Reviews

Spice up our Love

So, this is clearly meant for a public who want more "pro-like" verticals. It doesn't have the usual format limitations, feels very mature, the vibe is very "trendy urban romance" à la Sex and the City for working women : there is a cute, supporting bestie instead of a green tea, the fashion is on point, even the sets feel less bling and more effortless luxury than other vertical romances about big shots. The plot could be an arc of a trendy horizontal show, girl is tired of her husband being on autopilot in bed and they spend the drama trying to understand each other better and spice things up. The stakes are low, it's slice-of-life with no makjang-y twists or scream/slap fests. Make no mistake : I love my soapy, cheesy verticals with 57 twists, all the tropes, wall slams and forced kisses, but once in a while a more subdued one is welcome. Wang Kai Mu and Xu Zhen Zhen are mini/micro veterans with an impressive CV, and they deliver. Do try it even if verticals are not your usual favored romance format.

Read More

Excellent story

I feel like I watched a different drama than some of the other reviewers. This story had me involved from episode 1 and that doesn't happen with every drama. It usually takes a couple episodes to decide if I will continue with a story or not.

I like fantasy, parallel universes, timelines, etc. so this didn't throw me. One of my favorite TV shows of all time is Fringe. Both leads were amazing. It was my first time to watch a drama with Lee Min-ho. Some reviewers said his performance was wooden, but isn't that because he plays a king who must not let his emotions betray his thinking? Was his character drinking in information as he was trying to assess the situation and plan his next move? The FL was perfection for sure, strong, confident, just, kind, and a complete bada$$. I loved the minimal dialogue between them at times, yet it conveyed their feelings too. A reviewer had commented that Jeong Tae-Eul turned into basically a wimp as the story progressed, how so? Late in the series after she's already in love, she fights here way out of captivity. That she is soft, emotional, & vulnerable with the man she is deeply in love with is natural. He is the same with her.

Please do ignore the negative reviews for this drama and try it on for yourself.

Read More

I liked this movie!

So first of all this is a moderate budget Chinese wuxia movie about gay mermaids. I did not go into it with high expectations, and it starts off a bit confusing. But I thought the story they ended up weaving was pretty interesting!

In this story, mermaids can make special silk and their tears are pearls. They are trafficked by humans as a source of wealth as a result. And because they are enslaved and tortured to force them to produce silk and pearls, they sometimes fight back.

Because they are seen as a danger to humans, it is illegal to keep them and if someone is caught keeping one both the mermaid and the human should be executed by law.

But when Yuanshan finds the merman Yixia at the scene of a murder, for some reason he spares his life.

The plot is pretty complex, with a fight for the succession to the throne, Yuanshan's wife being a princess, her brother having a dragon beast spreading around bad dragon qi, and Yixia being so cute and irresistible. What is a minister of justice to do?

The ending is also an absolute trip.

Anyway understand this isn't a high budget movie and set expectations accordingly, enjoy the gay mermaid fun.

Read More

Nice way to kill 50 minutes

Cute little baby baker Shuzo (yes, that Shuzo from TikTok and Instagram) just wants to find love but keeps inadvertently helping the guys he's crushing on with their problems by making them delicious desserts... Except they just take one bite of what he makes and then leave, which is the biggest travesty of them all. Most of them don't even thank Shuzo before they go! Shuzo's sister pretty much carries this show with her 30-second cameo's each episode. This is super short, with a run time of about 50 minutes, so if you're bored and want to look at Shuzo's beautiful face for a bit and watch him make really aesthetically pleasing food (as well as learn some fun culinary facts), this will be a good choice. However, if you're here for a profound plot or deep characters I'd advise you to pick something else. This is pure fluff that is cute and visually appealing.

Read More

Perfect balance of comedy and family drama

What a beautiful and incredibly enjoyable drama. The final ep made me cry a lot. Even though this drama includes many silly and ridiculous moments (in the best way possible), it's amazing how they managed to maintain a sense of relatable realism throughout.

Du Ruyu as a mother feels so familiar. The way she deals with her daughters when they are out of control or comforts them when they are feeling down feels so relatable. The way the sisters treat each other is also something I can deeply relate to. Their interactions are natural and sweet. Even when they bicker or share a laugh, it all feels so authentic.

