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Expected more, but satisfactory
I’ll start off by saying that I’m writing this after binging this entire season without break so my brain is fried. I apologize if this is incoherent lol.Firstly, I love this drama overall and would rate s1+s2 a 9/10 bc overall, the story flowed well and the conclusion was satisfactory. However, I think season one is definitely better than this season, in all aspects.
Season one had interesting and engaging games, as did season two, but the problem was that the games this season weren’t showcased as well as the previous games. I felt like there was something missing in each one, I’m not sure how to explain it. Honestly, I just found the games this season quite boring. Still, I can see how this might’ve been intentional since this season is more focused on them finding answers to their questions and conveying the main messages of the drama. Additionally, the games this season were made by previous players that defeated the games but chose to remain in borderland so I guess it makes sense for the games to be easier. Personally though, I still wish this season had the same momentum as the first one did in terms of games since that’s one of my favorite parts about this series.
In terms of acting and performance, I have no complaints. Everyone did really well in their respective roles. The action scenes were amazing and the cgi was done so well, you can tell how much time and money went into this season.
Lastly, I’ll talk about my thoughts on the ending and the explanation for borderland. I’m honestly very conflicted on if I liked the ending or not. Don’t get me wrong, the explanation makes sense and I appreciate that we got a closed ending for the most part. But, I feel like there could’ve been more to it? For example, I would’ve liked to know if borderland was actually real and the meteorite had to be created after the players chose to return, or if borderland was just a metaphor for something. The ending is meant to be interrupted in different ways though, so that’s why I don’t hate it. I like that we got a completed ending that everyone can still make different meanings of. It was a great conclusion to the series.
From my perspective, borderland is self explanatory, it’s literally a borderland between life and death. The meteorite hit and everyone near it was left to fight for their life and in this world, the borderland between life and death is a game world where people’s will to live is tested. Throughout the journey, players question their lives and whether they even want to go back to the real world aka if they even want to live. Those that make it to the end and choose to become citizens give up on life and die/remain in a coma state while those that deny citizenship wake up since they chose to live. I love this interpretation of life and death, especially in the context of the series since everything makes sense. We also get to see different perspectives of life, each of which is important. In the end, you can’t really judge those that remain citizens since there’s a reason they made that choice, whatever it may be.
Overall, I enjoyed this series a lot and would definitely recommend it to everyone. It delivered an engaging story and provided conclusions without leaving too much to interpretation. Alice in borderland, I’ll miss you. :)
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This review may contain spoilers
I love this drama. It is a unique and beautiful drama!!
Warning:For the ones who want romantic scene a lot. Please don't watch this drama. It won't satisfy your demand. It's a subtle and pure romantic drama. Instead of love scene, they always use math metaphor for their love. If you want detective drama, this drama is also not for you. Sometimes the writer make a plot hole so the plot is not logic perfectly.
Here are some reasons if you want to watch this drama:
1. There are some different aspects you can see only in this drama. The way they use math to describe something is beautiful and the love of characters for math are so amazing. I don't like math but the characters make me curious about it.
2. The ending is perfect. Even though the writer can make them become a couple sooner like in ep 13-14, I think the wait is worth for ML that he will become more mature and have more time to pursue his career. Like what Ji Yoon Su said after becoming a real man, the answer would find him. In the end, Ji Yoon Su meet Baek Seung Yoo again in the place where they met the first time. In my opinion, it is more romantic than a kiss scene. There is nothing better than when you meet a person you love at the right time. In the past, They were exactly the right person for each other but the wrong timing destroyed everything. Now they can live happily together and never regret everything happened.
3. I love the way the writer build BSY character that he is a genius but also a human. He has a lot of mistakes but these mistakes make him stronger and more mature. If you don't know that Albert Einstein is also a imperfect person, he cheated a lot and made his wife hurt many times. If someone is a genius in a field, you can't conclude they are good at everything in their life. Sometimes emotion make them do something wrong. I hope all of you can think about it and stop criticizing two main characters.
4. The way Ji Yoon Su supports and helps Baek Seung Yoo. When there is no one cares about him, she is the person who is always there for him. She is always knows what is the best thing for him. That's why she rejected his love when he was a student and even when he became a adult. 21 years old Baek Seung Yoo was still childish and stubborn, he loves her but the way he showed his love made her get into trouble. Finally he can understand what Ji Yoon Su said and use his time to pursue the right thing for him. When you are in twenties the most important thing is improving and proving yourself, love can come after that. She rejected him many times in drama, it doesn't means she doesn't love him but she loves him so much that she can let him go to become a better person. The unconditional love between two main character is amazing. I hope you guys don't misunderstand their love.
5. The acting of every actors and actresses is awesome. From the supporting roles to main roles, they acts so well. Sometimes I thought everything is real. I immersed in drama so many times that I forgot about time. 10/10 for the actresses and actors.
