This review may contain spoilers
I loved this drama and was excited to watch new episodes every week, it was filled with fun scenes, the romance was cute, the couple looked good together and both actors are really attractive, also I liked the 3 cleaning fairies plus o sol's relationship.I used to like this drama so much that I was sure I going to rewatch it someday, but that changed because I disliked how the story unfolded.
To me it all went downhill when O sol stopped working in the company and started living in Seon kyeol's house. Sure we were blessed with some great kisses and domestic stuff, but to me that was when the plot started becoming nonsensical.
I didn't like Daniel at all, I found him clingy and annoying as all hell not to mention his stalking behavior. I didn't like O sol's rude brother and his attitudes as well as her father.
I even started disliking O sol and not understanding her decision of breaking up with Seon kyeol (not to mention how unoriginal and boring that ''have the couple breakup in the last few episodes'' kdrama trope is) and her attitude towards him, a person who didn't deserve any of it. To me that was the final nail in this drama's coffin. What his selfish grandfather, who physically attacked him as a kid (I also didn't like how the writer seemed to have forgotten that and gave the grandfather a redeeming scene, expecting us to feel sorry for him) and who caused his misophobia, did, wasn't his fault.
The final episode was painful to watch because of how o sol kept rejecting seon kyeol and how her and her father kept blaming and making him guilty of something that wasn't his fault. I didn't like seeing him acting so pitiful around the father and her.
I'm not sure if I'd recommend it or not, sure the ending was a happy one, there's lots of funny scenes and the couple had good chemistry but there's lots of things that prevent me from doing so. I guess you could give it a try if your a fan of any of the actors because everyone did a great job.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A Heartwarming and Wholesome Youth C-Drama That Feels Like Home
WOW! Just finished this and what a beautiful drama it was! I binge-watched all the episodes over the past few days and it was an absolute rollercoaster of emotions! I rarely binge-watch dramas since I usually prefer ongoing ones, but with some free time on my hands, I gave this a shot. Honestly, it is one of the best youth dramas I have seen.I am truly in awe of how wholesome and heartwarming youth C-Dramas can be.
I especially adored our main couple, Xichi and Huan’er. Their journey from strangers to neighbors, classmates, friends, best friends, lovers, and finally family was so naturally and beautifully written. Their relationship felt so genuine, and you could really see and feel how much they cherished each other’s company.
It has been a while since I have seen such a well-balanced relationship in a drama. Both of them gave so much to each other, offering unwavering support along the way. They were both walking green flags, wholesome, funny, and downright adorable. I am really going to miss them.
Another highlight for me was the parents of the trio. I do not think I have ever liked so many parents in a C-Drama before. They had distinct personalities that made them feel like real people rather than just being there as “the parents” of the main characters. It was so refreshing.
The humor in this drama was also totally my style, with no over-the-top slapstick or forced comedy-relief characters. I especially loved Xichi, as he was such a funny and witty character. But the humor did not stop with him, since his friends, classmates, and even the parents all had their own hilarious moments.
Overall, I absolutely loved this drama and highly recommend it if you enjoy youth and family-centered stories. Even though I am a romance lover and could not wait for them to grow up and get together, I have to admit that I enjoyed the middle and high school scenes the most. The university portion felt a bit superficial and lacked the depth of their earlier years. I found their home life far more engaging, which is why I think the title "Always Home" was the perfect choice. That sense of warmth and belonging was truly the heart of the story.
Was this review helpful to you?
Highest selling point of the drama? Its plot. I was expecting kids running a good grades related business, instead I got a high school outcast who could give any gangster/killer/healer dramas a run for their money. You would think this is not very realistic and yet through the screenwriting, acting and directing they effortlessly make you believe it's real.
More impressively they make you root for our main character regardless of how immoral or unethical are the things he does.
Extracurricular offers a refreshing take on the high school genre far away from cheesy and innocent first loves and yet much closer to today's reality of high school (to a certain extent). I'm glad this is a Netflix production, in fact had it been picked up by any other channel I doubt they would have shown such mature and triggering subjects at least not at a high school level.
TL;DR: Must watch drama! Probably one of the best dramas this year.
Was this review helpful to you?
Should have dropped
Review @ ep20.So this was on my watchlist because I like YangYang but dang.
There were so many things wrong with this drama and IMO the only good thing about this drama is the visually appealing casts and their camaraderie with each other and also some of the emotionally charged rescue scenes.
So far this drama doesn’t really care about details/continuity and also getting proper procedures right. I am by no means a medical professional or a firefighter but even I can tell a lot of things that has happened so far didn't seem right and is so unbelievable and unrealistic but I guess the emotional tug of it is canceling out the lack of realism for a lot of people.
Then let’s get to the main leads, I love YangYang but the constant stoic frowny face was not giving at all. Sometimes his expressions were over the top and not adequate for the corresponding scene.
That face worked in Who Rules The World because he was supposed to be shrouded in mystery as Prince Feng Lanxi with the alter ego of Hei-Fengxi, it didn’t work that well in You Are My Glory but the script/plot in that one was better and also the chemistry/maturity of the characters covered up for it. I guess YangYang equates serious/intense with Stoic/frowny face.
But in this one I can barely feel any chemistry between the leads (which is surprising considering the rumor that they are dating). We are being told that they have this epic love that has made both of them stay single and maybe even celibate for 10years but I just can’t see it in the present time, we can’t see why they like each other because they end up fighting after almost every conversation and don’t seem to have the same life ideals and values. Even the flashbacks we’ve been shown so far doesn't really show me this epic love story, it was cute and all for a high school romance but nothing so life altering in the way it’s being presented in the present time. So honestly it doesn’t really make you care about the lead’s getting together. How many high school romance make it all the way?
The FL is basically suffering from Stockholm syndrome with her family and I seriously get the trauma she is dealing with but some of her character portrayal doesn’t make any sense. She’s very weak/meek towards her mom which is very understandable according to the storyline so far. But I don’t get why she is sassy/bold with the ML one minute but whenever they get into the rinse/repeat rollercoaster scene that has been their interactions for the last 20eps where they have the “we can’t be together because I don’t have the courage to fight for you but I will be stalking you and asking you why you aren’t seeking me out all the time & fighting for me even though I am the one that can’t commit to the relationship because of my family” conversation and she’s uttering this words in the most lowest voice possible with downcast eyes and pathetic/demur demeanor.
I honestly tolerated the pathetic/weak/timid/demur characterization of the FL because of the upbringing she had but my tolerance level went to ZERO after the supermarket scene in ep20. The female lead had always not only stood up to her creepy delusional brother prior to that scene but also even lashed out at him but all of a sudden we are supposed to accept her acting terrified/petrified of him in the supermarket all because of a freaking bag of chips, puhhhhh-lease. That scene made zero sense and was done for no other reason than the ML and the FL’s brother to have a testosterone filled pissing contest and for the ML to be the hero and save the day by rescuing the FL and honestly it was just beyond ridiculous.
I should have dropped this drama but I will complete it with the help of the fast forward ⏩ button and except you really like any or both of the leads or you just want to watch a fire fighting show where you don’t really care about accuracy and correct details/procedures then go ahead and watch this otherwise I strongly advise you to not bother with this.
Updated review after completion.
Even with the fast forward ⏩ this was a struggle to finish. It didn’t get worse by any stretch of the imagination and although there were lots of cute scenes and heartbreaking scenes that tugged at the heart, for me it didn’t get any better either.
Typical CDrama kumbaya ending. It’s so weird that a wedding was talked about so much in lots of episodes but there was now no wedding at the end of the drama, I don’t really understand the directional decision on that but honestly I don’t even care because I was just happy to finally finish the drama and put it in the forgotten pile.
The drama just had lots of doom and gloom and the romance while cute at times was very muted for an adult based drama so it didn’t even balance out all the heaviness of the doom and gloom.
I definitely won’t ever be rewatching this. Like I said earlier except you are a HUGE fan of either of the leads or want to watch a highly questionable “right procedural” fire fighting and error filled medical show, by all means have at it, if not, do yourself a favor and don’t bother with this.
Was this review helpful to you?
This drama got criticised a lot. That a lot of people would just not give it a chance. But believe me, if you're a fan of (( melodramas )) or (( romantic )) ones. This is one of the best.
…….
STORY:
This drama got one of the best story lines. It's not about a romance between chicken restaurants owners, or competitors, or whatever you read from the plot. One thing to say, ITS NOT. This drama is really deep, the romance is deep, different than what you usually watch. It was touching. I won't say they got chemistry or something like that, no it was TOUCHING. A weird one that you won't even understand unless you keep watching.
