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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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A story about life goes a long way
This is clearly not the best drama of 2018. It is the best drama of all time. Before delving any further, if you're wondering if there are spoilers in this review, rest assured there are none (or just a pinch of it at most).Story and General comments:
If you are looking for fantasy, this drama is not for you. If you are looking for a typical romance drama, slowly walk away now. The beauty of My Mister is in its simplicity. What I mean by simplicity is that it's not a typical k-drama involving a rich chaebol falling for a poor normal-life-living girl, or the male lead having super powers or some crazy disorder. It is just a story between one Ahjusshi, one girl and one (hella great) neighbourhood. If there's one spoiler-ish statement in this review, it'll be this one - Though as many of you may have read from comments and reviews, this story is not about romantic love between the two leads. That said, I have never personally felt more love between two characters in any other show (not limited to just k-drama) as I did in My Mister. That's the power of great story telling - the love between two people that transcends the conventional love and romance of what we know and have come to understand. And yet, there is so much more to the story; something you will have to experience for yourself as mere words are just inadequate and will not do the show any justice.
Acting:
Another concern that many viewers had before the show aired was about IU's acting. Though she has improved along the years, her acting is good at best with some occasional great moments. This has changed with My Mister. IU's acting was simply exceptional and her performance in My Mister is hands down the best out of all her dramas. And as for Lee Sun Kyun, must I say more? His acting is and has been exceptional and it is no different in My Mister. Poured his heart out for the role and the viewers felt every breath of it... literally.
Music / OSTs:
One big factor for me personally is the Music / OSTs of a k-drama. Yes a drama may be well written and well acted, but if the OST is not up-to-par, the drama will just end up being forgettable many years down the road. I kid you not, I was playing the OSTs on repeat the whole day for weeks and even up till today, I am still listening to it on a daily basis. It is just that good. Props to Sondia, Vincent Blue, O.When, Jung Seung Hwan and even IU (she wrote the song for JeHwi) for creating what has to be one of the most memorable OSTs of any k-drama.
Conclusion:
What more can we ask for? A story that shatters the proverbial glass ceiling of k-drama standards; acting performances that exceed all expectations; music that will stick with you on repeat for a very long time. My Mister is not just another k-drama but an important precedent for k-dramas as it is not afraid to revitalize the conventional formula and reinvent the storytelling wheel.
I would like to end this review with one word - Masterpiece.
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Story: The story was really good! A high school student pretending to be a 27 year old office worker seems absurd but it was totally believable. The mystery surrounding Lee Min Suk's brother was very intriguing but it wasn't the main focus of the drama and was only dealt with in the few last episodes. The drama focused on Lee Min Suk and how he grew as a character. The noona romance was okay too though I wasn't that invested in it. The star of this drama for me was Lee Min Suk. I went in thinking it was going to be like City Hunter, you know a quest for revenge and everything. But this turned out to be completely different. This drama wasn't intense, it was cute and funny. I loved how they used old drama cliches and gave them a twist to make them funny or different. I especially liked that Yoo Jin Woo's story was progressed along with Lee Min Suk's and he was given his due importance too.The story was very well-written and the pace of the drama was really good.
Characters: Seo In Guk did an amazing job as Lee Min Suk (and Lee Hyung Suk). First of all, I've always acknowledged that Seo In Guk is good-looking but during this drama I realized that he is gorgeous! Especially as Lee Hyung Suk (even though he appeared for like 1-2 episodes). Secondly, Seo In Guk is an extremely talented actor! And this role showed his talent to the fullest. He played the role of a high schooler so well, unlike someone else (Lee Min Ho I'm looking at you), that it was hard to believe that in real life he is 26. Lee Min Suk was endearing and funny and adorable. But I also loved the scenes where he got all serious and mature. I loved seeing him grow from a boy into a man! Seo In Guk's portrayal of both brothers was so good you could see who was who with the way he stood and talked. While Lee Min Suk was kinda sloppy, as expected of a kid, Lee Hyung Suk stood with confidence. Where Lee Min Suk talked in a cheery way, Lee Hyung Suk's voice was grave and serious. I simply loved Seo In Guk's acting in this drama!
Jung Soo Young is a character I would rather not talk about. She was uncomfortably painful to watch. I understood her character really well and I got where the writer wanted to go with her but Lee Ha Na's portrayal of her was not good. Jung Soo Young is a character I could have loved had Lee Ha Na did her justice. Soo Young is a socially awkward girl with seemingly no talents. I get the character. It was Lee Ha Na's job to make that character relatable, even likable. But the way she played her it felt like Jung Soo Young had some mental disability. Which was really very uncomfortable for me to watch. But of course, I did get used to her and then she didn't bother me much. But I never felt connected to her. I did feel sorry for her but only a little.
I loved loved LOVED Lee Soo Hyuk as Yoo Jin Woo! I loved how this time the broken bad boy was not the male lead but the second lead. And Lee Soo Hyuk played him really well! And did I mention how gorgeous Lee Soo Hyuk is?!! Because he is really gorgeous!! I could stare at him all day! I loved his story arc and how it all played out. I loved this broken bad boy with a good heart! But I never, for one second, believed that he was actually in love with Soo Young. I felt like he needed someone and since Soo Young was previously obsessed with him he figured she would be a good person to keep by his side. I never felt like he actually, honestly loved her.
All the minor characters were great! The office people were your typical office people, gossiping and judging. They also provided very good entertainment. Team Leader Kim was very funny and so adorable! Jo Han Chul did an awesome job playing him and I loved seeing him onscreen! I loved how he cared so much about Lee Min Suk and all his anxiety breakdowns (I seem like a bad person saying I enjoyed his breakdowns but really, they were funny and added for comedic purposes). Jung Yoo Ah (Soo Young's sister) was super annoying at first but like her sister she became tolerable. I loved Lee Min Suk's friends! They were so supportive and super funny, with their chuppa chuppas and stuff! Lee Min Suk's dad was awesome! He wasn't his real dad but he cared so much for him that it was heartwarming and so beautiful. My favorite though was Min Suk's grandfather (his adoptive father's father)! Kwon Seong Deok was amazing, playing him and he was so funny and adorable and it was so heartbreaking! I really loved him! I loved how the minor characters played a more important role in this drama than they usually do in dramas.
Romance: I honestly believe Seo In Guk has good chemistry with everyone. Be it a girl or a boy, he has good chemistry with all. Just look at his previous works. He had amazing chemistry with Jung Eun Ji AND Hoya in Reply 1997. Even as a second lead he has awesome chemistry with the female leads (see Master's Sun). It was no exception in King of High School. He not only had great chemistry with Lee Ha Na but also with Lee Soo Hyuk! BUT I was not as much invested in the romance and the main couple as I would have had it not been for Lee Ha Na. The couple wasn't all that bad but they couldn't pull on the strings of my heart like the InHyun couple (Queen In Hyun's Man) & the Reply 1997 couple (Jung Eun Ji and Seo In Guk). So that 'something missing' thing I was talking about was my lack of love for the main couple.
Ending: The extra episodes really weren't needed. But I didn't mind them much. Most people are not satisfied with the ending and to be honest if I would've written this I would've ended it differently too but it wasn't that bad and I don't have much of a problem with it.
Overall: All in all this was a really good drama and most people might not have the problems with it that I did so I highly recommend it for anyone who is in the mood of a good rom-com.
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one of my favorite cdrama
I started to watching this because of Zhao Lusi, the amount of episode made me hesitant to watch. However i ended up loving it.-
From the beginning there's Cheng Shaoshang with her abandonment issue, her only-depend-on-myself attitude, and how she always on her wits to fight back anyone who bully her or people around her.
Her issues were believable and i could relate to her sometimes. I love that her attitude changed little by little to portray her growth.
I also noticed Shaoshang's Mom growth. She was really harsh at first and motivate Shaoshang by always comparing her to the 'perfect' cousin. Then her slowly realizing the good in her daughter.
The portrayal of the Cheng family were great.
They're mostly funny, especially the Grandma, who has downry addiction, and Shaogong, who loves to do divination.
Ling Buyi story was quite a plot twist for me, that i don't know how to explain about it without spoiling everything.
The romance started real slow, but had great build up. I really enjoy watching how litle by little their love for each other grow.
How 2 people with their own issues tried and failed to understand each other, how they got to overcome their differences. Their struggles & the damage were realistic. But they could added a bit more build up to the relationship and a bit more intimate scenes. ZLS and WL have good chemistry.
I really like Emperor Wen, it's funny how he always urge LBY to get married. There's also the lovable Empress Xuan and straightforward Consort Yue. It's my first time seeing such healthy relationship between Empress and Consort.
Side characters like, Yuan Shanjian, Lou Yao, Wan Qiqi, Qiu Fei and Qiu Qi were a good addition to the story.
For others the political side of the story could felt boring and repetitive, but for me it was easy to understand and i like it.
I can't forget the fact that the pacing in the first half were too slow. There's too many side characters that showed up, forgotten, or suddenly moved to the next stage of their lives. And the amount of wicked woman are just ridiculous.
The acting were great! Everyone did they roles perfectly.
