Quantcast
Completed
Glorious Day
19 people found this review helpful
by Nijura
Oct 6, 2014
44 of 44 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 10
Firstly, I want to say this: I loved this drama! This drama was amazingly warm-hearted and it always made you smile.

To be honest, I started to watch this drama because of Park Se Young. I wasn't really aware of the other actors (except for Kim Mi Sook and Jung Man Shik).

This drama is presented as a family drama and this description suits it very well. Everything in this drama is about family and I liked it that way.

I was a bit worried to watch Glorious Day, because 50-ep dramas usually scare me off but then I gave it a chance and I made a really good decisions. Unlike other long dramas, this drama was fast-paced and every problem got resolved very quickly (max. 2-3 episodes)

I was really addicted to this drama at the beginning. I even watched SBS live, so I could see the episodes as soon as possible. Then my addiction dropped, but this drama still became a drama I was looking forward to watch, because it always made me smile.

STORY
I loved the story in the beginning. It was fast-paced and gripping, then somewhere in the middle it lost its spark for a while but regained it very quickly in the last episodes. Unfortunately, this drama was cut down to 44 episodes in the end (because of the ratings in Korea) and honestly, I don't think that this drama deserved it. However, despite that, the writers did a great job with the ending. I was smiling like crazy. I could compare this ending to It's Okay, That's Love. I think this ending was just perfect for this drama.

ACTING
As for acting, most of the actors did a great job, but I could have seen many flaws in their acting. However, because of the storyline and chemistry between the actors, I just didn't pay so much attention to it. By the way, I loved the chemistry between Park Se Young and Lee Sang Woo. If I should pick an actor who did the best job, then it would be Kim Hyung Kyu, in my opinion. He is so young, and he did an amazing job! Really talented!

MUSIC
The music was kind of so-so. But the original songs were perfect for the story. I loved how they used trot songs.

If you are looking for a heart-warming drama, with a great chemistry between actors and you have a free time to watch it, then, please, don't hesitate and watch it! It's worth your time!

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Haeundae Lovers
18 people found this review helpful
Sep 27, 2012
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
whooho a drama filled with Busan accent and fishes(?) :)

So quite a nice drama actually, nothing really special or over the board stuff (let's say a soft drama)
Actually the plot does remind you of some other dramas because it includes the basic elements (a.k.a amnesia, orphan kid, troublesome past, opposition etc.)
Don't get me wrong now... it is not a melodrama ^^ it's quite amusing drama and enjoyable most of the times (especially when they react or parodies movies, songs,...)
Of course this wouldn't be a drama that you would use in order to dramatize your friend or make him/her a dramatard x)

the cast was great, they did an amazing job with the Busan Accent and also they fit the characters really well
i really like all the casts, you get to like them quite easily (i read that some people did not like the main girl but in my point of view, the production team choose the actress well since we are not talking about a really gorgeous and sexy girl but a mob's daughter, hardworking girl)

Music and Rewatch value are low since the music did not really catch my interest
Rewatch value is low since it's not really a drama that you would want to rewatch 5 times... once is okay but not more

Overall 7... if you want to see something funny and filmed in Busan then this is your stuff :) of course there is romance (^w^)

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Laundry Romance
19 people found this review helpful
Mar 4, 2026
4 of 4 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 8.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

Too short...

A typical low budget production, at least they improved. They added background noise to the bar, even when we can see it's not a bar. And there is always a flashback of the last episodes evem when the episodes are only 8 minutes long (under 7 for the finale).

This is an unagitated series, with a chance meeting of two man in a laundromat. But of course one of them is not just there for reading a book or doing laundry... It tells the story of a university graduate hunting for a job and his uncertainties and struggles. Hyung supports him with tips and with a new suit, because he won't wear it anytime soon. In the end there is a little bit of drama but of course there is a happy end.

What I don't like especially with this series is how short it is. While it tells the story well, it misses some depth. I would like have seen this with 30 minute episodes or a lot more episodes... because the acting was good and the script was good. Not exceptional, but compared all the crap we get served, it's a a change of pace and a change of stupid, senseless stories. So, if you don't know what to watch, binge watch this series on Youtube for around 29 minutes and have a nice experience.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Light
19 people found this review helpful
by Eden07
Aug 13, 2021
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 7.5

High potential for something longer

I was not disappointed by this short film (40mn) by Adiamond Lee.
The subject is dark and serious (prostitution, abuse) but we do not avoid the pitfall of pathos.

