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1Secrets we keep, hearts we break!!
Some stories thrive on a well-crafted plot and others are driven by the complexity of their imperfect characters. This is one of those stories that fit the second category. The characters aren’t flawless heroes or simple villains - they are messy, flawed and deeply humane. Their struggles aren’t always clear-cut and their growth isn’t easy or linear. In fact, it’s their imperfections, their emotional baggage and their internal conflicts that make the story stand out. These kinds of characters don’t always give you the answers you want, but they challenge you to think deeper and understand that growth isn’t always pretty.Characters & Analysis :
Jung Daon, our tragic hero: Daon’s journey is far from perfect. He has been battling this constant feeling of being worthless for as long as he can remember. He is emotionally distant, always believing he’s “good for no one” and his past experiences have only reinforced this idea. His choices along the way aren’t always the best and sometimes they left me questioning his decisions. His growth isn’t linear or clean, it’s messy, real, and sometimes even frustrating. Yet, there’s something so human about it. As Daon begins to open up, he starts realizing his worth and how much of an impact he actually has on the people around him. Watching him go through it, even when he’s stumbling is what makes his journey so heartwarming.
Kim Su Hyeon, the toxic oppa: He is a complete emotional wreck defined by chaos, obsession and serious anger issues. The guy just can’t tell the difference between love and possession, constantly crossing boundaries and trying to control everyone around him. Instead of being caring or respectful, he’s driven by this constant need to manipulate and control.
At the start, I honestly couldn’t help but feel some sympathy for him. It was pretty obvious that his anger and possessiveness came from a place of deep hurt. But here’s the thing - his past doesn’t give him the right to act however he wants and hurt the people around him. His anger issues are a huge red flag and no matter how messy his past might be, it doesn’t justify how toxic he is.
By the end, it’s clear that Su Hyeon needs help. He was/is drowning in his emotions and has no clue how to deal with them in a healthy way. He is definitely a character who’s deeply flawed, but that doesn’t make it okay for him to manipulate or hurt others.
Ju Seong Hyeon, The sunflower oppa: He is just so sweet and caring. He is always putting others first and trying to make everyone happy, even if it means sacrificing himself in the process sometimes. It’s honestly hard not to like him because he genuinely wants to help. He’s selfless, empathetic, and really tries to be there for people when they need him. But the thing is, he gets so caught up in pleasing everyone that he loses himself along the way.
But what I really appreciate about his journey is that he does eventually learn. Over time, he starts realizing that it’s okay to put himself first once in a while. He figures out that his worth isn’t based on how much he can do for others and learns to set healthier boundaries.
Jaemin, the master manipulator: His character arc is one of the hardest and most complicated to pin down. He is the ultimate manipulator, playing the game like a pro, at least tries to and somehow succeeds. He knows exactly how to control people's emotions to get what he wants and he doesn't actually care about the fallout. His arrogance and total lack of empathy make him one of the most unsettling characters in the show. He doesn’t just use manipulation for love or affection, it's all about power for him. When he's caught in a lie, his complete lack of remorse shows just how emotionally detached he really is. His character shows just how dangerous emotional detachment and manipulation can be and it makes you question if someone like him could ever break free from those toxic patterns.
The casting? Honestly, it was a chef's kiss. Every actor nailed their role, like they were those characters. You could feel their emotions so real and raw. Yes, It’s not perfect but sometimes it’s the impact that matters more than perfection.
I am not going to talk about romance and chemistry because that is the heart of the drama and the fun lies in figuring it out as you go but rest assured, you won't be disappointed.
Even though this story might not be a perfect 10/10, the way it had me fully invested for 4 weeks and got me thinking so much about the characters totally makes it an almost 10/10 in my book. Though I have rated this 9.5 , but it's 10 in my heart.
In just 25 minutes, they managed to show everything so well. Nothing felt rushed and the pacing was spot on.
At the end of the day, I would definitely recommend it and let you decide if it’s your vibe because it definitely serves up some tea in the most messed-up but oddly satisfying way.