The finale and how each couple ended totally made sense. I love that they didn’t force anything to make a perfect happy ending, but an ending that actually shows true growth for all the characters the viewers have grown to love.

Even though Guo Zhensheng has always been in love with Du Ruyu, the drama didn’t force a romantic relationship between the two of them. Instead, they treat each other as more like platonic partners. Du Ruyu respects Guo Zhensheng as someone who helped her raise all her daughters and someone she will grow old together with, without necessarily being romantic with him.

Peilan and Buping have the most solid relationship among all the couples, so it was inevitable that they would be the first to marry. I love how they naturally grew closer throughout the course of the drama. Peilan started as someone afraid to leave her family behind, gradually becoming more comfortable expressing her feelings for Buping, and finally being willing to move on to the next stage of her life, creating a new family and home with him.

I appreciate that Shi Zi's father still hasn't fully accepted Jinrong as his future daughter-in-law. It just feels more realistic that way. It's admirable how Jinrong hasn't given up, and I'm sure she will eventually succeed.

A-si and Keling's relationship also makes perfect sense. Keling has been quickly overwhelmed and pressured into accepting his feelings, and she couldn't handle all the baggage that comes with being with someone in A-si's position. This doesn't mean she doesn't have feelings for him, but she still needs to grow before taking on too much responsibility for which she's not yet ready.

Finally, Banxia and Shen Wangyan. Again, I like that they hint more about their future relationship without shoe-horning that they magically end up together in the finale. Shen Wangyan appeared very briefly, but the sparks are flying everywhere, and although it doesn't happen in the last episode, you can already see where their relationship is headed.

It's a 10/10 for me! I’m really hoping for a second season.

Read More

sweet as candy

as one who's a bit picky with jdramas, this one was such a surprise. it's nothing complicated. this drama is an all round fluffy romance involving a marriage contract.

what totally solidifies this drama as a whole for me is the male lead's swoon worthy respect and pure love for the female lead. one aspect in the main leads' relationship that truly caught my attention is how good they communicate their feelings. ami was reluctant about sharing her thoughts at first but she had character development and it was overall nice to see a couple that communicates and no unnecessary misunderstandings happened or dragged.

it was refreshing to see a gentle and caring male lead that respects boundaries and consent, also helps his partner to be more open without being pushy or overboard. a cute ass smile adds to the bonus points.

seeing a character with unrequited love accepting reality and not being petty is honestly so great to watch. the ex girlfriend was seen to be not toxic and supports the characters and gave a heads up to ami about marriage life and how it's different for everyone. these type of characters add depth to the drama despite being a simple fluffy drama.

overall, this drama is so soft and light hearted which will make you pinch your cheeks to stop you from smiling too hard.
p.s. the intro song is a bop and the choreo somehow lowkey reminds me of the pick me up song lol

Read More

A rebirth that… doesn’t really change much

You know how rebirth dramas usually go—revenge, a smart and capable female lead, and a second chance to rewrite fate. That’s what Si Jin seemed to promise. Jiang Si dies a tragic death, supposedly at the hands of Yu Jin, only to wake up years earlier, ready to take control of her life. She breaks off her engagement, protects her family, starts a business, and even gains the status of a Saintess. Sounds great on paper.

But while the setup brims with potential, the execution falters in crucial ways. Despite her rebirth, Jiang Si’s second chance changes surprisingly little. Sure, her family avoids ruin, but her own trajectory remains eerily familiar. The Saintess subplot could’ve added weight to the story, yet it’s barely explored, leaving it feeling more like a gimmick than a meaningful part of Jiang Si’s journey. For a drama that leans so heavily on rebirth as a premise, it sure does very little with it.

The writing falters even further when it comes to its characters, and no one exemplifies this more than the Emperor. I honestly can’t tell if he’s borderline bipolar or just plain incompetent because half the time, his decisions make zero sense. One moment, he’s taking a firm stance; the next, he’s doing a complete 180 like he has the political awareness of a rock. He’s the Emperor, for fuck’s sake—where are his guards? His informants? His advisors? Did he somehow lack the resources to keep his own family in check? No, he simply chose to remain blind, letting the Royal Princess and her spoiled daughter manipulate him at every turn. And not because they were particularly clever, but because he was just that easy to fool. Sighs sighs sighs. Jiang Si herself also suffers from this inconsistency. Some episodes make her out to be intelligent and composed, only for the next to show she’s acting completely out of character—like that scene where she suddenly held a gold hairpin to the Royal Princess’s neck. It came out of nowhere, so over-the-top that I almost laughed. Was it meant to be intense? Because it felt unintentionally comedic. And definitely makes it hard to fully root for her.