The good idea is to have focused only on the two main characters which allows to explore their personalities enough and don't waste time on secondary characters.

The character of Light is really interesting, we feel a lot of empathy for him. Shuo, the policeman is a little less explored but we manage to know enough about him to understand his actions (it would have been interesting to know more about his work and his missions, to give him a little more deepness).

The direction is impeccable and the very dark photography is well worked with muffled lights that give more darkness to the atmosphere. The two lead actors are good, all in sobriety in their acting.
Of course, in 40mn, it is difficult to do something very deep and the story may seem a bit fast but after all it is quite simple (just two people falling in love) and I think we are not too frustrated even if the story would have really deserved to be more in depth, especially with the themes addressed.

I recommend you to watch this short film which changes from the ordinary and will move you.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Love with Flaws
44 people found this review helpful
Jan 17, 2020
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 6.0
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
I want to be objective, but I can't because I'm angry, disappointed and I love ranting so read at your own risk.

The best word to describe this drama is: BORING. The main characters are written to be super quirky and especially at the beginning there are a lot of weird situations for the sake of creating comedy and showing their quirkiness. This kinda works at first (there was a time, like 2 months ago, when I was actually excited for the upcoming episodes) but as episodes went by everything became so dull, plain...boring. I can't exactly pinpoint what doesn't work for the main characters: poorly executed clichés? lack of character development? romantic chemistry where?, but something went reaaaaally wrong and I ended up skipping their parts in favor of the secondary characters, who surprisingly had much interesting storylines and relationships.
I'm not saying this is the worst thing I've ever seen, but it's frustrating looking back after investing 16 hours of my time and seeing that I could have watched something else instead. Oh, they also used Despacito as background music in several occasions and that was the last straw for me.

(lol no I'm kidding the characters were worse than despacito but really?? in 2019??)

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Us and Them
44 people found this review helpful
Jun 22, 2018
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers
****Contains a few Spoilers***
Let me just start off by saying this, It made me cry like a baby but I think I would watch it again. It totally gave me 'One Day' movie feels. the one with Anne Hathaway. The storyline was a bit predictable (kinda figured out what was going to happen at the end of the movie) but still beautiful to watch. The cute start, the getting together, and the bittersweet end. I don't think I have ever seen a movie that honestly gives us a pretty accurate description of a relationship like this. The whole, "just because you love each other doesn't mean you're meant to be". you can love someone to bits but sometimes it just doesn't work out. And they did it in a realistic way, there was no childish dramatics. it was honest, real problems that couples go through. God, it killed my feels. The actors played their part so well, I fell in love with them. She was so cute and he was so in love with her. The both matured and grew throughout the film. The whole relationship was so cute and the ending was done perfectly even though it hurt to watch. The music was so good. It wasn't like songs but rather piano to fit the mood. I like it. There are two theme songs for the movie that they played at the end. If you're in for a film that is cute but sad, watch this. I loved it despite crying over it.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Ongoing 32/32
Extraordinary You
44 people found this review helpful
Nov 21, 2019
32 of 32 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 8.0
the first half of this drama was amazing. it was unique and unpredictable - rare to find in kdramas, especially school ones. it quickly became the only drama i was looking forward to every week. i loved everything about it from the plot to the characters. seriously the characters are so good and funny. i grew to love them all (epsically do hwa) my expectations for extraordinary you kept going up and up, and every week it passed those expectations and kept giving me more of what i wanted. and about half way through it became a typical school romance and didn’t have any of the uniqueness to it that it once had. it became repetitive and i found myself not looking forward to it as much.

the acting is really good. considering it’s a high school romance, the acting is good. i actually love hyeyoon’s quirky acting and found it made the show better. the drama wouldn’t have been what it is without her acting.
i never knew rowoon was such a good actor. i usually don’t pay attention to idol actors but he’s one of the ones who can actually act. i really felt his emotions throughout the drama.

i also have to give it to the supporting characters: jaewook did an amazing job too and portrayed his role to the best of his ability and brought out its full potential. he managed to make people really hate his character, and if an actor can do that then in my opinion they’re a great actor. everyone else did an amazing job; i really can’t fault any of their acting.

