Impressions
At the beginning I was not impressed with this drama, I'll be honest. I am not a fan of romanticizing bulling. But my brain apparently didn’t process the "psychological" tag among all the others and when I finally understood I looked at it with a different mindset. It got me hooked, yeah. I guess being in the same idol group helps a lot, because their chemistry was great and their dynamic felt natural. The last 2 eps felt a lil bit rushed, I can't put my finger on the why I felt that, but I can pass that because overall it was great.Now, people and their obsession with kisses!!! Is that really the defining point to score a drama? for real?! my goodness. let me get this straight... So TBLs with mediocre plots and cringe acting are deserving 10 because they do have make out sessions, right?! But an exquisite KBL drama is no good if there's no kissing? I am pissed! A really great drama gets low score because of horny brats who didn't get what they wanted! Look... I get it, it's a romance drama among other tags, but you HAVE the romance. The touches, the glances, the subtle smiles and the straight up lovey dovey staring screams romance! The story was so beautifully portrayed, they had such a great chemistry, loved how natural their dynamic was(yes, I'm repeating myself), the character development was so nice and in the end they were so good at expressing what they feel that they dipped those red flags from the beginning in bright shiny green. From my pov, I am more annoyed when they do kiss but they resemble 2 dead fishes lip locked. I would rather prefer no kiss as long as it's a good drama. If they kiss and it's nice, halleluiah (enters Our dating Sim). KBL takes the industry like a storm and i'm here for it all in no matter if there's kisses or not. They build great background stories, the plot is well constructed and the actors chemistry is always on point... with a few small exceptions. So yeah, Let's go Korea!!!
In conclusion, IT IS WORTH IT!
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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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1The female general and her- Lover boy, Protector and Arch Nemesis.
I have a question- what will you do if your life is suddenly surrounded by 3 very mysterious people!?-One is the shy and sweet LOVER BOY who gives you sweet promises and flowers. Swearing to always be by your side to protect you.
-Second is the supernatural, powerful and mystical PROTECTOR with silver hair and a sexy mask who just appears out of nowhere to protect you whenever you are in danger.
-Third is the ruthless, cunning and formidable ARCH NEMESIS who you are sworn to kill as duty.
This my friends is a classic recipe to a 'disaster' or 'an epic romance' because the real plot twist is THEY ALL ARE THE SAME PERSON.
PLOT-
1 man. 3 identity. And a bond forged in blood.
Shadow love follows the story of a female general and a prince/general who both are sworn enemies whose kingdoms are at war with each other but somehow get their fates entangled together after a series of events which lead the ML to transform into a shadow puppet with the FL as his blood master. In the process the ML loses his memory and his identity. Together they navigate through blood connections, crazy consorts, insane crown princes, sly court politics, wars, hidden identity, supernatural powers/ artifacts and hidden enemies. This drama follows the thin line of love and hate, loyalty and duty, obsession and indifference.
MUSIC, COSTUME, DIRECTION AND CINEMATOGRAPHY-
The cinematography of the drama is just top notch, the colour grading and costumes go well with the whole vibe of the drama and suit the character well.
The background music add to the charm of the drama. The OST specially is beautiful. All the BGM played during the soft romance scene and intense fight scenes compliments the tone of the drama.
The fight scene are also immaculate, like you actually grip your seats while watching them. With the supernatural element in the drama we see quite a lot of high quality VFX.
The director are the same as from 'the prisoner of beauty' so you can totally imagine the unique and beautiful way the scenes are portrayed. The way of story telling hooks you to the drama immediately.
ACTORS-
Both the main cast have been a spot on casting, they are literally made for their role. I had reservation about the FL in the start but as the episodes progressed she did really good in portraying her role a female general.
I have to take a moment and appreciate the ML, like cheng li had 3 characters to play and he played them soo well. From soft and determined to ruthless and unhinged, he played all his 3 characters really well. His eyes sing emotions. I am not shy to say I have become a fan. The total 180 degree change in between his character was insane and he did such commendable job playing them.
And I mean if a character makes you hate their guts it means the actors slayed and in this case the villains slayed hard. Both the crown prince and empress dowager were character that made me want to throw things.
OVERALL MY THOUGHT-
The plot is intriguing, and keep you hooked from the very beginning. It may get a bit slow in the middle but catches up with the plot very soon. Watching the drama, you feel the love, anger, hate, happiness, sadness through the screen. You actually connect with the character's and theirs story.
If you are fan of 'vampire', 'fantasy', 'flash' I think you will love this drama.
The music and cinematography gives the drama a different vibe that makes it addicting to watch.
