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FINALLY after 3 years and it did not disappoint
my favourite medical drama is back!! i didnt think i could wait 3 years for this season to come out but i waited and its finally here and it definitely didnt lower my expectations.this cast is one of my favourite casting, ever i think. also the new additions to the cast, Lee Shin Young and Lee Hong Nae is the best thing ever.
i might change my rating depending on the ending but right now its amazing, the plottwists and storyline is amazing. (i have changed it and the added info is below)
this is the second drama ive watched with Lee Hong Nae in it but hes such an amazing actor must i say, i couldnt get over his acting in 'the uncanny counter' that i honestly thought he would be evil in this drama as well because of the impact he made in that drama.
and now i have finally finished the drama and can i say that it did not disappoint ONE BIT. kang dong ju coming back was so unexpected but definitely not random. it helped the storyline go from a 9 to 10 in my opinion. i loved the fact that there was plot twists and other surprising things like seo woojin knowing kang dong ju and the history behind that.
i also saw someone say that yoon a reum and park eun tak breaking up was unnecessary but i thought the total opposite, it helped their relationship grow and taught them a lot.
ALSO THE LITTLE ENDING SCENE, hopefully its hinting at a season 4??? i really hope to see season 4 with both season 1 and 3 casts combining to make doldam a great hospital. 100% the best medical drama ive ever watched
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The romance was too sudden and that's why the intensity of it was thrown out of the window. There was an implied love triangle that was easily swept under the carpet only to be mentioned towards the ending. The mature parts were okay, but it looked a bit robotic and forced, lacking any emotion and romance overall. So, the drama was just like this : boy falls in love with popular but childish and naive girl, they get together, many try to set them apart, boy comes to the rescue every single time, happy ending. There was no character development, no love story build up and no surprises. Plus, the leading lady was, as you can guess, the vanilla of the story, and rightly so. She had no personality, claimed to be immature, but she never actually changed, even though there were some scenes that had potential. Her love interest was a more complicated that was never explored.
So, four out of ten.
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1
1Fast-Paced TRUE Enemies to Lovers
In a sea of boring visuals, and Enemies to Lovers tropes that fall flat; this show, while not perfect, is very striking and addicting.Overview:
One of the shows positive qualities is that it takes each episode as a narrative and tailors it's run time towards the plot portion being told. If the obvious stopping point for a cliffhanger was to make the episode less than 9 minutes long, it was. Likewise, if the story needed more time to expand on the plot, the episode became longer.
What the show exceeds at is showcasing a captivation Enemies to Lovers trope in a "he's crazy but SHE'S crazier" style, providing a modern take on women's rights that, while still "shoved down your throat", manage to seem like they might "actually" happen in small conversations among families and confidants, and using over-the-top and bold cinematography to capture intense emotions.
Where the show lacks if honesty is to be blunt, is in the underlying conspiracy plot execution and character development of the main villian and the MLs family.
😅😅Weaknesses:😅😅
To address first the weaknesses:
The grandmother and SiL do a full 180 in the last few episodes. This is not explained and there is absolutely zero character hints prior to the episode the change occurs for the audience to follow along and believe the change when it occurs. Personally, when the change happened I thought the episode was going to end as a dream it was that sudden and unexpected.
The main villian was VERY one-dimensional. We have no back story to explain WHY they decide to take part in the conspiracy and they are let go and allowed to break free FAR too many times to be believable. There is "suspense your disbelief" and then there is "oh come on, REALLY, AGAIN!?!?" This is not to say that the interactions are not entertaining, but they are HIGHLY unbelievable and have the true air of a soap opera or cartoon weekly villian.
As for the conspiracy, if you blink you will miss the underlying intricacies that go in to the ML working on this case. In hindsight this makes sense as the conspiracy is tied to the plot of the death of his beloved, but most people don't watch these over-the-top soap opera type shows paying attention to EVERY word that gets said. What it comes down to, and some of this COULD be a translation issue despite the subtitles seeming to translate well enough, is that when the case is resolved with the Envoy and they had done their explanation I was personally still shaking my head in confusion about what that plot was about and what had happened to close it.
