Fated Love - Neither Time Nor Distance Can Prevent It
First Love: Hatsukoi has beautifully captured the twists and turns of destined love. With Fate pushing two people together but also pulling them apart when tragedy occurred, it was an addictive emotional roller coaster ride filled with the rapture of first love, the regret of lost love, and the joy of second chances.A wonderful story about a love that transcended the sands of time, this drama fell into comfortable and familiar tropes. However, in this show, I found the cliches charming. With such strong chemistry between the leads (younger and older versions), I was happy just to be along with the ride and watch the heartfelt romance unfold.
Using distinct color palettes and compelling imagery, the director, Kanchiku Yuri, and the cinematographers breathed new life into tired story elements. Fluid camera movements transitioned the viewer seamlessly from the flashbacks of the leads' past into the reality of their present circumstances.
I liked how the director used elements like the snow, the sea, and the sounds of planes; many scenes were like expressive photographs with period details. In this show, color was not only an emotion, a state of mind but also part of the story itself. The way the show filtered and focused on the colors allowed me to experience the story through a unique lens that drew me further into it.
Of course, the music was one of this drama's most notable aspects. After all, Hikaru Utada's songs- First Love and Hatsukoi, inspired the story. In addition to these two, the drama music, including instrumental pieces by Taisei Iwasaki and other songs, captured the emotional moments flawlessly - joyful, nostalgic, or heart-wrenching. The music evoked empathy for the characters and was crucial to the narrative.
Despite a few rough spots that needed smoothing out, the story was well-written and flowed nicely. I appreciate that the plot was not only about romantic love but also about coming of age and the consequences of choices. There were also risque scenes which was an interesting change from the more conservative Chinese and Korean dramas.
The excellent acting also made this drama enjoyable for me. The characters were likable and relatable. The female lead's mother had moments where I wanted to smack her, but her heart was in the right place.
I liked and respected Mitsushima Hikari's Noguchi Yae, a character that I would describe as resilient. Society forced the idea of some being better than others and imposed unfair judgment on people like Yae's mother, but regardless, Yae knew that she and her mother deserved just as much as anyone else. Hikari was so lovely to watch, and her beguiling performance, along with Satoh Takeru as Namiki Harumichi, added the depth that completed the show. Takeru, with his melt-your-heart gaze, portrayed Harumichi perfectly. He is a really subtle actor whose eyes and micro-expressions speak volumes.
I also enjoyed the portrayal of the younger versions of the leads by Yagi Rikako and Kido Taisei. They were able to convey the feelings of an all-consuming idealistic young love, and Taisei's earnestness won me over as young Harumichi.
In summary, I do recommend this drama! I love a good love story, and this was definitely that. It is a story in which you cannot spend too much time thinking about the details. You just have to accept that the universe has plans for everyone, and everything will play out splendidly. As long as you enjoy the show in its little contained, cliched world, there is plenty to relish. Don't forget to watch the ending credits scene to the very end.
For posterity, I have included the Spotify playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWTSDEMZlKWZw?si=282686721a124f1d
Other songs:
- Escapade by Emro: https://open.spotify.com/track/71Pu8L7LWuig8tY3zuKH8C?si=44416f6cad1c4963
- Sleep With You by Egil Olsen
https://open.spotify.com/track/6dJabU4OhnOfyByP8NQeOF?si=caf81692d1dc4e4d
- Hard Work and Fate
https://open.spotify.com/track/29mpuWWmRUdH9P2zXz9a4k?si=858ee21bbd2040e4
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What a fun ride!
I never enjoyed any drama as I enjoyed this from the very first episode till the last episode. It was a roller coaster ride for me filled with so much laughter. I don't think so that any drama can be this hilarious with perfect execution, script, cast, and everything, I loved every aspect of it and surely Mr. Queen has become one of my most favorites.I was hooked from the first episode. It didn't leave its track even for one episode. It was consistently good and hilarious until the very end. It was a beautiful journey which I enjoyed very much. I guess it had set up pretty much high standards for Korean historical for me.
Hat's of for the Shin Hye Sun I don't think that anyone could have done a better job than her. She was perfect for this role she nailed it. The whole cast was amazing everyone did a great job portraying every character, the acting was excellent and top-notch. It couldn't be this better without this cast. All dynamics of every character were great and three-dimensional even the villains did a great job as I hated them with whole my heart. The King's character was really great though it was a bit confusing in the start things got clear later The changes we did see in Queen in every episode her journey was phenomenal. The chemistry between leads was amazing it was the perfect pairing. I also loved side characters and their interactions as well.
