I don't think I disliked anything about this movie. It made me realise certain things, that you don't get anywhere if you don't try your hardest. I've always been someone who doesn't try their best, and I've always done the minimum possible when it comes to studying, that's why whilst watching this I could picture myself in a similar situation.
The story is in itself like a lesson everyone should learn, and I thoroughly enjoyed every single minute of this movie. I don't know how much I can say without spoiling anything. Basically if you think this movie is all about laughs and a straight road to success, you've got it so wrong. It's so much more than that on many levels, it shows you the life of a student which never tried at school. It shows you the hardships of studying, hardships of life itself. Everything from the brothers story to the family problems was what made the story even more worth watching. Don't expect to watch this without shedding a tear or two, because I did, and I never cry with movies to be honest. It might have been because I'm probably too emotional at the moment since I'm going through a hard patch myself.
The acting was on point. I literally felt everything from all characters, I felt like I was being sucked into their world and right on the spot, all the tears whether of sadness or joy were there. I related to some at times with hard choices to make concerning friendships and school.
If I were to summarise this into three words I would probably just say: Watch this movie
You won't regret it, you'll probably think about it for a while after its finished, you might find some motivation in it to do something you've always wanted to do because that's what this movie has done to me, taught me to never give up.
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♡ Who wrote this sweet and hilarious script?! ♡
Story (10/10):It was funny and cute how Meng Meng was trying to find her heroine. During her journey, she met Murong Chen and decided to get Xue Tan Hua (a magical flower) for their own purposes. After that, she encountered the cool and charming hero, Yun Ya, who she fell in love with and eventually changed her objective. Yun Ya unknowingly rescued her especially when she was in danger every time even though she did not call for him. Not realizing they were actually the same person, she escaped the palace to avoid her engagement and continued her journey in the Jiang Hu (martial arts) world together with her friends as they developed strong friendship. Meanwhile, she learnt many things, when you love someone, you are willing to be there for him and help him without anything in return. She also learnt that when you truly love each other, you don't make sacrifices. The sweet romance begins between Murong Chen and Meng Meng as they experience many obstacles but still believing in each other and together, they overcome each mission along the way.
Acting/Cast (10/10):
All the casts did a fantastic job in their roles, like you can really see their effort and the comedy they put in this historical romantic drama. June Wu portrayed two roles differently, like I could not tell it was same person in a way that they had totally different personalities. I hope June Wu will have more main roles in the future!!♡ Lai Mei Yun played Meng Meng as a cute and funny character which she did a great job, the way she express herself, the humor she brings, I really enjoy it. Hu Wei as well as Wen Zhu did a splendid job too, we have one cute and strong couple here! Haha it was pretty obvious that Xiao Ai and Chang Kong like each other, so I can say the actors themselves (Tan Qin Xuan and Qu Tian Rui) did a good job, thank you to all the casts from My Queen for their hard work!♡
Music (10/10):
I love the opening ost 弱水三千 (Ruò shuǐ sānqiān) sang by our male lead, June Wu, he really has a beautiful and nice voice. I didn't really skip either the opening ost or ending ost 江湖策马 (Jiānghú cè mǎ) during the entire 24 episodes since the songs catch my attention so I'll give the music a 10/10 hehe :)
Rewatch Value (10/10):
The comedy is hilarious so I wouldn't mind re-watching all those cute and funny scenes again to make my day especially after a tired day or maybe after a heartbreaking show XD
Overall (10/10):
If you're looking for a sweet, fluffy, cute and romantic comedy drama, I highly recommend My Queen :D Hey, it's really a great drama, I was looking forward to every Friday and Saturday so I could watch My Queen, it was not easy waiting, I was anticipating every moment of My Queen and hoping each episode didn't end fast. Let's enjoy this lovely drama together! :)
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This review may contain spoilers
A story of love and pain
The second season was as good as the first one. Kim Go Eun as Kim Yu Mi did a fantastic job of portraying the real-life struggles of a woman trying to find her happy ending. The time jumps made the story feel more realistic as nothing was too rushed. Jinyoung and Ahn Bo Hyun portrayed their roles very well. Do not expect any twists and turns but you will still be entertained.In the end, we also got a happy ending that was not as predictable for those who did not read the webtoon. I am really happy that Yu Mi did not get back together with either Ba Bi or Woong. It truly felt as if she got her own happy ending. The final episode wrapped the series nicely.