Then we have the villains. If you enjoy over-the-top antagonists, this drama delivers them in spades. The Royal Princess, in particular, quickly became exhausting to watch. Her entire character arc is fueled by insecurity and jealousy—fair enough, if it had any depth. But no, it’s the same tired cycle: she’s jealous, she lashes out, and then we do it all over again. The drama insists she’s some great, menacing force, but in reality? She’s just petty with a royal title. And while I can appreciate the whole motherly love angle, watching her willingly push her child down the same self-destructive path was frustrating.

Now my biggest question of all—Jiang Si’s death in her past life. The drama makes it clear that Yu Jin didn’t actually kill her and that, in some grand act of devotion, he sacrificed himself for her. But how? When? They never properly explain it. Either I missed something (entirely possible), or the drama just decided it wasn’t important enough to clarify.

Well as usual, I skipped the second leads’ romance—it rarely impresses me, and this drama was no exception. Every time their scenes came on, I found myself reaching for my phone without a shred of regret. (Though, I’ll admit I might be a little biased toward Jiang Si’s eldest sister. I kept wishing they’d give her more screen time—she was far more interesting than the other supporting casts.)

Yet, for all my complaints, I still found myself enjoying the ride. Maybe it was Zhang Wanyi’s performance that kept me hooked, or maybe it was those fleeting moments of brilliance buried beneath the inconsistencies. Si Jin may not have delivered the rebirth drama I hoped for, but despite its flaws, I kept watching. And in the end, that has to count for something.

Read More

If you want to enjoy a fast crime/action, with three great actors, this is the right movie to pick. When a serial killer accidentally chooses a gangstern as his next victim things went south. A cop eager to catch the serial killer is willing to team up with the gangstern and use any kind of method to close the case, the life of these three characters become entangled in a succession of gangstern fight and car chases, like in a cat and mouse game.
The investigative part is managed in a sublime way, ranging between normal and fast-foward scenes that show you the progress of the investigation without stealing time from the action. The pace of the show is very fast, there is no time for character development or for an in-depth analysis of why the serial killer is acting like this, but the combination gangstern/policeman creates amusing and dramatic situations, specially towards the end. Needless to say that the acting is excellent, while the soundtrack is not memorable but it does it’s job being fast and incessant. The ending is epic and poetic.

Read More

An adorable narcissist? HOW?!

I actually started this drama on a whim, after watching an FMV of the couple. I loved how the ML looked at the FL. That's all there was to it to make me hit the play button. And I guess it's a good thing that I went in without looking any further. Because in episode 1 I was greeted with a narcissistic male lead and time travel. Two things that normally make me run for the hills.

What made me stay? The male lead is definitely narcissistic, but never crosses the line. In fact, the writers somehow managed to balance his narcissism with his genuine care for others. Simultaneously. I don't know if i've ever seen anything quite like it before. I kinda wanna go through the narcissism tag to see if I can find another... He also goes through tremendous character growth, that felt natural and unrushed - despite the shortness of the series. And, fortunately for me, the time travel comes into play with a support character, not the leads. So it actually didn't have too much focus, and contributed to the message of the story in very interesting ways.

It's told with the classic manga-esque dramatics that really only Japan can pull of. It really pulls the punches on commenting on Pretty Privilege/Kawaii Factor and biases, in a humorous way that sent me laughing. I thoroughly enjoyed all the support characters. Not a single one had me annoyed or sent me ranting, especially by the end. And I adored watching the romance (even if I would have liked more affection from the female lead).

It's kinda poetic actually, that a story that wound up being about biases, made me question some of my own drama-watching biases. I am still wondering how this writer managed to make a narcissist so adorable and root for-able.



