Reviews

Strong First Strike, but Loses Its Footing in the Last Quarter

Watching this show was an emotional roller coaster ride: in the first three-quarters of the show, the cart climbed higher and higher until it could go no further, limited by the tracks that the writer had laid out for the machine. But then it started its descent, and for me, the train derailed before it reached the station.

It's clear to me that the writer knew exactly where she wanted to go and tried to careful craft a scenario to deliver her message about the elation and tribulations of first loves. For the first part of the show, I was totally engrossed with this plan. The story is told as a flashback of a little girl who read's her mother's diary, and like many other viewers, I was invested in the open question of who the identity of the girl's father - is he the main character of the mother's love story or he is not?! This was a question that kept everyone awake at night when this drama was airing. This was definitely an intentional effect as the series would intentionally omit clear references to the father, going so far as not to even show him on screen and to make dialog ambiguous so that you don't even know his name nor any hints towards his identity. Moreover, it seemed like every little detail of this Kdrama mattered -- it didn't matter if you forgot something, because boy, the writer sure remembered everything, and she often utilized these minutia to extreme emotional and dramatic effect. It was almost a masterpiece.

Almost. For me, the plot past episode 13 took a noticeable decrease in quality: characters started acting in ways that I thought were unearned - the fierce female lead that we had all come to know and love somehow became more passive and willing to give up -- this was a far cry from her "never give up attitude" that had led her to toil so hard to hone her fencing skill. The conscientious, sweet boy who put family and friends above all else suddenly became a workaholic -- he spent most of the first half of the story practicing the little, individual acts of loves for his friends, family, and love interests, and suddenly he's all about sacrificing for the greater good/his career. Yes, people can change, but for me, if we're talking about a television series, we should be shown the change and not have to infer it -- it's just jarring without a proper explanation. Even for side characters, things just started to arbitrarily work out for no discernible reasons - this is a little baffling to me in a story that prided itself on being so clear and clever with the details. The final nail in the coffin for me was dismissing things that we had become so invested in: that mystery we all cared about? Without spoilers, I feel I can safely say: it turns out it's irrelevant. Put simply, it felt like a slap in the face as if we were intentionally manipulated only to increase ratings and not for story purposes.

I don't believe that a story necessarily needs to have a happy end nor needs to have a sad end to be great. But I just feel this Kdrama did not execute its ending in a way that I felt was earned. It pains me to say: this Kdrama started as a 10/10 for me, but quickly destroyed my faith in it with just 3 measly episodes, to the point that I actually think it did the whole story a disservice. There were so many unanswered questions, that I think either the show needed a few more episodes to flesh things out or it needed less episodes to tell a complete tale without the feeling that something is missing. Either way, I can't help but feel there was a missed opportunity here. It's just such a shame.

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The Ten Commandments of KBLs

These are the commandments that have been handed down to us by the gods of Korean BLs. They shall be the commandments by which any present and all future KBLs may be judged. (N. B. See below for an explanation of my ratings.)

1. Thou shalt not kiss. Thou shalt not, in any meaningful sense of that word, "kiss". Thou mayst, however, press thy lips against another man’s as thou wouldst a leper’s.

2. Thou shalt not utter the word ‘gay’. For it is a sin. Thou mayst love another man, but if any man shall ask of thee if thou dost, thou mayst answer, “I like not men, I like only you.”

3. Thou shalt refrain from all carnal desires. For it is a sin. The submissive shall resist all attempts at intimacy, and the dominant may not pursue the submissive unless it is known that all his attempts shall prove fruitless. (Aptly mayst thou call this 'ironical'.)

4. Thou shalt respect the difference in height between the dominant and the submissive. Six inches will suffice, a foot too much, three inches too little. As below, so above.

5. Remember thou that there exist only three acceptable settings for a KBL. School, university, and office. For these do encompass all of life. Thou shalt invest thy characters in white jackets with blue borders if at school, leather jackets and hooded sweaters at university, and ill-fitted suits for work.

6. Remember thou that there exist only three acceptable plots for a KBL. Friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, and (adopted) brothers to lovers. Thou shalt entertain no other plots besides these.

7. Thou shalt employ no actor that is not thin, wanting of water, and starved for nutriments. The actors must have defined chests, six (or better yet, eight) pack abdominals, and flawless skin. Thou mayst coat the skin with three inches of wall paint to whitewash all flaws.

8. The writer shall inscribe in each tale at least one instance of timejump, forced separation or miscommunication. The unimaginative shall employ all three.

9. Thou shalt choose from among the following ornaments at least three to embellish thy tale: the slipping towel, the towel bath, an accidental fall or catch, sleeping-beauty false-kiss, somnolent confession, gentle lock-of-hair restoration, alcoholic amnesia, and rain-born fever.

10. Thou shalt by no means indicate homophobia in thy tale — in this, our most homophobic realm — unless it furthereth thy plot and our cynical purpose. Friends and family shall be universally supportive, unless it force a separation between thy characters. Remember thou always that this is a world of pandering fantasy, not reality.

Biblical Proportions:
Commandments Broken: 1 (!!!).
Commandments Obeyed: 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

Ratings:
*For the first commandment broken, I'll add a whole extra star. Again, what?!? They're allowed to do this in KBLs?
*For each of the commandments obeyed, I'll deduct half a point from the story, which brings it down to 1.
*I'll give the cast a 6, purely because I'm in love with Jung Jae Bin. But because I didn't get to see him shirtless, one point deducted. As for Jeon Yu Bin, did he have to look so constipated all the time?
*Was there music in this show? I don't remember.
*I'll give 6 stars for 'rewatch value', because I'm going to watch that kiss over and over and over again.

Reader's Digest:
DO SAY: I am the Lord, thy God.
DON'T SAY: Thou shalt lie with mankind as with womankind. That is love. Scratch that. That's fucking sexy.

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You can't write a creative ending .. just kill the ML

I just can't wrap my mind around this trend of killing ML in the end of short drama ... I mean for number of ML killed like this so far makes me wonder if there 's any man left alive in china. Ridiculous right ??? So is the screen writing. They write tragic ending to the dramas where it's not even necessary. Stupid writers .
Anyways drama is okay .. we have a nice, strong, independent FL here, reborn after husband's betrayal. Dai gao's character has his own plan to reach her .. after a lot of understanding and misunderstanding they come together. . further misunderstandings she felt betrayed and dumps him .. in the end he dies saving her. (Thank you)

PS: I am thinking of keeping a copy of this review and paste it for all the shows on same plot.. it will save me days of my precious time.

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Harbin is the historical fictional retelling of the assassination of Japanese Resident-General Itō Hirobumi and the events that led to it. Told from the perspective of An Jung Geun, one of the activists in Korean Independence army, the movie depicts a chain of events that led to the planning of the assassination. The film features themes of war, espionage, and political plotting. That being said, the first half was boring. It struggles with pacing issues, bogged down by way too many characters who fail to leave a lasting impression despite the star-studded cast. It's filled with boring scenes of men discussing, planning, and excessively smoking in a dark room. This slow buildup feels tedious, making it difficult to invest in the story or its players.

The second half becomes more thrilling as the plan to assassinate General Ito comes into fruition. It is packed with more action and suspense. There's a race against time to reach the general, while Japanese soldiers are riding on their coattails. One thing I loved is how they depicted the inner conflict of one of the characters. The film takes a nuanced approach to representing certain historical figures. General Itō Hirobumi is depicted as a complex individual rather than a one-dimensional villain. The movie even managed to mention some of his accomplishments. In contrast, the Japanese Army is depicted as cruel, inhumane, and barbaric.

The climax was intense. There was great use of sound editing and mixing to capture the thrill and suspense of the moment. Overall, this patriotic film is a great one time watch. I don't think I'll be watching again unless I'm a huge fan of war or historical films.

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Exceeded expectation

I started this drama with no expectations at all. It turned out to be one of the few dramas I didn’t drop and watched till the end.

The main leads have amazing chemistry!! First time watching ML and I was very impressed by his acting and micro expressions (plus point he is sooo good looking and a cutie :P). I hope he will get more main roles in the future.