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Middle: 6.5/10
End: 9/10
Ahh 17 weeks and its over! *sad face* Refresh Man was the first Taiwanese drama I watched, and I’ve got to say, I loved every moment of it! (except for the one episode per week, it was terrible!!) The story was pretty standard, nothing overly excitable but it was still delivered very well and captured my interest majority of the time. The middle did drag in my opinion, maybe just after that half way mark but the story picked up towards the end, and it was very suspenseful and left me wondering what was going to happen next! Aaron Yan (so charming ;-;) and Joanne Tseng have great chemistry, the friendship and romance between the two is very cute, overall they played their roles very well, and I look forward to watching more dramas by the two in the future! The rest of the cast also did a solid job, Lene Lai was brilliant, she was probably my favourite character! Refresh Man shows determination and hard work through the characters and their roles, and if you’re new to Taiwanese dramas like I was definitely give this a try, or if you just love romance and business-like themes I hope you will enjoy Refresh Man as much as I did!
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Simply because it's a musical film since I like musicals and rock was my favorite music genre at some point therefore I watched this film.
2) Storyline/Plot:
I haven't seen the anime so I didn't know the story beforehand.
Generally, it was pretty good and most of all interesting.
Positive points:
*Rock bands and guitar love; those facts were appealing enough.
*The relationships in the film were captivating since they enrolled too many great feelings.
*Compititions and races to prove oneself ability and passion for music (rock music to be more specific) was a great theme to follow.
*The story's development was smooth: not too fastforward and not too slow.
*Considering the fact that this was a musical film, the music rocked, even those who don't like rock would enjoy it while people who are into rock would love the guitar playing.
Negative points:
*There weren't a lot of concentration on the love story, it was verylight (I like light love stories but this one was ridiculously light).
*Other than that, everything was set up in an acceptable way.
Story: 8/10
3) Acting/Cast:
*Mizushima Hiro: I liked his character and the way he played guitar plus the acting was really convincing.
*Satoh Takeru: I'm not too familiar with this actor but I believe that he did a pretty good job especially when it comes to passion for music.
*The cast was nicely chosen and the acting was good.
*I loved the relationships between the cast specially Beck band's members; it was cool to watch them play, fight, laugh and everything else they've done because every scnene they had together was a simple masterpiece.
Cast: 8.5/10
Acting: 9.5/10
4) The ending:
I was really waiting for the ending because there was a specific scene that I wanted to know but unfortunatly they kept me in the dark about something I really wanted to hear at the end of the film but that doesn't mean it was a bad ending; it was a cool normal musical film's ending.
The ending: 7/10
5)My impression (How did it affect me):
*It made my night and it was fun to watch.
*Since it's a rock musical film, I knew that I would like it and that's exatly what happened.
*Even though it was a little long, I don't believe I got bored at the middle or so, it was smooth to watch.
*I enjoyed the music since it gave me back some old rock memories that I thought I lost.
My impression: 8.5/10.
6) Overall:
*If you like musicals then you really need to watch this (especially if you're Rock music lover).
*If you're looking for romance then don't expect much from this.
*If You're not J-rock or any type of Rock lover then you wouldn't appreciate this.
Overall: 8.5/10.
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This review may contain spoilers
A comedy parody of the BL tropes but with a twist!
I tried not to include spoilers but if I did sorry.So when this manga series got announced as a drama I was very suprised yet exicted to see the outcome. The manga is pretty much a gag parody making fun out of all of the BL manga tropes so how would it translate into live action.