Conclusion:
I love the drama so much. It's really brave to choose a different way to go instead of making a similar plot like other drama. I have experienced a new thing, so fun!!! I watch this drama because of Lim Soo Jung 's beauty and end up loving the drama. This drama will always be one of the most special dramas I have ever seen.
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The Shape Survival Leaves Behind
There is a difference between surviving something and learning how to live after it. The First Jasmine is most interesting when it lingers in that distance.Ye Li has survived so much that survival itself has become a way of being. She watches before she trusts, prepares before she rests, and carries an almost unsettling degree of self-control. The drama sometimes asks us to believe more of her than it convincingly earns, particularly once the truth about Li Shan Academy is revealed. The distance between the girl who endured those years and the remarkably capable, educated and socially composed woman we later meet is never fully bridged.
Still, Ye Li never felt emotionally empty to me. Bai Lu gives her restraint a history. Her trauma lingers in habits, hesitation and vigilance, in the strange difficulty of accepting happiness when one has become much better acquainted with loss. I did not always believe everything the plot allowed Ye Li to survive or accomplish, but I often understood the emotional logic behind the woman she had become.
This is where the drama is strongest. Not when Ye Li is being exceptionally capable, but when it allows that capability to become complicated. Strength can protect a person, but it can also become the only way they know how to exist. Healing here is not becoming softer or forgetting what happened. It is discovering that survival does not have to remain a permanent state.
Mo Xiuyao is part of that process, but not its entirety. Their marriage grows through familiarity, reliability and trust, and I found something quietly moving in watching two people accustomed to carrying themselves alone slowly allow another person to share the weight. The romance is restrained—occasionally more restrained than even I thought necessary—but the affection between them always felt present. At the same time, the drama already has trauma, revenge, politics and competing loyalties to resolve, and some romantic detours take more space than the larger story can comfortably afford.
That is perhaps the drama's central weakness. It wants to be many things, and I often found myself appreciating its individual parts more than the whole they eventually formed.
The political story can be absorbing, particularly when private grief begins shaping public decisions, and the supporting characters give the world much of its emotional weight. Yet certain histories remain incomplete, some developments are stronger in anticipation than explanation, and the final stretch never quite reaches the emotional force of what came before it. More than once, I understood exactly what a scene was reaching for without being fully carried there.
What stayed with me most was the drama's understanding that moving forward is not the same as leaving the past behind. The dead remain. Trauma remains. The person one had to become in order to survive remains too. Healing is simply the possibility that what happened yesterday may stop deciding everything that happens tomorrow.
I also found more pleasure than expected in simply looking at this drama. Its colours are subdued, its light gentle, and faces are allowed the small textures and imperfections that make people feel present rather than perfected. It quietly added to my affection for a world that often felt more lived in than polished.
On writing alone, The First Jasmine sits somewhere between a 7 and 7.5 for me. It is thoughtful but uneven, emotionally perceptive in places and frustratingly incomplete in others. It tries to hold healing, revenge, politics, romance and loss in the same hands, and occasionally drops something while reaching for something else.
Yet my feelings for it are warmer than that number suggests. Perhaps half a point belongs to the performances, perhaps some to the quiet pleasure of a visual world that still feels human. Mostly, it belongs to those moments when The First Jasmine stops trying to be everything at once and simply watches people learning how to live with what cannot be undone.
So I will leave it at an 8.
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This is definitely a good drama.
Those who watched this drama while it was airing would have been frustrated. But I binge watched it so I feel the drama is really good.I don't know why but I can relate to the emotions of characters in the drama.
Especially FL, she is such a good actress!!! Her acting is soooo good. She played her character so well, we can feel all her emotions. I mean it's hard for me to explain but whenever she used to accept all the hate and bullying I could see the pain in her eyes. I can relate to her pain. FL character is really determined to do what she wants. She's such a kind soul but problems can't be avoided. :(
And ML!!! What can I say about him. He is ONE OF THE BEST MALE LEADS IN THE KDRAMA HISTORY. He's such a good boyfriend, we can see his emotions in his eyes. He handled the situation really well I'm really proud of him. I mean I can really feel this drama is fictional. My love Tae Jun has really set the bar really high. Where to find such a good man!!!! Such men doesn't exist. I LOVEEEE HIM :"-(
Main lead relationship was so cool i would say. They were really straightforward. The problems between them were unavoidable but they handled it pretty well.
Except some irritating characters liked this drama. Irritating characters also got a character development, so no problem.
We got a really good closure and this is what I'm satisfied with. With all the open endings recently this drama has such a good ending.
Everyone gets to heal themselves ❤️
Also the intro was so good. I like the graphics!! ヽ(^o^)ノ
So overall I liked the drama. Acting is REALLY GOOD!!