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it isnt as bad as what other reviews said
maybe because mandarin is a language i speak almost everyday and I ve watched plenty of Chinese and korean dramas, but I don't find the plot confusing or messy. Yes, you have to understand what they are saying and honestly, subtitles don't seem to do the show justice. Basically, its about a girl who travelled to the present from 10 years ago [2011] due to a super full moon energy wave after her boyfriend pushes her from a cliff [not a spoiler] because of some secrets she know. in the present [2021], she met the male lead as the universe tied them together and they discovered all the secrets [she lost her memory as she travelled here] like who set a trap and conned his father etc midst of this main story line, there's someone using her for scientific research and they made her return back to time [2011] which allowed her discover more secrets. i wont speak more about the plot but its worth to watch if you like mystery solving! i will update this review when the last 6 episodes uploads :DEDIT: COMPLETED
FREAKING WORTH TO WATCH, I CRIED MY ASS OUT. THE ENDING IS SO BAD BUT SO GOOD PLEASE WATCH JUST FOR THE SAKE OF THE ENDING. EP 18-24 IS WHERE SHIT STARTS, WHERE IT GETS REAL AND SO SAD 10/10
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Soft, but heavy
A beautiful and moving series. Perhaps it generates a little too much frustration. The story is beautiful, the acting even more so. It has a soft atmosphere, but at the same time it is heavy and at times painful. It shows various aspects of life, in particular how we can change, succeed, fail, feel lonely and inadequate in a world that demands so much, when in the end the problem is that WE don't accept ourselves.It shows the importance of presence, both in family life and in friendships and relationships. I was disappointed that the relationship with the protagonist's family was not explored in more depth at the end, given that it played a fundamental role in the first half of the series.
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When a story lacks direction, it’s sure to suffer. What did this drama want to be? An idol drama with tons of romance? A monster-of-the-week romp, or an urban fantasy with cataclysmic consequences? The tone is erratic, especially in the beginning, whiplashing viewers between horror and comedy without prelude. In addition to the copious filler, the plot was pulled in so many directions that very little progress was actually made. Not even the romance between the leads received the attention it required to blossom satisfyingly—it just happens, for no rhyme or reason, and we’re expected to invest in it immediately. Overall, the story promises apocalyptic stakes yet delivers something haphazard and episodic, peppered with hollow romantic scenes (the exemplar of which is an early out-of-character, cat-themed aegyo from the female protagonist).
One of the main issues can be found in the massive cast, populated by multiple big names and actors of varying talent and skill. Despite a valiant effort by Lee Seung Gi as Son Oh Gong, the secondary cast steals the show. Lee Hong Ki (PK) and Lee Se Young (Bu Ja) are a delight in spite of frustrating plot developments, easily drawing focus away from the main storyline. The same goes for Lee El as the dog-demon assistant Ma Ji Yeong, Kim Sung Oh as hapless secretary Lee Han Joo, and Sang Hyuk as General Frost and his warm-hearted sister, with whom he shares a body. Cha Seung Won, however, is completely wasted in his role as Ma Wang, the demon king. The character gives him no room to stretch his dramatic legs, instead relying on the zany comedy he so excels at—but this gets old fast, and it’s frustrating to see him spin his wheels with such a flat character. This leads us to the weakest of the bunch—Oh Yeon Seo’s performance as Jin Sun Mi is uninspired, and I couldn’t tell you if her expression changed even once. Her scenes with Lee Seung Gi are sometimes almost uncomfortable to watch, given how dynamic he is in comparison.
That said, the OST is consistently good. Standouts include the absolute bop “Let Me Out” by NU’EST, the tender ballad “When I Saw You” by Bumkey, and the cheerful “I Will Be By Your Side” by MeloMance.
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an empath would understand.
the dysfunctionality of fan xiao with the mixture of his insanity is so high quality. no one has ever illustrated such portrayals of obsession and deep love altogether with such intricacy. i am so head over heels for this series. everything just makes sense. and the fact that as someone who craves for something so much and how the series just gives me everything i ask for is so cherry on top.i love how the two leads accurately portray each of their emotions. they are experiencing vastly different feelings yet they were able to make everything make sense, enough for you to feel how they are actually feeling and understand them both at the same time. this is what made me love the series. the fact that the production was able to tie their emotions together so intricately even with the complexity of their situation, i just cannot help but love humans even more with their cliche unpredictability and their tendencies to do so much only to feed their emotions. i love everything about this series; as an empath, as a psychology major, and as a person who loves human beings.
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Coming from the same director, producer, channel, screenwriter and the one and only genius novelist Ikeido Jun behind Hanzawa Naoki; you’re bound to expect striking similarities such as the general structure, the business related events, the suspenseful tries to get out of financial troubles, the directing techniques and even the acting style. To many viewers, this may seem like TBS’s desperate tries to follow the footsteps of last year’s mega-hit drama and even re-incarnate its successful ratings. However, Roosevelt Game was able to clearly distinguish itself. This is definitely not another Hanzawa Naoki so do not misjudge this as a copycat.
Roosevelt Game is driven by two main threads: Business management and Baseball. At first glance, you would wonder if those two different themes are able coexist. I had my careful doubts about that matter but colour me surprised! They weren’t only in perfect harmony but they were also smartly written to complement each other which gave the drama a strange yet a very solid balance. The fascinating part is that Aoshima Seisakujo followed similar policies in both company management and sports which made things even more connected and delightful to follow.
This drama excels at building the thrills, you will find yourself at the edge of your seat countless of times. Not to mention the “What the… What the heck was that?” moments. It’s no surprise since this comes from the brilliant novelist Ikeido who’s known of his thought-provoking corporate scripts. The reason why I came to favour the business genre is their highly intriguing scriptwriting and witty dialogues, that part wasn’t any different in here, I was completely satisfied with the financial suspense they built even if the outcome was somewhat predictable. The sports’ part was equally exciting; I never get that feeling unless I am watching a real game or a sports anime. To think that they got me rooting for them out loud is beyond belief.
Acting wise, I have nothing but praise. I never thought that a star-studded cast like this one can go wrong in any way. I was already fascinated by Karasawa Toshiaki in another business oriented drama “Fumo Chitai” and ever since then, I have huge respect towards him. Once again, he drew me to his fearsome ability of turning into an intense actor when his character demands him to. His character was smart, firm and penetrating. Egushi Yosuke’s performance was too mystic; the way his character was written didn’t allow him to show his body language like he’s used to. However, he held an important cryptic character that always attracted attention. Another main character was Kudo Asuka, a young talent that held the realms of the baseball team. He had one memorable performance despite his obvious inferiority to his older seniors mentioned above.
The rest of the cast members were quite fitting for the drama which is nothing out of line for a great business production like this one. Tezuka Toru and Kagawa Teryuki were the better supporting actors. The latter amazed me as usual although I really wished that his talent was exploited further than that. I think this drama is unique due to the human relationships the writer inserted between his characters. The heart-warming events don’t imply that this drama was set in the heartless word of economy and business. That’s definitely a plus point that distinguishes Roosevelt Game from its fellow business oriented productions.
The cinematography was dazzling, literally. The bright colours used for this drama added vivid feeling to the usual sombre business atmosphere. The directing was definitely too similar to Hanzawa Naoki with those famed close-ups and captivating angles. One more thing, that OST was definitely a master’s stroke. That instrumental music was such a perfect fit for this drama’s theme.
Watch if:
-You like highly intriguing dramas.
-You like business/corporate.
-You’re looking for something similar to Hanzawa Naoki but beware, this is definitely different.
-You like sports dramas because baseball was a major part.
Do not watch if:
-You dislike the business theme.
Roosevelt Game is by far, the better written and executed drama of 2014. It contains a daring yet a very successful combination of the merciless world of business and the exciting world of sports. It should be enjoyed for its own benefits. Do yourself a favour, don’t misinterpret this as another Hanzawa Naoki.