ACTING/CAST:
Bae Su Bin: If you think you got no reason to watch this, then give Su Bin a one chance to create this reason. Watch one episode and you'll have the reason to continue watching. I watched 26 episodes switching from (I like you), to (I dislike you). Then I finished up watching this drama not knowing, is he a good guy, or bad. I don't even know if I like him or dislike him(drama). But that's not a negative thing, because that's what he is in the drama, a bad guy..and a good one. You know what that means? His acting was DAEBAK, I never knew he was this good.
Jang Shin Young: sometimes got me confused, but you'll get to know her acting style later on. She did really well on the last episodes.
Rest of cast: They did pretty well.
MUSIC:
The music was good, nothing that grabbed my attention, but fitted the scenes.
…….
HOW I RATED THIS:
First episodes: 7.5-8
Last episodes: 8-8.5
Final episode: 10
TO SUM THIS UP:
- Watch it! Do not hesitate. You won't regret it. Listen to me, and WATCH IT!
Was this review helpful to you?
1
1Very niche, but my favourite show EVER!
"Two men talking in a room" is what you'll get in 60% of this show. 25% of the show has more than two but no more than ten men, or a man and a woman, talking in a room. And another 10% is two or more men talking outdoors... yup, you get the idea. Superficially, that's most of what you'll see in The Wind Blows From Longxi. And it’s also part of the show's very niche appeal.Longxi checks all my personal boxes for a favourite drama— great acting, real historical events, tight plot, treacherous politics, and zero distracting romance. It’s one of my favourite shows of all time, if not my favourite show ever. In a nutshell, Longxi is about spies during the Three Kingdoms period. Chen Gong is a veteran Shu field agent embedded in Wei. A critical military campaign against Wei goes horribly awry due to wrong intel provided by Chen Gong. How did that happen? Where do Chen Gong's loyalties truly lie? These are the questions that Chen Gong’s sworn brother and in-law, Xun Xu (also an intel veteran), is brought in to investigate. If you’ve read The Tao of Spycraft or any of Ralph Sawyer’s other books on ancient Chinese warfare, many of the spy methods and tactics in this show will be familiar. Since defection and double agents are normal in spycraft, one question is whether the defection is genuine or just a ruse to gain the enemy’s trust. That’s the central issue in this show, which the poster caption 谋中谋 计中计 (“the scheme within the scheme; the plan within the plan”) encapsulates.
Plot: A very twisty plot that doesn’t strain credibility. The least headache-inducing way to follow the plot of this show is to ask whose interests are currently aligned with whose. Without saying too much about what happens (because that would really ruin everything), the whole plot turns on the constantly shifting allegiances of various players, at the highest and lowest levels of society, in the conflict between Shu and Wei. The plot is complicated but doesn’t tie your brain in a knot until the episodes hit the late teens. Thankfully, ep. 21 onwards provide the clarification you need. If you get lost, there is a 5 minute “Cliff’s Notes” recap at the end of every episode that summarises the key developments. However, you’re very much on your own when it comes to the finer plot points, which the recap doesn’t cover. The final resolution is elegant and gut-wrenching, and I am glad the team did not go for a happier ending. That would have been far less satisfying.
Script: The script doesn't waste any time getting the show off the ground, even if it seems that little goes on in the first episode (it's important background context and sets the scene for everything else). Overall, it's just the right length at 24 episodes. Since this is a hardcore spy-plus-politics drama, most of the real action takes place behind closed doors, with bearded, middle-aged men plotting and scheming over cups of tea. The dialogue is exquisitely political and worth following closely. We are treated to scene after scene of various players abandoning old allegiances and cementing new ones, and having those allegiances tested by their new masters. One such scene is the one where Feng Ying (Shu spymaster) seeks out Li Yan (Shu general), formerly from an internal “enemy” faction, to declare his allegiance to Li Yan. Feng Ying tries to get on Li Yan’s good side to protect himself from Li Miao (Shu interim mid-level "civil servant"), who also works for Li Yan, but wants to turn Feng Ying into a scapegoat for his own political purposes. Li Yan appears to believe this is a ruse by Feng Ying and tests him, but goes along with it as it benefits him in the short term. I also liked how there were relatively few flashbacks. The ones in Longxi are short and moving without being too sentimental; I especially loved the one where a ball lying by the door causes a very miserable Guo Gang to reminisce about playing cuju (蹴鞠?) with Chen Gong in the rain. Another striking thing is the judicious use of action scenes. Since Longxi is about politics and intel, there are only a handful of brief action scenes (mostly military skirmishes). Then in ep 23, the viewer is treated to the show's only extended sword-fighting sequence with Chen Gong. The burst of pure violence and pent-up rage in this sequence arguably makes this scene the emotional climax of Longxi. Chen Gong, like any good field agent, has iron self-control. At worst, he has quiet breakdowns in private, then quickly gets his act together again. But in the swordfight scene, he lets it all out. It's moment of pure catharsis for the character that sets the stage for the final episode. Definitely one of the finest moments in an already amazing show.