The story was indeed well written and executed. The soundtrack and ost were perfect and the cinematography was brilliant.
Overall it was wonderful drama though it's not everyone's cup of tea if you like historical and comedy then definitely give it a try. It was a wonderful experience.
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As a viewer of 'Individualist, Ms. Ji Young,' I can say I was able to connect to it's likeness in portraying mental illness on a personal level. I found myself hearing the female lead spout words I have said before myself. I have struggled with mental illness my whole life, and although it is not directly mentioned in this show it is blatantly there in it's rawest form. The need of being in a relationship with someone...or the complete opposite... The need to protect yourself by pushing everyone away...Wanting a relationship but having the fight or flight response kicking in the moment you feel you could be hurt. Flight always being the end result because it seems easier compared to being hurt. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Watching this series was extremely personal for me and I feel that it was done beautifully. I am not sure how the experience of watching will be for those who do not understand or have a mental illness... but I can be sure that anybody who can even relate a little bit will definitely love this show. Hopefully this lazy and short review might help one of you out there. If you decide to watch, I really hope you enjoy!
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Soothing sweetness of a healing Love Story in the midst of brutal, relentless Seoul business life
"Love Scout" offers a cozy, soft and warm love story for the heart. Here: embedded in the tough Seoul office workday. Also: it offers perfect KDrama craftsmanship for this genre. Somehow everything was done right. The social network of our two protagonists also fits perfectly into the whole. Additionally, there are quite some valuable messages between the lines. And then there is the soothing sweetness of a healing (fictional) KDrama-world in the midst of the harsh, intrusive, inhumane, unvarnished reality."Love Scout" conjures up a sweet love story in the brutal, relentless professional everyday life in Seoul 2025. On top of that: a workplace romance between a female boss and her male secretary is not exactly the easy choice.
The story has a certain sweetness to it, also thanks to 7-year-old Byeol. She actually manages to bring out the best in everyone, aiming directly at the heart.
However, the backdrop of the drama – or rather that of our two protagonists - is actually rather sad.
SHE is a successful businesswoman with good instincts, running her own headhunting agency, but along the way she has somewhat lost touch with herself – she has sort of cut off her needs. The price of her success is high. She is a workaholic, exploiting her body, and just as she tramples over her own needs, she does the same with those of her employees. Apart from work, she practically has nothing. The advantage: her (guilt) feelings are buried under workloads. No time to delve deeper.
HE has perfected the art of anticipating the needs of others. As a single father, he has everything under control. Admirable. But on the downside, he is almost compulsive, as he has no other choice – he cannot help but recognize the needs of others before they do. His antennas are completely tuned to his environment. Thus, he comes across as quite sympathetic, as he is the nice neighbor, friend, colleague... However, as a single parent there is hardly any room for his own needs either. He defines his joy mainly through the joy and satisfaction of others. This inevitably makes him not necessarily alone, but still somewhat lonely. And there, deeply buried, are well-hidden (guilt) feelings, too.
Both our FL and ML are quite efficient. Almost perfect. But both also work like highly efficient machines. In this, they are similar and can each see behind the facade of the other. A good start for a healing love story. A healing story overall, in the midst of a structurally sickening, toxic work environment where there is no place for human beings with human needs – for appreciation, sincere recognition, fairness, and enough regeneration time to recharge their emotional and physical 'batteries'.
The dance of FL and ML, performed on this stage, is touching the heart. Tender, at times playful, heartfelt. The encounter between the boss and her secretary becomes a gentle rapprochement between two people who are so cut off from themselves and their own needs, yet reflecting, recognizing, opening up and learning to love each other in this very aspect.
It is an overall good mixture. A love story with charming side plots, balanced in a well-proportioned way with socially critical issues. Those who wish, may condone the seriousness. And those who appreciate the earnest critique, will generously be served. Thus, in my eyes, „Love Scout“ offers quite salubrious and gratifying KDrama-delight.
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No Just no
First of, this Cdrama is not your typical romance where ML and FL fall in love and end up together, no, instead what you get is a DEEP and VERY annoying love triangle between ML, SML, and of our FL.It begins with the ML and FL dating, and as things move forward, the rich and annoying SML starts to flirt with FL, and guess what, she is giving him the time and day despite having a boyfriend(ML).