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You can't write a creative ending .. just kill the ML
I just can't wrap my mind around this trend of killing ML in the end of short drama ... I mean for number of ML killed like this so far makes me wonder if there 's any man left alive in china. Ridiculous right ??? So is the screen writing. They write tragic ending to the dramas where it's not even necessary. Stupid writers .Anyways drama is okay .. we have a nice, strong, independent FL here, reborn after husband's betrayal. Dai gao's character has his own plan to reach her .. after a lot of understanding and misunderstanding they come together. . further misunderstandings she felt betrayed and dumps him .. in the end he dies saving her. (Thank you)
PS: I am thinking of keeping a copy of this review and paste it for all the shows on same plot.. it will save me days of my precious time.
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Please tell me there are more episodes!!
I just finished watching episode 40. I feel that that there is a lack of information. I saw on a clip online that they had moved into a new house, but that was not an episode 40. If James has a new job, why is he back in Shanghai? and what happens to Li Dai? I need at least three more episodes to round this out. I prefer at least 10. And James is no longer a husband!! Why keep saying marriage is important if they won't get married!? And how and when did Second Brother and MeiMei get back together?? Too, too many holes.Was this review helpful to you?
I watched this because China banned its release. I was curious and the movie proved worthy of that curiosity. It wasn't great, but it was one undeniably beautiful movie. I love the dialogues. Sometimes the lines are rather poetic. The actors could even tell more of the story even with no words at all. The film seemed to glorify the simplicity of its plot with good writing and actors.
Have an open mind upon watching this film, but don't get too attached. It's just a film after all.
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loved the workplace - romance balance
I loved this drama, how it addressed modern career women and the challenges to stay relevant . I loved their relationship. they didn’t hide it since day one, the FL was very confident and didn’t care if anyone branded her as the CEO GF, she knew she can do it and she was happy that she fails. she was rude at the beginning but it is perfectly justified because of her family situation. she created a perfect balance between understanding his role as the boss and as a BF. the ML was a green flag. he loved her so much and understood her career and her love to fly and put her’s before him. I loved it I loved the aviation focus it was refreshing. I came to this drama after the early spring, in the early spring I couldn’t understand their need to hide their relationship for 6 years, she could have easily had another boss , she was simply insecure enough to stand tall and say yes he is my boss but I am competent enough to succeed, he blamed him all the time that he didn’t approve of her first, yet she is the one who is weak. also the lack of trust , in blossom through the cloud the FL trusted him and listened to him even though there was a major scandal, in TES one flower bouquet made her lose her trust. the only thing BTTC lacked maybe is some swooning and intimate moments between the leadsWas this review helpful to you?
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Shadow Love has the flavor of Romeo and Juliet
This review is a journey exploring the universe of sensations and feelings that Shadow Love can lead you to experience. Although the story is simple, it deeply explores love as a powerful experience of strength and resilience, capable of overcoming the most brutal and painful challenges.Shadow Love is a powerful love story that straddles the real world of the realms and the mystical world of Wulin Mountain.
The series is unforgettable: I laughed, I cried, I vibrated... I went through all the emotions and waited for each episode with a delicious anxiety.
I trusted the plot, and above all, I trusted the signs the story gave toward a happy ending.
All the actors delivered impeccable performances. I hadn't seen any series with Song Yi before, and I had just watched LOTFG (I loved it!), with Cheng Lei, whom I also hadn't seen before: now I feel like I can't live without them both.
The story is easy to understand, flows smoothly, and the plot and subplots are well-organized and fit together seamlessly. It evolves at a good pace, balancing happy, funny, tense, and sad moments. It manages to move the story steadily throughout its 38 episodes, keeping the viewer very engaged, until it reaches the totally satisfying climax. It explores human values and virtues amidst villainy and cruelty, all very well balanced.