the osts were really good too and really fit with the theme of the drama. the first half had more of an upbeat ost whereas the second half had a sadder, deeper ost (still upbeat tho) which really reflected the drama itself as the first half was more comedic and light and the second half became more dramatic and tense.

i don’t wanna give anything away so i’m gonna end this right here. but overall this drama is still one of the best kdramas of the year and best school romance drama altogether. if the first half hadn’t been so good and set my expectations so high i probably wouldn’t have thought the second half was lacking. but the hype for this drama is real. even if you don’t like school dramas, this is a must. yes it gets draggy towards the end but it’s still worth it. even just watching it for the danharu moments is worth it. and seeing dohwa always smiling and brightening up the mood. if you’re sick and tired of cold abusive bad boys as leads then watch this. haru and dohwa are the best boys.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans
44 people found this review helpful
Aug 23, 2024
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 8.0

Loved the Taste Even Without the Long Beans

This show wont give you any bitter after taste. I fell inlove with the first episode, was consistent till the end!

At first i was worried - there are so many cooking themed Thai BL shows that has disappointed me in the past - from "Bite Me" to "Baker Boys" to "Cooking Crush". For a country blessed with the richest treasure of cuisine, these shows ended up making me crave for more. So I am really glad to say that this show stands out among these titles.

The story also wasn't that unique, to be honest, and although it wasn't perfect, it is entertaining and adeptly executed. There are some plotholes here and there and there is very little character study but I liked how they showcased the food and I specially liked the competition angle of the show although we can see from a mile away that Plawan will definitely win it all.

For me Sailub as Oab and Garfield as JJ (are both delicacies cooked to prefection) were the anchors of this show. Pon as Plawan just like Benz as Metas were both annoying at the beginning - but as the series progressed their characters kind of grew on me to the point that I liked the four main leads equally. Some of the acting in the first episodes seems a bit overdone, but as you continue to watch it and get used to its flow then it became tolerable and to an extent enjoyable.

When Khaosuay appeared i initially thought they would fall into the trap of putting annoying girls (common to a lot of BLs) but Im glad that they didn t go in that direction and wrapped her story properly plus Belle is so gorgeoous you really just cant hate her. I would however say the most annoying character of the show was Kleua for being the pretentious sneaky villain of the show -they should have used a much stronger 3rd (or 4th if you count Khaosay) character in the Oab-Plawan love story because the matchup between Oab and Kleua just isnt equal enough and there's no way you'd believe Plawan would choose Kleua over Oab.

One thing I strongly hate in this is probably the very obvious product placements - yes, they were incorporated in the story but comeon a chef cooking instant noodles for his partner at a restaurant?

Did the series show enough to be unforgettable? Probably not, i would probably forget about its story after a few months. I dont even think it will win any awards anytime soon. Did I enjoy? Like i said, yes, immensely and its become one of the few things I look forward to every Friday. Will I recommend? Yes, very strongly and most definitely.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Cherry Blossoms after Winter
44 people found this review helpful
by LiN
Mar 10, 2022
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 7.5

A Blossoming Love that’s sweeter than Cherry !!

Lovely story and adaptation!

CBAW is a famous BL Manhwa with a cute high school love story. Even though I was having some higher expectations, I am glad it could prove its worth to me and hopefully other viewers too. One can definitely see the improvement in the idea of the adaptions and stories, as well as the growing attention for Korean BLs. I would recommend “Cherry Blossoms After Winter" when one strives for a cute LGBTQ+ series.


Production / Music 6.5 >> 7.5

PASSABLE - Same as "Oh! Boarding House" the series is not extra outstanding nor is there something they failed in. The story feels less forced and rushed than the older gay romance series we got from Korea, and I am sure we can expect similar dramas to be produced soon. However, what is to criticise is the choice of airing only one episode per week. Even though their general duration of episodes increased compared to the Korean LGBTQ+ shows we know from the past, with all the other series airing (Cutie Pie, You´re My Sky, ...), 25 minutes a week is not enough to keep their watchers attention. It may look like a minor problem at first but it can negatively affect the entire rating of a series that could have gotten more attention if it aired 2 episodes a week. A bit of wasted potential, not by the actors or the production, but by those who made the decision to air only one episode a week. Nevertheless, I like the implementation of the music! It matches the overall mood of the series.