Themes: The 2 main themes of Longxi are (1) the moral neutrality of politics, and (2) that human relationships are a double-edged sword. The life-and-death political struggle between Zhuge Liang and Li Yan is not a matter of good versus evil (even if Li Yan does some truly terrible things), but down to a difference in opinion as to how Shu should ensure its medium-term survival. And at the end, it’s Chen Gong’s feelings for Di Yue (his wife) and Xun Xu that threaten his allies’ best-laid plans, even as his allies exhort him to continue making enormous personal sacrifices for Shu. For both Xun Xu and Chen Gong, what ultimately gives them moral closure and defines their biggest decisions is not self-interest or patriotism, but staying true to their loved ones. Powerful stuff.
Acting: Everyone put in an A+ performance here, except Angelababy. I have nothing against that lady, but she was pretty wooden in this show and looked so airbrushed. She also didn't quite click with Bai Yu on screen. (I don’t watch enough shows to comment on whether this is better or worse than AB’s usual...) Chen Kun was of course brilliant as Chen Gong, but I was equally (if not more) impressed by Bai Yu’s low-key but completely spot-on performance as the dangerously sentimental Xun Xu. Xun Xu has the smarts and EQ to be a great intel guy, but he's too emotional and high-minded for his line of work. He's terrible at lying and makes a few wrong calls that have serious consequences. One gets the sense that he has only survived this long due his kicked puppy expression that tugs at everyone's heartstrings, a good brain, and sheer luck. Bai Yu perfectly captured this precarious balance of vulnerability, world-weariness and cunning at the core of Xun Xu. His final exchange with Chen Gong, especially the delivery of「我看透了你的心」(“I’ve seen through your heart”) in ep. 24 was also a total tear-jerker. With a lesser script and actor, Xun Xu would have been a character whose naivete makes the viewer question how his head has managed to remain on his shoulders. But through the combination of great script characterisation and Bai Yu's acting, Xun Xu becomes a convincing example of the idealistic survivor who manages to keep going even after all the dust has settled. I also really enjoyed Edward Zhang’s performance as the Wuxian cult leader Huang Yu. He fully conveyed his character’s megalomania and cruelty with what little screen-time he was given. The actors playing Feng Ying, Guo Gang and Mi Chong were also absolutely brilliant. I loved them all!
Music: This was okay. It was composed by Kawai Kenji, but I was hoping for thematic music that was less Western in flavour. It was also disappointingly run-of-the-mill "epic"-sounding stuff. But it's not a deal-breaker for me.
All in all, 10/10, A++++ from this very satisfied viewer! For me, I’m not sure if any other mainstream period drama can compare with this show.
Was this review helpful to you?
Under "Your" Skin
Under The Skin is a 20 episodes crime drama produced by Linmon Pictures . The narrative revolves around a forensic criminal profiler and a detective who meets again after 7 years and proceeds to work together to solve cases while uncovering what happened 7 years ago. Under The Skin is compelling, thrilling, and emotional. It has an engrossing plot, impressive cinematography, and art direction.As a crime drama, Under The Skin is not groundbreaking, but in my opinion, it is one of the best out there. What makes Under The Skin different from any other crime dramas is how they solve the cases. Instead of just going through the tracks and pieces of evidence like any other crime drama, this drama focuses on another aspect, forensic art, which is rarely seen in other dramas.
The drama has simple yet interesting cases, it is compelling, easy to follow, and has good moral messages behind every case. The process of case solving is also relatively simple, but still engaging. Each of the story arcs manages to be complex and intriguing while still showing the very real human emotions being experienced by the characters. I love how there is always a human element in each case, the culprit is not labeled as a "black" character, but more to grey. The drama shows you their own fascinating background story and makes you understand why they took down "THE" path.