🎉🎉POSITIVES!🎉🎉
At it's CORE, this show is a romance. This is not always the case, despite many shows having the romance tag. For as much as it is a very over-the-top and dramatic depiction of two people falling in love, it is also a VERY real and complex depiction.
Our ML begins the story in a state of devastation and need of vengeance. He is crazy enough to break into the residence of a high ranking minister demanding the life of the one who killed his beloved (literally the first scene). He takes risks and is crazy enough to demand unconventional situations of the FL to achieve his goals.
Meanwhile, our FL is a two-sided coin. She is willing to put on the face of a proper lady one moment, and then tear it away the next to achieve her means of survival. She WILL survive through compromise, lies, trickery, seduction, or violence. Her battle cry is: "Between your life and mine, I'll ALWAYS choose mine".
With the show bringing them together due to her initial lie they begin to use eachother. The cinematography of their interactions together tell a tight story of reliance and distrust. They instantly play the opposite teams as a united front, hands clasped and smiles high; only for the camera to pan to them immediately dropping their hands or the FL glaring her eyes. One of the best showcases of their relationship is the red divider. Over the course of the show they have conversations around this piece of furniture, often with them on opposite sides. But this changes. The use of the divider in the last episode is honestly now one of my favorite scenes it was intricately done and the dialog was moving.
It was mentioned earlier about the very real and complex emotions of a relationship this show portrays. Without providing spoilers, the end of episode 20 could have very much been the end of the series and I personally would have accepted it as ending this way. When a person doesn't trust themselves to know WHAT love is, being able to provide seemingly empty platitudes and promises feels like a lie. If that person has previously thought they knew what love was but are now questioning themselves, it's even harder as they feel the need to make feelings fit into a box. In general, romance shows don't delve into this topic. The leads just KNOW instantly, it they deny "the truth" but know "secretly". But then, most romances feature pure and innocent characters who have never even thought of loving another person before so when they "FEEL" it, they know. Not everyone can recognize that they "feel" love. For that reason this is an excellent take on romance and love.
Additionally, there are other "hot-takes" in this series including a woman's reliance on being virgin to be "clean and worthy" and the dangers of childbirth and right for either partner to use contraception. The hypocrisy of a woman telling another that she is no more than a prostitute if she doesn't show proof of blood is thrown back with the harsh reality that "there's more than one reason for there to be no blood" and a harsh jab back at her new husband. While later, a discussion is had about waiting because of the risk of dystocia. While obvious for modern viewers, that they are presented in a way so as to still seem scandalous and unheard of was pleasant in opposition to recent "woman's rights" shows taking the "we can force modern values to be accepted to the entire population in a costume setting" approach.
CONCLUSION:
Ultimately, as long as you go in expecting a show that WILL have flaws but that has chemistry, pacing, and dramatic flare shots of an over-the-top makjang-type / soap opera, you'll have a LOT of fun eating your popcorn and clicking NEXT.
I watched as airing from first night watching the clock for the next episodes to drop on MangoTV.
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Plot - It's based off the first, so there's not much room left for criticism. I like that the story doesn'r completely revolve around Kijima and Kido. It rather revolves around Kijima's feelings, vulnerability, and his relationship with the famous writer he studies under in this drama. I liked this because I don't really like Kido, and I assure you many of you won't after finishing this.
Story-Telling - Some episodes pull your heartstrings more than others. For me:
Ep 1 - Weird
Ep 2 - Revolting
Ep 3 - Captivating
Ep 4 - Exciting
Ep 5 - Interesting but lowkey rolling my eyes
Ep 6 - Ehhh. I like the ending ((:
The pennical for me are the middle two. The story really makes you think at some parts because I've never seen a relationship like Kido's and Kijima's. And I don't think that's necessarily a good thing.
Rio Kijima - The best part about this drama is the fact that it lets you understand where Kijima is coming from. You see a side of him you've never seen before, and I have a new respect for this character that doesn't even exist in real life. Why must we care so much about fictional characters?