Thats not the end of it, soon after breaking up with ML because of "something related to the death of her parents" she attempts to make the ML move on by marrying the SML, Oh did i mention she was pregnant with MLs baby but never told him? Yep, and our ML throughout this continues to pursue the FL to the bitter end, despite FL playing with both men.
Never been so furious while watching a drama since watching this one.
I would never recommend this cdrama to anyone.
Save your time and energy because it'll drive you crazy.
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Run On isn't race it's journey.
We always run towards our goals, desires, and our dreams to find happiness and satisfaction and Run On represents the journey of it. It's not the drama that has a lot of drama, extraordinary plot, thrill, action, or suspense but still, it's special for its realisticness. It's so sweet that you might get diabetes and pain in the muscles of the chin because of smiling. It's like a very sweet white chocolate with 99% without bitterness and that remaining 1% is Seon Gyeom's Father.The plot: As I stated earlier that it doesn't have an extraordinary storyline that'll impress you but still it's refreshing and different It just goes with the flow without major twists, turns, and surprises but still it's unpredictable cause you don't know what'll happen next. The writing is the strength of drama well-written script and characters even the flaws of character were perfect and hats off for the conversations, each conversation has its own value and meaning. For me, this has the best conversations and dialogues. But still, the story is not a strong point cause it doesn't have one.
Characters and cast: The best of this is its a character with all different personalities, backgrounds, and with different backstories just blend when they are together and the more admirable thing is each supporting character has its own value it's like joining all pieces of a puzzle together for the perfect picture. We see character development in each episode. The writer did a great job in writing characters it's indeed a key point of this. The cast couldn't be more perfect than this all were perfect for each role. I would really appreciate I'm Si Wan especially for me he did the best job portraying Ki Seon Gyeom his expression and acting were just amazing he was the best for this role. Now I'm head over heels for him and his killing smile. The visuals of all actors are great with their great acting skills.
OST/ Soundtrack: The ost and soundtrack both were good and at the perfect moment. I really loved 'Sorry' especially.
Conclusion: Overall it was refreshing, unique, and unpredictable which also going to be one of my favorites. I really enjoyed the show and smiled a lot but it's not everyone's cup of tea. It's a slice of life and a character-driven plot. The ending is perfect but I guess it's too much perfect and overflooded with sweetness. 'Run On' not only entertain but it's much more than that.
P.s. - It does have many weird + funny + hilarious moments and that candy movie was great!
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Pinocchio on the surface is about a bunch of reporters who learn what reporting is truly all about. Or at least, that's what I was expecting until I heard Lee Jong Suk joined the cast. I swear nobody has a knack for good roles the way he does. He just knows how to pick an amazing role and make it even more amazing with his acting skills. And that's what this drama was. Absolutely AMAZING. Every episode took me deeper and deeper into their story and by the time I was done, I was crying like a wild horse (if wild horses cry). Every character, every situation and every decision (made by Dal Po) either turned me into a huge of puddle of emotional mess or brought a huge, shiny grin on my face. Some stuff got me slapping my computer screen so hard (I'll make it up to you babe). There were no in-betweens. Also there were no dull moments. Coming to characters. Dal Po is amazing. And not just your everyday amazing but amazing amazing. While I was watching I can't even count the number of times I would've made a choice completely different from him. He was so brave and just so right. The kind of path he took, there was no assurance that he would be able to avenge his family at all and as we moved further into the story, we realize that if he hadn't made the choices that he did, he wouldn't even have been able to catch the right culprit. As for Park Shin Hye, I've really only liked her in You're Beautiful. Her characters in Heirs and Flower Boy Next Door were extremely disappointing. But this is her best portrayal. I loved Choi In Ha and her blunt attitude (not that she had a choice considering the Pinocchio Syndrome). I think I'll have a hard time remembering it's not a real syndrome.