When Ling Buyi in a bad mood he scared me out. Sometimes even when he's happy he creeps me out too. WL's acting is spot on, he did good job as LBY.
I'm used with ZLS doing funny/cute roles all the time. It surprised me seeing how good she is in the emotional scene. Also I'm really amazed with Xu Jiao, i can't believe she was the same kid in CJ7. Versatile actresses indeed.
Other thing I love is the cinematography/VFX. They indeed give a lot effort in it. It's just very screenshot worthy. I feel like i took screenshots of the scenery in every episode. However there's too many scenes were in slo-mo, probably for dramatic effects, which gets me frustrated at times. They could've cut it and use the screentime for something else.
Both intro and outro didn't include spoilers like how way cdramas usually are.
The music used were good, my favorite is the outro song and the flute instrumental.
It might be a bit of a long drama, but I'd definitely rewatching this.
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With all being said, Love Like The Galaxy is not the perfect drama. But watching the whole thing was a great journey. I couldn't count how many times i go from laughing, crying, squealing, angered, then laughing, crying again and again. This is now one of my favorite cdrama. I'm gonna miss it so much.
I'd recommend this if you like historical drama that has a lot of funny moments and slow burn romance.
✧
It's a long and full of grammatical error review, but thank you for reading (◍•ᴗ•◍)
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1Tale as old as time.
The Legend of Shen Li is a highly entertaining xianxia with a terrific starting hook. Injured while fleeing an unwanted marriage, Shen Li crashes into the mortal realm in her innate phoenix form. Mistaken for a chicken, she is rescued and healed by Xing Yun, a sickly ginseng salesman. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be shipping an unseemly attachment between a haughty chicken and a weak but insolent mortal. Their hilarious interactions and witty repartee had me grinning like a fool. This has to be the first CP that I got invested in before the FL properly meets the ML.While I find Legend of Shen Li quite enjoyable, it is a tale as old as time and I am not just making fun of Xingzhi's age. This kind of forbidden love story between a lonely, crusty old god and a much younger one is the staple of this genre. This one is written more as a character story so there is little plot movement until the second half of the drama. The plot itself leans heavily on well known xianxia tropes with a modern, role reversal approach. What makes it special is that it is well executed, the main CP has scorching chemistry, it is anchored by a stellar cast and tongue-in-cheek dialogue has deep and heart tugging undertones. This is an excellent entry-level xianxia that will thrill and delight newcomers to the genre the most. While die hard fans of the genre will certainly enjoy the fresh take on old themes, they may find the plot predictable after the early arcs.
For me, the mortal realm is always the most interesting xianxia arc and this is no exception. It is at the same time the most disappointing arc in terms of missed opportunities. It is too short and half the time Shen Li is an angry CGI bird. Shen Li's feelings for Xing Yun developed so quickly I felt shortchanged on the how and the why she fell in love. Worse, their story is overshadowed by the two utterly heart wrenching ill-fated love stories. To some extent, the narrative coasts on the residual heat from Princess Agents and assumes the audience is already invested in the main CP. The issue is viewers who did not watch that may not feel the chemistry between them. The arc ends so abruptly that it barely dawns upon me that Shen Li's affections could be one-sided. She very high-handedly falls for a helpless mortal and doesn't give him any say in the matter because she knew it to be transitory. This is quite sad and complex and it is a pity the narrative dealt with it too cursorily.
As someone hungering for closure from Princess Agents, I am stoked to report that the chemistry between Lin Gengxin and Zhao Liying burns as hot as ever. This drama is generous to a fault in fusing passionate love scenes with humor and moving romantic moments. I find myself chuckling at how hot and flustered Shen Li gets by Xingzhi's shameless flirting until the veiled pathos behind Xingzhi's careless words hits me and makes me tear up. Both characters are designed to recycle the strengths of their previous collaboration without taking much risks. Notably, there is no extra dimension or complexity to Zhao Liying's role or portrayal. She once again delivers in spades what she does best from the brilliant, combative glitter in her eyes to her signature awesomely bad-ass fight scenes. I would have liked to see more facets to King Bicang beyond the fierce warrior with a deadpan expression who is casually cruel to CGI animals. There is more scope for Lin Gengxin to shine as Xingzhi is a contradiction; the most powerful and yet the most powerless being in the three realms. I was impressed by Lin Gengxin's heart wrenching and nuanced portrayal of this so very alone ancient being who will crack a joke to stop your heart from breaking for him.