Music - The same music from the first drama. It's not my favorite, but it sure works the scenes well.
Acting - It's good. Nothing to say about it. Zero criticisms.
Rewatch? - Probably not unless you're obsessed with these characters and love their story. The story's not overwhelmingly heartwarming or super funny. Only if you're invested in these characters the rewatch is worth it.
Ending Credits Scene/ Kuzumi-kun - I love throughout the movie that Kuzumi was mentioned.. And also anyways Kuzumi and Kijima TOTALLY outshine Kijima and Kido. Kido's character I don't know if he's sad or bad. Not sure which one.
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Housewives like a Golden Fish: being trapped and desperate to be loved
Let me be the first one to give my review to this drama since I've been anticipating this drama a lot.. I'm so excited to see Gun chan finally get a role in a mature drama.. also getting involved in an affair with older woman. I imagine this drama will be too hot to handle, and I guess they give us a super hot scene in episode 1 and episode 8. As the beginning of the secret affair, and in the end of their relationship.
My prediction is right. Gun chan is totally did well.. with his acting, also he looks very handsome, cute, sweet and warm through his role.
Warning! If you are under 18 years old, please do not watch.. because every episode, you'll see some sex scenes with different couple, and not every scene is sweet. It's infidelity everywhere!
Now about the main leads.
I think the most interesting story is about Sakura, Haruto and Takuya. Well.. no one is right since they're having affair.. but I can understand why Sakura get tempted by an angelic Haruto since she's finally getting courage to find her freedom after meet this sweet guy. Besides the couple name is Sakura (a spring flower) and Haru (means Spring) are totally completing each other.
The way this drama make a golden fish as an icon is totally relevant. It's successfuly describe all the house wives situation inside the fishbowl.. and they can't runaway without help. Each of them are desperate to be loved and cared.
I love how this drama can make me be more curious.. I finish watching 8 episode in 1 day.. it's totally worth it.
Get ready to be angry, upset, headache with Takuya as lowly husband.. I can't understand the way he love his wife by getting affair with many women.. like his neighboor, his subordinate, even his friend's wife. Like WTH is wrong with him. And how crazy he try to control his wife until did some domestic violence.
Luckily there is Haruto... a hero in the rainy day... he come at the right moment.. he is offering a warmest hug, sweet smile and extra care... No wonder Sakura fall into his embrace. Besides.. he is young, energetic and ikemen (handsome).. who can resist this temptation?? Lol.
The past story that makes Haruto is kinda obsess with Sakura after they meet again is a little bit make sense, but not that strong enough.. maybe I'm expecting a situation in the past that will be more dramatic and complicated... but this is just a mini series drama..so it's already good enough.
Now let's talk about the ending.
It's an open ending. But I guess there's some clue that showing the main leads (Sakura and Haruto) go back together...
In the last 5 minutes, they show us Haruto stop by in convenience store and grab 1 mineral water (probably for himself) and 1 highball beer (it's Sakura's favorite), and he rush back to his car like gotta leave somewhere. Meanwhile, Sakura is alone in the beach while smiling.. seems like she is waiting for someone.
I assume they're going to meet again after 2 years (as they ever made promise to watch the fireworks there together someday). At least this is the reality that I wish can be happen. Since I'm rooting for this couple so much.
Besides, Sakura finally divorce with her husband, and manage her own salon (reaching her dream). She finally can leave Takuya but still maintain a good relationship. I'm a bit panic for a moment that Sakura will choose Takuya.. Because if I were Sakura.. I will never forgive and get back to the crazy husband eventhough he get his lesson and be better at the end. Standing applause to the drama production because I almost believe that Sakura will choose Takuya over Haruto.. like seriously? But thankfully she still choose to seperate, and be brave to stand alone while chasing her own dream independently.
The ending shows a good ending for others couple too. If you are 18+, I strongly recommend this drama..and you'll love Haruto so much! He is kind and lovable!
Gun chan acting as Haruto is no joke.
Love the main lead couple so much. It's only 8 episodes.. s you can finish it in 1 day.