Postives
The direction, production and casting for side couples and extra casting is A++++. Director Miki Koichiro (of pornographer fame) has bought this BL world to life. The side couples and even the god damn extras are like in a real life version of a BL manga. I just love watching all the extras and side couples interacting in this world.
This drama is god damn funny, the manga made me laugh but the over the top acting from the main character mob is funny. He makes these faces like he's a villian trying to be straight.
Negative
While most fans will REALLY LIKE the ending, a manga reader like me has slightly mixed feelings towards it and I hate cliffhangers.
One thing I'll say that I have mixed feelings is that ending. I may understand that the drama version of mob is more weak willed to be more nicer and less cold then the manga version. But the ending pretty much changed the whole meaning of the title
But on the other hand the big plot twist for the drama is heart warming and it will please the BL drama viewers
IF the producers want to do a sequal/follow up then I am all in for it but maybe change the title.
But I hate that cliffhanger! I think fans will agree this with at least.
Overall
If BL drama fans want to take a break from emo/sad BL and want to laugh from the BL tropes they often see in these dramas. There's eye candy of so many guys loving other guys. It's god damn funny to boot with a ending that most fans will love. It really needs a follow up/sequal because a cliffhanger ending is bad.
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This Drama Is a Fever Dream and I’m Weirdly Into It
This drama eases you in just enough to make you think you know what you’re getting into—and then promptly proves you wrong.The plot and setting actually had me invested, so I was not prepared for the absolute clownery that followed. The comedy is loud, goofy, borderline cringe, and wildly unserious, yet somehow it still works. Everyone is acting like shame was never invented, and honestly? I laughed more than I expected. You will cringe. You will laugh. You may do both at the same time.
Visually, it’s thriving. The cast is ridiculously good-looking, the aesthetics are clean, and there is no shortage of eye candy. This drama knows its strengths and flexes them regularly.
That said, nine episodes in, the story is juggling a lot. Multiple plotlines, constant tonal shifts, comedy fighting for dominance with actual story progression—it sometimes feels like the show is doing parkour without a helmet. I’m choosing to believe this chaos is intentional and that everything will eventually click into place. Also… why is this full-length? That realization hit me like a jump scare.
The leads are solid. The ML continues his streak of choosing unconventional projects that somehow work, and I have faith. The FL gives strong My Uncanny Destiny vibes, which I loved, so no complaints there.
Overall, I’m having a genuinely good time—laughing, vibing, and enjoying the lightness while it lasts. Because let’s be honest… the angst is warming up in the wings.
Will update once I'm done with the rest of the episodes ✨
✨Update / Final Thoughts✨
Okay… wow. What a ride.
Overall, this turned out to be a genuinely unusual drama. The humor definitely won’t land for everyone, but if you look past the silliness, there’s a surprising amount of depth here. It tackles heavy questions, quiet contemplations, and some truly tragic backstories that hit heavier than expected. The Princess Consorts’ storyline, in particular, might be the most devastating of them all—easily one of the most tragic arcs in the entire drama.
And yes, I absolutely bawled my eyes out over the leads’ story. Especially the ML. A painfully pure soul. Emotionally unsafe levels of purity, honestly.
The cinematography is beautiful, the characters are deeply lovable, and the ending—while technically a happy one—leans bittersweet. It took several tear-detox sessions for me to fully accept that happiness was, in fact, achieved. Even though the background music occasionally goes a little too hard for no reason, it doesn’t take away from how memorable and distinct this drama ends up being.
Also—special shoutout because this deserves to be mentioned—the drama actually references My Uncanny Destiny in a clever, self-aware way that ties in perfectly. Did not expect that lol.
Do I still think it didn’t need such lengthy episodes? Absolutely. But despite that, this is a hidden gem—quirky, emotional, and unexpectedly moving. Definitely recommended.