The scenes are done soo perfectly, like the whole direction of fight scenes and intimacy scenes is next level. I mean I can clearly see the director of TPOB and this is same by the way the scenes are presented.
I love the romance part of the drama, the small touches and kisses are really well done. There are alot of intimacy scenes which doens't really have kisses but like small touches, act of service, them protecting each other, the whole blood sucking thing. All this just adds to the romance vibes.
I love how it was more romance plotted than political which was nice, the attention was the main leads and their dynamics.
And one thing I think made me fall even more in love with this drama was the trust, love and act of service between the main leads. Like they literally would fight the whole world for each other, protect each other even when they hate the other, have forgotten them . The love between them was between the souls. The way they trusted each other and were ready to protect each other made me so immotional.
During the climax of the drama so many things were not said between them but their hurt, love, betrayal and loyalty to each other was expressed through their eyes.
Even when the ML at a point forget her he still knew deep down in his heart that she meant something so much more than just her enemy. Even when the FL knew she should hate him and kill him for her duty she could just not stop being kind to him, stop loving him, stop hurting.
At the end I just had one thought- 'oh to be loved like they love each other'.
Overall the drama is a must watch. And deserves the time you invest in it. It might not be perfect but it deserves the recognition.
SOME of my favorite scenes till now-
-the transformation scene/ blood pool scene (ep 1)
-the charcter introduction scene (ep 1)
-the blood sucking scene (ep 5)
-the general killing scene with a sword (ep 11)
-the sword dance scene
-the battle in general house with prince li
-the scene where she disguised as a dancer and went to save him
-the marriage scene
-his entry scene in the court when he gets his memory back
-their first battle against each other when he forgot him memory
-the interrogation scene between them
-when he as prince annan saved her from the torture chamber
-the whole confrontation scene and forced kiss (ep 34)
-her celebrating his birthday and dancing for him (ep 36)
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1One that loved not wisely but too well.
Once upon a time in Beili, there lived a woman who was simply too beautiful 倾国倾城/qīng guó qīngchéng; she could fell a city with one look and fell a kingdom with a second look. This kind of woman is a menace to mankind that can only be locked out of sight in a gilded cage. This is the cautionary tale of a brave man, one that loved not wisely but too well who dared to set her free. And his one true friend who tried to help him do the right thing.Dashing Youth 少年白马醉春风 or Young White Horse Drunk in the Spring Breeze is the highly anticipated prequel to 2022's dark horse hit high fantasy martial arts drama The Blood of Youth 少年哥行. Like its predecessor, it is a youthful coming of age story about friendship, adventure and the spirited idealism of youth. Even though Baili Dongjun is the titular character, it is equally his best friend Ye Yun's villain origin story. They are parallel characters; both innate martial artists and scions of the Beili empire's founding families. As boys, they vowed to storm the martial world together when they grew up; Yun as the Sword Deity and Dongjun as the Liquor Deity. After the Ye family's downfall, they are destined to go down opposite paths. Dongjun lives a charmed life; making a name for himself as Li Changsheng's final disciple at the prestigious Jixia Academy; surrounded by new friends like Sikong Changfeng and Beili's Eight Talented Gentlemen. He reunites briefly with Ye Yun, who now calls himself Ye Dingzhi. In sharp contrast, Ye Dingzhi's path is a lonely one, full of obstacles, inequities, betrayals and brief snatches of happiness.
At its core, this is quite a straightforward story that is cluttered in the storytelling. There are too many digressions into the Who's Who of the martial world and and its pretentious rankings. While the fan service is terrific, such a dazzling array of too hot to handle swordsmen put my exploding ovaries in danger of apoplexy. The surfeit of hot filler characters with shallow side stories distract from the main arcs. For all their fancy swords and pompous rankings, all we see are a few showy poses and twirls before the CGI takes over and screen explodes in a gory orgy of light and digital creatures. While the CGI is well done, it is a big let-down not to see a few well choreographed live action fight sequences.
I was happy to see Hou Minghao dub himself as Baili Dongjun. It makes a big difference in how the character comes to life. While his acting is still a work in progress, he plays a character he can relate to and it shows. Ye Dingzhi is a more complex and intense role, one that He Yu pulls off charismatically. Even though he does questionable things, I empathized with him every step of the way. It would have been nice to see more of Xia Zhiguang's Sikong Changfeng. The humor and camaraderie between all the dashing youths is one of the drama's highlights. Even though the romances are not convincingly written or well developed, I liked all of the couples enough to root for them. The role of Yi Wenjun should have been more sympathetically portrayed instead of just as helpless, selfish and willful. The lovely Ye Yao is only Dongjun's muse, her character doesn't get to do much.