As a couple, Shen Li and Xingzhi are too perfect for each other - their world view is largely aligned and besides the one bombastic obstacle of an existential crisis for the realms, there is no real conflict in their relationship. While they experience some acutely angsty moments, they are all short lived. Most of the intense and lingering agony in this xianxia actually comes from the three devastating side love stories. Both characters are fully realised beings that don't grow much. That is left to the likes of Furong who is my favorite character in the first half of the narrative and the character that shows the most growth overall. His limelight in the second half is stolen by Lady Jin who is by far my favorite character and one who saves the draggy second half of the show for me. I find the villains quite boring and archetypal and those roles are also the least well acted. Even though Shen Li and Xingzhi come together in a moving and masterful ending climax, the finale is too much of something I have seen many times before. I did not enjoy the extended ending fight sequences and the heavy handed CGI.
Despite the unoriginal plot, this is an excellent character driven story. I was invested in many characters beyond the leads - Furong, Youlan, Qing Ye, Feng Lai, Mofang, Lady Jin and the indignant Cluck Cluck. The dialogue uses comedy brilliantly as a gateway to the profound in highlighting complex, deep and at times tragic existential themes. I enjoyed the conversation about how if we can work together against evil, we may no longer need gods to be our babysitters. I also felt a shiver of fear in this age of AI at the idea that as creators, one day we will become an existential threat to our creation. Overall a very enjoyable and highly recommended funny and intelligent xianxia that I am happy to rate 8.5/10.0.
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Stunning cast & visuals BUT horrible script, badly executed plot & editing
This drama is my 2024 Biggest Disappointment. I had high expectations for the first instalment in the Fox Spirit Matchmaker series since it was iQiyi most anticipated high budgeted drama for 2024. As a xianxia lover + hopeless romantic + fan of the cast, I thought for sure this would be an easy 10/10. But unfortunately, this drama felt like I was introduced to the most stunningly beautiful wedding cake, only to be told it’s inedible. I truly feel the drama had the potential to be one of the best xianxias but it was totally ruined by the script writers whose budget must have been 0.99$... oh and don’t get me started on the horrible editing.The drama is about the female lead who is an ancient fox and Chief of Tushan, a magical land where fox spirits can live freely and humans are not allowed in. Except one human, the male lead, who, as a child, is rescued by her due to his magical blood. 16 years later, an evil fox shows up and tries to destroy Tushan and kill all humans. Also, part of the story is the Grief Tree, a place where humans and spirits can ask for love blessings. The female lead indirectly serves as a matchmaker to the three side couple whose stories are also woven into the plot.
The story that’s off well and is quite enjoyable in the early episodes although I always felt something big was missing. Up until episode 20 it was a decent watch but then the drama created a useless amnesia plot that ruined everything. The last episodes were the worst and the ending kind of made me feel like it was a waste of a watch.
Are all Fox Spirit Matchmaker dramas connected?
The world and characters are interconnected but each drama is a different story. IMPORTANT NOTE: this drama directly spoils the ending for the prequel Love in Pavilion.
THE COUPLES:
✨ Ancient Fox and her Human Disciple (Yang Mi and Gong Jun) main cp / cold woman and warm male vibes. Badly written love story. Read my negative point below.
✨ Carefree Fox and her Cheeky Prince Spirit (Cristy Guo and Miles Wei) second cp / bickering friends vibes / ep 5 love story beings. My favourite ship, I love them dearly however I hated the way they treated the male lead during the amnesia plot. All of their scenes were super adorable but at the same time they didn’t really have much of a love story.
✨ Human Princess and her Spirit Bodyguard (Bambi Zhu and Yang Shi Ze) third cp / Aladdin and Jasmine vibes / ep 7-13 love story. The best side story of them all with great political intrigue. The actor’s chemistry was fantastic. The plot had some much potential to be expanded into a full story.
✨ Human Detective and her Flirty Thousand-Faces Spirit (Sebrina Chen and Mao Zi Jun) forth cp / Beauty and the Beast vibes / ep 21-29 love story. Great chemistry, their love story had a lot of potential but not enough time to be fully explored. I loved the message of inner beauty. The only thing I hated was the massive red flag that guy displayed at their final scene.
✨ Mischievous Tree Spirit and her Dummy-cute Human (Chen Du Ling and Zhang Ling He) fifth couple / Fairytale vibes / ep 30-34 love story. The most hilarious and funny side story. Their screen time was extremely short but the actor’s chemistry made up for it.
POSITIVE:
- Good-looking and well-known cast.
- Stunning costumes.
- Beautiful scenery and a world that looks truly magical and fairy-tale like.
- Awesome side couples/stories. Hands down the best part of the drama is the side couples and their stories. Granted, they had limited screen time but were still impactful. The chemistry between the actors was sizzling and the only reason I kept watching. The stories were woven well into the main plot and it all felt connected
- Badass women. Pretty much all the women in the drama were always high ranked, independent and powerful.