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Out with the Ancient & In with the Modern
Finally this elf on a 2 year shelf saw the light of day. I watched this primarily because of LYN and his character as this was again a different role and character for him plus I believe this was his first real foray into martial arts characters. I also knew QJJ from a previous series and a few of the supporting characters. Ironically though they never had a scene together here LYN plays sworn brothers with ZME in Eternal Brotherhood and that was filmed back in 2021, while here the latter was Lucky's Shifu. In any case, I'm glad I watched this as it it was all about out with the ancient and in with the modern.Pros: They didn't skimp on the martial arts here. That was my number one favorite thing in this entire series. Every episode had at least one great fight be it long or short, the quality was fantastic. From camera angles to the fights themselves. Everyone went all out. Considering they used some actual history here (which I only knew through speaking with others), it looked pretty authentic and believable. From costumes to sets everything was very well done, even the accents of the different region's characters was a nice touch. Favorite OSTs were LYN's and his with JF who played HQ (his lady love). LYN has a very wide range in his vocals so to have someone who can not only match him in harmony, Melody, and power, was impressive to say the least. They made the song sound like something from a powerful western genre.
When it came to favorite characters, I liked MSD aka ML or QJJ the best though ZBF played by LYN came in right on his heels. I like how we didn't know exactly when MSD switched sides because he was always so private and secretive about it, even struggling with it a bit. ZBF was morally grey because of his ambition but a protagonist nonetheless. He was willing to give everything up to live a peaceful life at the end, it's a shame they never got a chance. MSD and ZBF though started out on opposite sides, still respected each other and towards the end there was even a bond between them that was obvious. When these two would lock swords, it was a feast for the eyes. I'd rewind a lot of their fights because that's how awesome they were. Other favorite characters were Gege, LL, Lucky, Getai, the monks, some of the members of ZBF's sect that died, even HQ though she started off whining, she never wavered from her support of ZBF even choosing to die with him.
The story was ever winding and moving, you never felt bored or like it was dragging anywhere. They only found the treasure at the end but the entire thing was about it though with other things too. The ever changing alliances between good and bad also kept things interesting. Not to mention the cheesy introduction that was placed as the opening credits in some of the episodes. When good characters perished, they were given a send off of small clips and a song of how they affected us as viewers or what they wish had happened as opposed to what did. Some really left you feeling the way they died was unfair although you knew the body count would be large. Those clips left you teary-eyed. The show overall was good.
Cons: At first I wanted to add WJL to the pros as he was an important part of the trio and finding the treasure, I really didn't like the way they wrote the character at the end. He was the most stubborn of the three but also the most gullible, naive, and ultimately just plain stupid. He never evolved, in fact he got worse. It was like yes he could recite laws and scriptures but he never knew what any of them of them represented or truly meant. He was dumber than a donkey and it caused him to kill people without even thinking. I hated the way he killed ZBF and HQ (who was technically innocent in his charges to begin with); he executed them by gunfire and a battalion of people; ZBF was severely injured and WJL didn't even fight him sword to sword like he did ZBF's juniors but ambushed him; it was an embarrassment. He went back on his promise to MSD and ZBF in regards to the seal. He literally became the very thing he supposedly despised. The writers really did his character dirty. I would have understood if he never understood why the revolution mattered and stuck to his ways but the fact that he never really understood the very things he learned and became the absolute worse of himself, was de-evolution. In the beginning, he seemed funny because he was like a cat with nine lives, but at the end he just became a repetitive monkey and I was very glad he off'd himself.
LAJ who played the spy aka "lady love" of WJL was probably the worst character in terms of over acting and being horribly unconvincing. If it had been anyone but WJL, she would have been dead long before the third to last episode. I think she was miscast, simple as that. You had all of these actors in both good and evil roles that were nailing it and then you had her and it just fell flat.
Felt like the ending was rushed because they really had to step up the body count; so it took off with YHJ the money whore taking his sect mates, & officially betraying ZBF by severely wounding and nearly killing him twice (second time they were saved by MSD and Lucky), followed by the annihilation of the sect and ZBF and HQ's murders at WJL's and army's hands, bald asswipe general's death, then Lucky, LL, the Japanese spies, and finally WJL himself. All in a span of 2 episodes. Way too much, plus they located the treasure and still had time to give all of the good characters their send offs. They could have spaced that out way better.
Would I recommend it? Despite the flaws as each drama has something; I really enjoyed this one very much. If you like a good storyline, with great martial arts, this is the story for you. Enjoy it.
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Acting: The cast is amazing Especially the lead girl she nailed the childish yet pure character so hard. about the male lead i didn't like him at first but then his character grew into me as the movie goes on.
Music: The Soundtrack of the movie is awesome. Hey Say Jump: White Love will play at the ending credits.
Rewatch: Yes. If you're having a bad day. I'm pretty sure this Movie can make you smile.
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Girl Power – Delightful and Inspiring
Despite being set with a background of a royal harem in a fictional world, this drama exudes positive aura throughout, without the typical and tiring hair-pulling cat fights commonly seen in historical palace dramas. “New Life Begins” describes a utopia where girls band together to help each other, freeing themselves and achieving their goals, realizing the adage “unite is power”. Most of the characters are lovable, albeit with flaws, and their growth is distinct, from being weak and helpless to being strong and courageous. The story is inspiring and comforting.Centers around Xin Chuan, one of the nine kingdoms, and its sixth Prince, Yin Zheng (Bai Jingting)’s household, the story contrasts each kingdom which has its individual unique characteristics, features and cultures, with Xin Chuan being the leader of the pact. To build cordial relationships with all the other kingdoms, the King of Xin Chuan wants his sons to marry noble girls from the various kingdoms. He calls for the kingdoms to send their best eligible girls. Li Wei (Tian Xiwei) is selected and sent to Xin Chuan; she is reluctant, for Li Wei doesn’t want to marry a man she doesn’t love, and she wants a one-man-one-woman marriage with equal rights practiced by her home kingdom whereas Xin Chuan still follows the traditional polygamous system.
Among all the noble girls, Li Wei seems to be the least favorable for she tries to wriggle out of the wife selection process. Despite that, she is chosen by Yin Zheng the 6th Prince as a “side” wife, for Yin Zheng wants to maintain his low profile by marrying a girl nobody wants. Yin Zheng looks sickly and to survive in the back-stabbing treacherous palatial world, he blends himself into the background that nobody takes notice of. What seemingly an unlikely relationship, Yin Zheng and Li Wei fall in love with each other.
Li Wei is intelligent, compassionate, and down to earth. She provides Yin Zheng with practical ideas and helps him maneuver and eventually get noticed by his father, the King. How she makes friends with Yin Zheng’s “proper” wife and the wives of his brothers, all of whom later become her business partners and they help each other to become independent, is very inspiring. Tian Xiwei’s Li Wei is natural and believable. She has given a wonderful performance here.
Bai Jingting’s Yin Zheng is equally great. The actor is very pale and slim and does look sickly, which is perfect for the Yin Zheng character. Under that weakling skin, Yin Zheng is intelligent, well-read and a competent fighter that no one is aware of. Despite he has two wives initially, he is devoted to Li Wei only; his relationship with his “proper” wife is cordial and platonic. Bai Jingting has been one of my favorite actors. His acting range is very wide, from a ping pong champion in Ping Pong Life, to a special taskforce police officer in You are My Hero, to a silly and humble character in Octogenarian and the 90s, and to a historical prince in New Life Begins. He immerses himself completely into all his characters, giving viewers very convincing and lovely performance in each. He is always subtly funny.
Each prince has his story with his wife/wives. Most of their stories are hilarious and relatable. For example, the fifth Prince loves his wife and is helpful, but he can’t get a thing right; the third Prince has multiple wives but can never get their names straight. All the other characters are lovable, even the antagonists are pitiful, and the whole cast is very believable. Though despicable, the second Prince who is groomed to succeed the throne, and the fourth Prince, extract sympathy from the viewers when they get into trouble.