The irreverent Li Changsheng/Nangong Chunshui is the funniest, best acted and most engaging character in this story. Even though his arcs don't tie well with the main plot, the narrative visibly sags after his exit. His parting words to his disciples 凭心而动/píng xīn ér dòng or "act according to your heart" captures the spirit and idealism of youth that is Dongjun's lifelong mantra; one that years later, he passes on to his disciple Tang Lian. He helps Dingzhi steal the bride because Wenjun was not willing and therefor it is wrong to force her. It is the simple, absolute truth that trumps the cynical calculations driven by politics and expedience. He never wavers from this belief. It is true that Wenjun is a selfish, weak and dislikable character who makes terrible decisions with devastating consequences. But she was still wronged in the first place. Thus like Dongjun, I understood, even tried to empathize with her until she was too easily manipulated into returning to Tianqi. That was not only a stupid decision, it showed that she simply did not trust and love Dingzhi enough to wait for him. Poor Dingzhi, he never got any breaks. Even the love of his life failed him at the end. Through sick and sin, it was always and only Dongjun who remained his one true friend.
There is little new in the political plot that wasn't revealed in dialogue and flashbacks in TBOY. Which would be fine if they fleshed out the character stories and the succession struggle instead. But those are dealt with cursorily with Ruojin left as a blank cartoon character and the relationship between the brothers not explored. TBOY romanticizes Prince Langya as a tragic hero, the noble uncrowned king of Beili. In this prequel, he is the character that disappointed me most. He tore up his father's will out of misplaced loyalty and his own selfish desire to live an unrestrained life. He never made the case for why Ruojin was more worthy, supported him unconditionally and in the case of Wenjun, enabled him even though he knew it was wrong. There was never a so called greater good or do or die reason why Wenjun had to marry Ruojin, it was simply a matter of imperial privilege and entitlement. They could have escaped with his help and everything could have been so different. But I don't hold him solely responsible; there were so many malign forces at play and bad decisions that there is plenty of blame to go around.
The ending to this story leaves that bitter after taste that the bad guys won. It makes too convincing a case that a too beautiful woman who can topple kingdoms must be safely locked out of sight so she can do no harm. Both Wenjun and Dingzhi paid a high price for their mistakes but too many people who pushed Dingzhi down the dark path got off unscathed. In the novel, Dongjun has an epiphany about his own dào/道 or convictions in the middle of his fight with Dingzhi. He switches sides and punches the daylights out of the emperor instead. He scolds him: "She does not like you, why force her to marry you? She has escaped and is living a happy life, why lock her up again? You are the emperor with a harem of 3000. My brother only loves one person. Live and let live. Learn from your brother, he can even let you have the throne, why can't you let my brother have one wife?" Even though it changed nothing it was something that had to be said. Without this scene, Ruojin is never called out or held accountable for his role in starting a war over a woman. Instead it is Dingzhi who is destroyed and villainized for trying to hold on to a grass hut in a tiny corner of the world where he was happy. It is very hard to feel good about a story that ends like this.
This messy and disappointing prequel was in some ways limited by what was already canon in TBOY but still could have been better on multiple fronts, Nonetheless it is a chock full of eye candy and a fun watch if you don't look too hard at it and ignore the inconsistencies with TBOY. Even though this is a critical review I enjoyed the drama. I am just mad because it had the potential to be almost as good as TBOY. But it wasn't and so I can only rate this 8/10. I am still happy to recommend it , especially if you loved TBOY. If you liked Wuxin before, you will love him more after knowing his parent's story.
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A Background Story Review
P.s. this review focuses more on the background story, hope that others can grasp what's going on better.Mirror: A Tale of Twin Cities (镜双城) is a xuanhuan drama, adapted from the novel with the same title, 镜·双城by 沧月 (Cang Yue). The novel is broken down into 6 series: Su Mo, Bai Ying, Zhen Lan, Na Sheng, Yan Xi, and Yun Huan. But their stories are all correlated. Mirror Twin Cities drama adaptation focuses more on the story of Su Mo and Bai Ying.
A little background story for those who didn’t read the novel nor watched the donghua yet, the story takes place in the Yunhuang continent. In Yunhuang continent, there are 6 countries (Kongsang, Cangliu, and more). 7000 years earlier, Kongsang destroyed the sea kingdom. The previous sea emperor made a pearl to preserve his power and bloodline; and 7000 years later, a mermaid unaccidentally swallowed the pearl. Thus, Su Mo was born.