I will not talk too much about other couple since every couple has their own struggle, and it's quite satisfying result for some of them... and everyone is getting back with their own husband. It's kinda annoy me to see some "fetish" scenes and also how they describe every housewives are not satisfy with their own husband, so they're runaway to find another happiness through a secret affair. However it's totally make sense.. it's realistic.
I hope there will be an extra episode or special movie for Sakura and Haruto.. even just 15 minutes... I wish to see them reunite again and get married, also have kids. Probably Haruto can run his father business and maintain his store as well. He deserve to be rich! LOL.
P.S. I love the drama ost. The song is romantic and so wonderful!
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Acting and Music wise it was extremely well done. A lot of the same songs were present but altered. The actors all did a wonderful job. The gal acting as Mio was just wonderful and brought a sweet spirit to her without coming across as a ditz.
If you've seen You're Beautiful, give this a shot. It is a Japanese drama through and through, don't look for something exactly like the Korean one, it is fun because it is different. I don't think one can say this one is better or truly worse than You're Beautiful because Kdramas and Jdramas have such different themes and stylings.
Anyway lovely drama, hope some folks give it a shot!
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First, let's get the main issue out of the way, I would have liked to see a trans actress in the lead. I think IVAN would have been perfect for this role. But even though I find the choice conflicting, I can't undermine how good the writing is or tear down this step forward, so I'm just putting it out there now.
Miki's story is inter-woven with introspective moments, and it doesn't shy away from showcasing violence, abuse, transphobia and heartbreak. Still, Miki is one tough lady and moves forward with her impeccable fashion style and her identity intact. Her relationship with once High School classmate Goto, who comes to live with her in her apartment, is a delight to see develop, as Goto learns more about Miki and what life is like for her. Goto is an amazing character whose masculinity is strengthened by his vulnerability and his openness.
My props to Sakaguchi Riko because the story handles the subject a lot better than I expected, especially considering it uses the right terms for everything (Miki identifies herself as a lesbian trans woman from the very beginning), something that does not happen usually in Japanese media. It's very common for dramas and variety shows to use the "gay man" umbrella for everything they think fit and trans women sometimes get involved in that. I can't say much about that because it's not my identity to give an opinion on but, from my perspective of an outsider, this drama shows it all very well and the storyline serves to include a lot of related topics, as well as other general identity searches, when it comes to life as a young adult, career, dreams and relationships.
It's a pity that it's just 4 episodes long, I hope we can see more of this series in the future.
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IS IT WRONG THAT ALL THIS HEALS MY INNER CHILD?
I love a good story...who doesn't? Throw in bullies getting what they deserve and I'm in.As someone who was bullied throughout my childhood, this was therapeutic...something in me was at peace watching that POS taking those kicks and punches.
Seriously try watching it...if you're stuck being timid or weak at work or school to keep your job or just in general, WATCH THIS!!! You want to yell at your boss because they're being evil little shits but you can't cause you need the job? WATCH THIS!!!!
You'll heal things you didn't know you had.
I want part 2 already; with another culprit getting it. She's like the clean-up crew fr.
Shin Hye Sun delivered and then some, she's becoming my favourite actress with all her amazing work. I especially loved the braided look.
Lee Jun Yung was also exemplary...I mean we hate him but I'm going to look for more of his work cause his acting is amazing....plus he looks good being all evil and shit.
The supporting characters...esp the victim did a good job too, you could be immersed in their emotions while watching.
All in all, this was an awesome movie...totally worth the hype.
NOTE TO SELF; Korean youths are terrifying, every time I see a bullying scene in a KDrama or KMovie...I want to crawl up and disappear.
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Each other's "other half"
A driven plot, convincing actors, beautiful love stor(ies), sweet length, no fillers.The screenwriter really created sweet and thoughtful ML and SML- the kind of men women dream of. Case in point: 1. ML wishes he can take sth to share the burden of his pregnant wife. He says its unjust that creation of a child, the pain of pregnancy and childbirth is only borne by the mother. 2. SML whose both a noble and a general helps SFL wash her stained clothes. He says doing laundry doesnt matter male or female. Even a female can wield the sword.