The supporting cast was amazing, especially Yoon Yoo Rae. Her little love-story towards the end was really cute (I'm trying really hard not to give spoilers here, but I'm so excited I can barely contain it, lol). In Ha's mom, her dad, her grandpa, everyone was great. Both the Caps and OMG the whole staff at YGN. I absolutely loved them. Especially the dude with the creepy grin and the hairband. He was awesome! Ahn Chan Soo was awesome. Kim Hae Sook is one of my favorite actors when it comes to moms and other older roles and the parts she plays always have something great to offer. Same happened here. Her character started out as a sweet and overly-protective mom which reminded me of her roles in Marriage Not Dating and I Hear Your Voice but it grew into so much more. Last (but most definitely not the least) Ki Jae Myung was mesmerizing. You know what he does is wrong, yet all you feel for him is sympathy and make excuses for him, because the emotional turmoil he goes through is simply palpable. He suffered through years of pain and guilt and he suffered all by himself. It was beautiful, the way his character was shaped.
The music is good, though not extremely good. It's melodious, relaxing and not too dramatic. Every Single Day has composed some nice ones for the OST.
Comparisons to I Hear Your voice are inevitable since the lead actor along with supporting cast and the writer-director were same for both dramas. And there is an essence of IHYV here in this drama, which makes it just as great. But nothing is repetitive and Pinocchio easily holds it's own. I would recommend it to everyone now that all the episodes are out and you don't have to live in agony waiting for new episodes.
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With the popularity of "A Love So Beautiful", I see a lot of people hoping to find a similar drama to fill the void now that it has ended. There are similarities in the two dramas in the sense that they are set in high school for a majority of the run time and take place during the same time period. However, outside of those similarities, the two dramas set out to fulfill different purposes. With "A Love So Beautiful," I feel that it is a love story first and foremost and the life of a student is given secondary focus but "With You" focuses more on a student's life and how those formative years in high school set the foundation on who we become as we grow older. Of course, love is one of the things that students first start to experience in high school but that is just one of the many items that preoccupy a student's time.
For instance, this drama also looked at how students are tasked with huge responsibility at a young age to make a choice that can very well affect the rest of their lives, deciding to focus on liberal arts or STEM. However, instead of leaning one way, it is implied that one should do their best to be well versed in both in order to be a well rounded individual. We come across many different characters (students, teachers and parents) throughout this drama, each with their own hopes, desires, fears and dreams. And just like in real life, they will come and go but there will be those that leave an impression on you or impact you in some way.
What I also liked about this drama is how helpful and supportive everyone was to one another whether they were friends or "only" classmates. There was a real sense that high school is just one of many stops in your life and how it prepares you to learn and grow throughout life.
Next, I will speak about the Romance portion of this drama which is what I think most people are curious about. And once again I will speak on this in relation to ALSB. In ALSB there are more displays of physical affection and because in that drama they have known each other since childhood they are more comfortable with one another right from the start of the drama. However, in "With You," I enjoyed seeing Yu Hai and Geng Geng's relationship develop over time especially with the way they got off on the wrong foot in their initial encounter. It's not to say one drama is better than the other in the way they portray love but that they portray different forms of love. In "With You," I feel that the writer wanted to portray how blissful it is to simply be together with the person you like/love. Whether that means being "desk buddies" and helping each other with math/physics problems or playing video games together. No matter what the activity/event was, as long as they were able to do it together, made it all worthwhile. Similarly, both characters had their own strengths and weaknesses and complemented each other well and were each other's pillar of support when they needed it. This drama is not really about the grand gestures (at least in Yu Hai's case) but about the little ones. For instance, risking the chance of incurring a strict teacher's wrath by asking him to repeat his explanation of a problem that you already understand because you notice that the person you like is having a difficult time catching up but is too afraid to ask.
Ultimately, if you're looking for a drama replacement for ALSB, I suggest you look elsewhere. However, if you're looking for a drama that primarily focuses on youth/school and the growing pains associated with that time period of our lives, I think you would be hard pressed to find a better one than this one.
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From the start it should have given you an idea on what you should be looking for, the every possible EFFECTs of the things we say or do. As for Newton's Third Law of motion states: "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction". For every EFFECT there is a CAUSE. One does not do an action without a reason behind it. The reason may be obvious, deliberate; but it could be also hidden or unaware to the person doing the action.
When the world you know suddenly was turned upside-down, will you able to handle it even as if the problems of the world rest on your shoulders? How can you recover when your world is seemingly shattered into pieces? Will you be able to rebuild it the way it used to be, or even better?
STORY
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This is a 10 for me.