The supporting roles (classmates, ML father, FL parents, teachers) are great too. I love that the story didn’t only focus on the main leads and touched on other character’s story (i.e. teachers and classmates). Overall, a drama worth watching and (somewhat) satisfying ending,

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Oh, what can I say about this movie! It had so many elements to it that made it so wonderful. It was very heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time. It really gives a nice view on what family can really mean and people who have hard lives. Even though some would say that the storyline is not something very possible, it is. I've had people in my lifetime that I know go through similar situations as Jae Soo and his Mom, so it really made me feel somewhat attached to this movie and imprinted it in my mind. Although... I would have loved for it to have a different ending... I think if the movie didn't have the ending it did, then the movie would not quite be what it is and it wouldn't have the same meaning.

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Be careful when you comment on the internet

In only five episodes, this series managed to touch upon cyber bullying, which is a very sensitive topic, in a very delicate and realistic way. The series focuses on Papang, a top student, who is famous in her school, especially through her social media account. One day Papang takes her own life and the series portrays the happenings that led her to that decision.
The Comments deal with the impact that social media have on our lives and how our false social media persona can devour our true selves. The series is a social commentary, about the things that people post online with the sole purpose of judging another human being, without thinking or caring about the consequences. It also deals with the hate comments that celebrities receive and how much they can affect them. The acting is really good throughout the series and I would recommend it to anyone interested in this subject. However, it is not that easy to watch, especially the last episode, so take this into consideration. I liked the fact that I was able to read the comments that the viewers made, while watching the series on YouTube. In that way it is even more impactful, because even though the characters are fictional, the situation was very realistic and the comments were concerning to say the least.
What I loved most about the series, is how the character of Papang is depicted. She is not just the victim of cyber bullying and she is not there to play that role. Papang made some selfish decisions, humiliated her friends and she definitely wasn't the most likable character ever. She was inconsiderate about her friends and maybe if she acted in another way, everything would have turned out differently. However, Papang was also a human being with her own feelings and she didn't deserve the hateful comments she got, no matter how she acted. She didn't deserve to lose her life like that and she definitely didn't deserve to feel that hopeless. This series is about the complexity of human emotions that can lead people to extreme actions. The moral is that social media can be used in a harmful, but also in a helpful way. There is always a choice and in the end it is our own decision if we will use them to hurt or help others.

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Don't give up after the first Eps, it gets better!

1. Story
First of all, I'm really into business dramas and I don't mind business talk at all - I have alredy read that there was going to be a whole lot of business in the storyline, yet I need to say that still I was surprised about how much it actually made up of the story. I almost dropped it after Ep.4 - but I didn't, which was definitely a good choice!!!
I really enjoyed the story behind though, but some cases were way too draggy, for example the very first one with Wan JiaHe, which didn't need to take up that many Eps as it did. But all in all, the storyline develops very well, expecially in the second half (!!).
I've read reviews where people found the love story between the first lead couple too much of "back and forth", but to me, honestly, it didn't feel that way. Yes, there COULD'VE been less of it, but nothing relly felt like it was forced to me, and regarding the fact that this drama has 40 Eps, the "back and forth"s were needed to keep the story going.

2. Characters
Well, finally a drama where I enjoyed every female character! No clumsy, childish characters - instead we got smart, strong and independent women - not only the first and second lead (Lin Wo & Alisa), but also Sun Miao and even Zheng WanYing (though she was indeed getting a lot on my nerves in the first half haha).
What also surprised me in a good way was the second lead couple: They were not "only" supporting roles, but each had their own stories - really nice to watch! And I loooved Su Yuan, he developed to such a nice character and became really enjoyable to watch :)
Also a big praise to the stylists! I loved the outfits, especially Lin Wo's business outfits, and needless to talk about Hu YiTian in suits.. ;)

3. Acting & Cast
To me, the first lead couple didn't miss any chemistry, besides they look really well together.
I am really impressed with Qiao Xin's (Lin Wo's) crying scenes, they looked very real to me - except some scenes around the end where it was a bit too much for me - but I could get the emotions she was trying to portray.

The music was nothing special to me, but it did what it should and matched the scenes very well.

All in all, a drama worth watching if you don't mind too much business! Personally, the second half was way better than the first, so I'd recommend everyone to just "bear" some scenes in order to get to the more interesting parts!
The story is indeed a more mature one, the drama contains some dark scenes, facing such topics like suicide and family problems; the love story of the first leads is also more mature (which was definitely pretty enjoyable to me!).
( Little plus: Lots of slap scenes of Gao Shan (Hu YiTian), really entertaining to watch.. I love him tho lol)

-- very small spoiler --
.. aaand last: Yes, I get why everyone is hating so hard on Bei XiaoRong, but honestly.. Wasn't it already pretty obvious that he is not gonna win over Gao Shan? :) So why not lean back and enjoy some more drama in the making..? ;))

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It was fun , emotional and I enjoyed it

OH MY SHAYLA !!! MOON YANG 🥀 ( movie leans more towards friendship than romance.)

Pretty Crazy is fun, lighthearted

-The focus wasn’t heavy on romance; it was more about the fun moments and the unique emotional connection with the demon side of Seon Ji.
-I felt he has a crush on seon ji but I don't think they really had many conversation that would lead to deep feelings,, It was more of an admiration towards each other
-If you’re expecting a deep romance, you won’t really find it here .. the story leans more on chaos and comedy.( emotional depth is also there )
- I did feel bad for the demon inside her,, she was so innocent ..
-Nevertheless That said, it isn’t flawless... Also, while I really enjoyed the first watch, I don’t think the rewatch value is very high once you know the secret and the ending, the charm doesn’t hit as hard ( but ofc people can have diff likings )

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This was so brilliant I wanted more

3 short stories, each tackling various different issues (which I won't disclose), each of which were brilliant. It was like art, you got to watch it to understand it and appreciate it.

What makes this a must watch:

- Brilliant acting
- Great use of music at high points (and lack of)
- Brilliant writing - both dialogue and script (it was both natural and yet at the same time, so intriguing.. like the ideas the show tackled blew my mind. How did the writer think of those and how they executed it.. so so brilliant)
- Great execution; this could not have been pulled off without great direction and screenplay. An example would be the way his supernatural power was depicted with the different sized books and detailing in the books

I love the little details like how the ML wore the same clothes throughout.. I don't know how to explain it but it gave this feel of intimacy - like how we were watching his world through his mind the way he read others' minds.

I wanted each story / concept to be explored more but I guess the shortness also added to the charm? It's like the show was teasing you with these concepts and giving you the bare minimum, then leaving that with you to ponder on...

The only thing I would say that this drama really lacked was exploring the ML's eccentricity. We got to know him through the stories but I wish we saw more of what made him the way he was, the kind of mangas he wrote, and why he was so recluse..

I hope we'll get a 2nd season? Or the writer deciding to make more of such short stories because the show definitely deserved more time and has so much more to tell.

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This actually started out amazing. The story was very interesting, though not scary, and it quickly became clear who the main characters were up against. By the time that Jin Hee was kidnapped, the drama went downhill really fast, to the point that I didn't want to watch the rest of the episodes and was not curious about the ending at all. Jin Hee and her husband don't act like a married couple, but more like distant acquaintances who just happen to share an apartment. He wasn't losing his mind when he heard that his wife was kidnapped.
The kidnappers had been doing this whole kidnap-beat-kill routine for a while, but they magically forgot to take away Jin Hee's bag which contained her cell-phone with the tracking app. That was so outrageous that it just put me off everything. The kidnappers kill everyone they kidnap but they let the private investigator go for some reason?? And didn't anticipate that he'd go and rat them out to the police?
Shaman Jin Kyung went down very easily, for a powerful shaman. The whole crumpled, twisted body thing was creepy the first time but it just made me bored the second time. Sung Dong Il did a good job in the first half of the show, but somehow I just couldn't continue to see him as an evil guy towards the end. And what is up with that end? All that So Jin can do is curse and kill folk, so how the heck did she manage to somehow unite the Inugami in her own body and drag it out of the Forest app? I don't even know what happened in the last episode and I am not the least bit curious.
I also wonder how Chairman could kill people after looking at their picture once, but he didn't do it immediately with So Jin? Why does he lose his energy when he does it? how come his power is different from So Jin's?
Too many potholes and such a lost potential. The acting was good though.