My Verdict
This is a heart-warming drama with girls helping girls, and trying to change the male-centered system. All the girls are intelligent, courageous, and independent. Despite their unfavorable environment, they don’t self-pity nor fight among themselves but help and take care of each other. This eventually makes the group strong and enables them to be financially independent, maintain their dignity and eventually change the society to a fairy one. This may sound very feminist to many viewers, nonetheless, it's one of those easy and delightful story that can cheer viewers' mood.
Romance wise, the chemistry between Bai Jingting and Tian Xiwei is pretty good and sweet. There is also a very lovely second couple here with a very funny relationship.
The message: No matter where one comes from, be it Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, or even the open west where girls are being suppressed and their rights infringed, only when girls unite and work together, great things can be achieved, and dignity maintained.
Easy watching and entertaining. Recommended!
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You Go Girl!
If you are looking for a show with strong female characters, then look no further! From the female lead, her best friend, her grandmother, the main villain, the ex girlfriend, and even the secretaries, this show was all about female empowerment. The ultimate message that I got from this show was that women did not always have to be independent badasses to be strong. Instead, they can draw a collective strength from each other.Compared to other dramas, this was a refreshing and wholesome watch, considering that most Thai lakorns tend to portray females as damsels in distress who exist solely to be rescued or to serve a male character’s journey. Not only that, most of the male characters in this show respected the women’s viewpoints, seeked out their opinions, protected and supported them as well.
I was interested from the get-go, so much so that I watched it without subtitles, and then again with Google Translate and finally with subtitles. Not surprisingly, I have rated the rewatch value highly.
While the main plot was nothing new - the CEO who fell in love with his beautiful bodyguard, the show had twists and turns that kept me entertained and engaged. What I thought would be cliched outcomes turned out not to be what I expected. It was a good emotional roller coaster ride as the show balanced the triumph and defeats between the good guys and the villains nicely. Plus I got the most satisfying ending ever with lots of endearing scenes of the lead couple leading up to it.
The show hit the jackpot with the casting of Vill as Saraphi and Ken as Thewan, our main leads. The chemistry between those two was sizzling and it didn’t hurt that they looked gorgeous together. I loved how committed the main couple was towards each other. The moment they decided on each other, there was no one else. Both were also sensible and intelligent enough to come to the right conclusions about each other's actions. As individual characters, they were likable, and as a couple, they inspired relationship goals.
Whether she was saving the day with her smarts or her physical skills, Saraphi was a well-written strong female character. She’s physically fit and skilled in combat. She was brave and resourceful, with a take charge attitude and possessed an unbreakable will that refused to be tamed and a stubborn optimism that refused to be broken. Yet, Saraphi also had her vulnerabilities and had moments of weaknesses that made sense. She was not so scrubbed of imperfections that she lacked depth or development.
I was surprised to see Vill in this role initially but she delivered an excellent performance as someone strong and smart enough to take on anyone threatening her loved ones. She was an admirable female lead with strength and intelligence bottled up in an undeniably attractive package.
Empathetic, fair and devoted to the people he loved, Thewan was the perfect counterpart to Saraphi. He was no wimp, and can hold his own in a fight. Saraphi and he protected each other, and they also understood each other well. Thewan is one of my favorite male leads - intelligent, calm, rational and his level-headedness tempered Saraphi’s hot-headedness. Interestingly, Thewan displayed more jealousy; those scenes were funny, and he was so adorable!
Ken was perfect as the charismatic and clever CEO, and to me, this role was his most attractive yet.
There was a secondary couple whose relationship was also fun to watch although I was annoyed at the SML. For someone who was supposed to be interested in the FL, he was way too flirty with the SFL.
Some of the characters fell a little flat and perhaps some overacting, like the main villain, but the cast did well overall. I enjoyed the dynamics of Saraphi’s relationship with her grandmother and close friends, as well as Thewan’s devotion to his nephew, Ek.
The OST list was short but memorable. I particularly like the opening song and the song sung by Film Thanapat that played during the poignant moments between Saraphi and Thewan. I have included the list of songs that were featured below.