The camera wanders, explores and expands angles and frames that enhance the aesthetics and support the wordless narrative, where only the image dialogues with the viewer, both in the amber luminosity of the love scenes, suggesting innocence and purity, and in the dark scenes, where the light-dark contrast emphasizes the focus on the character, amplifies the dramaticity, volume and depth of the environment, recalling works by Rembrandt characterized by the Chiaroscuro (light-dark) style.
In that regard, the cinematographic aesthetics offer a delight for the eyes with countless scenes constructed with art and lyricism that clearly allude to Chinese paintings. These scenes remain etched in the retina like sweet memories.
Song Yi gave greatness and humanity to the character, virtuously conciling femininity with the soldier's unyielding rawness , without losing elegance, always with her bow and arrow, reminiscent of the character Diana, from Roman mythology. She masters facial expressions and gaze from the subtlest to the most evident: I was overcome with sadness in every scene where she cried, and I found myself smiling at the soft light that bathes her entire face when she smiles. She has in her eyes the eloquence of the heart.
There is also a poetic beauty in the scenes where Li Shuang nourishes Jin'An with her own blood, which does not resemble in any way mere vampirism, whose logic is in mere benefit and parasitism, resulting in the discarding of life, but recalls the legend of the pelican who, having nothing to offer its chick, pecks its own breast until it bleeds and feeds it. This image symbolizes sacrifice and dedication, exactly Li Shuang's most striking virtues. Nurturing is such a feminine function, no matter the bond; it's a woman's trait, and this was greatly valued in the character of Li Shuang, a symbol not only of courage but, most especially, of self-sacrifice and self-denial for the greater good.
Cheng Lei overflows with charisma, his penetrating and indefensible gaze magnetizes and leads us to surrender. All three characters he embodies are impetuous, so passionately compelling, that he leaves us no choice: we fall in love with all three. They combine two forces that enchant women: masculinity and sweetness.
Shadow Love's originality is truly impressive! As the episodes progressed, I clearly noticed that the story's construction deviated from the standard plot structure that virtually all dramas follow. An example of this is the way LS acts and behaves: she breaks away from the standard passive woman in love scenes; she surprisingly boldly takes the initiative in these scenes.
There's also a modern touch that makes Shadow Love stand out as a genre, giving Jin'An, when he undergoes the transformation, a superhero character rather than a mere mutation. The character's specific theme song itself has a very positive tone, composed in a typically heroic melodic structure, suggesting a heroic nature (a specific theme song for each character, object, idea or emotion is called 'leitmotiv', free translation 'leading motive', musical resource created by the German composer Richard Wagner). Another touch of originality was to endow this character with an identity that preserved his humanity and defeated Mo Yin's predictions about the loss of self-control, the rupture with himself to give way to an irrational beast. The strength of love prevailed in him, his strongest nature, that of a man in love.
The story conveys this message of extraordinary power that reverberates in real life: love is not just a physical memory within time and susceptible to oblivion, but a transcendental experience, as it transcends the human condition and, therefore, immune to oblivion, regardless of the trauma.
Finally, the songs... They are profoundly beautiful and frame love with hope, perseverance, resilience, and renunciation. The reward for this challenging pilgrimage faced by Li Shuang and Jin'An could be none other than a Happy Ending, freed from the past to resignify the present. I will miss them so much!
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And the actors....to put it straight, they were not good at acting. Now I'm not talking about the main fox guy (he was very good), I'm talking about everyone else, and literally everyone else, except for the evil characters (crown prince was awesome!). It was so cringe-worthy watching everyone else act that I really couldn't get myself into the drama, especially with the dubbed voices on top of that.
The only reason I ended up completing this drama was that it was so short at 22 episodes and 20min long each and because historical dramas are my favorite dramas. However, I loved the production of this drama; the scenery and cinematography was exceptional, and watching this drama was very pleasing to the eye because of the excellent HD quality! The music wasn't that bad either; I liked the intro and ending songs that played at every episode and occasionally other songs would come out throughout the drama.