Plot / Story 8.5 >> 8.0

REMARKABLE - The plot of the Manhwa got implemented very well, with no major criticism from my side. It is not easy to produce an adaption that doesn´t offend the original fans but I see no problem with this cute series. Both the characters and the actors are a visual match and the story is catchy, exciting and emotional. The story revolves around the fact that Tae Sung and Hae Bom, for the first time ever, got into the same class, despite sharing the same roof for ages. This reveals a secret that causes their relationship to flourish. I can´t get enough of high school dramas and youth romances even if they are that cringe!


Cast 8.5

SATISFACTORY - Ok Jin Uk and Kang Hui did not disappoint. They executed their roles well and captivated me with their chemistry. So cute! The Supporting Cast also showed an admirable performance. I´m at a loss for words for their performance this time, because I don´t have much to criticize.


Rewatch Value/ Overall 8.0 >> 7.5

"Cherry Blossoms After Winter" offers some incredibly cute scenes and is light to watch.
Therefore I would recommend this show to anyone who likes high school romances with a little bit of drama.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Noble, My Love
44 people found this review helpful
by Senech
Oct 1, 2015
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 5
Overall 10
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 10
I first want to say that I'm aware I gave a higher rating than this drama really deserve but this reflect what I feel about it, what my heart feel about it.

If you're so busy during the week and want a short drama you can watch and finish in a single week end. If, like me, you always crave for heart warming romance that can fulfil your heart with warmth, tender and love, makes it flutter and put sparkles in your eyes. This one can perfectly do it
I didn't expect much about it and I was so surprised to enjoy it this much, well, I have to say, it really was my heart that enjoy it the most !!!

Along all the drama my heart couldn't stop racing and missing a beat each time there was a cute romantic scene between the leads. Even when they weren't together and we saw Lee Kang Hoon doing something for her behalf.
It's been ages I didn't feel this way when watching a drama, it was exactly what I was searching for and exactly what made me click next episode right after the end of an episode. Luckily for me it's a short drama, otherwise I might have ended like a zombie who didn't sleep for days in order to finish it. Lol.

Kang Hoon is the typical cynical chaebol we meet in lots of kdramas. I didn't really like him first but we fast discover that his love transcend him and he's in fact so touching and so lovable. Of course he's not the kindest one towards the girl but we know that it's just a shield to protect his heart to being hurt. And knowing that makes his moves so touching and cute. That's when my heart fell. Sung Hoon was a pure revelation for me, I know for sure I wouldn't feel this way if it was an another actor. He gives life to his character with perfection. He's not a perfect actor but he's the one for this drama. And omo omo that deep charming voice of him.. Rrrrh. Just talk, I could listen to you for hours without ever get tired of it. XD .

The female lead is also the typical poor but very proud girl we meet in lots of kdramas. She's tough but she has her weakness. It makes her so real, a girl we can definitely relate to. Finish the non-stop-crying-sobbing-exasperating main girl. I loved so much following her, waited to the heart for her nemesis to be crushed, craving for her feelings to grow...

The romance between the two characters was so cute, so fluffy, so heart warming, so true and never ever stop to make me Aww and fall. I'm a little mixed about their chemistry. They do have a good chemistry, we definitely can see and feel the feelings between the two but when it went to kissing that was a little disappointed. I wish they didn't have the dead-fish kind of type kissing. It always killed the mood. But that was okay, it was not the endless-awkward-turn-around-camera kind. We can easily get over it.

This drama in fact reunites most of the clichés you can find in dramaland but thanks to its short length it's never boring and don't have the time to be dragging. And thank god that's a good point ! Who never gets tired of the endless loop of ex-lovers intervention or family disagreement ? Here, you won't have the time to get bored or sigh of exasperation. Every problem is solved quickly and naturally.
That's really refreshing.

A real bonus to this drama is the Manga type image at the beginning of each episode. So cute.
I just have one last word, Don't think and go watch it !!! :D

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Judge Dee's Mystery
44 people found this review helpful
Mar 10, 2024
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 30
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 6.0

Can't judge a book by its cover.

Judge Dee is one of the most widely adapted and iconic ancient Chinese detective figures in popular culture. Di Renjie, or Judge Dee was a prominent Tang Dynasty official and twice chancellor to Empress Wu Tzetian. In the 19th century, Dutch sinologist and diplomat Robert Van Gulik translated an 18th century novel by an anonymous author Dí Gōng Àn/狄公案/Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee, into English. He went on to write numerous other Judge Dee mysteries, increasingly crafting Judge Dee in his own image. Van Gulik's books are regarded as a cultural bridge between East and West. They were devoured by the Chinese diaspora long before Tsui Hark fanned the flames with his wildly popular Detective Dee movies.

Judge Dee's Mystery/大唐狄公案 loosely adapts nine cases from Van Gulik's novels for the small screen. This drama has notably high production values with lavish sets and costumes designed to create an immersive visual experience. The cases are well crafted with meticulous attention to detail and pay homage to Judge Dee's reputation as a people's hero; a champion of truth and justice for the common people. The cases highlight the discontent at some of Empress Wu's policies and shortcomings of the Tang Code, China's earliest legal code. Di Renjie gained many insights on the struggles and aspirations of the common citizens as magistrate of many important provinces across the empire. This shaped him into a great statesman and reformer in his later years; a chancellor often known to stand up to the formidable Empress.

This is the kind of drama that I should love - its my favorite genre featuring my favorite Chinese detective, set in my favorite Chinese dynasty and is helmed by a few of my favorite actors. The fight scenes are fantastic and the whole thing just looks gorgeous and bloody expensive. Which just goes to show you, you just can't judge a book by its cover. Because even though there are some really great moments, overall this drama just bored me silly.

The problem with the cases is that the four episode are too long when the villain is usually obvious from the beginning. There is not enough development of the suspects or the victims to make the audience care about the why-did-it. The audience also does not get to participate in the solution. Instead, the intricacies of the how-did-its are revealed as flashbacks in Judge Dee's mind's eye. The cases do get better in the latter half as they tie into Judge Dee's past and are shored up by the appearance of characters like Diao Xiaoguan (Zhang Ruoyun) and Lin Fan (Jiang Yi). Even then, the writing tends to tie the minute details together well while leaving big gaps on important things. Thus it is never fully explained what Diao Xiaoguan's motives were or what terrible thing the young scion of a noble household did that got him disowned and left to fend for himself.

The biggest issue with this drama is that Zhou Yiwei pretty much carries the entire crime-solving team by himself. None of the supporting characters are well designed and there is zero chemistry between Ma Rong, Qiao Tai and Judge Dee. This is made even more obvious when Deng Xiaoguan shows up and there is a tangible difference in the dynamics between everyone. Both of Dee's sidekicks appear and disappear inexplicably in the middle of a case as and when the plot requires. Ma Rong is written to be a comically obnoxious character but there is nothing funny about her obnoxiousness. This is the obvious the weak link in the cast and one that is utterly lacking in charisma that unfortunately gets too much airtime. Inasmuch as Zhou Yiwei and Wang Likun deliver a heart-stopping and mature portrayal of attraction and love at first sight, sadly Cao An is written to be a blank character; an elegant musician well past her youth clinging to a silly girlish fantasy over a highwayman (face palm). She only serves decorative purposes until the final case, where she finally gets to shine with her bravery and her foolishness.

In conclusion, this is a visually stunning production that stays true to its source material in terms of setting and thematic elements. However, despite some exciting and well choreographed action scenes, it fails to deliver truly captivating mysteries and is bogged down by lackluster supporting performances. While the cases in Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty (2022) are only a tad more tightly written, the humor and fantastic crime solving team dynamic elevates that series over this one. That said, Judge Dee's Mystery is not a terrible way to pass some time even though it ultimately falls short of making a lasting impression. I rate this Seasons 1 a 7.5/10.0. Season 2 has been filmed and should air by early 2025.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Reply 1994
44 people found this review helpful
Apr 30, 2014
21 of 21 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
Going back in the past, to some it might hurt but the past before our present made us the great person we are right now.

I liked watching Reply 1994 because of the great acting of the casts, and the OSTs. WOW. Totally great. I downloaded the OSTs of this drama and the songs are really good to listen especially if you're having stress or doing something. Besides the OSTs, you can feel the "freshness", and the feeling of "youth" in the drama.