If there was anything to complain about, it was how loud the background music got when it came to the suspenseful moments, and sometimes the music did not transition well. It is a common problem in many lakorns, so I am not going to take off points for it.
Overall, it is a drama that I think most will enjoy. Just let the story unravel and surprise you.
OST List:
ขาดเธอไม่ได้ - POTATO (Ost.หัวใจรักพิทักษ์เธอ)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WjqJ_oZ0p0
https://open.spotify.com/track/5ohIOZKF4E1SqxD3WEgMad
ชนะไปแล้ว [OST ฉันชื่อบุษบา] – ฟิล์ม ธนภัทร
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz9g-6Y3ykQ
https://open.spotify.com/track/6LItqWbHupqrmdWM6RD8d1
รบกวนมารักกัน - K.AGLET (THE RAPISODE)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIR7m2nM0n4
https://open.spotify.com/track/5kOOfHpddpYnj86u4dZB3H
ขอบคุณที่รักกัน (Acoustic Version) - Potato
https://youtu.be/pdcyz9VLEs8
https://open.spotify.com/track/5FKB5Ro2mXfjUVbSK5zFn8
นี่แหละความรัก (This is Love) by Peck Palitchoke
https://youtu.be/2f0TeAc0AYg
https://open.spotify.com/track/13jEKU2J3JJPe3tpo8p4vY
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This season, just like the first one, had witty writing and strong characterization (something that’s lacking from many Korean dramas) which made it very appealing. The thrilling events never disappeared and the captivating action was always there.
This season’s cases were more complicated and very difficult to predict. Although that was very good on the mysterious/suspense level; it felt a bit slow at the thriller/action level, don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean that the cases were boring because that’s not true but there were some slow cases and sometimes over dramatic ones.
In this season, I also disliked the near absence of outside-cases interaction between the main characters unlike the first season that held many side conversations between them. Except the two firsts and the two last episodes; we only got 30 seconds to one minute at the end of each episode which wasn’t enough to deliver a proper conversation and made me want more.
This is still an amazing detective drama; one of the best dramas produced in Korea even if it doesn’t get the appropriate attention. So basically, if you liked the first season, this one is a must watch.
One thing to add: The first season’s ending was way better than the second but it’s still exciting. I will be impatiently waiting for the third season.
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1. I could really feel the chemistry between the male lead and female lead.
2. When Prajak, played by Tik, looks at Wanida,(played by Aff), I felt like he truly loves her. It was very believable.
3. The main lead doesn't always believe the evil characters lies blindly like many other male leads.
I would recommend this drama because it is one of the most romantic dramas in my opinion. This is a story line that has been used over and over. The man marries a girl but he loves another woman and promises to divorce and marry her. Even though it had a typical story line, I was worth the watch and I didn't get tired of the story at all. From beginning to end it was very entertaining.
Lastly, this drama is a bit more slow paced and the ending is pretty predictable but overall I loved it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Expected more, but satisfactory
I’ll start off by saying that I’m writing this after binging this entire season without break so my brain is fried. I apologize if this is incoherent lol.Firstly, I love this drama overall and would rate s1+s2 a 9/10 bc overall, the story flowed well and the conclusion was satisfactory. However, I think season one is definitely better than this season, in all aspects.
Season one had interesting and engaging games, as did season two, but the problem was that the games this season weren’t showcased as well as the previous games. I felt like there was something missing in each one, I’m not sure how to explain it. Honestly, I just found the games this season quite boring. Still, I can see how this might’ve been intentional since this season is more focused on them finding answers to their questions and conveying the main messages of the drama. Additionally, the games this season were made by previous players that defeated the games but chose to remain in borderland so I guess it makes sense for the games to be easier. Personally though, I still wish this season had the same momentum as the first one did in terms of games since that’s one of my favorite parts about this series.
In terms of acting and performance, I have no complaints. Everyone did really well in their respective roles. The action scenes were amazing and the cgi was done so well, you can tell how much time and money went into this season.