The show unabashedly and in an unadulterated way features topics that seemingly people just sweep under the rug. (1) rape, (2) rumor mongering on social media, (3) suicide and (4) implied mental issue. Yes, number 1 and 3 have already mentioned in other BL series, but the way this series presented those is raw, graphic and it did not sugar-coat it. For the forth topic which is "mental health" is not that obvious, you need to analyze every detail from the start down to the very last scene. One needs to be very objective and it will be hard to do it with this very emotional show to see things through. It is presented in a way to raise awareness. The kind of EFFECTs any of the mentioned above could have is what the series wants to focus on.
This shows the rape also occurs in the same-gender world and not only exclusive to the male-female relationship. It is traumatizing when a person is subjected to rape, let alone to relive it when you are opening it up to another person. That is why victims of rape tend not to tell anyone or report it to the authorities.
The power of social media. This is what consuming the society nowadays. With the information age at hand, it can bring out the bests in people as well as the worsts. It can be a tool to create a beauty or destroy. The problem with social media, specially with pictures, it does not show the whole story. It just capture the millisecond. Even shared videos aren't 100% accurate if it doesn't show what happened before and after. Social media can rally for a cause, or spread rumors like a wildfire. The question is, will you share right away something that is not validated? This reminds us to be more responsible in what we do and say on social media because we might not know, someone is hurting and dying inside.
They say the people that commit suicide does not want really to die, but just want the pain to end. Often times, they think that ending one's life is the easy way to end the suffering. We should not judge people that commit this kind of act as we never walked in their shoes, lived the life and fight the everyday battles. Rape does not necessarily result to death, it is the depression the one goes through that would make someone to take his/her life.
Episode 1 is the very typical love story, the beginning, the progression of the feelings and finally, saying the three magical words, "I love you". But is life really all rainbows and sunshine? After all, that is the vibe you will get from the premier episode. Or is there a storm brewing in the horizon?
Yes Episode 2 ended very dark, darker than the night. But if you bother to stop for a while and analyze things, things that happened before the despicable action, you will see that it is not just one event that led to commit such horror. From the home, where you should be the safest, to your school, where you spend most of your time, in the hope of finding your happiness in the person you love. Tragically, when jealousy, gossips/rumors and rejection come become a factor, no one can tell what a person affect by it will do next. Especially if that person have not experience that situation before one tends to ease the pain the best and easiest way he/she thinks can.
Episode 3. Just when you thought things couldn't get any darker or painful as Episode just felt some did a gut punch to you. As you progress the episode, you will realize that is it not only the bruises or swelling of the punch, but a bleeding cut that you didn't notice at first. You tried to put a bandage on it, only to be ripped away and pour alcohol on it. It is that painful. It will be a long time for me to get over the series of events happened in this show.
On the implied issue of "mental health", one can say that the both leads suffered a mental condition in one way or the other. As one expressed this condition outwards by inflicting harm to others, while the other is to himself. And without the right intervention, it clearly shows the very ugly side of it.
This show struck very near to my heart as I had a cousin who was raped that eventually bear a child, my nephew. And now, that nephew of mine is suffering from a mental condition that at a tender age of 11 is already taking medicines to control his behavior.
(Addendum, after watching Grey's Anatomy Season 16 Episode 5, when Dr. Jo Karev is in session with a therapist)
I found this written on the board:
CORE FEELINGS
1. Fear
2. Anger
3. Shame
4. Sadness
5. Guilt
6. Pain/Hurt
7. Safe
8. Happiness
9. Love
10. Pride
11. Willing
12. Hopeful
13. Peaceful
You can see it the feelings that you can consider bad, affect someone negatively, destructive. On the other hand, you can identify the feeling that can build someone up. What if you are feeling more of the negative ones that the positive ones are seemingly drowned? Can you still live? When fear, anger, sadness, guilt, pain, pride, coupled with the lose of being safe, love, hope intensifies all at the same time, surely one will be broken down beyond repair.
ACTING
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Unlike novels or something you read, where every action, reaction, expression can be told, when watching you are limited on how the actors convey certain emotion and image.
That is why I applaud OAT as KENG. His features will sway you to think that he is incapable of any such evil thing with his charming, innocent looks and unassuming behavior. As they say "Don't judge a book by its cover", could be more appropriate for him here. Is he really capable of a dispicable actions? Or events triggered the inner demon in him that he for eternity tried to keep it at bay or prisoned? HOWEVER, Oat could have shown more emotions when he is annoyed. When a character is the antagonist, and you feel disgusted with the character, this mean that the actor who played the role did a great job.