In Yunhuang, the mermaids were tortured and enslaved. A mermaid’s tears will turn into pearls, the mermaids were forced to cry; and if they cannot try, their eyes will be gouged out. Mermaids were tortured, forced to break their tails, and sold as a commodity and slaves. Both Su Mo and his mother are also very miserable. His mother has her hand and leg amputated and turned into a human swine. Su Mo was also tortured, and in order for others not to have his eyes, he gouged his own eyes. So Su Mo itself is a very dark character and he hates Kongsang people.
Mirror Twin Cities drama narrative centers around Su Mo and Bai Ying. Su Mo is a merman who also bears the identity of a sea emperor, he has the responsibility to bring the mermaids back to the sea. Meanwhile, Bai Ying is the eldest daughter of the Bai clan who has the responsibility to marry the Kongsang’s crown prince. The drama story timeline takes place when Kongsang was invaded by Cangliu, and after the sea emperor resurfaces again and wants to bring the mermaids back to the sea.
The first few episodes of the drama tell the flashback of what had happened 100 years ago. It has very weird and fast pacing, everything is thrown at you so sudden that you might need some time to process what’s going on. And you also won’t feel their chemistry yet. But stay and keep watching, it gets better! It has a pretty average script, but it has gorgeous landscape shots and CGI! But the editing and set are lacking, there is a lot of choppy editing especially during their fight scenes. The fight scenes are beautifully choreographed, but the shots and choppy editing makes it hard for people to understand whats actually going on. In addition, the set is also poor, this is a S+ project but the set looks like its a low-budget project. The "real" locations such as forest, houses, mirror tower were still okay but some like the sea kingdom, underwater scenes are poorly executed
Mirror Twin Cities is led by Li Yifeng (Su Mo), Chen Yuqi (Bai Ying), Zheng Yecheng (Zhen Lan), and more. This drama is Li Yifeng’s comeback historical drama after almost six years. Li Yifeng's portrayal as Su Mo is right on the point. A lot of people may say, “his expression stays the same”. But that’s what Su Mo was like, he is a cold and emotionless man. And also Li Yifeng looks REALLY GOOD in a historical drama. Meanwhile, Chen Yuqi's portrayal as Bai Ying was fine, she did improve a lot from her previous projects. But I can’t help but to notice that she has almost the same expression throughout the whole drama (except when she’s crying). Last but not least, Zheng Ye Cheng acting in a historical drama never disappoints, from his fighting scene, articulation, looks, everything is superb. Zheng Yecheng is also really commendable for being able to portray two totally different characters
In addition, Mirror Twin Cities also has an amazing OST lineup with star studded singers! And I love how there’s a specific OST designed for each character and situation that’s happening. The line up for Mirror Twin Cities OST includes:
1. 念归去 - 周深
2. 无惧 - 阿YueYue
3. 爱若无声 - 毛不易
4. 不为喜欢 - 张碧晨
5. 我是你的雨 - 银临
6. 相思不相忘 - 利胜
7. 风月唱 - 锦零
8. 问酒 - 姚晓棠
Sung by Zhou Shen, Mao Buyi, and Zhang Bichen, you can expect how much angst this drama has.
As someone who has read the novel, I’d say the drama has changed around 80% from the novel, especially character-wise. In the novel and donghua, Su Mo is a very cold and ruthless character. In the novel, Su Mo has no real feeling for Bai Ying at all. All he did was use Bai Ying to overturn Kongsang and try to rebuild the sea kingdom. It was only after Bai Ying jumped the tower, did he realized he was long fallen for her. However, in the drama, he is someone whose more emotional and compassionate (not that it is a terrible thing). For instance, during episode 1, you can see Su Mo as a bright young man helping other mermaids passionately, but that was not the case in the novel. Going through torture and betrayal when he was small, he was a dark and cold character. But in the drama, Su Mo has a straightforward attitude towards his love for Bai Ying. All in all, the drama focuses more on the romantic side of the story. If you have read the novel or watched the donghua, you may find the whole Mirror Twin Cities character deviate from the novel or donghua, except Zhen Lan. But when you are watching the drama, just try to forget the novel and donghua.
If this drama premieres after The Longest Promise (Xiao Zhan and Ren Min), the audience would probably grasp better whats going on.
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CUTEST THING EVER
This drama just warms my heart! <3When I heard a Korean bl was coming out I knew it was going to be good. With “Where Your Eyes Linger” still fresh in my mind I was so ready for another amazing Korean bl, and “Mr. Heart” didn’t disappoint. I feel like they could’ve had a better name though, maybe something do with running...but that’s besides the point.