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Acting/Cast: I was glad to see that Danson Tang came back to the TDrama scene with a bang. His depiction of the main character was brilliant. I love how Danson was able to act out such a wide range of emotions on his face from sombre, mad, in love, sad, naughty, teasing to just being plain cold and arrogant. His was my favourite character in the drama. This brings me to my least favourite character in the drama - coincidentally, the female lead! Do not get me wrong here. Ivelyn Lee acted brilliantly and delivered an excellent performance. It is her character that I disliked. What I disliked about Ivelyn's character of Guan Xiao Tong was Xiao Tong's cowardice and indecision when it comes to love relationships. She tends to over-analyse everything (like the psychologist she is) and tries to predict how the relationship will end. She failed to just enjoy being in a relationship and just let things develop naturally. She's always putting one foot in the relationship and another foot out (just in case things go wrong!). Therefore, she would always take the first step to end the relationship before she would really get hurt beyond repair. It did not matter what the man did for her or how much he had expressed his love for her...she has her own agenda and has already decided how she will end things with him. And once she had ended things with him, she started to over-analyse and regret her decisions in her past relationships.....the indecisiveness of her character totally makes me angry. Hers is like a pendulum, always swinging back and forth, always trying to take the middle ground but failed. Personally, I dislike ppl who are indecisive and have insecurity issues. I am glad that towards the end, she learns from this flaw of her character and grows more mature in her relationship with the male lead. It is because of my personal dislike of indecisive characters that I rated this drama 8.5/10 instead of the 9/10 I gave for its story. A stronger female lead character would be more to my liking.
Music: Lovely music but I've heard better ones before.
Rewatch value: I love all the lovey dovey scenes and the scenes where Danson acted the jealous and naughty man going after the girl he likes. I am a traditional person when it comes to love and appreciate it when the man is the one who goes all out after a girl and makes it so very apparent to all and sundry! To me, that is very flattering to the woman and very romantic as well. Therefore, this drama has a high rewatch value for me because of all of the romantic scenes between the leads.
Overall: It has been a while since I'd watched a TDrama. The industry has experienced a slump of late but once in a while, you'll find a gem and as of July 2015, this drama is the gem of 2015 TDrama for me. If you like romance dramas with mature story lines with a hint of mature comedy such as 'In Time With You', 'I want romance', 'Gentleman's Dignity' etc - you'll most likely like this drama as well.
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This is the love story of a virgin book editor Tsukishiro who has never been in love. She is assigned to an author (Kagaya) who can't write love stories. How they fall for each other and how they handle the situation is portrayed in this drama. Tsukishiro's colleague Mochizuki has a secret crush on Tsukishiro but have never had the courage to profess his love. He sees Kagaya as his potential competetor. Mochizuki is your sweet gentle second lead who takes care of the girl when she needs someone the most. Here the main lead Kagaya isn't that much of a jerk he seems to be, so you kind of ship Tsukishiro with both of them. My inclinination was more towards the main lead, but I do not mind if Tsukishiro ends up with Mochizuki either. Characters like Nanase isn't fully developed in the drama and I wish Nanase had more screen time.
This is one of the few dramas which I wish had more episodes than just 8 . I have neither watched the anime nor read the manga(I am planning to read the manga today.). So I cannot compare how true the live action is to the manga.
I liked the subtle way the love story developed in this drama. I need more of Tsukishiro and Kagaya. Completed all 8 episodes in just one go. That's not enough for me, going to read the manga and watch the anime now. That's what this drama does to you. It leaves you wanting for more.
Give this a try, it is a short sweet love story. There's definitely scope for a season 2.
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Beautiful Funny Drama! Watch It!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Belated Joy Worth Every MinuteYou Are My Fateful Love is the kind of drama that reminds you why you fell in love with the genre in the first place. This sweet, charming romance follows Ruan Yu and Xu Huaisong — two people who secretly carried a crush on each other through high school, only to reunite a decade later under the most unexpected circumstances. The result is pure magic.
What immediately stands out is the production quality. The cinematography is absolutely stunning — feels intentional and beautiful. The costumes are equally impressive, adding an elegance that perfectly complements the tone of the story.
The casting is spot-on. Miles Wei and Zheng Hehuizi have effortless chemistry, and the supporting cast holds their own with memorable performances that keep the story fresh. The writing strikes a wonderful balance — funny and light-hearted in the right moments, yet genuinely moving when it counts. The humor lands naturally without ever feeling forced.
What keeps the story engaging is its stream of unexpected twists and layered characters. Just when you think you know where things are headed, the drama finds another clever way to surprise you, all while maintaining a pace that never drags. This is not a show that overstays its welcome.