*Disclaimer: I am referring to his possession of narcissistic/self-centered traits which are commonly found in everyone on a scale of intensity, not as someone who appears to have Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

Read More

I loved it. The cast and writers did a awesome job It was a little confusing at first and you really needed to pay attention to what happens in both world of 2019/2020 and it all came together.
It start 1994 with li gon watching his father being murdered by his brother/uncle yi rim/Lee seong jae and then he try to kill his nephew, but is interrupted by someone helping him. It turns out the uncle wanted magic flute that could open up to paraell worlds. Li rim escapes with only half the flute and while running in the bamboo tree he open a door to a paraell country call the republic of Korea. Then 25yrs goes bye a blimk

Read More

LOVE this drama. The main reason I watched this was because of Toda Erika and Ninomiya Kazunari. I wasn't a big fan of Nino before but I started watching Arashi variety shows and found him to be very good-looking lol. After watching Ryuusei no Kizuna, I have become a Nino fangirl xD

Story: Great story. Probably the best thing about the show. The storyline seemed really interesting and it sure was. I was relieved that it wasn't very dramatic and was actually very funny because I'm honestly sick of watching melodramas.

Acting/Cast: I think this was the second best thing about the drama. Nino is seriously an amazing actor. Now I know why people say he's the best actor in Arashi. Erika was good here, better than any of her other roles I've seen her in. I haven't watched Nishikido in anything but I think I'll add some of his dramas on to my plan to watch list :)

Rewatch Value: I gave it a 10/10 since I'm already rewatching it even though I just finished it 2 days ago.

This is an amazing drama and I would recommend you to watch it. I loved every moment, from start to beginning and I assure you that you won't be disappointed.

Read More

I've read three novels written by Dostoyevsky (Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov and The Idiot). The Brothers Karamazov I've read awhile ago but I think I can recall enough to say that adaptation from novel to drama was very good. Even the shift from 19th century Russia to modern Japan was executed flawlessly.
Drama story focuses more on struggle between good and evil inside characters and their relationships, primarily between the Kurosawa brothers.
Dostoyevsky's crucial questions that he asked in his other novels too, were also the main theme here. Does human have the right to take another's life? If someone think so, what are the consequences?

First thing that you notice when you start watching Karamazov no Kyodai is that it is dark, both in story and cinematography. But don't give up on this drama because of that even if this is out of your comfort zone.
It is not a light watch and if you are not used to that I don't recommend marathoning it.
But I think that once in awhile we all need a deep drama, movie or a book to make us question things we haven't questioned before.

Music and cinematography are linked in various ways. Rolling Stones song Paint It Black (yes, you will hear that song too) is most obvious link. It's upbeat rhythm and dark lyrics are much like contrast between other similar songs played and the dark atmosphere and suspense that make your heart beat faster in anticipation of what is coming. And then there is a loud sound (like door opening or closing), music stops and silence. Your heart skips a beat... At least it was like that for me.
There were only two or three instances when I thought that something was off with the sound. It was when they overlapped surrounding music for example piano Ryo was playing and soundtrack music. But I've noticed that other dramas do that too. So maybe it's a trend thing. Either way I didn't like it.

But overall this is the first drama I watched that used the music so well to enhance atmosphere. Where music isn't barley-heard companion that tries not to ruin the mood but an entity that pulls you for your sleeve if you dare to look away.


I left cast and acting at the end because I think it's outstanding. All the characters are believable and nobody overacted. From corrupted Kurosawa Bunzo played by Yoshida Kotaro, sweet Ryo (Hayashi Kento), rebellious Mitsuru (Saito Takumi), torn and complex Isao (Ichihara Hayato) and all the supporting characters (that I'm lazy to name) not one of them disappointed. Their acting pulls you in and make you glued to the screen anticipating their reactions and words. But one of them still manage to arise on the top and amaze me even more.
It may be because the character is so layered and intriguing that Ichihara Hayato's acting leaves you speechless. But also if he weren't amazing actor he wouldn't have been able to pull it off. I'm really not sure how to rate his performance because I haven't experience before that someone's acting could pull me in so much.
If he doesn't get award for this role then those awards aren't merit for talent and effort.


So all in all this drama has 11 episodes and each of them is 36 minutes long so it won't take too much of your time therefor give it a chance.
If you don't like that it is dark, heavy and psychological, regardless give it a chance.
Why? - you ask.
Because you will see something different that will maybe inspire you to read a book or you will hate it but you'll know why you hate it.

Read More