Lastly, I’ll talk about my thoughts on the ending and the explanation for borderland. I’m honestly very conflicted on if I liked the ending or not. Don’t get me wrong, the explanation makes sense and I appreciate that we got a closed ending for the most part. But, I feel like there could’ve been more to it? For example, I would’ve liked to know if borderland was actually real and the meteorite had to be created after the players chose to return, or if borderland was just a metaphor for something. The ending is meant to be interrupted in different ways though, so that’s why I don’t hate it. I like that we got a completed ending that everyone can still make different meanings of. It was a great conclusion to the series.
From my perspective, borderland is self explanatory, it’s literally a borderland between life and death. The meteorite hit and everyone near it was left to fight for their life and in this world, the borderland between life and death is a game world where people’s will to live is tested. Throughout the journey, players question their lives and whether they even want to go back to the real world aka if they even want to live. Those that make it to the end and choose to become citizens give up on life and die/remain in a coma state while those that deny citizenship wake up since they chose to live. I love this interpretation of life and death, especially in the context of the series since everything makes sense. We also get to see different perspectives of life, each of which is important. In the end, you can’t really judge those that remain citizens since there’s a reason they made that choice, whatever it may be.
Overall, I enjoyed this series a lot and would definitely recommend it to everyone. It delivered an engaging story and provided conclusions without leaving too much to interpretation. Alice in borderland, I’ll miss you. :)
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This review may contain spoilers
I love this drama. It is a unique and beautiful drama!!
Warning:For the ones who want romantic scene a lot. Please don't watch this drama. It won't satisfy your demand. It's a subtle and pure romantic drama. Instead of love scene, they always use math metaphor for their love. If you want detective drama, this drama is also not for you. Sometimes the writer make a plot hole so the plot is not logic perfectly.
Here are some reasons if you want to watch this drama:
1. There are some different aspects you can see only in this drama. The way they use math to describe something is beautiful and the love of characters for math are so amazing. I don't like math but the characters make me curious about it.
2. The ending is perfect. Even though the writer can make them become a couple sooner like in ep 13-14, I think the wait is worth for ML that he will become more mature and have more time to pursue his career. Like what Ji Yoon Su said after becoming a real man, the answer would find him. In the end, Ji Yoon Su meet Baek Seung Yoo again in the place where they met the first time. In my opinion, it is more romantic than a kiss scene. There is nothing better than when you meet a person you love at the right time. In the past, They were exactly the right person for each other but the wrong timing destroyed everything. Now they can live happily together and never regret everything happened.
3. I love the way the writer build BSY character that he is a genius but also a human. He has a lot of mistakes but these mistakes make him stronger and more mature. If you don't know that Albert Einstein is also a imperfect person, he cheated a lot and made his wife hurt many times. If someone is a genius in a field, you can't conclude they are good at everything in their life. Sometimes emotion make them do something wrong. I hope all of you can think about it and stop criticizing two main characters.
4. The way Ji Yoon Su supports and helps Baek Seung Yoo. When there is no one cares about him, she is the person who is always there for him. She is always knows what is the best thing for him. That's why she rejected his love when he was a student and even when he became a adult. 21 years old Baek Seung Yoo was still childish and stubborn, he loves her but the way he showed his love made her get into trouble. Finally he can understand what Ji Yoon Su said and use his time to pursue the right thing for him. When you are in twenties the most important thing is improving and proving yourself, love can come after that. She rejected him many times in drama, it doesn't means she doesn't love him but she loves him so much that she can let him go to become a better person. The unconditional love between two main character is amazing. I hope you guys don't misunderstand their love.
5. The acting of every actors and actresses is awesome. From the supporting roles to main roles, they acts so well. Sometimes I thought everything is real. I immersed in drama so many times that I forgot about time. 10/10 for the actresses and actors.
Conclusion:
I love the drama so much. It's really brave to choose a different way to go instead of making a similar plot like other drama. I have experienced a new thing, so fun!!! I watch this drama because of Lim Soo Jung 's beauty and end up loving the drama. This drama will always be one of the most special dramas I have ever seen.
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