the audience are kept waiting in the tussle between (good and evil?)
The actors have done a decent job, but the major expressions in the drama are poker face and smirk, and not all of them seem natural. A bit more of joy would've been nice.
Rewatch value is kinda low for me. The last two episodes kinda killed it all.
It's definitely worth a one time watch, start with no expectations and you might be in for a surprise!
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In a nutshell: Great film for people who like quiet, thoughtful films. Avoid if you like fast paced movies or do not want to cry.
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So glad that I ignored the negative reviews!
Hello, the Sharpshooter (HTS) turned out to be a decent watch. True, the show could have been executed better, but it had enough good elements to keep me engaged until it finished airing. It is not a serious and deep drama, even though its primary theme centered around the main characters dealing with psychological issues.The plot was nothing new. First loves reuniting with amnesia as a starting obstacle, but I liked how the show wrapped things up so nicely. Some commented that it was too draggy, and yes, a few episodes may be slow, but I felt that the show used the extra episodes effectively to show how the main characters overcame their trauma. At least, unlike other shows in which the character miraculously became better overnight within one episode, HTS took the time to show the process of healing for the main characters. Via Dr. Ding, the sharpshooter team's psychologist, the show provided details that helped to explain how the ML and FL finally resolved their issues. I liked seeing how the ML and FL worked with Dr. Ding to try out methods on the other, and it made sense that ML's journey took a longer time, having the extra burden of guilt.
The best part of the show was the casting, especially with the main and second couple pairings. The show hit the jackpot with the chemistry between Hu Yi Tian as Shen Qing Yuan (SQY) and Fair Xing as Tang Xin (TX). As individual characters, they were tropey (think cold, emotionless ML, almost perfect in every way except his EQ, and clumsy but endearing and plucky FL). However, as a couple, they made the romance come alive so naturally and so adorably that it kept me coming back for the next episodes. Similarly, the relationship may have developed differently for the second couple, but their path to being together was also a fun watch. The supporting cast, especially SQY's wingmen also deserved credit for adding flavor to the story. Also, there were some great scenes where the show balanced well between humor and poignancy.
I enjoyed watching SQY and TX grow together and individually from the natural conflict of their budding relationship and also having to deal with their past history that casted a dark shadow over them. What was ultimately gratifying to me was how the two healed so beautifully together, finding common ground and knowing how to bring out the best in each other. They complemented each other and reveled in each other's strengths. When conflict entered the plot that kept them apart, it was not a test of whether it will break them up but more of a testament that their relationship was healthy enough to adapt and overcome. I appreciated TX's patience and sweetness as she knew how to coax SQY during his fits of jealousy or moments of gloom, and I loved how SQY was consistently there for TX, even when he was struggling hard with his issues.
There were some frustrating moments that can only happen in dramaland. No matter how much they crossed the line or how unprofessional they were, the antagonists were able to get away with their actions multiple times. Fortunately, all the primary villains getting their just deserts provided the satisfaction that I typically needed for a happy ending. I wish that they built up the coach's character better since he seemed to turn a blind eye to all the atrocious things done to his sharpshooter team. Additionally, I will insert my usual rant about how terribly the c-dramas style their FLs. I simply do not understand why the MLs and SFL are usually dressed so stylishly, while the FL tend to be dressed in dowdy, old-fashioned, and oversized outfits.
Visually, HTS is a feast for the eyes because no matter who you look at - either Hu Yi Tian, Fair Xing, Kido Ma, Luo Qiu Yun, or most of the supporting cast, it was good looks galore. Acting-wise, most of the cast did a fine job, but I felt that both Hu Yi Tian and Fair Xing have not expanded beyond their current acting abilities since their characters in HTS were similar to those in their other dramas. They did well in general, but I would love to see them break the mold.
Musically, the OST was memorable, and by that, I mean the songs were effective in evoking memories of the scenes for me. I like the opening song, sung by Liu Yu Ning, and it reflected the hopeful aspiring tone of the underlying sports theme throughout the show. For posterity, I included the tracklist at the end of this review.
Overall, HTS pleasantly surprised me and I would re-watch to catch the nuances I may have missed during the first run..
I do recommend that you try this drama out and decide for yourself. If nothing else, the chemistry between Hu Yi Tian and Fair Xing might be enough to keep you watching.
[TRACKLIST]
The Daughter Of The Sea 海的女儿 - 王韵韵 Wang Yunyun
It's All Worth It 都值得 - 张玮 Zhang Wei
Sadness Is You, Joy Is Also You 悲伤是你，欢喜也是你 - 王韵韵 Wang Yunyun
Extraordinary Love 不平凡的爱 - 郑人予 Zheng Renyu / 徐艺洋 Xu Yiyang
What Happened Yesterday 昨天的事 - 冒朋呈 Mao Peng Cheng
Holiday 假期 - 兔子牙 Tuzi ya / Rabbit Tooth
Everyone Knows 大家都知道 - 薄何 Bo He / 李星彤 Li Xingtong
The Only Light 唯一的光 - 刘宇宁 Liu Yuning
Chain 连锁 - 硬糖少女303陈卓璇 Hard Candy Girl 303 Chen Zhuoxuan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa9t3cnggpU
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Cotton candy fluff with sprinkles on top.
What do you get when you mix The Brightest Star in the Sky With Moonlight but take away the dog?One would assume earth or a galaxy far, far away... but nope you get Assistant of Superstar, or maybe pop rocks... Anyway you get something sweet, easy to binge and fun to watch with highly predictable twists a spaceship filled with slices and a whole lot of charm!
Though the male lead is in need of a lesson or two about consensual behaviour, he never uses force to force himself on the female lead and does actually get that lesson done right.
He is also sweet, fun to watch, charming, just jealous and immature enough to make it cute and funny and not over the top. He is stupid but not to stupid, conceded but not to conceded... Slightly obsessed with the female lead but on a scale of Icicle to full on lava stalker Id say he is somewhere around bonfire.
The female lead is actually pretty smart and is the one with the slightly lower EQ among the two giving the dram a slight role reversal feel to it. She is very quiet... honestly I think she does more talking during the first two episodes then during the entire drama, but she speaks louder with action and mimics.
The second couple is... well... Lets´s just say I did not find them annoying but rather did fall in love with them however! I loved Pandoras energy... She does cross the line a lot and is more of a full on lava stalker and not just a bond fire, do not act like her, as a woman it may actually get you killed in real life... But she is definitely a sweetheart and well her heart was in the right place I guess...
Other then that the villains are pretty good looking and do their job well... I could have done without them but then we would not have any drama now would we...
All in all if you like star falls for assistant cliches, rivalry and broken souls mended this is deffenetly a good place to look for it... If you do not like that stuff, go watch something else.
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