As usual, we have the "Love Triangle". That's what the story is all about. Finding out the "who" in the end. But, the story-line is somehow special, connecting the past to the present. The wonderful memories of the freshness of the youth.

Go Ara's character is a strong yet sweet girl, and she really portrayed it well. She had a loyal heart who only sought one man in her heart, which made it unfair for the second man involved in the Love Triangle.

But what's more amazing in this drama is the creativity of the director. There are three stuff toys that shows in almost every episode, notice their positions, and you'll see that they are sort of like weather forecasts on what will happen next.



Overall, this is a good drama and I recommend it to you.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
My Uncanny Destiny
44 people found this review helpful
Jan 18, 2023
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

Lord of Muxi City Ye.. Zhao.. Nan..

This is a must watch the cast did their roles perfectly
'
The cast was amazing loved Ke Qian Yue the first time I saw her love, Yi Yang, Tan Rang, Princess Yunluo, and Zhi Lan.

I am amazed by the actress who played Qimeng and her twin sister they played their roles very well.

This show is and will always be a must-watch for me.
💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓
Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Sunshine by My Side
44 people found this review helpful
Sep 17, 2023
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 6
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

Sunshine truly worths the name with a mature and slow- burn romance.

🍁OVERVIEW OF PLOT:

The plot tells the story of female director who divorced her husband at the age of 36 'cause he is a scumbag. A 26 year old boy fall for her at their very first meeting when they met 10 years back 'cause she is the director who filmed his father for public advertisement which increases his respect towards his father's profession and give him motivation to study arts and design to motivate and aware society toward the hard workers.


🍁PACE OF STORY AND CHEMISTRY:

The drama has a slow pace and falls in the category of slow burn romance with many sweet and hilarious moments at times and ends with a happy ending. It kept me hooked to it from the very first episode as I like slow- burn romance very much. There is not much skinship and chemistry between leads is average.


🍁ACTING AND CHARACTERS:

🌿Sheng Yang : He is a hardworking, sensible, talented, warm-hearted person and has a great sense of humour . He is good at communication and don't give up easily whether to pursue his love or to build his career on his own. Xiao Zhan did a great job in portraying Sheng Yang with his natural looking acting and amazing emotion delivery just even by his face expressions. This character shows a development from being a little immature to purely mature without losing his basic character traits I mentioned above.

🌿Jian Bing : She is a brave woman who has courage to divorce her husband in her middle age after being married for 10 years. Her father was also a scumbag like her husband and she witnessed her father's dirty deeds at the age of 12. She told her mother about that but not long after she never seen her mother happy again and witnessed her death. It gives her a trauma and she started to hate her father but hated and blamed herself more for telling all that to her mother and begun to think that all adults' relationship is like this, so it takes her many years to divorce her husband. She is also a warm-hearted person and knows how to deal with tough situations with calmness and intellect. She became a very professional director and started her own company with her husband and best friend, even after divorcing him she kept personal and professional life seperate and continued their cooperation in company. She is a strong character and not like clingy, naive and childish female leads in most C-dramas. Bai Bai He did a praiseworthy job in portraying this character with natural acting.

Other characters are also pretty good other than the hockey couple, they really get on my nerves and I skipped every time they were on the screen. I don't understand why they were in the drama, just useless and waste of screen time.

Sheng Yang's parents are very reasonable, understanding and hilarious characters. They showed all the real concerns about relationship and financial problems very well. Sheng Yang's friends also showed a growth in character especially Pan Rou. The thing I don't like in drama is that they portray her scumbag ex-husband and father in a funny way and toned down the seriousness of cheating in a relationship.


🍁OST AND COSTUMES:

OSTs are average not very good and costumes and makeup are decent.


🍁CONCLUSION:

This drama is very down to earth and shows the real challenges in a person's life when it comes to relationship or career with a touch of healthy humour. It doesn't show a fully fantasized world but promotes hardwork, better communication and intellectual decisions. When other dramas just show us the importance of better communication to avoid misunderstandings, this drama tells us how to do it. Purely a mature romance drama. The leads needs each other. For Sheng Yang, Jian Bing brought a ray of increased respect and a new way of thinking in his life and as for Jian Bing, Sheng Yang brought a new hope and happiness in her life after an unsuccessful marriage and childhood trauma.