(_^-^) Im a sucker for men who respects women and cherishes their women.
Back to the story. I love the intrique and I love the kind of romance potrayed. The main CP has been married for 3yrs so theres this kind of simple everyday couple normalcy and then theres also this intimacy. Which Zhao Yi Qin and Rain does beautifully. Then theres the second CP, between a cold general with own motives and a kind princess. Her personality and kindness is just right to melt this general. I wanna say both female leads are so pretty and natural in their acting.
Lastly a short drama does not mean cutting corners on quality. The story flow seamlessly, no weird edits, the costume and setting all are lovely. Wish we have more of this kind of dramas produced- a riveting story, touching romance without wasting time on stupid misunderstanding or fillers. As of July, its my favorite short drama this year.
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Was Love Worth It in the End?
Where do I even begin with this hot mess.The drama centers on Hao Yu (Lu Zhao Hua), the police commissioner's foster daughter, who goes undercover in the criminal underworld for revenge. Along the way, she gets romantically tangled with mafia heir Ji Zhi Jie (Fan Zhi Xin). Her ex-lover, police officer Zhou Zi Heng (Li Jia Bing), conveniently reappears to "help" her. Or so it seems.
First of all, Hao Yu is the worst undercover informant I have ever seen. The signs were practically glowing neon for Ji Zhi Jie--she was not on the "up and up" with him in any way. Her excuses were weak, lies were weaker, and anyone with common sense could see she wasn't telling the truth. But he chose to ignore all of it. Because he loved her that much.
Seriously. No matter what happened, he always took her side.
1. He gets beat down who knows how many times.
2. He gets whipped for her.
3. He crawls on his knees on broken glass to get a key and save her when she's kidnapped.
But of course, she has to "keep up pretenses." She even takes a bullet for him, which convinces him she's fully committed. The signs were there, but he ignored every one of them. Even his closest confidante told him Hao Yu couldn't be trusted. So many people warned him, but he kept choosing to believe her.
And the ridiculousness continues--Zhou Zi Heng is a dirty cop working both sides: feeding information to the police and to the mafia boss who raised both him and Ji Zhi Jie. Naturally, Ji Zhi Jie knows absolutely nothing about any of this. Shocking right?
Finally -- finally -- when his man brings him photos and proof of all Hao Yu has done; he completely breaks down. He kills Zhou Zi Heng, pushes away everyone close to him, and turns into this dark, hardened version of himself. You'd think Hao Yu would exit stage left at that point. Nope. She sticks around because now she wants to bring him down.
Hao Yu had me on my last, last nerve. I don't understand why he didn't just leave her alone. She was truly pathetic. Her infiltration attempts were laughable -- she always got caught, and he always had to save her. That whining, the crying, the clothes, those nails...I simply could not.
Now let's talk about Fan. I love me some Fan. He acted his heart out. But how many times did he grab her by the neck and threaten to kill her? Countless. And yet, he never followed through. He told everyone to leave him because he wanted to take down the councilman, and he begged her over and over: "Don't believe what others say. Trust me." She never did.
He was never the monster they thought he was. He just wanted to end everything so the people he loved could finally live freely. If only she had trusted him -- no matter what.
To finally end things, he chose to become a kingpin because he needed everyone to believe he had turned into the world's worst villain, even though he hated the lies and the cruelty. Behind the scenes, he was working with the cops to make things right. He even met one of the officers to coordinate with Hao Yu. Eventually, the truth came out, and she finally learned who he really was -- someone trying to do the right thing all along.
He gave her so many signs and gestures...but in the end, he still died, saving her. He left so much to her. All his properties. Swiss bank account with money for the children from the orphanage he created for them to go to college.
She did finally understand how much he loved her when she read a note that fell from a book.
"I've knelt three times. The first time, I begged him to let you live. The second time, I begged for the right to die by your hand. The third time, to give thanks for meeting you."
Fan needs to start choosing better scrips. Go back to those Lethal Man style dramas. These recent ones are not doing him any favors. His acting is always solid, but this FL brought nothing to the table for me.
The turbulence never stopped -- because this relationship was doomed from the start.
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Unintentionally hilarious
This series was honestly so bad it went back to being good again just for the amusement factor.It looked like a high school film class project. They seem to have shot all the exterior scenes at the crack of dawn as there was never anyone around and they clearly couldn’t afford any extras. The acting was pretty appalling thought the guy who played Jing Jim Ming was the better actor of the two by far, the other guy , Ding Jun Jie wore the same expression throughout, even the sex scene had him looking entirely disinterested.
Both main guys were very pretty though, no denying that!
The plot was terrible, the series blurb made much more of the fake boyfriend thing when that was barely relevant. It just limped along never quite taking off.
Yet - - - I watched the whole series so there was something captivating about it somehow and now it’s ended I’m puzzled why I didn’t give up.
No rewatch factor, terrible music, yada yada.
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For the most part, the drama is easy to watch and the episodes go by fast. Good pacing with no time is wasted since there is a lot to tell in the given time. There are some stories that outshine others, but the story still gave a fair amount of screen time to all the characters. The music that accompanies it is excellent. The main theme song, sung by our main heroines, is perfect in portraying what this drama is all about, women of this era. The other theme song that caught my attention was Cinderella by Jiang Xin (Fan Sheng Mei) had really great lyrics that describes the hardships and hopes of women our generation.
If I were to look at the stories individually, I wouldn't call them original in any way. Not only that, you can say they aren't that realistic either. What makes this drama outstanding and memorable in my eyes isn't the over story, it isn't the result where our girls end, but the characters, the journey they take individually and together. It makes their world feel real and complete. Every new character we meet feels that he or she is playing their main character in their own world. While watching each episode, I found myself having so much to say about each and every character. Everything they did made sense in their mindset. Everything they say had a reason behind it. And the more we discover about the characters, the more the picture feels complete and everything starts making better sense.
Honestly, I could write an essay on each character in the story. None of the characters is perfect, each characters had good and bad points. But you know what the genius is in the end? At the end of the drama, we still have the same people, with the same positive and negative side, yet they felt more at peace and more satisfied with themselves than when we first them. There was definitely changes and development throughout the drama, but it is very subtle and didn't require any of them to change their personality.
While characters individually were all written well, and the relationship between the girls was great and felt the most genuine, when it came to the love relationships, the chemistry wasn't all there, and many times it felt awkward seeing the characters together. Somehow, when they went on dates, it felt like everyone was being pretentious. At times that suited the characters, but other times it felt out of place. It didn't bother me much, though, since the main theme of the story was the relationship between the girls, and that felt the most genuine with the most sizzling chemistry XD
The one thing that annoyed me most was the narration. First of all I just don't like the narrator's voice. And second, it's a wasted effort. In reality, the cast is all very capable, and they were great at expressing their thoughts and turmoil through their facial expression. NONE of them needed someone to tell us what they were thinking. It really annoyed me in the beginning, then I just tried to ignore it.
Before finishing the drama, when I heard there would be a second season, I worried that the story would drag. However, this isn't the case anymore. While the drama ended in a good place and I feel completely satisfied, there is a lot of potential for a second season and a lot more stories to tell. For that reason, I can't wait for it. I already miss those girls!
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Firstly let me say that the acting is on point, no surprise there at all. These are all talented cast who've worked for many years. Guo Jinfei as Su Mingcheng was the overall highlight for me as I felt his character was the most difficult to grasp and had some intense dialogue, many of which were improvised. Of all the cast, I hope he gets some recognition for his performance. They also added a touch of Suzhou culture to the drama by inserting Suzhou "pingtan" (a traditional form of performing arts sung in the Suzhou dialect) that usually matched the scenes they were edited to.
It's hard for me to review this for several reasons. I think most people watching this would enjoy it as a good, emotional family drama. But let's set aside emotional manipulation and convenient plot devices because I feel that's lazy writing. What ruined this show for me was the ending that broke away from the novel's original ending in order not to aggravate TV audience expectations. The amount of toxicity and abuse in the Su family could not have realistically been resolved the way it was in the show. As a result, characters went through typical whitewashing, which I think completely missed the point of the original story and does a huge disservice to Su Mingyu and all people who have grown up in similar environments.