Under The Skin script shed a light on social issues, there’s a human element and empathy in every episode. For instance, in the first case, you can see women’s prejudice in the workplace and what women need to go through to break the glass ceiling. The cases are realistic, it may resonate with the audience. My personal favorite case is in episodes 11 and 12, “girls help girls - woman can understand woman, woman protect woman”
Under The Skin is written by 6 scriptwriters, 5 of them are females which is why you might find that a lot of the cases and plot mostly revolves around women. The drama also manages to showcase the diversity in the police force, there’s a female detective, police officer, forensic doctor, and more (also there’s a lot of pretty ladies in the drama).
Other than a compelling script, the script is also immensely elevated by the excellent acting of every actor and actress in Under The Skin. The actors and supporting actors and actresses acting are phenomenal, they add so much emotional nuance that brings the characters to life. Both of the male leads, Tan Jianci and Jin Shijia portray their character very well. Tan Jianci as a natural and gentleman, and Jin Shijia as a charming yet rough character.
Despite all its hits, it also has it’s miss. For me, the only miss from the drama is the plot holes in the cases and some of the cases are not wrapped clearly and perfectly. But other than that, the whole drama is a hit!
Under The Skin keeps you at the edge of your seat with the thrills and suspense at the end of every episode. I believe this drama is worth the binge, those who watch this will feel addictive to consume the whole drama in one sitting.
Fun fact: yes the whole criminal profiling profession is indeed that amazing and 神奇. In 2017, the murder of Zhang Yingying in the United States. The police was not able to identify who was the culprit, and they asked help from a Chinese forensic profiler, Lin Yuhui. And he managed to draw out the culprit just from a blurry CCTV and helped solved the case!
P.S. Season 2 is coming! on one of the scriptwriter weibo post, she mentioned she went to gather some materials for Under The Skin season 2 and she also mentioned the drama should've have some more art aspect but was omitted due to the limited number of episodes, and she hopes that she can put those ideas in season 2 and the extra episodes!
Weibo post: https://m.weibo.cn/1461807075/4673683987108245
Was this review helpful to you?
3The Ten Commandments of KBLs
These are the commandments that have been handed down to us by the gods of Korean BLs. They shall be the commandments by which any present and all future KBLs may be judged. (N. B. See below for an explanation of my ratings.)1. Thou shalt not kiss. Thou shalt not, in any meaningful sense of that word, "kiss". Thou mayst, however, press thy lips against another man’s as thou wouldst a leper’s.
2. Thou shalt not utter the word ‘gay’. For it is a sin. Thou mayst love another man, but if any man shall ask of thee if thou dost, thou mayst answer, “I like not men, I like only you.”
3. Thou shalt refrain from all carnal desires. For it is a sin. The submissive shall resist all attempts at intimacy, and the dominant may not pursue the submissive unless it is known that all his attempts shall prove fruitless. (Aptly mayst thou call this 'ironical'.)
4. Thou shalt respect the difference in height between the dominant and the submissive. Six inches will suffice, a foot too much, three inches too little. As below, so above.
5. Remember thou that there exist only three acceptable settings for a KBL. School, university, and office. For these do encompass all of life. Thou shalt invest thy characters in white jackets with blue borders if at school, leather jackets and hooded sweaters at university, and ill-fitted suits for work.
6. Remember thou that there exist only three acceptable plots for a KBL. Friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, and (adopted) brothers to lovers. Thou shalt entertain no other plots besides these.
7. Thou shalt employ no actor that is not thin, wanting of water, and starved for nutriments. The actors must have defined chests, six (or better yet, eight) pack abdominals, and flawless skin. Thou mayst coat the skin with three inches of wall paint to whitewash all flaws.
8. The writer shall inscribe in each tale at least one instance of timejump, forced separation or miscommunication. The unimaginative shall employ all three.
9. Thou shalt choose from among the following ornaments at least three to embellish thy tale: the slipping towel, the towel bath, an accidental fall or catch, sleeping-beauty false-kiss, somnolent confession, gentle lock-of-hair restoration, alcoholic amnesia, and rain-born fever.
10. Thou shalt by no means indicate homophobia in thy tale — in this, our most homophobic realm — unless it furthereth thy plot and our cynical purpose. Friends and family shall be universally supportive, unless it force a separation between thy characters. Remember thou always that this is a world of pandering fantasy, not reality.
Biblical Proportions:
Commandments Broken: 1 (!!!).
Commandments Obeyed: 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
Ratings:
*For the first commandment broken, I'll add a whole extra star. Again, what?!? They're allowed to do this in KBLs?
*For each of the commandments obeyed, I'll deduct half a point from the story, which brings it down to 1.