I just finished this drama, and let me tell you, I’m still recovering from the huge amount of adorableness in this drama.
I was so excited for this drama, so I did something I rarely do— watch a drama while it’s airing (because I hate waiting for the next episodes) but I just couldn’t wait! Every episode left me wanting another, and when I finally finished, I was sad that it was over.
The leads have good chemistry and they’re both so adorable! The storyline wasn’t that deep, but obviously the main focus was the romance. I found myself getting attached to the characters, and smiling at the screen allll the time.
I’m definitely rewatching it in the future when I want to feel happy, and I highly recommended it!
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Ikuta Toma as Ryuzaki Ikuo and Oguri Shun as Danno Tatsuya are perfection. The emotions I felt from these actors are the reason why they have done so many dramas/movies. It makes me want to go back and watch all the dramas that I have missed. There are some other great characters in this drama played by some good actors.
I liked the music.
I may rewatch this some day.
I recommend this drama.
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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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Your destiny is a matter of your choices.
"Yumi's Cell" is indeed an unique drama you'll ever get to witness with an entirely different approach to showcase human psychological behaviour, their relationships and their lives. This drama is an example of how the simplest of stories can be made interesting, meaningful and valuable with the use of a creative mind, and an idiosyncratic storytelling method. I naturally came here for the cast but despite a decent performance from them what kept me hooked was "the cells." The cells took over the star-studded cast, I swear.Before anything else, let's spare some moment to praise and applause the writer of the original webtoon writer of the same title, Lee Dung Gun, who has done a very commendable job with their creative approach and analytical mind. This work will force the audience to keep everything else at one side and look up to the drama as the episode goes by.
If you see, the storyline and basic plot of "Yumi's Cell" is not anything new or of that sort but what makes it stand out on a far high level is the utilization of various kinds of 'cells' of the body; not the biological cells, but the cells representing various types of emotions, expressions and important factors of our lives. Then, the way everything has been executed with the appropriate use of science, psychology and technology, makes the entire thing even more interesting. Basically, most of them are brain cells, coordinating with the entire body and Yumi's mental health.
The drama is basically a romcom, with some "slice of life" of elements and whatever shown in here might seem silly, but my dear, these are the real-life relationship issues that every single couples go through in a dating relationship. The seemingly slow screenplay in the later half of the show, is nothing but the gradual buildup in a relationship, that we don't always see in Kdramas. The chemistry development and story progression is in fact very light and instead of the cast, the cells play the key roles here, hence it's a story of the cells portrayed through the human beings.
The Cells here are not the cells you think, these are rather tiny smurf-like cartoons or let's say human beings, playing different cells inside Yumi. Yumi, in the story, is a simple girl, living a simple life, maintaining the balance between her work and almost nonexistent personal life. The basic plot is about Kim Yu Mi (Kim Go Eun) & Gu Woong (Ahn Bo Hyun), them coming together, trying to date, ending up a relationship and then the most important part, maintaining it with their best efforts. Yes, that sums up the entire story, then what's interesting in it? It's the action of these cute little cells that narrates what exactly happens inside Yumi while all these things happen.
The justifying title shined very bright because the drama when says Yumi's Cell, it signifies solely Yumi and everything about her; It's only her who thinks, analyses, examines and makes choices for herself. The human-like cells and their convictions are what makes Yumi function as a human being and whatever happens is always a processs that relies on factors, that only Yumi has control over. The cells are in fact very humane, their actions are impetuous and has the reflection of naturalness. Though presented in the form of animation, the screenplay is realistic and relatable to a great deal. Again, the implementation has been done in such a way, the cell village and their interactions just feels like our daily lives; evoking every kind of emotions. It's infact also funny in regards of this, as in the stupid yet seemingly sensible causes behind the cells' behaviour and their responses with the given stimuli, that make it an interesting watch throughout.
The screenplay distribution between the cells and the real humans is very appropriately done, I must say. The cells, without any doubt, got more screentime than the cast, which is only fair but whatever the cast got was a perfect combination as well. The simultaneous screenplay through the live actions of the cells, showing their rapid & spontaneous response to everything, is such a cheerful and exciting thing that you keep wishing for more. Lee Sang Yeob PDnim is not a new face in the industry, but given the concept of the drama and his period of existence in the rapidly-changing technological aspects of production, he has done a very wonderful job in directing, managing and editing the entire drama and every single thing has been implemented very well.