The message this drama passes along is that family is everything and no matter what, you should always forgive family because forgiveness sets you free. But I disagree, I find this message extremely invalidating and oftentimes unrealistic. Letting go of hatred is not equivalent to forgiving those who have abused you emotionally or physically. No amount of whitewashing, no reasons, serve as justifiable validation for people to treat you like trash, ever. Period. You can learn to let go of hatred so that you can free your present self from the grasp that shitty events in the past have on you without forgiving people who do not deserve your forgiveness, even if those people are family.
And that's why I'm conflicted about my thoughts about this. I don't feel like I have the right to decide how other people, such as Mingyu, personally handle these situations. We all choose our own way of moving on and letting go, and at best we can only be supportive instead of judgmental of what makes other people feel empowered and happy. I personally feel that the direction this drama went is rather fantastical and is something more often wished for than actually happens in real life. For a realistic production such as this, I expect less wish gratification and more stark realism. I can only say that in the original novel, Mingyu did not make certain choices she made in the drama, and I think the drama should have at the very least kept the choices she made in the book. Firstly because they make more sense character-wise, even if they are less wholesome; secondly because while I can't make decisions for Mingyu, the original author can and did, but her choices weren't respected. Most Chinese family dramas choose this type of ending, All Is Well did not bring anything new to the table even though it had the opportunity to.
There is also one error in the writing that doesn't actually affect the story, I only want to point it out because this is supposed to be a realistic drama and I really feel like the writer should have done some work here: The entire premise of this story is unrealistic in itself due to the fact that China established the one-child policy in 1980. The Su kids are obviously born after 1980, so yeah. Especially in a major area like Suzhou, given the Su parents' occupations (hospital nurse and school librarian) it's impossible that the Su family could have had 3 children.
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Watch it for your favorite actor / actress
This is the first review I've written because I find the high rating (7.9 currently) puzzling.Compared to other dramas of similar rating, I must say this is not on the same level.
I'm fan of the leads, so I'm watching the drama because of them. Unlike other comments, I find the acting more than acceptable (but I haven't read the novel, so I can't say if the characterization matches that in the novel). They are cute individually, but I also agree the chemistry is lacking - despite the cinematographer's efforts into building romantic picturesque scene that's just classically gorgeous (particularly those scene in those last episodes - you know the ones. yum.)
Except those few scenes at the end, the special effect was also horrible in the sense that it pulls you out of the story. The "inner force" is all just fan and wind, and the power feels a bit hallow on screen. The line trap that's virtually invisible is thick as a rope at times, and can just be cut through or repositioned if you're a character that needs to stay alive. It is impossibly deadly if you're a bad guy. The green screen effect and prop so obvious that again it looks more like a school project than a professional production. The editing is choppy. The exact same line repeated in consecutive scenes (as if they filmed it, and didn't know how which they want to use and decided to include both).
The fights themselves are not the most interesting choreography I've seen, and we've all seen these actors execute better fight scenes in other dramas. Every c-drama fight is a dance, but it's like watching a professional dancer dance or watching an elementary school production. The steps are simple - suggestive of a fight more than seeing and feeling it. For a show billing itself as a wuxia, the "wu" (meaning fight) element is surprisingly weak. This got worse in later episodes, where they skip the fight entirely. There is a scene where the character picks up their knifes indicating they are going to fight. The next scene is the bad guy on the ground suggesting there was a fight and the bad guy lost... which leads us to the biggest problem of this story - the writing. The political dynamics both of the court and of the martial arts world were brushed over. It leaves the viewers feeling like all the fights were just random. You're barely invested in the fights. You know good guys will win and bad guys will lose.