- Male eye candy. All the men in the drama were feast for the eyes. I loved seeing Gong Jun as the male lead, his cheeky and youthful character was different from the unhinged and morally grey roles I had previously seen him in. Miles Wei was very charming, Zhang Ling He was super hilarious and Mao Zi Jun was wonderful to watch.
- Stunning artwork. A bit off topic but worth mentioning that the drama released more than beautiful 10 different art works with all 10 characters.
- Brainless watch. Well, it’s not exactly a positive but some days I was very tired so watching this drama was easy as it didn’t require much brain power.
NEGATIVE:
- Badly written main lead’s story. No proper foundation, no proper development and totally butchered in the second half. I feel the best love stories are those where we follow the leads, meet up for the first time, face challenges and fall in love. But in this case, the main leads have already lived in the same place for 16 years and then the male lead suddenly falls for her. Their love story doesn’t help the controversial fact that she has known him since he was a child. However she did look more like a mentor than mother figure to me. On top of all that, 98% of the time, the female lead was cold and wooden towards him which didn’t allow for any chemistry to be explored. The nail in the coffin was the amnesia plot after ep 20 that was totally useless, stalled any sort of development and in fact ruined the couple completely. In the end, I couldn’t root for the leads at all and in fact felt the male lead deserved better.
- Clown villains. Black Fox is the most one-dimensional villain I’ve ever seen. We are never given a backstory of her motives. She just wants to kill humans. Her only real superpower is boring the audience to death with her dialogue. Her scenes are useless and frankly embarrassing to watch. Her subordinate is just as useless, repeatedly failing to kill the heroes. The only worthy villain is the White Fox who unfortunately the writers never allowed to gain power and be an actual threat. He had a good backstory and unhinged personality to be a compelling villain that could have elevated the plot.
- Repetitive plot. The main plot was an absolute joke of useless and boring repetitions of heroes vs villains, tons of illogical parts and stupid things the characters said and did. Many things were happening but actually nothing significant or impactful ever happened. The worst past was the amnesia plot which lasted for 10 episodes and was beyond useless as literally nothing happened.
- Lackluster fight scenes. No martial arts ever used, just static hands up in the air and colours coming out of them to “fight”. In the rare cases of a weapon being used, the fight scenes end after 2 seconds.
- Horrible editing. All scenes are cut weirdly. This is especially noticeable when the emotional scenes end abruptly as the audience is not given enough time to process what’s happening and connect with the characters. All the key scenes end up anti-climatic. Sometimes, the characters pop up out of nowhere and you do wonder where they came from and what they were doing.
- Surface level relationships. As discussed above, the main love story was badly executed. The rest of the couples also suffered from a lack of build up and their dialogue at times felt forced and/or odd. I could argue that they didn’t have enough screen time for their love stories to be explored. But I do think the issue lies in the fact that the drama spent more time focusing on the useless plot rather than developing the characters, seeing them interact with each other and building the relationships between them. I never felt the characters were real people, I never felt I knew anything about them, who they were, what their dreams and fears were. Everything just lacked depth.
- Wooden female lead. This is my first time seeing the actress so I don’t have much data to go by. At the start of the drama her character was stoic and expressionless which suited her role as a Chief and ancient being however during the whole drama she lacked any sort of personality and portrayal of feelings. She could easily pass for wood in the forest. Towards the end though, when her character was evil, the actress did shine as the writers actually gave her a personality. Overall, I feel her character was badly written but I also wasn’t quite impressed with the actress’ micro-expressions.
- Underwhelming ending. It was boring, cheap, cliche, and lazily written. To satisfy the audience, the writers literally introduced a new random concept in the last 5 minutes of the drama.
OVERALL:
With a heavy heart, I award this drama as my 2024 Biggest Disappointment. A pretty package without any substance inside. iQiyi flopped badly with this one and I feel sad for the cast for being given such a bad script. Granted, it’s not the worst xianxia out there but due to the huge anticipation and money invested, it was a total waste of a production. The potential was definitely there but the execution was horrendous. I suppose, it’s only worth watching if you really love the cast, you are new to cdramas and/or you want a brainless watch after a tiring day. I can only hope the next two instalments don’t follow the same fate as this one.
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This review may contain spoilers
Attentive drama needs to meet people who know how to taste.
This is not just a drama that simply catalyzes sweetness. Under the vast background of the sea of stars, it restores the ordinary face of life, but creates a romantic atmosphere, adult love is not only sugar, but also insurmountable helplessness in life, and it also comes from hormones. Impulse, and love and pursuit of ideals. All these sentiments are presented in the passionate interpretation of the two leading actors. The ingenious combination of lighting and space scenes pushes the delicate expression of emotion to the extreme. This kind of drama in which all members are devoted. It is worth savoring carefully, 10 points of great drama in my mind.The leads Just played Their characters perfectly. Chemistry, romance, emotions every single thing was perfect. Absolutely Best modern Romance Chinese drama of This year so far.
Love Yu Tu the most. He really showed us the realistic things in life. Yu Tu represents not only aerospace workers, he represents thousands of ordinary people. Qiao Jingjing showed us the purity and sincerity.
As an a brilliant aerospace engineer, the male protagonist Yu Tu struggled between reality and ideals, and at this time he got the star heroine’s favor. Love and encouragement, and re-enter the path of the stars and the sea. This process is the core of glory and the concentrated expression of the "drama" you said. Compared with the common derailments, births, misunderstandings, childhood sweethearts, and glorious romances in current romance dramas The plot is obviously more realistic and advanced, and also more romantic. A large number of life and supporting role plots also make the influence of stars and astronauts fuller. In short, compared to the classic and excellent TV series with high tide, you are my glory closer to the healing anime.
Finally, I would like to confess that Chen Xueran's "Born to be an Eagle" is very well written.
Also, Yang Yang is the YYDS!
People who seek for true real life dedicated drama, it's one of the best one.
Must Say greatly done every single thing in this drama.
Can’t get out of the glorious world, I believe there must be a parallel time and space. This beautiful story continues. Never going to forget Yu Tu .
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This review may contain spoilers
The drama delivers a great story of brotherhood and politics. It's not a very emotional drama, so maybe you will not cry watching this, but it delivers a great message of friendship, sacrifice for greater good, and idealism.IMHO, because the drama is loosely based on real history (which they turned into a fiction), you don't see much of character development, but more into how the characters from two factions use tactics to fight one another. Not much character development means that the personality and the ideas of every character in the beginning stays the same until the final episode (except for the Empress'!).
Some people got disappointed on the ending, but I'm rather satisfied as it shows how the main character's heart and priority never changes. From the very beginning he knows that peace is the most important thing, and peace does not lie only in one family name. His determination and personality never changes until the very end.
I love how Regina Wan played the empress role. Very elegant, especially the way she speaks.
I also love the opening and ending music. Perfectly matches the drama.
To sum up, the series is worth watching if you're not looking for a too emotional drama, or wanting a good politics drama.
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This review may contain spoilers
Housewives like a Golden Fish: being trapped and desperate to be loved
Let me be the first one to give my review to this drama since I've been anticipating this drama a lot.. I'm so excited to see Gun chan finally get a role in a mature drama.. also getting involved in an affair with older woman. I imagine this drama will be too hot to handle, and I guess they give us a super hot scene in episode 1 and episode 8. As the beginning of the secret affair, and in the end of their relationship.
My prediction is right. Gun chan is totally did well.. with his acting, also he looks very handsome, cute, sweet and warm through his role.
Warning! If you are under 18 years old, please do not watch.. because every episode, you'll see some sex scenes with different couple, and not every scene is sweet. It's infidelity everywhere!
Now about the main leads.
I think the most interesting story is about Sakura, Haruto and Takuya. Well.. no one is right since they're having affair.. but I can understand why Sakura get tempted by an angelic Haruto since she's finally getting courage to find her freedom after meet this sweet guy. Besides the couple name is Sakura (a spring flower) and Haru (means Spring) are totally completing each other.
The way this drama make a golden fish as an icon is totally relevant. It's successfuly describe all the house wives situation inside the fishbowl.. and they can't runaway without help. Each of them are desperate to be loved and cared.
I love how this drama can make me be more curious.. I finish watching 8 episode in 1 day.. it's totally worth it.
Get ready to be angry, upset, headache with Takuya as lowly husband.. I can't understand the way he love his wife by getting affair with many women.. like his neighboor, his subordinate, even his friend's wife. Like WTH is wrong with him. And how crazy he try to control his wife until did some domestic violence.
Luckily there is Haruto... a hero in the rainy day... he come at the right moment.. he is offering a warmest hug, sweet smile and extra care... No wonder Sakura fall into his embrace. Besides.. he is young, energetic and ikemen (handsome).. who can resist this temptation?? Lol.
The past story that makes Haruto is kinda obsess with Sakura after they meet again is a little bit make sense, but not that strong enough.. maybe I'm expecting a situation in the past that will be more dramatic and complicated... but this is just a mini series drama..so it's already good enough.
Now let's talk about the ending.
It's an open ending. But I guess there's some clue that showing the main leads (Sakura and Haruto) go back together...