JAMES as SHIN - you can really see in his face the admiration to Keng without saying anything. And the time he felt betrayed, the pain resonates in his eyes. Opposite of a antagonist, when you feel the pain and happiness, then you know that the actor was able to deliver what is needed of him.
MUSIC
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I like the piano accompaniment on the key scenes. It heightens the emotion. But it could have been better if a voice is heard as it can further the emotion of the listener.
REWATCH VALUE
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This is way too traumatic that even myself would not dare to watch this again. Perhaps after a year or so, I will revisit this.
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THE BEST OF 2024 SO FAR!
What are you doing? If you havent watched this series yet just go and fall in love with Moo and Kang already! Only Boo is this year's Bad Buddy and My School President! One of the best of the year so far!This series breaks my usual Friday night GMMTV BL habit. At first I was hesitant to watch it - 2 relatively new actors, with a cheap looking poster and a not so overwhelming trailer, plus its another one of those young high school themed BL series. but I am so glad I gave this a chance. The very first episode surprised me - and I immediately fell in love with the characters! This series is a testament that not everything has to be overproduced (with acting and production) to make an entertaining enjoyable series - if its made right, sometimes the best way is the simplest way.
I cant say enough how this series relied heavily on the 2 main leads's charms - Keen as Moo is a surprising revelation and Sea as Kang in his understated awkward robotic acting reminiscent of Japanese BLs. Both are super adorable and super lovable and their chemistry is just over the top. Their characters may be considered two of the greenest flags ever created for a BL and are really good role models for the current generation of LGBTQ and BL lovers. Watching them together is hard to believe its their first main series, It will be crazy if GMMTV isnt lining up projects for them.
Let me also just say that whoever thought of making Kang and Moo cry, you are an evil evil genius man! Everytime Moo and Kang cry feels like watching your puppy just died and triggers every maternal instinct to want to protect them both.
The second couple and the support casts are also amazing. Aun and Ashi as Potae and Payos are just as adorable as Kang and Moo. And Milk - what can you say about Milk - she has become the gold standard for all the BL fangirls (and fanboys) out there, it felt like I am Neth screaming at the top of my lungs whenever i see my ship together. Added to the mix is the always adorable Louis looking perfect as the band's leader and eventhough a lot of KangMoo supporters hated Book's character I still loved that he shared his experience to support the new actors.
The story itself, although at first glance showed a very common plot, was fully developed for a 12 episode series. I loved the idol concept and the journey that both Moo and Kang had to go through with a very fast pacing and a very positive messaging delivered in such a modern refreshing way. Every single episode felt important and most of all, i really appreciate the fact that eventhough some of the episodes especially 10 and 11 are meant to be the dreaded breakup episodes they still found a way to end each of them positively so we wont have to wait brokenhearted for a whole week.
Also the music and soundtrack are both perfect - reminiscent of similar series before it like 2gether, Bad Buddy and My School President.
If there's anything to improve, i guess it would be to give Kang's character a slight upgrade cause his story felt somewhat secondary to Moo's journey. Also, why limit Louis exposure like that? We love our Louis and more of him is always good!
I cant tell you enough how in these past 3 months I looked forward to Sundays and how it gives me energy to face the new week again. I will definitely miss this duo and heres hoping to see them again in a new series soon!
PS. I just want to say that Im glad GMMTV is going all out with BL productions and giving their huge line of actors the space to shine- these past 2 to 3 months they have graced our Wednesday, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with contents to help us get through this dreaded heatwave, and im very thankful for that.
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Despite flirtation with the idea of what it means to be a woman, core themes center around poverty, motherhood, and family (fractured and/or 'whole'). Many will find parallels with real life, uncanny sparks of the every day between each character interaction or plot motion. Though the story can be depressing, sometimes unrelentingly so, rays of hope peek through from unlikely places. The slow pace also works well, allowing for quiet sequences and subtle explosions to be worked in without unevenness. Unfortunately, well written as I found it, there were times an event or character seemed superfluous. A glaring example of this would be the welfare worker and his wife. Their tale felt unimportant and tacked on, the purpose served more thematic than necessary -- and even then, other characters had already fulfilled this aspect well. The Shiori character was perhaps a bit underdeveloped in the end, but her place in the plot was decidedly important.