Overall, watch this drama because it's so short if you have a lot of free time on your hands, just want to see what it's about, or just don't have anything else to watch since this drama isn't really worth it so don't go into it with expectations like I did!
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For those that think that this is a movie about a kind teacher who shows compassion and does everything he can to help his troubled student--that's not completely correct. I recommend you watch the trailer. But if you can't, just know that all that nice stuff is on the inside--something you can't see right away.
This movie isn't a tear-jerker (at least IMO). BUT it is a feel-good movie and will give you a couple of laughs here and there. There are some painful-to-watch fighting scenes (kickboxing or not) for those of you who like a little action sprinkled here and there. They did an amazing job with setting the mood of the movie. It was never meant to be a gloomy-look-at-this-pitiful-child movie. They wanted it to have a certain brightness to the dark characters/setting. And I'd say they succeeded.
The cast is absolutely fantastic. Kim Yun Seok had perfect comedic timing with his joyously foul-mouth. The comedic bickering was between teacher and student was so much fun. Yoo In Ah did an awesome job preping for his kickboxing scenes; although the film was trying to not be so gloomy, Yoo In Ah did a great job bringing the heaviness of certain issues to the scenes.
All in all, if you enjoy feel-good moments, mama drama, a bit of fighting, love-lines, and cursing--and all without breaking out the tissue box--this is the movie for you.
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Overrated? You've got it completely wrong !!!
This drama is a drama that perfectly showcases why YangDi are considered one of the most visually stunning pairings in Chinese dramas. Their chemistry is undeniably the biggest highlight of the series, and it only gets stronger as the story progresses. By the final episodes, their interactions feel incredibly natural, warm, and heart-fluttering, making them one of the best drama couples I've ever watched.The first few episodes can be quite boring, especially if you know nothing about MOBA games. A significant amount of screen time is dedicated to promoting Honor of Kings, so viewers unfamiliar with the game may struggle to stay engaged. Likewise, if aerospace and space engineering aren't topics you're interested in, the drama may feel slow because a large portion of the story focuses on the male lead's career as an aerospace engineer.
Many people criticize the drama as propaganda, but I don't really see that as a problem. Almost every country's entertainment industry takes pride in showcasing its own achievements, Hollywood and many other film industries do the same. The purpose of this drama is clearly to promote two things: Honor of Kings and China's rapidly advancing aerospace industry, which was reaching remarkable milestones at the time. Considering the drama was produced by Tencent, that direction isn't surprising.
Fortunately, once the romance takes center stage, the drama becomes much more enjoyable. There are countless subtle romantic moments that will leave you smiling, while the story gradually reveals how the two leads were connected in the past and how fate brings them together again in the present.
The male lead initially appears almost perfect—handsome, exceptionally intelligent, highly accomplished in his profession, and even skilled at gaming. However, beneath that image lies someone with very real flaws. Despite his high IQ, he struggles to express his feelings, isn't very good at social interactions, can't cook, and even faces financial difficulties, which become one of the main conflicts early in the story. These imperfections make him feel much more believable and relatable.
The supporting cast is also wonderfully written. Rather than existing solely to push the romance forward, they each have meaningful relationships with the main characters. I especially loved the interactions between the leads and their respective parents. Those family moments are wholesome, heartwarming, and add emotional depth to the drama. The friends and colleagues surrounding both leads are equally supportive, encouraging them in their own unique ways.
Without a doubt, the greatest strength of this drama is the visual appeal and chemistry between the two leads. The combination of a reserved, emotionally awkward man and a cheerful, confident woman creates countless adorable moments. As they slowly learn to understand each other, their relationship becomes even more convincing and satisfying. By the end of the series, it's hard not to believe that they are one of the greatest couples ever portrayed in a Chinese drama.
If you can get through the slower beginning and don't mind the strong focus on gaming and aerospace, you'll be rewarded with a mature, heartwarming romance featuring exceptional chemistry, beautiful cinematography, lovable supporting characters, and one of the most memorable couples in modern C-drama.
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