Four True Gods in Three Realms!
Must-watch for Xianxia lovers!!I always have a soft spot on Chinese Xianxia dramas since Ashes of Love. I always spare my time to watch Xianxia dramas. Since this drama and the cast was announced, I was super excited and highly anticipated. I even read the novel so I could get better understanding in stories and characters.
Trust me, this did not disappoint me at all. This is a masterpiece, kinda different than other Xianxia.
The plot is so original and unique. It set in God Realm which was ruled by The Four True Gods. Our FL is Shang Gu, Leader of Four True Gods. She sacrificed herself in a trial for 60,000 years. Bai Jue, Our ML come up with a master plan to save her and to be sacrificed himself.
The storyline is bittersweet but fruitful and exceptional in every aspects. Don't worry! It has happy ending. You will experience a beautiful and emotional journey until the end.
The directing and writing are all excellent. The cinematography and CGI is hands down the best among Xianxia dramas. The fight scenes and visual movements are top-notch.
THE STORY: It was so excellent and well-executed. The writers knows how to make a perfect Xianxia in 49 episodes, which usually work on more number of episodes. Everything is on point, the story does not drag or rush in every way. It happens just in time when it need to happen.
THE CAST/ACTING:
The casting team choose the ensemble cast with outstanding acting abilities. Everyone in this drama performed so well in their roles. There is no acting hole at all (this is crazy) because their acting seems really natural, nothing was out of place.
Zhou Dong Yu: She is known as the Movie Queen of China, with many deserving awards and records. But, since I haven't watched any Chinese movies before, I only watched dramas, I was not familiar with her. This is my very first time watching her acting performance. Now, I know the reason why she is called as the Acting Queen. Her acting is on next level, way ahead of Chinese famous drama actresses. The way she emotes is not like the other. She can really act. She shows the best acting performance among any female lead in Xianxia dramas. Zhou Dong Yu rocks both as Shang Gu and Houchi.
Xu Kai: I am a huge fan of Xu Kai since the Legends and Arsenal Military Academy. I know his strengths and weaknesses as an actor. He always works hard to improve his acting, now I can say he is upgraded from an idol actor to a quality actor. I'm so proud of how far he comes. He really understand his own characters, to be as Bai Jue/Bo Xuan/Qing Mu, his portrayal is very natural and excellent.
The other supporting actors are all exceptional. The actress who plays as Wu Huan is so amazing.
THE CHEMISTRY:
Zhou Dong Yu and Xu Kai...I wasn't expected much from this coupling at first. But, I was completely on board with them since the first few episodes and was shocked at how well they seemed to be hitting it off together. Their chemistry is on point! Their eyes speak to each other. I'm amazed by their genuine and excellent acting and chemistry.
MUSIC:
The soundtrack was enjoyable and emotional throughout the drama. It works so well with the story. My favorite OSTs are "Chihiro" by A-Lin, "Perseverance" by Ye Xuanqing and "Ju Lian" by Zhou Shen.
CHARACTERS:
All the characters are well-written, even the supporting characters shine here. I'm in love with all the characters:
- Shang Gu/Houchi
- Bai Jue/Bo Xuan/Qing Mu
- Tian Qi
- Hong Ri
- Yuemi
- Feng Ran
- Zhi Yang
- Gu Jun
- Jing Jian
- Zihan
- Yuan Qi.
REWATCH VALUE :
I am sure I will re-watch it many times. It is that great.
OVERALL
This drama is unique, great, captivating, and one of my favorite Chinese Xianxia dramas along with Ashes of Love and Love and Redemption. I am always longing for this kind of drama. Definitely 10/10 for me!
In conclusion, this drama is everything I expect from a xianxia romance. Be prepared to fall in love with the characters, three Realms, their love stories.
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Coming from the same director, producer, channel, screenwriter and the one and only genius novelist Ikeido Jun behind Hanzawa Naoki; you’re bound to expect striking similarities such as the general structure, the business related events, the suspenseful tries to get out of financial troubles, the directing techniques and even the acting style. To many viewers, this may seem like TBS’s desperate tries to follow the footsteps of last year’s mega-hit drama and even re-incarnate its successful ratings. However, Roosevelt Game was able to clearly distinguish itself. This is definitely not another Hanzawa Naoki so do not misjudge this as a copycat.