*I'll give the cast a 6, purely because I'm in love with Jung Jae Bin. But because I didn't get to see him shirtless, one point deducted. As for Jeon Yu Bin, did he have to look so constipated all the time?
*Was there music in this show? I don't remember.
*I'll give 6 stars for 'rewatch value', because I'm going to watch that kiss over and over and over again.
Reader's Digest:
DO SAY: I am the Lord, thy God.
DON'T SAY: Thou shalt lie with mankind as with womankind. That is love. Scratch that. That's fucking sexy.
Was this review helpful to you?
This series is over rated and disappointing.
Don't get me wrong I love the actors and the first half of the show. I even re-watched the first few episodes just to ease the pain of waiting for one whole week for the next episode. As I said, early episodes were good. I thought they had chemistry and spark. The plot was also good and promising BUT.....As the story progress it also lost its spark. The plot became repetitive, the side stories were set aside, the conflict became lame, the character development was nowhere to be found, in short the script/screenwriting became too dependent to the popularity of the show and the visuals of the actors. If the actors of this show were not good looking, this will be criticized heavily but since they are both handsome and popular, the bad storyline and acting was overshadowed.
Not to mention that they neglected the second main lead of the show which is Drake and Frank. They were literally set aside. It was so bad that it felt that they were just used to make this a BL series.
The chemistry of the early episodes was lost due to lack of character and relationship development. The last four episodes made the characters look and act too straight to be gay. They looked like friends and not a couple. The actors are too reserved to be called as a couple. Ironically this series lost its spark when the two main leads became a real couple. Sad that they are more in love when they are fake dating.
I was expecting more from this because it came from the director of Kiss Me Again and was written by the author of Theory of Love. Now I feel bad for Jittirain, the author of the novel, because this series messed up her creation. Unfortunately it did not live up to its popularity and standard. They can't say its because of COVID19 like Why R U?, because this was pre- produced and they have already finished filming the entire series, so I think there can be no excuse to all of its flaws.
The last episode DID NOT save this series at all. It even made it WORST to the point that viewers felt the awkwardness of the main actors, as if they don't like touching each other. The ugly directing and the story that sucks can no longer be tolerated. Sorry for using this kind of words but this is the best way I can describe what happend to this series. One comment even said, and I love how he described the ending, confession in front of an audience doesn't make it extra special.
The actors made it so obvious that they don't like to act as BL couple at the same time the director and script did not help them with making them look like a BL couple. It was a sub par acting (though I am trying to let it pass since this is Win's first series and Bright's first BL role). I think the actors should reconsider accepting BL roles if they are not fully committed to it because even if you are a good actor but you are doing something against your will, it will always show. The director, producer and screenwriter should also try to reflect what went wrong.
I remember the actors of this show said that love is just love. I agree. Love is something you can show without the racy gestures actually love is best shown with small gestures. The bad thing about this series is NOT the lack of intimate scenes but the LACK OF LOVE in their supposedly real relationship.
Things that are good in this series? Well, this has good OST (except the TINE song, it was meh) and the early chemistry but other than that, it was just a series about two handsome guys that was said to be boyfriends but act like buddies.
Not all trending series are good and even if the actors are good looking and lovable doesn't justify the bad screenplay and execution of the story.
This is a very disappointing drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
Story of this drama is very serious. Writers brought up very unusual and sensitive humanity related topics like child abuse, abandoning child, foster parents and adoption. Story is quite realistic and has strong sub plots of background of some characters. Story is strong enough to keep you glued to screen from very first moment to very last moment. It’s soft and warm. It’s slow but to enjoy beauty of this kind of drama slow pace is required.
It has one of the most beautiful endings I've ever seen. Writers gave best possible ending.
There isn't overacting like other Asian dramas. Matsuyuki Yasuko is great as Suzuhara Nao. Wonder kid Ashida Mana is incredible at such young age. She is charming and cute. Chemistry between her and Matsuyuki Yasuko is really beautiful. Supporting cast is great too.
With amazing sensitive and moving topic, great acting and superb music makes this drama one of my most favorite dramas.
Mother is a drama which won’t suit many people’s taste. So if you’re bored of sappy and unrealistic dramas or looking for a drama related with humanity and realism, watch it!!
Was this review helpful to you?
Overrated
This show was going to be great if it ended at episode 6... but it didn't.First thing to clarify, I hate the kid in this show, his character was the most annoying and was waiting someone to beat the crap of him for good or push him in front of a car so that there is less screen time for him and I didn't have to listen to him anymore. Maybe it's too much but each time I saw him I had the urge to drop the show right there.
Now that we clarified the hate relationship with that character lets continue...
The first 6 episodes was interesting and I was enjoying the show but afterwards everything was going downhill.
The show was trying too much to make each episode some kind of a turning point... I hate him, no I love him, then I hate him again and I love him once again... this game is played till the rest of the show and it was annoying as hell.
I never had a show that had me switch the character I hate the most after each episode (except the kid, he was number one in my hate list).
Pretty much the shows was trying the push the agenda that all men are cheating pigs and women are stupid enough to keep loving/forgiving them nonetheless... maybe it's overgeneralization, but that's the logic that the show was trying to sell us.
And that ending... oh my god... saying that it was stupid will be a compliment to the movie industry. I had to watch a 15min repeat of a whole scene from the previous episode just to finish it... and when I did there was one generic and totally stupid ending, where the previous episode ending (without the last stupid part) would have been a better ending point.
The saving grace was maybe the acting which was really good but no acting can save a bad screen writer.
So how did I score it:
1-6 epsiodes - 9/10
7-10 epsiodes - 7.5/10
11-15 epsiodes - 7/10
16 episode - 6/10
So the final verdict is 6/10 and I wouldn't recommend it to watch it.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
The best BL drama out there!
I have always avoided BL dramas. The only BL watched in my life was The Untamed because BL wasn't it's main theme. After seeing many good comments and the high rating, at last, I decided to start my first Thai and fully BL concentrated drama - Bad Buddy.The main reason why I avoided BLs was that I feel that it is toxic. There will be many odious scenes and dialogues. But, after watching this, I reaslised there can be healthy BLs too. I have never seen any BL like this before. So cute, well written, has good lead chemistry, and overall, it's HEALTHY. It kept on getting better and better from beginning to end.
This drama is based on the Thai novel Behind The Scenes by Afterday and -West-. As you have read in the synopsis, this is a shory about two boys, who were forced to be rivals because of their family problems. They had to compete against each other for almost everything. As they grew tired, they became really good friends and then, without even realising, lovers.
Although primarily looking like a comedy drama, it becomes an emotional roller coaster and takes us through all kinds of emotions including happiness, anger, surprise and sadness.
As this is my first Thai drama, I was utterly unfamiliar with the cast. But, this problem didn't last for long. In the first episode itself, I concluded that I am watching a drama with amazing actors.
Nanon Korapat Kirdpan (I still don't know how to say the name) plays Parakul, nicknamed Pran, a neat and tidy perfectionist who always loses his earphones (lol) and Ohm Pawat Chittsawangdee plays the masculine Narpat, nicknamed Pat, who is an impulsive, cheeky guy. They nailed their characters very well that it was very convincing and lovely. Their relation was a kind of love/hate relation at first and they had good chemistry between them. Their kisses were awsome. I have never seen any kiss so pure and true in any BL.
And about the supporting characters. I must say Pa and Ink make an amazing pair. Also the actors who played Pat and Pran's friends also did an amazing job.
The music is nice. I especially liked the songs sung by Nanon himself, 'Just Friends?'. I really liked the lyrics of the songs that implied the relation between Pat and Pran from friends to lovers.
Top soundtracks :
Just Friend? แค่เพื่อนมั้ง by Nanon Korapat Kirdpan
Secret (Won't Tell Anyone That You Like Me First) จะไม่บอกใครละกันว่าเธอชอบฉันก่อน by Kacha Nontanun
Our Song เพลงที่เพิ่งเขียนจบ by Nanon Korapat Kirdpan
The rewatch value is very high, which is rare for any dramas. I will certainly rewatch this drama at any point of time in the future. This is an ideal watch at depressing times. Pran and Pat will help us to relieve our stress with their cuteness.
As I said, I don't ususally watch BLs, particularly the ones with intimate scenes and kisses. I am glad that I did not avoid this one. Bad Buddy is a unique BL production that would change the perspective of BL series. I really appreciate all the cast and crew members who contributed in producing such a fine work.
Was this review helpful to you?
It flowed with an interesting "historical" element.....but don't be put off .. it's not boring at all. It got an 8.6 score here..but I'd tell you it's a 10. I'm not sure I could re-watch a long drama ~ but if I did this would be top on the list...Lu Yi the male lead gets my vote for the next James Bond 007... he sizzled. =D
Was this review helpful to you?
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!
Was this review helpful to you?
A surprise in each episode: A love in four worlds. It's even better than you think.
(You just have to watch it to really understand.)(I'm in episode 12,May 3, 2025 ) This drama was reshot, but it is almost impossible to understand where they did it, as all the scenes look so natural and in place. The chosen actress is talented, and the chemistry of the main pair is very good. A love that crosses 4 worlds. A passionate god who does not give up on his camellia and makes all the sacrifices for her. A carefree camellia, as soon as she is born she already finds herself around the god of flowers, Jinxiu. She enters his life without asking permission and soon wins the heart of Jinxiu, who is chosen to be the emperor of heaven, but due to this, he cannot relate to a mere Camellia. There is the brother, Kunlum, who was born under the same star (which indicates who will be the next emperor). The emperor's wife, we don't know whose mother she is (of the two brothers ? From Jinxiu ? From Kunlum ?), from neither of them ? This hovers for 12 episodes, (I don't know the next ones, as it hasn't been broadcast yet), but I think the empress privileges one of her children. I don't know if it's the emperor father who privileges Jinxiu, and the empress privileges Kunlum. There is a flower (something powerful, I don't understand what it is, it looks like a black peony), inside Jinxiu's body, which has a lot of power, and the emperor is containing this force within Jinxiu. (It's something I don't understand, we need to know what the next episodes will show us). But this drama has humor, adventure, many sweet scenes of lovers, sacrifices, dilemmas, secrets, intrigues. And there are other characters in this story, complex and interesting (Kunlum,Lui Yao, Baicha, Liu Jiu), each with their own complex story. No scene is wasted, because the characters, none of them are boring. (We want to know how the story ends: Will Jinxiu be able to overcome fate, which says that the Camellia has no future, and make her reborn as an immortal and marry her? Or the Camellia, will forever be a mortal and can never stay with Jinxiu? (Or will Jinxiu, as in the book, become a mortal?). I haven't finished the book yet, so I don't know how it ends in the book (but there are many modifications in the drama already noticed in relation to the book, which were much better in the drama). There is also another powerful, magical element, the ice dew, which interferes with some events in this story. Many questions in this fascinating story! Come watch with us.
(I'm in episode 13,May 4, 2025 )
Background for something that is going to happen:
Although episode 13 was not as interesting as the previous 12, but it is the previous facts that worked towards what will happen on the "Cangyun" mountain. This fact is that depicted in the 2021 trailer, Jinxiu dressed in red with a raised sword, and Hong Ning is on the ground crying and screaming at Jinxiu and a lot of fire around. All of this is the backdrop for this climactic moment that will happen.
Episode 14: The Sword Test.
I just watched it now, and I think this episode is great. Better than episode 13, although episode 13 also has key points in this relationship. And it's a totally necessary episode, (they're living their mortal lives). And I liked all the interactions. Jinxiu x Hongning. HongNing x Kunlun, Kunlun x Luiyao. Even the apprentice boy, HongNing's friend, he also helps the episode to be full of humor. And Jinxiu watching everything, (sneaking and solving the problems), running the place, he's the boss of Cangyun Mountain. (The noodle moment was funny).
Episode 15: She loves me. She loves me not.
I loved seeing Jinxiu thinking that Hong Ning was in love with him, and he should make her stop feeling that way. (and the conversation with the chrysanthemum about it was also hilarious). I rewatched it a few times. I liked the scenes. Liu Xue Yi is always great at the humorous scenes (I was reminded of the drama "Qing Luo"). "She said I was handsome"😁😁🌸🌻
And the story of Kun Lum and Luyao also always captivates me. He is another hilarious, and interesting one. The apprentice, Hong Ning's friend is another perfect addition to the episode. Besides Lujiu.
The drama is very good and wonderful. And it deserves 10, because it's a true love story. What I like is that their love is so convincing. Jinxiu and his camellia. And this feeling of a kingdom of flowers has no end, I love it. And even Jinxiu and Kunlum's brotherly love is very beautiful to see. It convinced me and won me over.
PS: What I can't miss is this drama. I have to savor each scene until I reach the beautiful conclusion of the story.
Was this review helpful to you?
Recent Discussions
-
Role Reversal (RR) Drama Lovers Club16 minutes ago -
-
Próxima serie coreana The WONDERfools1 hour ago
-
Last Drama You Completed? #23 hours ago
-