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Having been wow-ed by Ken Theeradeth in 'Neung Nai Suang (2005)' despite not liking the overall plot-premise of the show, I went on a Ken Theeradeth hunting spree and chose to settle for the non-slap/kiss romantic comedy that is 'Oum Rak'. Fantastic choice!

STORY (No spoilers)
In the 'Fated To Love You' style cliche of having main leads being thrown together through an intoxicated 'one-night-stand' which leads to pregnancy and all the resulting drama that comes with two unprepared parents-to-be, this show can be quite dramatically funny with occasional touches of poignancy.

There were comedic situations for our main leads but that was mainly during the first one-third of the show. The remaining two-thirds were surprisingly rather grounded and warmly heart-tugging as our main leads settled into an agreement to see through the pregnancy process together. This show is more involved in showing viewers the changes and stages a mother goes through during a pregnancy, more than any other show I've seen which involves this trope. I don't know about you, but this was really one of the best parts of the drama, for me.

I absolutely loved seeing how Rachen (Chen) quickly stuck right in and transformed from being an impulsive man-child into a dedicated, caring and responsible man through it all. He embodied your modern metrosexual man in that he not only didn't mind, but actually wanted to know all about what a woman goes through during pregnancy. He took pains to read, learn and get as involved in the process as he possibly could, and nothing was too squeamish or personal for him - from breast pains to morning sickness to foot massages and ante-natal classes. This guy is just such a precious sweetheart from start to finish!

On the other side though, you have the aggressive and hot-tempered Napat's detached and annoyed reaction at the whole pregnancy thing. She didn't want the baby, knew it would hamper her modelling and acting career, and she behaved exactly as someone who didn't want to get pregnant but had little choice but to suck it up and see the whole thing through - ill-tempered, quarrelsome, reckless and uncaring.

The difference in attitudes and in the characters between the would-be parents, and to have the male/ father being by far the more dedicated one of the pair, is a surprising but interesting twist to your average pregnancy trope. I liked this change in dynamic and I loved how this show so excellently depicts it. I'm glad to say that Napat eventually grows more emotionally engaged as her pregnancy advances, and with that comes another change in the relationship dynamic, which was another compelling watch.

What I thought was another good thing about this show is that a lot of the emotional heft and moments come from the agreement and arrangement which the main leads have settled amongst themselves. What was thought of as a good and suitable arrangement slowly grew fangs and they were gradually feeling the bite of it as time passed. For me, some of the best emotional moments in the show was when both leads were individually feeling that bite themselves. How nice is it that bulk of the conflict and issue within the drama was one of the main leads' own making, rather than a third-party interference?

And on that note, yes, of course this is a tv drama, so you will always have interfering third-parties, but for me, their interference was really of the pot-stirring kind, rather than the bomb-chucking sort. There were no real villains here - just interested parties trying to stir up an already rather finely-balanced situation. But those pot-stirrings didn't really last that long (another great thing about this show). The main leads generally know where their priorities should be and they are rather good at keeping their focus on the right ball. Seriously, how many shows are like this? Love it!

We do have a couple of other side stories running alongside the main couple. Both are secondary couples also trying to have a baby and finding it a lot harder than our main couple (who basically just hit the jackpot in one sitting). Both couples have very different dynamics in dealing with this, and I also liked seeing this difference. One is there for comic relief/ humour, while the other is more heart-wrenching. I thought both were lovely complements to the main coupling, even if the comedic couple were often a bit over-board in their characterisations.


ACTING/ CAST
The supporting cast and the secondary couplings were generally solid. Aside from the two second leads who were pretty one-note i.e. Mark (who is interested in Napat) and Jasmine (who is interested in Rachen), the other supporting characters and secondary couples had distinct personalities and motivations which made them more emotionally relatable, at least for me. I particularly liked Rachen's family unit and their portrayal through the show.