I would definitely recommend this drama to give it a try although it may seems to be boring to many people but it relies on deep understanding.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Not Me
44 people found this review helpful
Mar 21, 2022
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 6.5
This review may contain spoilers

Good drama but with some flaws (spoilers ahead!)

I didn't really have any expectations about this series, so went in with a fairly open mind. The casting looked good and the acting certainly was much better than what we're sometimes used to from many of GMMTV's other programs. No slapstick comedy, the characters felt more real and down to earth. No heavy make-up and perfect surroundings. It was gritty and dark, but had love, hopes and dreams as well. I liked the style of directing, the choice of music and the bold topics covered which I can imagine are borderline taboo in Thailand considering its political situation. It was refreshing to see a series which touched on several of these difficult topics, sparked debate and highlighted the plight and issues faced by many in society - including the feeling of helplessness but also the power normal people can have to force change. For all that I applaud the director/writer(s).

The acting was good. A special shout out to First who did a superb job portraying Yok as confident, cocky and self sure but also vulnerable, loyal, loving and a cute hopeless romantic. He embodied the character really well and his acting skills have really improved. I can tell he takes his craft seriously. Overall the entire cast did a very good job and the directing was also very good, and you could see the actors feeling comfortable with the topics and conveying the messages.

I think where I struggled was some parts of the story. There were many loose ends and undeveloped arcs. For instance Tod's storyline. At the start he seemed to be a central character to the mystery and you suspected he was involved in the beating of Black somehow. He was the reason White was brought back to "replace" Black so as not to rouse attention of what he had done, and to allow the gang to continue with their attempts to bring Tawi down so Tod could increase his own power. I'm willing to buy that, and it did turn out in the end that he was behind Black's beating. But then his character didn't really go anywhere. We didn't really see his rivalry with Tawi. For several episodes it just seemed to be him and Black randomly fighting, until the very end when we see Tod in hospital - presumably beaten up by Black. Was that it? I would have expected the rivalry between Tod and Tawi to manifest itself somehow on the gang. Apart from White and Black, the others were oblivious to Tod's existence. Even White's interactions with him suddenly stopped. Meanwhile what happened to Tawi and his empire? The gang was rescued from being kidnapped by the people protesting, and then we didn't hear or see anything more.

I also find it hard to believe that Gumpa knew all along who White was but didn't say anything knowing what was at stake. It's somehow not believable. I would've believed it if Gumpa had confronted White early on and said he was onto him but would keep it a secret from the others. It would give White a chance to explain what happened to his brother and it would open up a whole new arc and possibility to the story. In the end Black came back, beat everyone up and then went away somewhere. Meanwhile Sean and White rode off into the sunset.

I'm going to say something which is going to be controversial and many of you won't like, but I don't think the relationship between Sean and White added anything to the story - nor did it progress it in a significant way (if at all). I actually thought it was a mistake. Unlike Yok and Dan's relationship which was linked to the overall storyline, White and Sean's relationship didn't really make an impact. It took up a lot of time which could have been used to tie up all the loose ends, plug the gaps and expand the mystery. I know this isn't a BL, and I'm sure the creators didn't want it to be a BL - but the fact that so much time and focus was spent on Sean & White it pretty much took it in that direction anyway and it ended up being one. The actual storyline in some ways became secondary to them. The two actors work well together and have chemistry, and I am generally an OffGun fan but in this drama I think it was superfluous.

It would have been enough to have the relationship between Yok and Dan and Gram and Eugene. Yok and Dan's relationship to my mind was much more intriguing, interesting and playful - and could've been even more integral to the part of the story considering Dan was a police officer. First and Gawin did a terrific job and they had great chemistry. I hope they get another series together. It was nice to see a happy ending to their relationship, but it would have been good to see them going back to Dan's hometown as he had promised Yok.

So in summary: I did not, not enjoy this, but I think I was left feeling I needed "more". Not more episodes, just more tying up of loose ends and a more cohesive storyline between the characters. There were some missed opportunities with this one. Maybe there will be a season two - who knows? - where the story will get expanded. I hope so at it has a decent base to build on, and good characters.

Aside from the gripes, it was well acted and brought to light many important issues which should never be ignored in any society, and I applaud the team and actors for taking that risk and pulling it off.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?