Roosevelt Game is driven by two main threads: Business management and Baseball. At first glance, you would wonder if those two different themes are able coexist. I had my careful doubts about that matter but colour me surprised! They weren’t only in perfect harmony but they were also smartly written to complement each other which gave the drama a strange yet a very solid balance. The fascinating part is that Aoshima Seisakujo followed similar policies in both company management and sports which made things even more connected and delightful to follow.
This drama excels at building the thrills, you will find yourself at the edge of your seat countless of times. Not to mention the “What the… What the heck was that?” moments. It’s no surprise since this comes from the brilliant novelist Ikeido who’s known of his thought-provoking corporate scripts. The reason why I came to favour the business genre is their highly intriguing scriptwriting and witty dialogues, that part wasn’t any different in here, I was completely satisfied with the financial suspense they built even if the outcome was somewhat predictable. The sports’ part was equally exciting; I never get that feeling unless I am watching a real game or a sports anime. To think that they got me rooting for them out loud is beyond belief.
Acting wise, I have nothing but praise. I never thought that a star-studded cast like this one can go wrong in any way. I was already fascinated by Karasawa Toshiaki in another business oriented drama “Fumo Chitai” and ever since then, I have huge respect towards him. Once again, he drew me to his fearsome ability of turning into an intense actor when his character demands him to. His character was smart, firm and penetrating. Egushi Yosuke’s performance was too mystic; the way his character was written didn’t allow him to show his body language like he’s used to. However, he held an important cryptic character that always attracted attention. Another main character was Kudo Asuka, a young talent that held the realms of the baseball team. He had one memorable performance despite his obvious inferiority to his older seniors mentioned above.
The rest of the cast members were quite fitting for the drama which is nothing out of line for a great business production like this one. Tezuka Toru and Kagawa Teryuki were the better supporting actors. The latter amazed me as usual although I really wished that his talent was exploited further than that. I think this drama is unique due to the human relationships the writer inserted between his characters. The heart-warming events don’t imply that this drama was set in the heartless word of economy and business. That’s definitely a plus point that distinguishes Roosevelt Game from its fellow business oriented productions.
The cinematography was dazzling, literally. The bright colours used for this drama added vivid feeling to the usual sombre business atmosphere. The directing was definitely too similar to Hanzawa Naoki with those famed close-ups and captivating angles. One more thing, that OST was definitely a master’s stroke. That instrumental music was such a perfect fit for this drama’s theme.
Watch if:
-You like highly intriguing dramas.
-You like business/corporate.
-You’re looking for something similar to Hanzawa Naoki but beware, this is definitely different.
-You like sports dramas because baseball was a major part.
Do not watch if:
-You dislike the business theme.
Roosevelt Game is by far, the better written and executed drama of 2014. It contains a daring yet a very successful combination of the merciless world of business and the exciting world of sports. It should be enjoyed for its own benefits. Do yourself a favour, don’t misinterpret this as another Hanzawa Naoki.
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This review may contain spoilers
I was not initially interested in watching this drama. While I love myself a good noona romance, and I love Gong Hyo Jin as an actress, the plot synopsis didn't sound like my thing, so I decided to give this one a pass. But the more I saw and read about the drama as it aired, the more I wanted to watch it, so maybe a month before the story was going to end, I decided to pick it up.Ooooooh my goodness was that a good decision. I liked every character, I liked the murder mystery, I liked the drama's intentional focus on difficult topics, I loooooved the noona romance, but what I liked the most was Dong Baek.
I may be blaspheming a previously viewed and loved drama of mine, but I genuinely think this may be the closest I have ever come to relating to a drama female lead in every single way. Dong Baek's particular life circumstances, single motherhood, child abandonment, running a bar frequented by all the neighborhood men to the chagrin of their wives, none of that speaks to my life. But the way Dong Baek expressed herself, the way she saw herself, the internal sadness and disappointment and bitterness she felt over her life, that was spot on. She is definitely a kindred spirit.
Overall, this drama is a ten for me, from start to finish. I highly recommend it.
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Very sweet, but too slow.
So, I loved the fact that couples were not messed with or manipulated by jealous, bitchy females. I hate that trope and it's far too common these days.This show is cute, sweet and fluffy but excessively slow. There are issues, but they resolve quickly. Most of the issues wouldn't even be blips on the radar of other characters in other shows, which just proves how desperate they were to keep this very soft.
There is minimal character development, growth or change but at least they are good at sharing emotions and hopefully the audience looks at their own lives to find happiness like the characters did.
I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. I did really enjoy certain parts and then was quite bored with others. It was a give and take in that regard. However, if you're looking for a fast, easy watch with little investment then this is perfect.
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I watched this because China banned its release. I was curious and the movie proved worthy of that curiosity. It wasn't great, but it was one undeniably beautiful movie. I love the dialogues. Sometimes the lines are rather poetic. The actors could even tell more of the story even with no words at all. The film seemed to glorify the simplicity of its plot with good writing and actors.
Have an open mind upon watching this film, but don't get too attached. It's just a film after all.
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The entire acting was pretty good to me as it felt real and had managed to bring me into the drama since i was quite hesitant to watch it at first, but the entire cast had me hooked!
Music was fit nicely as it played appropriately and had no weird 'mis-match' of it in each scene.
Re-watching it won't be a problem but the large amount of episode can be quite hindering but if to really re-watch it, it would be an amazing dream again.
Overall, it was really good and it had many sweet and tearful moments.
I recommend everyone to watch it!
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This review may contain spoilers
that life can be meaningful if we’re brave enough to let ourselves be vulnerable.
How do you cope with the loss of a family member? How do you tear down the walls you’ve put up to protect yourself from the outside world without crumbling under the weight of all the pain? And how do you ultimately learn to open up to the world again, and to form new connections and be vulnerable, with the awareness that, one day, they might leave too? Screened in competition at the 2021 Torino Film Festival, Aloners (Hon-ja-sa-neun Sa-ram-deul) deals with these and many more themes, from the struggles to process grief to the ghosts of the past that still weigh on our shoulders; from all the repressed anger that comes from a lifetime of buried emotions to the need to set boundaries with toxic family members; from how difficult it is to reach out and ask for help to the universal truths we keep hidden, such as the fact that life is often devoid of meaning and that we don’t really enjoy being alone all that much. Aloners is filmmaker Hong Sung-eun‘s (also the film’s writer and editor) feature directorial debut, but you absolutely wouldn’t think it was, judging by the complexity of its themes and by the sensitivity of a screenplay that effortlessly draws you in, crafting an atmosphere that is drenched in intrigue, mystery, emotion, and subtle irony.The film centres on Jina (Gong Seung-yeon, also in her feature debut), a woman in her late twenties who leads a repetitive (and highly relatable) existence: Jina works at a call centre, where she spends her time apologising to entitled clients who are often in the wrong, ignoring their insults, and accommodating their absurd requests. On her way back to her apartment, she walks on her own, her eyes glued to her mobile phone. At home, she lives by herself, and avoids interactions with her neighbours. She eats her dinner on her bed while watching TV and falls asleep not long after that, only to wake up the following day and have the exact same experience over and over again. In fact, not only has Jina managed to survive such a monotonous lifestyle for so long, but she’s also become exceptionally good at it: she’s currently the top employee at her workplace, due to how many phone calls she manages to answer (and endure) each day. But there’s a reason why Jina is so successful at being alone: quite simply, she has lost all interest in having interactions with others, be it her neighbours, her coworkers, or even her own family. Instead, she has chosen a life of seclusion and embraced the fact that her existence has no meaning.
But Jina isn’t the only “aloner” in the film. Her father (Park Jung-hak, of The Land of the Waves) also lives on his own, due to Jina’s mother’s recent passing, which left him a widower. His way of coping with his wife’s death is the opposite of Jina’s: he spends his days attending religious functions and turning his daughter into a scapegoat, guilttripping her into keeping him company and unloading all his guilt onto her to avoid facing the fact that he wasn’t present enough in his wife’s life. Also alone are Jina’s neighbours, a mysterious young man (Kim Mo-Beom) who attempts in vain to have a conversation with her every morning until he dies in mysterious circumstances, and a new neighbour, Seonghun (Seo Hyun-Woo, of A Taxi Driver), who rents the former resident’s apartment after his passing, and who’s temporarily on his own because his girlfriend believes his new flat to be haunted.
And then there’s Sujin (played by newcomerJung Da-Eun), a new employee at the call center that Jina has been given the task to train, and who keeps trying to befriend our protagonist, having just moved to Seoul from Chuncheon, where all her friends are. Through all these figures, not only does director Hong Sung-eun alert us of just how many people are living alone nowadays – so much so that the Korean term holojok has been coined to describe the people in the country who “prefer to be left on their own,” but also presents us with a story with more than one protagonist, each with their own distinct lives and points of view, and each with their own truths to keep hidden.