The screenwriters, however changed for the drama, have done a good job in setting up the entire story. I can't judge their work while comparing it with the original webtoon because I haven't read it at all, so for me, their job was amazingly done and their experience actually shows from the script.
There are so many things about this drama to fall in love with and at the same time, there are few plots plus elements to get mad about. But then, while considering reality and judging from the perspective of characters, I tended to shift my way of thinking, which helped me to a great extent in understanding and relating to them. Because, irl, we never know someone very well to predict their moves and assume what they're thinking, that's basic human psychology.
Ahn Bo Hyun's effortless fashion sense was also something that had attracted me to the drama and for first few episodes I was so very happy seeing him but the biggest disappointment about the drama is the fact that, they changed it. Idk about anyone else, but I wanted Gu Woong to keep up with his looks; his long hair, his Bohemian beard, his choice of outfits, him in short pants, everything about him was so enticing, oof. I will always be mad about it TT.
A great message that the drama also served is that, every single being has some flaws and nobody is that perfect to be doing the "only right" actions all the times. We commit mistakes, hold onto it, then come to realise our actions, try to solve it, reflect on it with guilt and finally try to overcome it; this is life. Not just Yumi and Woong, it was also the major side characters like Seo Se Yi (Park Ji Hyun), Ruby (Lee Yoo Bi), Yoo Ba Bi or Bobby ( Park Jin Young), Chae Wu Gi (Choi Min Ho) and in fact the cells, all of them go through the same process. Some characters are one-dimensional and weren't much explained but again, the story is from Yumi's pov, so the side characters are what she thinks they're.
I am happy about Jin Young and Minho being here, which I was unaware of before the drama started airing; even more happy about their character arcs. Didn't except Minho to be playing such a character (you'll know what when you watch) though he's a very minor character who appears sometimes randomly; nevertheless, he also was a key reason for the happenings of the basic plot. Jin Young also is a minor character in s1 but from what I read about the webtoin in short, he shares a good amount of timing in s2 serving a major role in further in the story, hopefully.
There is no manual for dating, there's no order for the sequence of events that should happen in a relationship as long as it's meant to be. Don't force everyone into your ideals that are basically stereotypes and makes people think that deviating from it is a taboo, which in turn also affects their mental health. I said this because in the course of the drama ongoing, I've seen people complaining about the direction of Yumi & Woong's relationship and how that felt boring and honestly, it turns a lil slow from 9th episode onwards but what we should also remember that, constant failure is very real. And not everything follows as we wish them to; things not necessarily happen right the next time just because it was wrong in the previous one. This reminds me a quote from the drama "Start-up" that said, "Time doesn't heal all the wounds". I liked how the motive of the story changed from a simple romcom to a relationship progression from there, which at first, I thought would not be interesting.
Obviously, in a relationship one is more insecure than the other but those insecurities are not always from the experiences of past relationships but can also be the result of own's convictions and conclusions. It's okay to be indecisive when it comes to vital turning points of life, because it's not so easy to just clap and make choices instantly. We learn through thin & thicks over time and thar period time varies from person to person. Even in a room full of 100 people, every single one differs by 0.001% from the other and that's okay. Noone is 100% honest in their relationships, there are things that you fear to share even with the closest person of your life, assuming that might affect whatever is there between. All these things are closesly associated with our psychology and thinking process which has to vary, otherwise life would have been very simple without any pain, that is practically impossible.
The drama also throws light on One's "Priorities". Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important. When you know what's most important to you, making a decision is quite simple. But it's not the case in real. As I said, we learn things over time. Another element is courage that again reminds of this quote, "Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore." That also applies to relationships, because If you are lucky enough to find a way of life you love, you have to find the courage to live it.
The ending.... Umm yes it has a sad ending but sad endings are not bad endings and again the definition of happiness & sadness or good & bad is upon ones perceptions. It was made obvious that there'll be another season since the webtoon is awfully lengthy, but I was still praying them to wrap up though I knew what'll happen. Not like I don't want more, it's just I am very impatient and anxious to wait for a year. Anyways, I don't think the very ending was absurd and since we have another season left, I wish for good.
There could be things that won't please you but I must repeat, this drama is about the cells and not the human beings. Watching it with an open mind will surely help you like it and it'll naturally grown upon you. It's entertaining, cheerful and definitely a mood buster. For me, it was a beautiful and decent watch which I needed after watching 3 thriller dramas back to back and I am sure I loved the entire thing, especially the cells. So the purpose and goal of the story has been causally served, if you're in love with the cells. Please go for it.