In the last 5 minutes, they show us Haruto stop by in convenience store and grab 1 mineral water (probably for himself) and 1 highball beer (it's Sakura's favorite), and he rush back to his car like gotta leave somewhere. Meanwhile, Sakura is alone in the beach while smiling.. seems like she is waiting for someone.
I assume they're going to meet again after 2 years (as they ever made promise to watch the fireworks there together someday). At least this is the reality that I wish can be happen. Since I'm rooting for this couple so much.
Besides, Sakura finally divorce with her husband, and manage her own salon (reaching her dream). She finally can leave Takuya but still maintain a good relationship. I'm a bit panic for a moment that Sakura will choose Takuya.. Because if I were Sakura.. I will never forgive and get back to the crazy husband eventhough he get his lesson and be better at the end. Standing applause to the drama production because I almost believe that Sakura will choose Takuya over Haruto.. like seriously? But thankfully she still choose to seperate, and be brave to stand alone while chasing her own dream independently.
The ending shows a good ending for others couple too. If you are 18+, I strongly recommend this drama..and you'll love Haruto so much! He is kind and lovable!
Gun chan acting as Haruto is no joke.
Love the main lead couple so much. It's only 8 episodes.. s you can finish it in 1 day.
I will not talk too much about other couple since every couple has their own struggle, and it's quite satisfying result for some of them... and everyone is getting back with their own husband. It's kinda annoy me to see some "fetish" scenes and also how they describe every housewives are not satisfy with their own husband, so they're runaway to find another happiness through a secret affair. However it's totally make sense.. it's realistic.
I hope there will be an extra episode or special movie for Sakura and Haruto.. even just 15 minutes... I wish to see them reunite again and get married, also have kids. Probably Haruto can run his father business and maintain his store as well. He deserve to be rich! LOL.
P.S. I love the drama ost. The song is romantic and so wonderful!
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Learnt something
Just watch it.Enjoy it.
Learn something.
But be careful dear
"WHAT YOU WISH FOR".
Some stories tell us what struggles are
Some say it's not just revenge that is needed.
We should try hard to achieve our goals.
And sometimes we strive do hard, but in the end our hands seems empty.
Easy ways are temporarily and tempting.
Easy ways are not for free.
People debated on who is the main protagonist.
But funnily the story is not just protagonist. But it's us who are playing the main role.
And our dear witch is just a catalyst in making us to achieve our goals faster.
There is Jin
jins mom,
jins moms mom
And two very wonderful helper.
And many many characters.
Each one representing" us".
And mainly there is 🌳
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===================
A 17-year story in the making (don't take it literally) with a very grim and dark start that anyone can be easily be turned off. But as you progress through the series, you will realize that it is less about the action taken by Tharnnam, but rather the effect it left for the people around her. It branches out to the other characters that was once touched by Tharnnam and her "never-met-younger-brother".
The approach of the taboo of suicide is unique and doesn't really focus on the ugly side of but rather humanizes what Tharnnam went through both the good and bad. You will ask "why", "what happened" a lot! But no worries, the writing is superb and was able to answer all of those that you will feel relieve after you finished the series. Yes, there are also a lot of heart-wrenching, tear-jerking moments, but, I tell you, all those tears will not be wasted.
You might think that this series is a love drama. Not entirely true. Yes, it may be the main reason why the whole story started, but it will take you for ride in the dynamics of family relationships and sacrifices we make may it for love, friendship or for a family member.
While Tonmai is the only selfless person in the series, which he was tempted at one point to be not, is able to stay consistent with his personality. And I almost forget Mr. Tai. He did everything for Tharnnam in his own capacity. But the rest, Tharnnam, Chet, On, Pana and Tee was selfish at one point in their own respective way. The people around Tonmai is shrouded with lies and secrets. It took Tonmai and Tharnnam's collective effort to shed those layers and at the end is a very very beautiful set of characters that you will forget that once in the series, you might have dislike him and/or her. The revelations will help each character's growth from being one-dimensional to having another side or face. that makes the characters matured in their own respective ways.
The plot has no sharp turns that will leave you dumbfounded. It is constant increasing with revelations here and there but those are integral part of the story, the questions you might have in your minds, and I promise, you will appreciative every single one of them after they are answered.
ACTOR/CAST
===================
Pluem is definitely carries the series in the sense that he is the center of it all with Mild as the catalyst for the other cast members to interact with each other.
Pluem with his demeanor as cute, vulnerable, non-confronting looks fits perfectly for his character as Tonmai as the one that is the most emotionally beaten up in this series. His crying scenes are impeccable. Imagine crying while delivering your lines, relaying the emotion you want to project and sniffling while he do those! Always, always, that when he starts to cry, my eyes become watery too.
Mild as Tharnnam, comparing her role as Sandee in Kiss Me Again is totally a different take on her looks and acting. And seeing the trailer in the upcoming "3 Will Be Free", surely, her looks and acting are noteworthy. In KMA, you can see her as the bossy type girl around her friends and in 3 Will Be Free, she takes a role that is a different "boss". Her being Tharnnam is totally on a different league which she performs quite amazingly too!
All the support characters are effective in their respective roles. From their reactions to facial expressions is a perfect match to what he/she is saying at the time. There was no cringe-worthy scene that you will be left like "Err, i think she/he could have acted this way instead", or am I just too consumed with what is happening while I was watching? I could see Chimon (young Pana), when becomes older is the old Pana here. I guess with the lips and eyes. And that is what I call a great casting.
SONG
===================
The opening musical score for each episode, though the sad version/tune of "Happy Birthday", sets the mood in what you are about to watch.
The song played in the walkman is Kong's song in SOTUS, brings back memories too.
Episode 13, the emotinally heaviest episode with a number of songs will take your watching experience into a different level without realizing it, your tears are falling.
REWATCH VALUE
===================
This is what I find hard for series that start with a big mystery at the beginning; and once the mystery is solved, there is no real value in watching it again since you know how the story will unfold. But if you want to relive or perhaps shed a couple of tears, you will definitely will watch this again, and very soon!
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This review may contain spoilers
Give it a chance
! There Might Be Spoilers !Yes, there are no spice scenes at all, and yes, there is no kissing (the little one while Hem was asleep, doesn't count)
But I think everyone should watch this series at least once.
This is a MAJOR SLOW BURN, so don't go in expecting anything else. With that being said, there is a lot to it, honestly, the underlying message that the series gives overall.
The whole series is stunning, the secenry was enough to make me watch but the tension that Fifa and Hem give off was enough to make me stay, there is no spicy scenes at all or even kissing and I kept yelling "Just kiss already" may times in the last episode but after thinking about it, it doesn't need all of that, the tension between the two was some of the best in any Thai BL's.
It's easy to forget that we don't need heavy spice scenes to make a good series. I think if you're reading this and on the fence about watching it, give it a chance because I believe you will be missing out on a fantastic series.
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Ok I'm going to try to make this short...
So plot wise this story was a very heavy melodrama but for me it wasn't overpowering like most melodramas. It had a different feeling to me. A bittersweet feeling. It always felt as though even during the happy moments there were hard ones.
Yes this drama is painful to watch. It's a story of a forbidden love filled with heartbreak. What can you expect? I loved every single second of it though.
All of the cast gave of this real and raw energy. The emotions that they expressed just felt so real...
Park Shin Hye was only 16 at the time when she filmed this drama but she was able to portray a adult and someone who was being abused with ease. I was impressed not very many 16 year olds would be able to do what she did.
Lee Wan who I had never heard of before was great. He didn't speak for a large part of the drama but was able to express himself without talking. That's when you know their good actors.
I tried listening to the OST after finishing the drama but I kept on visualizing what had happened. The OST was astounding but I recommend waiting a few days before you start listening to it again.
I gave this a low re-watch value because for me it would be to hard watching this drama again..while knowing what happens.
I would say to everyone go and watch this drama! I highly recommend but do it when you are feeling happy and are in a good place.
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First, let's get the main issue out of the way, I would have liked to see a trans actress in the lead. I think IVAN would have been perfect for this role. But even though I find the choice conflicting, I can't undermine how good the writing is or tear down this step forward, so I'm just putting it out there now.
Miki's story is inter-woven with introspective moments, and it doesn't shy away from showcasing violence, abuse, transphobia and heartbreak. Still, Miki is one tough lady and moves forward with her impeccable fashion style and her identity intact. Her relationship with once High School classmate Goto, who comes to live with her in her apartment, is a delight to see develop, as Goto learns more about Miki and what life is like for her. Goto is an amazing character whose masculinity is strengthened by his vulnerability and his openness.
My props to Sakaguchi Riko because the story handles the subject a lot better than I expected, especially considering it uses the right terms for everything (Miki identifies herself as a lesbian trans woman from the very beginning), something that does not happen usually in Japanese media. It's very common for dramas and variety shows to use the "gay man" umbrella for everything they think fit and trans women sometimes get involved in that. I can't say much about that because it's not my identity to give an opinion on but, from my perspective of an outsider, this drama shows it all very well and the storyline serves to include a lot of related topics, as well as other general identity searches, when it comes to life as a young adult, career, dreams and relationships.
It's a pity that it's just 4 episodes long, I hope we can see more of this series in the future.
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