And there are quite a lot of unexpected things happening in Aloners, some more puzzling than others. There are tensions at Jina’s workplace, even more so after the balance is altered by the arrival of Sujin, as the newcomer’s enthusiasm and curiosity clash with the disillusionment of seasoned call centre workers who stopped trying to find any meaning or enjoyment in their job a very long time ago. There’s a demanding boss (Kim Hannah, of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) who can still relate to her employees, underneath it all, and there’s a neverchanging routine that is turned upside down the moment Sujin arrives, bearing gifts that will come to assume different connotations later in the film. But there’s a lot more than that. There are wills that don’t make sense, people who secretly spy on others but aren’t able to communicate without placing or receiving blame, and people who are trying their hardest to open up to others but don’t know how. And then there are things that might or might not be happening in places that may or may not be haunted, mentally ill time machine-builders who might actually be geniuses, and people who are gone but still very much present in the memory of others.
Even that description doesn’t do Aloners justice, as there is just so much condensed into the film’s 91 minutes screentime, and Hong Sung-eun’s assured direction and delicate writing ensures we are always shown, not told not just what happens in the film, but also what remains unsaid. Different viewers will get a different message out of the film, depending on their own experiences and mindsets as they go into the screening. There’s social commentary on modern life, as you might expect, but there are also moments of irony and mystery to keep you entertained, as well as fantastic performances by Gong Seung-yeon and Jung Da-Eun that will haunt you long after the credits roll. There’s the occasional twist you won’t see coming, and there’s a very well-crafted, complex father-daughter relationship that perfectly encompasses the kind of baggage that affects our every interaction with our family members. Aloners is a film about processing grief, learning to let someone go, and letting yourself feel, with the awareness that, once all the walls you’ve put up are broken and your defences are gone, there’s no going back.
Yet, to me, the film is first and foremost about the burden we all silently share as human beings, and the kinds of truths that often remain unsaid just because it would tarnish the facade we’ve spent all these years perfecting. We have become so accustomed to not having a reaction when someone hurts us, apologising when we should be insisting on being treated with respect, and defending ourselves when we should be apologising that we’ve forgotten how to be vulnerable, and how to accept ourselves for who we are. Most of all, we’ve forgotten that we’re all alone, underneath it all, and that every single one of us shares the same fears and uncertainties. By taking on a journey with Jina and the other “aloners,” the film ultimately shows us that honesty and acceptance are the answers, and that, if we are brave enough to share our baggage with the right people, we might be able to find this existence of ours a little more meaningful, after all.
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This review may contain spoilers
A plot written by real life.
Brilliant. I can go into rhapsodies about “Citizen of a Kind.” About the well made KMovie. About the authentic and stirringly positive energy that the film conveys. (And this despite the fact that the issue dealt with is shocking, cruel and profoundly mean right up to the end.) About the wonderful heroine, who is convincingly portrayed by Ra Mi-ran. About the true heroine in real life, who actually made this story come to life. About the haunting production, which, despite the captivating story and many touching, even quite brutal scenes, still has the touch of a lively road movie.A plot written by real life.
Womanpower and sisterhood included.
Awesome.
PS:
There might be a growing amount among the audience who probably by now has someone in their wider circle of acquaintances who has become - or almost became - a victim of a voice phishing fraud ring. The personal material damage is only one (very painful) side of the ugly coin. Almost worse is the side with psychological injuries, all centered about shame and guilt, which run deep.
In the case of "Citizen of a Kind", the victim out of sheer desperation chooses a rather extreme offensive path of coming to terms with it. However, most victims remain stuck in their trauma. On the one hand, they remain emotionally exposed to the tormenting feeling of the helpless loss of control they have suffered. On the other hand, they torment themselves with persistent feelings of guilt because (in the eyes of themselves and of others, too) they “fell for it themselves” and therefore “made themselves responsible” for their loss. The emotional dilemma is fatal. What makes things even more difficult is that the real perpetrators usually remain in the dark, are difficult to pin down and therefore rarely can be actually dealt with as a real counterpart.
In "Citizen of a Kind" the victim searches for the perpetrator on her own, finds him, and at the same time becomes the savior of potential further victims (of this perpetrator). That feels so good.