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My favorite thing about this drama is the chemistry between the two main leads. They're acting is just incredible. The way they acted made it all seem so real. They definitely reached out to the audience. They are both so cute and adorable. From the very beginning to the end, I loved this drama so much. I regret not watching this before. The many tears I had shed in this drama are just uncountable. The story was also very good. The way it paced evenly with the romance between the two main lead was just very well done. I'm really surprised how this drama isn't popular at all. I really thought that this show was going to bore to death but it really surprised me that it didn't. It now turns out that this is one of my favorite dramas.
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Tan Song Yun steals the show!
For a change let the Cindrella save the CEO in distress. Yes, you have read it right. This is the best 'Hard-working female lead' and 'Female Lead centered plot' drama I have ever seen. This show is something that should be watched for Character development, Motivation, and learning life lessons.'Master of My Own' is a 2022 Chinese drama adapted from the novel "Please Call Me The Director" (请叫我总监) by Hong Jiu.
Story: Ning Meng (Tan Song Yun) who majored in Finance always dreamt of becoming an Investment Manager but accidentally became the personal secretary of the rude/mean and jerk male lead Lu Ji Ming ( Lin Geng Xin). She waited, actually suffered for 3 years, and could finally come out of the grasp of Lu Ji Ming to pursue her dream career.
Tan Song Yun gave an amazing performance (as usual). The way she showed the transformation in her character from Personal Secretary- Rookie Analyst in the investment sector-Investment Manager- Investment Director was really splendid. The change shown is not only in the costumes but her micro expressions and gestures. A secretary who was very submissive in nature metamorphosed to a Mature and Great Investor. Tan Song Yun's acting is very natural and she gave the feeling that only she could justify the role. Also, the character is very very well written. She is not someone who only sees numbers but the dream behind a person's invention/ product. When she believed that a product/person is genuine she did a lot of homework to make their dream come true. Not only investing in products but she is interested in investing in the concepts.
She is strong, and that strength is not shallow. Even in tough situations she never tried to rely on anyone and especially on the male lead. The way she responded to the jerk Lu Ji Ming's words was beautiful. This is the first time I felt very motivated by a hard-working female lead role. Her perseverance is amazing, despite many people who were against her to achieve her dream, she was able to do it.
I usually have a soft corner for male leads. But this man initially is a total jerk, who has no heart. He strongly believed that Personal Secretary is the only fit job for Ning Meng. I felt like punching him on the screen many times. Irrespective of the nature of male leads. I strongly root for the main leads to become a couple usually. But till 2/3rd of the episodes, I wanted Tan Song Yun to remain single rather than choose anyone between the 2 male leads. Putting the character of the male lead aside, Lin Geng Xin did a wonderful job, the role of a jerk really suited him well. His chemistry with Tan Song Yun is perfect and it actually drives the viewers to watch the drama, despite being annoyed.
What I liked about this drama other than Ning Meng's character:
*The changes in Lu Ji Ming's behavior -in the 3 tough situations- love life, fall in career and a great come back. Lin Geng Xin was a great fit for this role, he was able to express those emotions very well.
*Like father like son. The way they showed a resemblance between Lu Ji Ming's father and Lu Ji Ming's characters. Both are equally stubborn and rude. They do care about others, but never express it, only to regret it later.
*Ning Meng's family- A very sweet family who is very understanding and caring.
*Ning Meng's wardrobe. Her outfits were just awesome.
*Dialogues- they are well written and do not sound much dramatic.
The characters worth mentioning here:
1. Su Xin as Zhang Yue Han, is the best male character in this drama, though he is playful, he knows how to behave well, and he knows the heart of a woman. I really felt happy that they put his character and loved the way how he points out the mistakes of Lu Ji Ming. He is not afraid of the male lead and he isn't just a sidekick unlike in many other dramas.
2. Gong Bei Bi as Shi Ying: A woman can surely become successful in her career if she works under a boss like her. Though the success of Ning Meng is attributed to her hard work, it is because of Shi Ying that she could actually do it. The way she guided Ning Meng in both her career and love life is beautiful.
The viewers experience different emotions in different parts of the drama. In the first 1/3rd - every viewer hates the male lead for his nature.
In the Second 1/3rd- viewers are just stuck to the screen to see amazing chemistry between the leads and the success of Ning Meng. In the last 1/3rd- a roller coaster ride of emotions.
I don't mean to belittle neither the drama Love is Sweet nor the character of Bai Lu, but I couldn't help comparing both the female leads' characters in these 2 dramas. Both did a splendid job in their roles. But the journey of Ning Meng in her career seems more realistic and beautiful.