Where have they been hiding Mitsushima Hikari? If the rest of her work is as vibrant as her portrayal of Koharu, it wouldn't be far-fetched to name her among the best actresses in Japan. Mitsushima-san delivers lines as if they were second nature; her gestures and body language are subtle and real. She positively carries this drama, though her work brought up the performances of others as well. The young ones depicting the Aoyagi children are also an absolute joy to watch. More than just precocious cuties paid to be tiny versions of adults, each of them felt like actual children. They babbled and asked questions endlessly, they cried without reason, they understood more and less than adults might want. This was especially true of Suzuki Rio, as the older Nozomi.
Fans of Oguri Shun should be happy with his solid performance, but will not want to watch Woman primarily for his sake. Shun-san is primarily seen through flashbacks, and though his character is important enough to warrant a spot as a main character, it is in the same way as a literary character might be labelled as such. The absence of his Shin is what pushes the basic conflict. There is a particular scene including him which had me bawling, though.
Musically, the drama stands strong. Orchestrations felt well-placed, especially in those scenes meant to be pivotal. These are also marked by unusual but interesting cinematographic sequences, such as an intense slow motion bit, set to an older song called "Believe." These instances were a little disconnected from the rest of the drama, but strangely effective. Though the sound of the theme song ("Voice" by androp) does not initially appear suitable, the lyrics tell another tale.
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We Best Love: No. 1 For You - Special Episode 6.5
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This review may contain spoilers
I'm so confused by the hate of this. I think a lot of it was to mislead us. We are getting a tiny glimpse of their separation.. more can be at play. The baby is HIGHLY unlikely to be Shi De... he wasn't in America long enough to knock someone up. I think the most logical theory is that the girl is his step sister (he did go to America for his mother's wedding) and the baby can be either her's (with another man) or even Shi De's half brother. Shi De probably decided to stay in America to help his family... those medical bills could be for his step father (basing it off the name on it.. makes most sense to me).I think this special episode was just to MAKE us speculate and going crazy with theories until March 5th. I think the major anger is going to be that Shi De stayed in America for 2 years instead of the promised 2 months... Shu Yi was pretty upset at the thought of a long distance relationship in the last episode so maybe him jumping to conclusions and then finding out Shi De wasn't coming back created more of a problem.
The screenwriter wrote the majority of the HIStory series, so I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt.. that series is amazing.
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Story
Introduction to melodrama. One character is a self-hating guy with mommy and daddy issues who is dying from a terminal illness, one character is seemingly the knight in the shining armor who is a coward and makes the wrong choices for noble reasons, one is a bad raging bitch who things she owns the world, and lastly one is a fighting hero who tries her best to stay sane and survive but fails miserably furthering the overdramatic nature of the whole thing.
The backstory and plot here is probably the best thing this drama has to offer but will probably be appreciated only by the melo fans; others will find it rather stretched and too fake and I won’t say it isn’t. However, in all its greatness it is nothing new. It gathers all the clichés, car crashes, illegitimate children, hit and runs, terminal illnesses, rich vs poor people, and lastly the legendary –at this point- cycle of the leads chasing each other. Female lead wants male lead but he’s a bastard and 5 episodes later male lead wants female lead but she’s a bitch while they love each other like crazy and they have barely any reasons to act this way. This is probably the worst part of the drama imo but then again it takes a special viewer to appreciate it.
The story has nothing new to offer, and the plot gets heavily dragged midway due to the chasing around, but does this mean this is the worst drama ever? No. Does this mean this is totally unwatchable? No. It is just addressed to a certain type of viewer who will love it and its flaws completely. That’s all. If you like usual melodrama you’ll like this, there is no funny side character, there is no comedic relief, there is scarcely any rationality in the writing, and the whole plot is over the top, but to be honest that is melodrama’s charm. Take it or leave it.
Acting
Stellar performances by everyone; however Kim Woo Bin is probably the only memorable actor in this one. His acting was very emotional and he was very pleasant to look at.
Syzy won’t be winning any awards for her performance but her acting was way better than expected and didn’t bring the show down at all.
Recommend/rewatch
We all know what melodrama means. If you like overly emotional and depressing stories, you want to cry and watch a doomed romance then go ahead. This not the best melodrama i've ever watched but it isn’t bad at all, on the contrary i'd say. However if you expect smiles, fluffiness, butterflies and funny cute situations give this a pass. I will never rewatch this.
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"Did I become a butterfly in my dream or did I become me in a butterfly's dream."
