Reviews

Stop saying it's a sad ending.

I've officially finished watching and I can surely say this is the novel adaptation that priest deserved.
I was a bit skeptical at the beginning but the characters won me over. Even though the budget is super low (and it shows) they somewhat make up for it with other aspects. A huge thank you for whoever that made this gayer than the novel.

The story is good, but some might find the political sides a bit boring. It does lag sometimes. Somewhat different than the source material but not that drastic of a difference and it definitely helps. The hidden details just make it more interesting.

CG is definitely not the best. Music and bgm are also decent as well. Costumes are so pretty especially the ML's.

I do not have enough words to describe how much I love the main CP. Butterflies everytime they interact. Their relationship is so beautiful. Every episode is just ......chefs kiss*. The side characters are also decent. If you loved CQL you will definitely love this one too.

Even though it has its fair share of heart breaks the ending is happy and satisfying. They become immortals together. There is a short 37th episode & I would suggest everybody to watch that. It's a genuinely happy ending not open or ambiguous. They had to edit it out because we all know how BS Chinese censorship is.

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1) The reason I watched this: Surely because it's the 2nd season of "It started with a kiss". I was so happy to find it since I got the chance to continue the story.

2) Storyline/Plot: The continuation of the story and like the 1st season they followed the manga; this season had many important events along with many side stories; cute, romatic, sad, happy,heartwarming moments: it was all there.

3) Acting/Cast: In the first season's review I gave it an 8 but this season I gave it a 9 simply because this season's cast risen and there were cool actors especially those nurse team so cute^^ I totally loved all of them.

4) Music : Just like 1st season's music; it was nice.

5) Rewatch value : it totally deserve to be rewatched over and over again.

6) The ending : I felt sadness when it ended not because it was a sad ending but because I bid farewell to "Itazura na kiss"'s story; there was a total blank after it ended.

7-Overall : Well, I believe this is the best adaptation of Itazura na kiss comparing to other incarnations, "Playfull kiss" was nice but it was short and didn't continue until the end.
Between 1st and 2nd season there have been 50 episodes but I still want more. Apparently, The 3rd season's rumor isn't coming to life but i will never forget this drama : for real it's one of the greatest ever!

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This is a review on both "Seven Days: Monday - Thursday", and "Seven Days: Friday - Sunday", because really, the two should be seen in conjunction with each other in order to get a complete viewing experience as both parts make up the whole.

STORY (No spoilers)
Actually, I read the manga (also helpfully entitled "Seven Days") on which this short 2 episode series is based on, long before I realised that they actually made a live-action version of it. Having enjoyed the short but sweet manga itself and having never seen a proper live-action Boy's Love series prior this one, I was curious enough to check it out.
I will get into the acting for this series in another section but story-wise, both episodes were amazingly faithful and accurate to the manga itself. Here is a short list of just how accurate it was:-
a) The manga itself consists of 2 volumes. The 1st volume being the Monday to Thursday sections, and the second volume having the remaining Friday to Sunday sections. The way the series is split is exactly the same way.
b) Dialogues from the characters are almost word-for-word from the manga.
c) Scenes and events that happen also mirror very closely to those in the manga.
d) What impressed me the most was that even the styling - from the hair, to the way they wear their school uniforms, to even their school bags and the way they carry them, mirrors that in the manga.
It was really as though the manga itself came to life - there were hardly any deviations of it in the live-action series. So, for those who read the manga and enjoyed the story, you would be surprisingly satisfied with this production.

Story-wise, the synopsis is a pretty good summary so I am not sure if I have anything further to add. It really is a simple premise of what started out as a high-school tease between 2 boys to date for a week (seven days), ended up creating feelings which neither were prepared for, and their various insecurities and misunderstandings arising from that. Like the sound of it? Then do watch. If not, then feel free to give this a pass.

Another thing to note is that the pacing of this live-action short series is rather deliberately slow. I believe that the production team and the director had in mind a pace that was meant to deliberately focus and pause onto the main characters, either to emphasise a scene or an emotion, because this is done consistently throughout the show. It's almost manga-like: you know, that scene where the 2 main leads stare at each other and the wind and leaves just keep blowing by... yeah, that kind of manga-like feel. If you're not prepared for it, it may sometimes appear as if the scene is being paused, but it's actually a deliberate drawing out of the scene. Some people might find this draggy or boring or weird, but I personally see it as an artistic approach and directorial style, and quite enjoy the slow, deliberate pacing of the show. Most Japanese series tend to be rather snappy and excitable so a mellow, calm-almost-to-stillness show is rather interesting and refreshing as a change.


ACTING/ CHARACTERS
I've mentioned how the whole setting, down to the styling and the outfits, were practically a mirror to that of the manga. Now how about the actual portrayal of the characters?

JAMES TAKESHI YAMADA as Shino Yuzuru - the senior whose cool looks apparently seem at odds with his playful and unpredictable personality. Looks-wise, I think James does have that cool look befitting the character but I had hoped that he could have acted a bit more "fly-away" or ditzy just to emphasise the dichotomy between his looks and his personality which many people around Shino keep banging on about. It would have made some of the comments from supporting characters a bit more believable and understandable. As it stood, I felt that we had to just accept what we are being told i.e. that Shino's personality is very different from the way he looks. More tell, rather than show, in this aspect, for me. Having said that, I thought the rest of how James portrayed Shino was well done. The curiosity, the internal dialogues, the progression of feelings and its by-products of uncertainty and jealousy - I thought these were all expressed pretty well by James in his role.
PS: I also liked the way he holds his bow and arrow, and his shooting stance. It did look very cool and natural.

TOMOKI HIROSE as Touji Seryou - the good-looking junior whose inner desire to find The One has led to an appearance of being indiscriminate when it comes to dating and partners. Looks-wise, I personally found Tomoki to look too old for the junior he should be portraying - and not a little older, but quite a lot older, which was was initially rather jarring when I first started watching. Looks aside, Tomoki did not do too bad a job in bringing out the emotions and the feelings of Touji onto the screen. His acting did not come across as natural or as at ease as James playing Shino, but neither was it so bad that it was too awkward to watch, so I would consider his portrayal to be serviceable for the role.
PS: Tomoki's shooting stance looked awkward, stiff and unnatural to me, compared to James and the supporting cast. Pity because he was supposed to be rather effortlessly good at archery and it does not really come across in this live-action adaptation. But this is a minor quibble.


MUSIC
Befitting the deliberately slow pace of this show, the background music is instrumental, mellow and rather poignant in tone. I thought it matched the mood and the pacing of the series well and personally found it to be a good enhancement to the scenes in bringing out the moment or the mood. Nice.


RE-WATCH VALUE
Seeing as it is a very short show of only 2 episodes or parts, this is easily re-watchable. Overall, it is quite a well done series, barring my minor quibbles outlined above. I can see myself viewing it again.

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Silly, but Cute

Overall Impression: A cute and fun story. If you're not looking for something serious or deep and you're a fan of BL romcom, you'll probably enjoy this show. Don't take it too seriously or you might not enjoy it.

Pros:
- Funny/cute characters and story, a feel-good type of show
- Music is really catchy
- Actors have good chemistry together
- Follows pretty closely to original story, but some changes are made to fix some controversial material from the original and apply to a live action format (more serious than original)
- Scenery/sets are really beautiful
- Anda's character is still cute and somewhat innocent, but not nearly as childish and naive as the original
- The side characters are loveable
- Cute fanservice
- Anda's friends are so awesome!
- Uplifting ending

Cons:
- messy international release and subtitles (now available on AISPLAY official YouTube)
- Character and relationship development feels somewhat lacking with the leads
- Ryo's character is a bit unlikable at the beginning
- There is quite a bit of "filler"
- I wonder what happened to the side plot sometimes?
- Sometimes story seems inconsistent or repetitive
- Sometimes takes itself too seriously for a comedy

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From what I've read around the web, this dorama didn't meet with a big success. I think the main reason is that it attracted the lovers of vampire stories but it didn't deal with vampirism in the traditional sense of the word. It defeated its own object.



On the other hand, for someone like me who is only mildly interested in vampires and the whole sarg-sleeping, cross-shunning, blood-sucking process, this drama was a lot more enjoyable than I had expected.



I liked the way the issue was approached, presenting the vampires as a decadent, declining, arrogant race who watches the humans with a mixture of desire and deep distaste, boarding on disgust.

It makes it all the more touching when the cards are turned on the table and the one who thought himself superior is treated with contempt for his being different, a "monster".



I confess at being invariably deeply affected by the issue "difference", and how people treat those who don't conform to the norm, either for their skin colour, their beliefs or lack thereof, their behaviour, their look. There are a couple of scenes in this dorama which are still vivid in my memory because they were intensely moving. They made me think once again of how cruel people can be when they ignore and how easy it is to be judged abnormal.



So, although the acting is far from stellar and the plot at times inconsistent, I do believe this show deserves more attention than what it got.

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I loved this drama b/c the story it was very touching. I know lots of ppl that have ended up in a similar situation but obviously not the same. I loved the actors b/c they brought a real down to earth feel to the story. I loved how they showed their feelings in different ways, which has a lot to do w/ the back ground that they came from. I understood the story very well b/c I fell in love at a young age also. Being w/ that person makes life better and having beautiful memories to remember when he is not w/ me makes those times pass easier. I think this drama touches so many ppl b/c they know how to sympathize w/ the lead characters. If you don't get it that is probably b/c u have never felt what the story is trying to portray. Watch this and enjoy it but expect to cry b/c it is that moving.

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Family ties and romance...

This feels more like a movie than a series, as the pacing, music, story, cinematography, time well everything gave the vibe of a well made movie.

The story is good, unlike many web dramas it does not feel rushed in anyway it has a beginning a middle, some kind of conflict and of course an ending too... one of those that fit the feel there could be a sequel but if the sequel would add anything to the story seems questionable.

What I loved about this movie (series that I shall now name movie), was the way it was filmed, and though the side characters where not always necessary they did add some extra flavour and had 0 annoying tendencies... I would for instance love a GL about the sister and the ML friend... The sister is probably one of my favourite siblings in all of Dramaland...

The romance here is pretty good, having the boys see each other for who they really are, or at least one of them, a guy who is very caring and sweet... But what makes this movie really good is actually the story within the story, the film within the film about the a child's relationship to weight loss and how it with the combination badly handled divorce/separation can scar a child deeply. They also show different types of not so perfect, I would even say some pretty bad parenting and it is done well!

Level of... 1-10
Bingeabilaty: 10
Cute couple: 9
Drama: 7
Exitment:5
Entertainment: 9
Annoying elements: non
Cinematography: 9

So if you ask me this is definitely worth watching!

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A new favorite in the making

Original review (first 2 episodes):
It's been quite a while since a drama had me hooked in the first five minutes. But from the opening scene of My Perfect Stranger I loved the music, the atmosphere, the cinematography, everything, and by the end of episode 2 I was not let down. The pace so far has been fantastic and there hasn't been a single moment I was bored. The acting from our main leads is stellar, be it in emotional scenes or quieter moments. They make these wild circumstances feel plausible simply by the realism of their reactions. As far as the story, this drama had me at time travel. I've often wished for more Korean dramas with this premise because it's a theme I've loved ever since I can remember and I'm really enjoying the execution here.

The overall tone is lighter than I expected and it's great. It sets it apart from quite a few other dramas I've seen involving crime/murder and makes for what is, in my opinion, an easier and more pleasant watch. The humor is clever and genuinely funny without being flat out comedy. Honestly, I would find it a little difficult to name the exact genre of this drama because it truly has its own unique feel, which I personally love. I can't wait to see how the plot develops, as well as the relationship between Yoon Young and Hae Joon. I already sense some chemistry there and I hope that if there is in fact romance in this show that it's not rushed or forced. I would totally dig a low key slow burn between them. The OST is the cherry on top, both with the instrumental soundtrack and the 80s songs interspersed. All in all, if the drama keeps this up, I may have a new favorite on my hands.

Update (completed):
Let me start by saying that most of my feelings from my original review remained true until the end of My Perfect Stranger. The family relationships remained strong and beautiful throughout and my love for the main couple only grew. It's been a while since I was graced with a such a subtle, unproblematic, and yet adorable romance in a drama, and my only complaint is that I wanted more of them. For the most part, the drama managed to maintain the pace and feelings of suspense for me. That being said, after a while I began to realize that no matter who the culprit was, I probably would not feel shocked when their identity was revealed. Why? Because I had already spent hours considering every single person in the entire cast. Any one of them could be the culprit, it seemed, and I started to feel that none of them would surprise me. Sadly, I think that turned out to be true. The reveal simply did not pack the punch I was expecting from such an intense drama, and that was possibly the most disappointing part for me. I couldn't fully appreciate the climax because I was waiting for a second identity reveal that would REALLY shock me and prove the first one just a fakeout. Needless to say, that didn't come.

I've heard some mixed things about this drama and I know some people felt it became too contrived or went downhill. Personally, I don't know how contrived it was, but I enjoyed it beginning to end largely because I could almost always follow the plot. It felt like the writer prized the story more than shock value, and the same cannot be said of many in its genre. It is worth mentioning that I don't usually watch dramas as they air and it's possible I couldn't appreciate some of its flaws simply because I couldn't remember them lol. I do think it took a bit of a plunge into darkness later in the drama and that grew a little tiresome for me, but it did manage to bring back some of the humor and heartwarming elements again.

I have a few other gripes here and there, but in the end, I let them go because I think that overall, the drama did what it set out to do. It told a nostalgic time travel story that was both emotionally intense and heartwarming, and is ultimately about second chances. It wasn't afraid to delve into deep tragedy and heartbreak, which made the victories and happy moments that much sweeter. We got rare focus on family relationships and friendships, beautiful arcs both in the characters and relationships, and an extremely satisfying ending that left me smiling and feeling warm and fuzzy on the inside. I definitely recommend this one, flaws and all.

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Charles Dickens once penned, "Gold conjures up a mist about a man, more destructive of all of his old senses and lulling to his feelings than the fumes of charcoal." The basic meaning applies well to Golden Empire: one taste of money infects the bearer, and those blinded by it are subject to its venom. Literary and historical references enhance this drama, apparent in the deeply evocative dialogue and vibrant plot twists taken over its course. Just as classic novels may enrich readers, Golden Empire embodies the same potential for viewers in its uniquely realized sprawl. By that same token, some will feel daunted or bored -- as some may when dealing with any form of entertainment considered "classical" or "high brow."

As a period piece, Golden Empire explores harsh years in Korean history. While we are enfolded by this unique atmosphere, the opulent poison represented by the Choi family's own corporate power and wealth begins to take hold. Managing to be highly personal and impactful (even as it tackles complicated business affairs), this is a drama without cliche. Potential viewers should note only negligible romance is present. A few dalliances do exist, but these are far from sweet. For instance, one of the first and foremost openly compares its trajectory to the ill-fated connection between Eva Braun and Hitler. Of the heavily explored ties, family and business are king. Don't expect fuzzy heart flutters here; in the world of Golden Empire, loved ones stab you in the back for even one more share and prison is just another business trip.

Some imperfections exist admittedly; early episodes are strewn with time skips and somewhat confusing cinematographic cuts. It took about five hours submerged in this drama for me to find my footing and solidify my understanding of the plot. Once I could, the rest of the experience was riveting.

The leads offer juggernaut performances. Go Soo becomes Jang Tae Joo with almost theatrical flourish, building him impressively. This character represents the unpredictable, behaving radically in the race for money and influence. As such, his portrayal adopts a delightful and intoxicating element of controlled volatility, comparable to a lightning strike. It was a pleasure trying to figure out what he might say next and just how. Son Hyun Joo and Lee Yo Won embody the brilliant, but tragically flawed Choi cousins. Both of them had an amazing ability to begin friendly conversations and end them with figurative claws out. Out of the three addressed in this section, the persistent Min Jae (Son Hyun Joo) captured my attention without fail. His scenes comprise some of the most dynamic I've encountered in any drama; truly, both character and actor are highlights. Watch out for any scene including even two of these talents; it's guaranteed to be thrilling, especially if it includes both men.

Orchestrations were generally well applied, often serving to add that extra punch to a scene. The best description that can be made of them "moody, elegant, and high drama." Beyond the incredible introductory piece though, I'm not sure any of them make for good post-view listening. Vocals are another story, with Yeon Gyu Sung ("Crying"), ALi ("In My Dream"), and Sun Soo Jin ("Shout to the World") serving up some of the best I've heard all year. Despite romantic lyrics occasionally inappropriate to the series, but hey, they sound great.

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A nice cap off to the Ai and Nhai love story.

Quite a few people hated the main series. I understand their concerns but it was different for me because i loved it. AI lhong Nhai was a guilty pleasure watch and its such a delight to see them end the series with this.

Lets not kid ourselves, it looks like it was shot within a day and on a limited budget but there was some good camera shots and sceneries here. The locations are amazing but they could have spent a little more time with the set - the empty bookshelf when Ton and Nhai is having lunch is so distracting they didnt even bother to put a single book or plant in it.

Like the main series there will be a few violent reactions again about the script (or the very poor way it was translated). I would also like to know how expensive it is to get the rest of the gang, at least Nhai's father, and why it wasnt possible for them to even make a cameo for this occassion.

I however love them bringing back Sippakorn and Jaonan. Seeing this lovely real life couple onscreen is like rainbow on a rainy day.

I am not sure if there is a demand or a clamor for this but i really appreciate them most for giving us this special episode to end the Ai Nhai story. The main series ended quite abruptly and this special felt like they planned to do it like this all along.

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When love speaks louder!

While the premise might seem like your typical "silly wealthy man and his caretaker falling in love", the drama delves much deeper into their emotional journey.

Shao Peng is a positive and resilient character who is deaf and mute. He is aware of his disability but doesn’t let it define him, though he’s sometimes insecure about how others see him. His journey shows his strength and vulnerability and the actor played him perfectly. Also, although I have very little knowledge of sign language, the portrayal felt very real and authentic to me .
Zi Xiang is multi-layered. Initially, he came across as someone who enjoyed a privileged life while evading his responsibilities. But as we move forward , his carefree demeanour was just a show to hide his dissatisfaction with the life he is forced into. He slowly grows from self-centred to someone capable of empathy and love.

The chemistry between them was the highlight of the series for me. What started as a reluctant partnership slowly transformed into a tender, evolving love story. Zi Xiang's feelings for Shoa Peng grow not only because he takes care of him but also because of the perseverance and strength he shows despite his own doubts. Their journey of getting to know each other, understanding one another, and being together was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. They acted as catalysts for each other's growth, helping each other look beyond their struggles.

The second couple's story was interesting but they didn't have enough screen time for their story to be properly developed or for me to really connect with them. Their chemistry was evident and they were sweet and cute together, but more time was needed to make their relationship feel believable.

The pacing felt uneven at times. The tone of the first few episodes was borderline silly and goofy compared to the second half of the series. Plot devices like assassins ,kidnapping and the portrayal of trashy, unsupportive parents felt more like a gimmick where they didn't contribute anything to the plot or was introduced in the final episodes and wasn't executed well.

The drama also tries to address prejudice against disabled people, particularly in a professional environment. It manages to show that not everyone is openly rude or dismissive but there is a subtle bias even when they are not overtly hostile. But it felt like this issue was only touched on superficially serving as a plot device for the love story. I'm not complaining but I would have liked to see more focus on Shao Peng's character and how he personally deals with it.

Overall, while the pacing can be uneven and some plot points feel forced and underdeveloped, the chemistry between the leads and their character development make it a solid, enjoyable one-time watch. Probably more enjoyable if binged.

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When I watched this I was on a Park Shi Hoo craze and of course i like a good romcom...

Story: The first half of the drama masks itself as an ordinary romcom in a law setting. Its enjoyable but not anything ive never seen before. Now after episode 9 hits you will think your starting to watch a whole new drama. The second half is filled with a revenge plot and also a frustrating angsty romance. I liked that it was a romcom but withan actual plot. I loved the ending!!

Acing/Cast: I already knew PSH is a great actor but I was really surprised by Kim So Yeon. Her character in the beginning can come off as an annoying ditsy and materialistic brat but the writers give her a personality makeover and lots of character growth so bear with her. The leads though were perfectly casted cause their chemistry was HOT! I liked the second lead couple but wished their relationship started a bit earlier in the drama because it was kind of unbelievable how they become a couple by the end. Really liked the supporting cast and cared about their characters.

Music: At first I found 2 of the songs annoying as they played them over and over in the beginning but they matched the theme well enough. I liked the rest of the songs they used throughout enough to put on my ipod.

Rewatch: I can see myself watching this every year just to see the leads together on my screen=)

Overall Prosecutor Princess is not what it seems so give it a chance or you'll be missing out on one of the best romcoms of 2010!

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I like this drama for several reasons:
1. For me this is the first drama where the character of (woman) lead actor is really strong and cool, also what is more imortant writers kept the individuality and speaciality of the character till the end. It was important to me, because in my opinion it is more realistic and people do not change so easily in real life, especialy when their traumatised with something.
2.I started watching it raw, I wanted just to try understand do I like it or not to watch it in the future, but I got addicted to it and even if I know only 3-4 words in korean, actors were playing so well that I didn't have hard time trying to understang what they were talking about. I mean their actions, emotions and face expresions were enough for me.
3.The story is unique and not repetitive even if it is a remake of japanese version. I tried to watch j-version but could not get used to actors.
In short it's definitely worth watching. It is refreshing, funny and wise drama.

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Bamboo Forest was a series of stories that supplements Mr. Queen. It was very enjoyable spin-off made by the production for the fans. It explained the beginning and ending of the main show. Some may not like how they end things on the main show, however this explained 2 things: (1) King likes So Yong even before Bong Hwan. (2) 2 souls were really inside the queen and they can both control the body.

The spinoff also had every character that I enjoyed in the main show had a highlight except probably for the Second Male Lead, which was already explained by the actor why his story is removed. (The pain he caused us is simply enough in the main story.)

All in all, it was an enjoyable very short thank you gift from the production of Mr. Queen. I would really miss the drama. Also, it deserve every praise they're getting because they made a drama that is unique and gave laughs to a lot of viewers. :)

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