I noticed in the comment section that many viewers were unsatisfied with Ning Meng's choice in the relationship. Clever as she is in the investment field, Ning Meng is slow-witted and naive when it comes to relationships. But she was actually forced into the relationship by the second male lead despite asking for some time and space. But the way she ended the toxic relationship was graceful. She did not hold any grudge against him and did not quarrel with him. She said what should be said.
To all those who dropped this drama after watching 11 episodes, especially after the dinner scene: I am a girl and I also hate it when a female lead is bullied, but hang in there. You are going to see the magical performance of Seven Tan. The beauty of all this drama lies in the character of Ning Meng. She has the purest and strongest heart.
My verdict: This is a must-watch drama if you want to see a lot of character development, experience angst, and then enjoy the success of a character in a drama. Do not watch this if you are expecting to see lot of skinship and kisses.
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Please let me live in a BL world
This series / movie / special can be defined with one word: hilarious. This series is clearly made for fans of the BL world, there is no more, to enjoy it and appreciate it in every way you have to be a fan of red bone.All fans of rom-com genre manga (BL or not) will know that most of them are a bit .. absurd, in the world of manga everything is strangely convenient, but it is fine because the format lends itself so that these conventions work and be fun for readers, but if it comes to taking this to the big screen with real characters, well it is obvious that many creative licenses are taken, to turn the absurd and convenient situations of the manga to more or less realistic situations of the in real life, this is not always the case of course, but if it is about taking the manga as it is to another format it does not come out exactly well and many times the only thing that comes out of that is a great cringe complication and not necessarily a good one (you I'm watching you Love Stage!!), a very good way to bring unrealistic situations to the screen and also deliver a good product is parody.
This series uses the power of parody and it comes out perfect, it is very funny, the best thing is everything that happens in the background of the stage, it genuinely feels like being in a world dominated by the BL, another feature in its favor is the duration, the fact that it is so short allows you to better enter the game and participate in the absurdity.
As I said, this series is very niche and although I do not deny that it can be enjoyed by all audiences, I think that if you are not a fan of BL, understanding some jokes or colloquial situations could be not so funny, sometimes this is what you need a production that don't take yourself too seriously, but still strive to deliver a quality product.
Another thing, do not try to run away, sooner or later the BL will catch you in its clutches, ufff... I will know.
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Story: for me the story was really different and unique. A blind person's testimony versus a normal person's testimony. Which do you trust? I felt the story was really well written. It was intense, exciting, heartwarming and thrilling. I loved and hated the baddie at the same time because he was beautifully performed but what he did was creepy, chilling and ever so hateful!
Acting: The dog alone should get an Oscar, she was just brilliant and beautiful! Once again Seung Ho shows us his brilliant acting skills, although he has played a troubled teen before the acting and character he played this time was different and I thoroughly enjoyed watching his character grow. Also the chemistry with Ha Neul worked well. Standing ovation for Ha Neul tho! She did an excellent job, you felt her pain and sadness plus her fear. She did a really good job - in You're My Pet she didnt realy stand out and her character was a bit flat so in this movie I was really impressed!! The acting was really touching I cried many times throughout the whole film. The acting really pulls you in and I thought the actors did an excellent job in expressing the emotions and it sucked me into that world. Before I knew it I was rooting for the leads, becoming really protective of the characters (I wanted to kill the stalker myself!!) so if a film has such effect it's bound to be good.
Casting: there was no problem with the casting I thought everyone was perfect for the role. And as i mentioned earlier Ha Neul didnt seem fit at first but she pulled the role off really well.
Music: the music accompanied each scene perfectly. It effectively made the scenes tense and thrilling, sad and heartbreaking. The music made me on the edge of my seat and at the same time curl up in my duvet because it was frightening plus the acting I felt like I was part of it.
Overall: I would definitely watch this again. It provokes a variety of emotions pulling you into the movie. The acting was superb and the story was well written and developed. The only downside would be the ending, I loved the ending but I would have liked to see more!
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It is about the area of tension between longing, choices in life, accountability and responsibility.
"A Man and a Woman" is emotionally profound, yet subtly leading into intimate depths where it hurts, too. There are no pink ribbons. And the intimate encounter of two souls does not miraculously sort out the problems of the world in a groundbreaking way. Life is difficult. There are also unexpected beautiful moments. But life remains difficult. Is that why it's bad? Only bad? "A Man and a Woman" paints a portrait of two people who have careers of their choice and families - but life is still no lollipop. It is about having an affair. It is about wanting another life. It is about the area of tension between longing, choices in life, accountability and responsibility.Highly valuable.
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