JAYME BOOHER as Anna, Napat's best friend (whom I also recognised as playing the rather annoying second lead female in 'Neung Nai Suang'), was great in her portrayal of Napat's BFF. She is what every BFF should be like - entirely supportive through thick and thin from buying pregnancy test kits to arranging doctor visits to lending a listening ear and offering sound advice. She was a huge advocate of Rachen having rights as the baby's father too, and made every effort to keep our main leads together - something I whole-heartedly supported. Her portrayal here is very different from that in 'Neung Nai Suang', but she pulls both off well.

ANNE THONGPRASOM as Napat (Pat). She did not impress me that much in the first few episodes - partially due to her character's arrogant and abrasive personality, and partially due to her looks which were not to my personal taste.
But she grew on me as an actress, especially when her character started to take her pregnancy more seriously and when she also started to reflect on her relationships and her future with her baby. Anne was able to show a lot more range and emotions when the show progressed, which was really wonderful to see. It is not an easy task to show conflicted internal turmoil (the hallmark of any good actor/ actress is whether they can pull this off well, for me), and Anne nailed her scenes here. She was able to show Napat slowly evolve and mature from your selfish and prideful woman into one who has learned to love and to seriously consider how to balance her future of career vs baby. She had her insecurities, hang-ups and doubts too which played a part in her making some of the decisions she chose to make, but there is no denying that her character had evolved through the show, and that Anne was able to show that progression all the way.

KEN THEERADETH as Rachen (Chen). What can I say? I was amazed and impressed by his portrayal of Anawat in 'Neung Nai Suang', and here he plays a very different character in Rachen and he nailed it once again. This guy has officially won me over for his stellar acting prowess and for his charming smile.
Rachen is a very different character from Anawat. While Anawat was in essence a gentleman of his time, Rachen is your modern day cocky and temperamental man. He is impulsive, loud and emotionally driven.
Unlike Anne's Napat, Rachen's emotional outbursts come across more childish than annoyingly offensive, and I think this is something only Ken can pull off. He can make a dislikable character, or dislikable character traits, less dislikable for some reason. I think it is a combination of his looks (yes, being that handsome helps a great deal), and his ability to imbue subtle nuances to his character's looks and actions.

Ken has great expressive ability and this show gives him lots of opportunity to showcase it. There is a lot of playfulness and cheekiness on show here (which is just great because Ken's smiles are so lovely, and his comic expressions hilarious), but there is also plenty of internal doubts and disappointments too. His character's earnestness in wanting to be involved in every aspect of the pregnancy process is also just too adorable and sweet for words.
Best of all, Rachen, like Napat, grows and matures throughout the series and from the man-child he was at the start, he slowly grows to be a man who takes his responsibilities seriously and carries them as best as he possibly can. This evolution was also wonderfully portrayed here.
In short, Ken plays every aspect of Rachen like a maestro and best of all, he makes it all look so effortless and natural.

This is my first time seeing Ken/Anne and I can't deny that Ken's chemistry here with Anne is a lot better than that with Janie in 'Neung Nai Suang'. Perhaps it is also Anne's acting ability (she is head and shoulders above Janie from what I've seen so far) because Anne is able to emote a lot better and so perhaps Ken is able to capitalise on that and also bring out more ability from his side. Or maybe they are really comfortable with each other from the start.
Whatever it is, I can see why they make a great on-screen couple. Their acting is very balanced between them - when one is being over-the-top, the other is equally over-the-top, but when one is being quietly emotional, the other can also be equally quietly emotional. There is a very good and equal balance when they both interact on-screen so both characters develop memorable and individual personalities that play off each other well and none are really completely overshadowed by the other.


MUSIC
I loved the background music and the sound effects on this show. I thought it really added to the tone and mood of each scene, and even though I don't understand Thai and the meaning behind the vocals of the songs, the melody is still a nice scene and mood setter.


RE-WATCH VALUE
Yes, definitely re-watchable, even if it is just for Ken's cute smiles and adorable sweetheart actions. A brilliant romantic comedy - it brings on the laughs but it also brings along the feels. Honestly, it has been a long time since my heart was so emotionally touched during some of the poignant and emotionally-driven scenes, and 'Oum Rak' has now become one of my favourite romantic-comedies.

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