The drama has never set any tangible goal for any character. Zhou Fei leaves home for the sake of leaving home - no goals to speak of. Xie Yun's goal is achieved by the end of the first episodes, the rest of the time he's just wanting to live his life. Now, wanting to live his life has been the plot of many leading man, if only there was someone who doesn't want him to do that. But in fact, everyone wants him to just live a normal life and do nothing. So, yeah, our leading man is someone who's entire arc rests on do nothing. One could then say his arc is to support Zhou Fei, but Zhou Fei's arc seems to be supporting Xie Yun. So, again, circling around nothing...
Side characters are largely one-dimensional, and again lacks purposes. So often, I feel like why is that character in that scene? She has no skills and therefore no reasons to join this "mission". Eventually I concluded the actress needs screen time. So, even though there is absolutely no reasons for character x or y to be there, the script put them there because that's where the action is. The acting for some were flat - furthering my feeling of "huh?"
Low music scores because as the show progress, I find the music montages as just a way to fill time. Later episode also had very modern sounding music that pulls me out. I thought I was watching a James Bond movie...
I'm writing this review because I use this site to evaluate what drama to watch - and 51 ep is not a small amount of time. So, if you are fan of the leads, go for it. The plot is simple enough that you can watch it easily in 2x without issues. Honestly, this is a fine show if it wasn't for higher expectations. Had this been a show with no names, no supposedly good source material, and released without fanfare, it would have been just another average c-drama in the sea of internet dramas with rushed script and low production. Some reviews say this is their favorite drama of 2021, I suspect it's only because we're in January...
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What you get out of this story is a relatively light weight romance, I thought the two leads had great chemistry and I always enjoyed seeing them on screen together. There are scenes where they're playfully teasing each other which were delightful such as when he asks her if she's hungry, she replies that she is, thinking he's inviting her to dinner, and then he suggests that she should eat well with her family then as that's what he's going to do. It's a simple back and forth but in the context of where their relationship is (or isn't) at the time I thought it was a great example of the little teasing they're doing on a number of occasions as they try and figure out what they mean to each other.
There's some mild threat throughout but it's paper thin and generally resolved without too much going on, the threat(s) create the backbone for the start of the story and then serve to advance elements of the romance part of the story, rather than really being much in their own right.
One really interesting question that this drama poses that should cause some debate is about the age of a person who is frozen. If you are 20 when you are frozen, frozen for 20 years and thawed - how old are you? - In a country where age is so important it's no surprise such a question is posed. If you were sunbae when you went in, are you hoobae now?
You will still in your mind and body be a 20 year old, but your birth date says you're 40. Your knowledge of the world is in no way current, your mind set matches that of someone closer to 40 than 20. They don't answer the question (which is good, this is the wrong place to answer the question, but a perfectly good place to ask it) but they do explore some interesting situations such as potential romantic interest with her best friends son (because her friend matches her natural age, and the son matches her "frozen" age). There's other bits that come up, and it's interesting to consider the options.
I was really frustrated towards the start because of the over the top reactions from a couple of the characters, one of them could barely stay upright half the time and both looked like they were having some kind of coronary. I thought it was over the top and in the early stages of the show made me start to think this was trying to be a farce comedy - which it really isn't - and since I really don't like farce I was getting ready to drop it (I really don't drop dramas either, that's how much it was annoying me). I'm glad I didn't, it settles down and the total nuts characters balance out a bit letting the rest of the story develop, some times funny, sometimes upsetting, but I found it always interesting.
Ending was good, but it almost looks like it's going to trip and fall - however it doesn't. Though, seriously, the old-man-cardigan in one of the final scenes, that was a bit over the top :)
This was my first drama with Won Jin-Ah and I am absolutely going to be looking up more of her work, she has such a unique voice and presence and i'm really interested to see how she delivers different types of characters as she certainly seems to have the range.
Ji Chang Wook was good as always, nothing too taxing for his first drama outing since returning from the Army but one that lets him show a sensitive side where previously he's perhaps been doing more of the action-type roles.
It's about as deep as a puddle, but it's light, fun, no stupid breakups, cute scenes with a cute couple as they find their way to romance. Mild threat causes some bumps along the way, more so towards the conclusion, leading to a reasonable ending.
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