For a moment, I thought it's going to be one of those cheesy and sensational plotlines with the usual stuck-up chaebol, the very reason that has dissuaded me from watching this till now.But Beauty Inside deserves much better than that. Beneath all of the Hallyu star and rich chaebol glamour, the drama explores the dark side of media and social perceptions in a nouveau and refreshing context. It proves that inner beauty MATTERS as we witness the female protagonist battling her identity crisis in a society full of piranhas that are constantly preying on her, all while scandalously saving the day by protecting those in need.
The pairing is irrefutably perfect, like that of My Love from the Star or What's Wrong with Secretary Kim. It is cynical at first but, because of that, it has the opportunity to become extremely sweet and charming. For once, a rom-com is able to survive and flourish without a love-triangle to pull the tension.
After having seen the slice-of-life Because This is My First Life, I'm shocked by Lee Min Ki's transformation, to say the least. He was able to shed his quirky guy-next-door vibe and become such a slick executive. On the other hand, the chic Seo Hyun Jin that we have come to know from Dr. Romantic and Another Miss Oh has made me fall even deeper in love with her gorgeous fashion and even sassier attitude. And when you start questioning how to survive all of this, you'll be hit with the stunning and wholesome second couple, Lee Da Hee and Ahn Jae Hyun no less.
The OSTs are to die for with K.Will's explosive vocal, Davichi's wistful melody and a slight momentous twist featuring up-and-coming artists like Rothy, Vincent and 2morro.
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I was watching this parallel to Dream High 2, and the difference in the standards caught my eye more...
First of all, about the story. The bromance, love, friendship, family, these themes are very central in the drama, and are done perfectly. The characters are so perfectly constructed, that you'll start feeling for them after the 1st episode you watch.
The thing that amazes me in dramas like this, is that the characters are like brought to life, they became real for me, as they were not trying to be perfect, they were not perfect, and while absolutely loving every character of this drama, I could get angry with them, shout at my screen, and the next moment swoon because of cuteness, their friendship, romance...
Every episode has a story to tell, not like in some dramas, that just drag on, to get to the 16th episode... I have yet to find a scene I'd like to skip here (don't look for it :P).
I discovered several actors here, that I'm going to follow to other dramas, whatever role they take :P
First, Sung Joon, I'd seen him in Lie to Me, and impressing he was in the beginning of the series, but as the romance advanced between the leads, his character faded away, so to say honestly, when I saw him in the first episode here, I didn't know I knew him :P Though his rough voice was reminding me, I didn't catch the signals... Honestly, now I'm very much in love with his down to earth portrayal of Ji-Hyuk, I loved his caring for his friends, his shyness with Su-Ah, his mess ups as a leader, but at the same time honesty and not giving up... (I can't believe he's just 2 months older than me Y_Y)
Jo Bo-Ah, as Soo-Ah! Fantastic girl :) When I saw she's a newcomer, I automatically started searching flaws in her acting... guess what... didn't find... She did better than great, her acting sometimes reminded me of Inoue Mao's portrayal of Makino Tsukushi in Hana Yori Dango, well to think of it, her character really had similarities to Makino. Love her brave and caring character. (THANK YOU FOR NOT LEAVING!!!)
Becuse of MyungSoo (L), now I'm a fan of INFINITE :P Though sometimes he was trying to hard with his icy stare, he's a cute guy and I think he did great, his character was in the end the balance the band needed (speaking about balance...) Do-Il... I can day, this guy... we're seeing him in more dramas from now on, he's gonna become SO popular with his unusual looks (especially eyes..)
Not even going to mention Lee Min-Ki's character, oops, I did... ok... His character just glued me to this drama... an unforgettable character, like a firework, brilliant in the night, and even when it already out, it leaves an unforgettable impression...
If you think this drama is going to blow up your mind by something super new and undiscovered, you're wrong, it's actually a very old story... 'friendship or love'?
Well, guess what, the script writers did great, the main point becoming, it can be both, only you have to be honest with both parties and most importantly with yourself.
I have enjoyed every second of this drama, and can't imagine that I won't be waiting for it next Monday and Tuesday... At least I can keep the songs and rewatch the episodes, by the way, the music is also very-very good, immersing you into the boys world in the moment it starts...
I'm gonna miss Eye Candy! (who;s gonna read a review THIS long?... I had to speak up, haha~)
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