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Wise advice
Just really really wished someone would have told me this beforehand. Warning ahead… Please please pwease do not start this drama at all, it will mess you up and piss you off like ONE HUNDRED AND ONE, like no joke! Biggest regret of all is that I actually started this drama. In all honesty I started the drama because of the two main actors, Song Weilong and Jelly Lin. Although really just that alone doesn’t make up to how awful this drama is, sadly enough. The beginning was bearable and it seems interesting, but just really only the first few episodes the rest is horrifying awful. Siigh…Was this review helpful to you?
Acting/Cast: I was really excited for the drama when it first started showing but the biggest disappointment, unfortunately, is the acting. There is hardly any chemistry between the male and female leads. Hello! This is supposed to be a romantic love drama - not "let's have a big brotherly and sisterly hug and a very polite kiss and call that a chemistry" drama! I know that there are many ppl out there who likes MGY and thinks of her as a great actress but I am not one of them. I knew long ago, that she has her limitations in acting and for some reason, I do not consider her a beauty. Her acting in this drama is the worst so far. The male lead, PSH, was a saving grace with his ability to act childish at one moment and dead serious at another. He has proven that he is a versatile actor. Unfortunately, even he could not manufacture that sort of romantic chemistry with the "sad or happy-fake-smile-only" MGY. The drama could benefit from getting an older and more versatile actress. The other casts did great, but the extreme lack of chemistry between the leads killed it for me.
Music: The music is passable.
Rewatch value: For me, the first time is the last time. Glad I finished it, but don't think I would be re-watching it.
Overall: Passable entertainment. The IDEA of the story is interesting and has great potential but the lack of chemistry between the leads killed it.
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Worth it for episodes 3-4, 9-10, and 13-14
An anthology of ups and downs.Episodes 1-2, Tue&Ake – 4 stars, cringe
Episodes 3-4, Sun&Nuea – 8 stars, super cute
Episodes 5-6, Team&Mon – 4 stars, feel really sorry for Mon, there wasn’t much chemistry between the pair so I didn’t buy into Team really loving Mon.
Episodes 7-8, Thurs&Pae/Pao – 6 stars, it was okay.
Episodes 9-10, Puth&Kaeng – 10 stars, they need their own series like now.
Episodes 11-12, Choke&Sat – 1 star, I can’t even tell you how bad this was, you just need to experience the horror.
Episodes 13-14, Masuk&Jia&Tir – 10 stars automatically because I cried twice, like full on sobbing lol. Definitely had it’s flaws though like I wish the fire scenes were more realistic, but Perth did a great job with the story he was given. Also, in the final ep Tir was so creepy watching Masuk and Jia it was hilarious.
Final ep - nice addition but nothing special overall.
It's such a shame that the storylines were not very well written as all of the actors did such a good job with what they were given.
I found it strange that the friendships weren’t explored more deeply throughout the series, by the end, I had no idea who was friends with who to be honest.
I'll definitely be rewatching episodes 3-4, 9-10, and 13-14 but I'll be avoiding the others like the plague.
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Content Warnings: kick, maybe kind of something at the end?
What I Liked
- the friendship
- some of the humor was funny like the failed flirting with that girl
- cute moments
- that poor communication didn't drag on
- good kissing
- music, especially the rap song at the end
Room For Improvement
- the relationship/romance felt rushed, I think they could have cut out some other scenes and fleshed out more how/why they developed feelings with each other
- the ending is a bit open/wish they had gone a different direction with it
- how wearing glasses was considered less attractive
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Exceptionally good
This drama is extremely good, the storyline itself is truly intriguing, the acting was really good, the ost,visual fx-a job well done, need I say more. I am currently re-watching the drama. You won't get disappointed, give it a try. I mean I have seen worse and I am wondering why other people gave a low rating. I almost didn't watch it because of all the negative reviews and commentsActing:
From the main actors to the smallest roles everyone did a good job. The main actors had good chemistry.
Storyline:
I am not sure why people are getting confused. It's not science rocket, the narrative is that there is a parallel world and has similarities but slightly different that's it, very simple to understand.
All in all what i am trying to say is that the drama is really good.
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The fact that the main character is so young really amazed me, I had no idea how old she was until after I finished watching Ma Boy, she does a great job and her acting skills are superb.
This is a very cute and light-hearted drama,and I will definitely be re-watching it sometime in the future, and recommend it to anyone looking for something short and sweet.
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