Whether you’re a long-time C-drama fan or just dipping your toes in, You Are My Fateful Love is a delightful, feel-good watch that delivers on every front. A beautiful story, beautifully told.
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This review may contain spoilers
Almost a masterpiece
Not me has so much positive things, omg. First, the direction of the scenes, the OST, the development of the main characters, everything is well done. The topics addressed are important for today's society and they deal very well with the topics. There are also symbologies in some scenes that makes everything so poetic.The couples are also good. First OffGun, as always, had an amazing chemistry together and their acting were on point. I've known them since Theory of Love and for me they just outdo themselves. I also loved both characters, Sean and White/Black. Their scenes were beautiful. But for me, YokDan were scene stealers in a lot of moments. FIRST WAS JUST AMAZING!! He threw himself completely into the character and it didn't even feel like he was playing a character. Everything felt so true. And oh my god, YokDan scenes were perfect! The relationship of an activist and a policeman, the morals of both characters and how they handled things was perfect. The scene when Yok draws Dan, it was a symbology and a clear reference to the painting of Lucifer being expelled from heaven, and it blowed my mind how they even thought about doing this because if fit so well with the characters, it was just amazing. I also loved how this couple revolved around art, it made all their scenes look extremely poetic to me. And honestly, if OffGun weren't the main leads, First and Gawin would have stolen the scene completely and would have outshined the main leads from the series.
Now talking about the things I didn't liked that much, its a few things but yeah. The relationship of Gram and Eugene seemed so forced. I didn't feel chemistry between them at all and they were just flat. Its funny because I shipped Gram with EVERYONE but Eugene lol. Todd`s ending was so cringe to me lol I actually thought it was a little strange that nobody died in this series because they were dealing with heavy topics and strong people so the ending it was kind of...too light I think.
Also, 14 episodes felt short...episode 13 and 14 seemed SO RUSHED. YokDan`s scene was beautiful but like...a little abrupt. Dan just said sorry, Yok punched him and thats it? lol We should have seen Dan's perspective about things, him leaving the police and a little more of a conversation about everything that happened. I know this couple doesn't need necessarily to speak because both of them have THAT CHEMISTRY but come on, Dan betrayed them and Yok almost died. So yeah, I wish we had more scenes to give a perfect ending for them, as they deserved. But I have to say..even with this unsatisfactory ending, they stole the show in the last episode. A lot of people were disappointed about the politic thing but for me it was fine and even realistic. They will have to fight for a long time because the problem is in the system so the open ending seemed right. But I do agree that maybe we could have seen more things about Tawi and stuff.
So yeah, for me Not me it was.a big and satisfying surprise and unfortunately a little underrated. But I do hope people will give a chance and watch because its really deserving!
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I'd probably only recommend this because of the two main characters – Zhao Yun Lan and Shen Wei – and their relationship... which is kind of ironic, since it is overtly romantic in the source material, but comparatively subtle in this drama. It looks identical to queerbaiting in western television, but in this case it seems that they probably tried to retain as much of the essence of the relationship as they could given the restrictions placed upon it by Chinese censorship.
Perhaps it is because they are so different that they are so drawn to each other. Shen Wei is a distinguished but modest, mild-mannered professor. Zhao Yun Lan is unrefined, messy, and brazen. In the process of working on cases together, they seem to naturally counterbalance one another and quickly become an integral part of each other's lives. They're referred to as friends and they're characterized as a "bromance" in the synopsis, but that is misleading in my opinion. Yun Lan shows zero romantic interest in any other character, and it's indicated that he doesn't really have an interest in relationships generally; he's been single his entire life. He doesn't flirt with other characters – but he is frequently flirtatious with Shen Wei. He is quick to deny having feelings for another character, but when insinuating comments are made about his relationship with or feelings for Shen Wei, he never denies it. Moreover, despite only knowing Shen Wei a few months, there is a clear distinction between how he regards him and how he regards his other close allies he's known for years. It is even more quickly apparent that Zhao Yun Lan is the most important person to Shen Wei. There is an intensity to their dynamic that just doesn't seem platonic to me. It's a censored romance, not a bromance. (Nothing against close platonic friendships, I just don't see this as one.)
There's a secondary "bromance" in another odd couple, Chu Shu Zhi and Guo Chang Cheng. The dynamic between most of the Special Investigation Department co-workers are quite sibling-like in that they enjoy teasing each other and there's clearly some affection there, but they don't seem especially close. Therefore, the time spent on developing the intimate relationship between these two characters makes them stand out. Chang Cheng reminds Shu Zhi of the brother he lost and that surely accounts for a lot of his affection towards him; he wants someone to fill the void that his brother's death left him. But by the end of the story, it doesn't seem to me that Chang Cheng is just a placeholder for his deceased brother. