This movie has a concept of sibling love, and although things are not as they appear, this aspect alone may be uncomfortable. However, if you suspend reality for an hour and half this film is fluffy, cute, entirely ridiculous, and whole lot of fun! Yes, the acting, plot, and screenwriting is questionable, but it will have you laughing and having a great time. The soundtrack is upbeat and the antics are hysterical.
Sometimes you just need a movie that can lift up your spirits and make you giggle like a 13-year-old girl, and this is definitely one. This can help especially if you delved into several serious melodramas of late. (I am currently re-watching Empress Ki and sometimes you need some silly fluff to break up THAT much angst). If you enjoy the manga style live actions such as Heroine Disqualified this is a fun watch and absolutely worth your time!
Happy Drama Watching! :)
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A BL with Passion and Care
I am so happy MBS is starting to make more BL series. Their past BLs have been so relieving knowing that there are still producers and writers who care about the genre and the content they're pushing out. A lot of BLs releasing right now feel like they weren't given as much thought or care, but Jack O' Frost is one which I really respect and love for putting out something meaningful and worth to watch. For the actual review, I love the atmosphere that the film style brings. Without spoiling much, the way they filmed everything felt very nostalgic, cozy while also having a deep sense of longing for the past. The acting is better than I expected, seeing as one of the main characters was a support for another BL I watched (which wasn't on my list of things to recommend). But his acting, both of their acting actually was amazing. Their chemistry felt realistic that during some scenes I felt like I was interrupting their privacy and had to look away. Overall I would really recommend this to BL lovers. I hardly say that nowadays since I've stated before, a lot of the BLs currently coming out felt like a waste of my time, very fan service and unoriginal but that's a critique on the genre as a whole. However, Jack O' Frost gives something new and focuses on a story that doesn't talk about the same old "dealing with coming out" situations. I guess lately I got so tired of that plot-line cause its everywhere that I look for more mature BL shows, and this one really hits the nail. 9.5/10Time Written: March 18 2023 5/6 Episodes
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This review may contain spoilers
This is on youtube with English subs from the official youtube account 腾讯视频 (search "腾讯视频 Just an encore" and you'll see it or just search the drama title).I highly, highly recommend this drama for people to watch because, in summary of what's been put below, the plot and the characters are just amazing, yes it's another school love drama but its really good, its not so typical for it's genre as theres aspects which differ from it, I don't want to spoil anything this drama is so, so well made and the characters are so well portrayed by the actors.
This drama has possibly become my favourite drama because of not only the plot but the characters themselves have amazing chemistry that only made me love it more. The plot is quite basic in a sense but also not very typical of a romance drama, as seen on the plot summary provided, but it is so so good! Everything is really well done and actors are simply amazing.
This story doesn't have the typical 'cold hearted' and quiet male lead as Xin Liang, is what you see in a 'typical' second male lead who never has his love returned; fun, outgoing, knows how to sort problems out and probably the sweetest guy, in any dramas that I've seen, portrayed. He constantly looks after Yan Ze without her knowing, which is highly frustrating but gosh it makes the audience fall in love with this character, and he helps her with everything, literally with everything. This is only one of the things that I love about the drama because Just An Encore also follows the growth of two best friends who is seen be to jealous of one another which I find interesting as the typical pretty character is jealous of the "ordinary" friend while still being (kinda) nice, which I haven't seen in a while. Although her character did annoy me a bit.
Yan Ze, had a character that's seen in a lot of Chinese school dramas with a very similar hair cut with an amazing personailty but Yan Ze is also very popular, not because of her looks or grades but because of her personality and I think that's intriguing to me because in a lot of dramas, the male lead is often very popular among girls and the female lead gets a lot of hate but in this drama, theres none of that which I love so so much and everyone supports and loves her. In my opinion this drama has a more, almost, mature vibe to it as it doesn't have the childish high school drama of this and that (it has some but not to the extent seen in some other dramas) everything is so well portrayed.
The ending, now I'm not going to spoil it but dang I wish the drama was longer so we could see how the characters turned out, it seemed kind of rushed to be honest which is disappointing but nonetheless, has a very happy ending and it's so sweet and lovely.
I've seen some behind the clips of the drama and honestly, the two people portraying the main leads (Jiang Zhuo Jun as
Yan Ze and Ding Yu Xi as Xin Liang) have an amazing friendship as they were on the variety show I Actor in 2018 so I'm assuming they're quite close and familiar with one another. The chemistry they have in real life is definitely seen in the drama as they're very comfortable with each other but as they're supposedly new actors (?? Correct me if I'm wrong), they're amazing, their expressions, their voices and their overall acting are really well done, especially as they're new so well done to them.
Overall, I do recommend this for people to watch because its so, so good and I hope people can support these actors in their upcoming dramas!! :)
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Mature and heartbreaking romance + great chemistry & acting
Completed - 2/2/2022 - 8.25 rounding up to 8.5"Because of Love" has all the ingredients of a mature melodrama - first love, lost love, tragic pasts, revenge and illnesses. This drama is not for those who are looking for a fast-paced, fluffy, sweet romance. This is about life, hardships, tough decisions, and heartbreaks.
What I Enjoy:
1. Amazing acting - Everyone delivers great acting in this drama, ranging from the youngest and most adorable child actor, to all the veteran actors. We hear a lot about Wallace Chung (ML) and Li Xiao Ran (FL) and they are both awesome in portraying their respective characters and showing a range of emotions. LXR's eyes speak volumes and you can see her determination and stubbornness through her big, teary eyes. Wallace's heart-wrenching cries and emotional scenes are no joke. Both actors are not idol-pretty in this drama. They are tired, gaunt and depressed, esp. for Wallace, a completely different look that fit the character so well. Additionally, the second lead couple, give off a totally different vibe compared to our main couple. After watching Wang Yang in "The Rebel", I am again attracted to his charisma. There's just something about him, who is not super handsome in a traditional sense, but he just sucks you in. It's my first drama of Tian Lei Xi, and she is so pretty and refreshing to watch. But I have to mention two of my other favorites: Morni Chan who played grandfather Nie Dong Yuan, and child actor Mi Ke who played Sun Ping. It should not be a surprise to see veteran Morni Chan playing such a divisive character. I want to hate him for putting our leads through all that suffering, but I can't help understanding where he came from. Little child actor Mi Ke has got to be one of the most adorable kid. I've seen cute kids in dramas before and they are mostly very outgoing and act cute. But Mi Ke's character, Sun Ping, is not. He's just a quiet and intelligent regular kid. He is using his own voice and delivers the lines so well. He's such a precious angel!
2. Chemistry (1st half of the drama) - The chemistry between Wallace and LXR in the first half of the drama is amazing. When ever they came across each other, you feel the angst, torment, longing, passion.... a mixed bag of emotions! I can't help but want them to stop suffering and fall into each others' arms. They have two very passionate kiss scenes - so much emotions!! The teen version of the leads also delivers solid acting. In contrast to the darker adult romance, their younger selves are warm and adorable. They brought some lightheartedness to the drama (before things go south). On the other hand, our second leads have a cat-and-mouse type sizzling chemistry. They are flirting but not flirting and it's incredibly hot. These two romances have very different feels to them. Unfortunately, I only feel this way about them in the first half of the show.
3. Past and Present - This drama uses many flashbacks in its storyline telling. However it's seamless between the past and present. You won't get confused and oftentimes, I feel like I am watching a parallel time line. This is probably the first drama I watch that I don't mind flashbacks and would like to see more of.
4. Realistic sets/costumes - A large portion of the drama takes place inside a hospital. This is probably one of the most realistic, normal-looking hospital I've seen in Asian drama. Many hospitals in dramas look like they are for the high society and look too modern and high tech. But this hospital looks like it's for regular people, even the VIP rooms. Moreover, the area where FL lives also look appropriate to her socioeconomic status. All characters dress the part. ML's slouch-walking and casual wear fit his depressed mood, even though he's a successful cardiac surgeon.
What I don't quite enjoy:
1. Main romance (2nd half of the drama) - The angst and passion seem to have disappeared in the second half. At times, I can't tell whether FL is still in love with ML (though I know plot wise, she is). ML becomes a lovesick, smitten puppy and the torment and longing seem to have disappeared. The romance becomes... normal and calm. Once they sort of got together, there isn't enough romantic scenes to feel happy for them. Maybe this is a mature romance that feelings don't need to be shown as much. I just miss how I feel about the romance in the first half. This is why I did not give this drama a solid 8.5.
2. Loud BGM - The OST is fine and not extraordinary, though I do like the opening theme song. Music is not overplayed but at times the background music is too loud. It's so loud that I can't hear the dialogs and have to resort to reading subtitles.
3. Last few episodes in the business world seem to be out-of-place. The tone of the drama changes. Maybe a few more episodes should be dedicated to develop that part of the plot to build up the drama a little more.
Other Observations:
1. It took a little while to get used to Wallace's accent but I like it. I will take the actors real voice anytime over dubbing.
3. I thought the kid has a GPS bracelet, how come they can't find him?
4. There are no true villains. I might not agree with their actions but I understand why they act that way.
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The only thing I dislike with this movie is the 3 minutes long song in the middle. It is dull, annoying and does not have anything to do with the story. Otherwise the soundtrack is as sweet as the story itself.
I highly recommend you watching this and I would, at the same time, like to mention that the director of "Boy meets boy" has made a 30 minutes long movie in the same spirit, "Just friends?". A movie just as delightful as this one.
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The only problem with it was that they could have given some more time to some characters and the relationships. Somethings at times felt lost and unexplained.
But apart from that, this drama was sweet. I wish I had a sister. I won't say it is one of those extraordinary dramas, but its a simple story that you can relate to at times and which will move you to tears and make you smile all at once. Oh and I loved the music.
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This movie is smart innovate, gave me requiem for a dream feels mixed with momento flashes .
I was hooked after 5 minutes.
The story of a young man who is given a task by his dad to go clean up a dirty apartment of his deceased aunt Matsuko.
We watch the movie through Eita's eyes as he cleans his aunts apartment and discover her true identity.
With great comical scenes and depressive nature of the movie it covers a huge part of Japanese society of what was it and how much changed through the years.
As you see Matsukos braveness through out you start cheering for her even though you already know at the starting of the movie she is dead, this movie covers a lot of themes in Japan from yakuza to AV idols to perfect housewives and many more with on going amazing music scores this is a masterpiece.
I think it's the first time a movie made me laugh and cry in 5 seconds intervals, a true gem is found.
highly recommended it's perfect.
I'm still in shock just wow.
http://dramanice.eu/memories-of-matsuko/watch-memories-of-matsuko-episode-1-online
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One of my personal favourites but might not be yours
My humble apologies as this review is not in my normal style. I did start to write the typical review but after several paragraphs, I had to stop. I was doing my usual breakdown of the plot, discussing certain scenes and review the acting when I realised that I'm not making sense why I like this show so much. So let's try something different . . .On paper, this is a mid budget, college romance with no big name actors. AKA a B-grade c-drama that is turned out by the dozen every year to feed the programme scheduling beast. I would go as far as saying that it is better than a typical idol drama but still hardly a top tier show.
Now that we have laid the cards on the table, please indulge me with a bit of subjective rambling. ;)
As a college romance, my expectations are quite low. I’d be happy with a decent filler while I wait for the next blockbuster release. What I didn't expect is to binge watch all 24 episodes with barely a pause. I still can't quite quantify the reason why I liked it so much but it just clicks with me. May be a lot has to do with the script resonating with me. I was fully invested in their lovelines. Even the little acts of love and kindness feel just right to me and spark joy. I actually watch with anticipation which is rare these days. Meet Yourself was the last show that touched me in a similar way but that show is S class.
Similarly, the acting of the leads resonated with me. Yes, their characters are cliches. The usual feisty FL and ice king ML but there is depth to their characters. Both have damaged psyches due to their upbringing and the breakup of their family unit. They have a fear of abandonment and while the FL hides behind a facade of exaggerated cheerfulness, the ML learns to show no emotions as a way to survive living with his demanding and abusive mum.
While many shows have used the fate card to tie the leads together which usually involves some form of childhood entanglement or accidental encounters that are nothing more than contrivance, this show actually sticks the landing. The leads' childhood friendship is quite poignant and has a long lasting effect on both of them. How they resolve their historical misunderstanding is beautifully done. Once again, this is a very subjective point. Some might see it as dribble and a blatant act to tug at our heartstrings. That is a fair call and I can only say that it works for me.
I am also surprised that the 2CP is good as well. They are not the lazy pairing of the typical BFF's just to fill the quota and use up some screen time. Their romantic journey is heartfelt and I can ship them wholeheartedly.
Both CP’s have great chemistry and a decent amount of skinship. Once again, they just appeal to me. I like how they complemented each other. They're provide each other with what their SO is longing for.
Of course it can’t be all rainbows and unicorns. There are some narrative issues. For instance, while the show is angst lite, it is not all smooth sailing. Although none of the protagonists are really evil, their actions still have a significant impact on the leads and their friends. Yet they are readily forgiven and everyone just carries on as if nothing has happened. That doesn’t sit comfortably with me. Some of the side plots are meaningless and some of the support roles are straight out of central casting. I don't mind them in the bigger scheme of things but others might take umbrage.
I can see the good and the bad of this show. They are not dissimilar to other shows. Yet, it hits me in the feels like few others. So my score for this show is more subjective than usual. You might have a different opinion and I respect that.
I am happy to recommend this show but your mileage may differ.
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This is a 4-part series, roughly 75 minutes total run-time.
STORY: The first part is wacky and a tad confusing but stick with it because it settles down and reaches its stride rather quickly and carries it all the way to the through the end credit roll. There are also quite a few clichés but this has a HAPPY, even if a somewhat bittersweet, ending!
ACTING/CAST: The cast chemistry was great (well, only 3 people really get any real screen time). The main couple were fun to watch and there were a few hilarious bathroom scenes that as a guy I was cringing and laughing at the same time. Makes me wonder: do women really not know male bathroom etiquette? Well, watch the scenes and you'll see what i'm talking about.
MUSIC: The music was good though I don't speak the language. The sound quality had issues but this was most likely because I saw the English fan-subbed version.
REWATCH VALUE: Definitely will watch this again, next time with a good friend.
TL;DR: Starts out strange, quickly gets good, has some twists, and a happy ending!
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It never dragged or got boring, each episode had it's own excitement - the story progressed very nicely. There was one character I hated but he never got on my last nerve like some characters in dramas do (a.k.a My Daughter the Flower killer girl) - even though he was a hateful character - you just somehow knew he couldn't win...This drama is filled with optimism and looking at a persons best along with the worst - to see the human - it's truly beautiful <3 I loved every other character on this drama (well...maybe a few episodes in the beginning I wasn't that fond of Do Hui's step-mom but I warmed up to her later; & Ju Yeong's mom was a bit irritating until the last 10-15 episodes where I started to like her too -) I didn't much care for Jin Ju & Chul Su - she annoyed me a LOT in the earlier episodes & he to be honest wasn't much of a 'man' he was too wimpy. I loved Na Ri - she was adorable throughout the entire drama <3 I loved 4 characters the most: Jun Su, Do Hui, Hyeon Suk & Ju Yeong - I didn't know much about HS or JY early on so I was really fond of JS and DH but somewhere into the drama I started to like HS and JY a little more than the other 2 characters lol and oh boy does Hyeon Suk ever look really handsome when he smiles (it lights up his whole face) <3 oh and I Loved the 'teacher' In Joo (?) she always looked like a fashion statement lol - she was pretty funny too ;)
Music: Really good - I can remember about 4-5 songs :D
Re-watch Value: 8.5 - I would love to re-watch it again - but it is a bit long - I may skip around if I do ;)
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I wasn't disappointed, either. The Ouran High School Host Club drama truly was the icing on Hunny-sempai's keki for me. I love the drama, the cast, and the entire adaptation of Bisco Hatori's fantastic manga on screen.
In particular, I find that Yamamoto Yusuke plays Tamaki well (I knew he could do it--he is awesome). I don't understand the arguments about his acting ability based on his hair color--which in the manga isn't blonde anyway. A character which surprised me was Daito Shunsuke's Kyouya. Kyouya was my least favorite character in Ouran until the drama. He's still not my favorite, but I like him much more now (that has nothing to do with Daito's suaveness, whatsoever, lol). I also felt that Haruna was a good Haruhi, and Chiba is an awesome Hunny. The Takagi Twins never fail to disappoint, either.
Plot-wise, I feel that the drama did the best it could with the ridiculous time constraints put on it by the network. As the first drama I've ever watched in Real Time, I never once did not laugh during an episode. Everything worked well, and it could not get me more excited for the movie.
Overall, I will rewatch Ouran again because it's that good, it's my favorite manga, and it's a good drama on sad days.
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fun premise but… why are the ex’s family STILL here??
This show had so much potential but the biggest problem is 100% the ex’s family hanging around way past the first act. Like… why are they still in every conflict? Why do they get THIS much screentime?? People keep saying the leads lack chemistry but honestly they don’t; the show just wastes all their moments by stuffing in secondary characters who don’t matter to the actual romance. Every time the leads start building momentum, boom: unnecessary side drama. It could’ve been a tight, cute romcom, but the pacing drags because we’re stuck watching plotlines that should’ve ended 10 episodes earlier.Was this review helpful to you?
The story is fresh, innovative, clever, and meticulously planned out. I have never encountered something like the "Liar Game" before, and just the concept of it makes me excited about this drama. The game's description sounds fun in itself, and I can't help but watch it. The several challenges/activities that the people go through are also ingenious. During the whole drama, I felt stupid whenever I couldn't figure out one of the puzzles. The puzzles take brain work to solve and it was extremely fun following along. Seeing the results was interesting. Because Liar Game was full of so many great and original ideas (completely steers away from all drama-centered stereotypes), I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sometimes, Nao's naivete seems annoying, but you get over it.
And, as a random ending note, Fukunaga is hilarious. Maybe it's because of bad acting, maybe it's not, but Fukunaga is awesome and I find his evil laugh amusing.
I put a rewatch value of 7 because, although rewatching Liar Game /can/ be fun, I lose my excitement the second time around since I already know the results and can't relive the enjoyment of trying to figure out all of the puzzles and stuff. :(
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I found FB to be more romantic, which is one of the reasons I love Asian Dramas.
Jiro Wang nailed the part!! But perhaps I am biased becuae I liked him in "It started with a kiss." Here I saw a more mature, manly and serious version of him and I totally loved him!
We can clearly see how he slowly develops feeling for Gao Mei Nam.
He is not so childish as Tae Kyung and more jealous! Always a plus for me!
Lee HongKi will always be my Jeremy , but Evan Yo is adorable!
Hwang In Deok was good, but he did not stand out like the other characters or like Jung Yong-hwa did in YAB.
The main actress was so cute! Even though it was obvious she is still new at acting. But overall I found her adorable!
What I also liked was the way they were dressed, because the clothes they wore in YAB, in my humble opinion were over the top.
The music was ok, but the songs did not move me the way the YAB OST did.
All in all, a great drama! I highly recommend it!
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A Realistic drama
Not the usual ending for Kdrama but it is exactly how relationship ends in real life. The whole story itself is so realistic that you cant really tell whether its a drama or a real relationship. There are fluffy and sad moments.On the other hand I like how they put the animations specially the cells. Its like watching another drama.
Short Kdrama but worth your time.
Music is also matching the actual drama.
This drama can be tagged as a melodrama instead of a romance or romantic comedy theme..
And what I learned from this is yourself is your greatest enemy. And dont look for a person to complete you. Look for a person to be with you when your complete.
………………………………………….
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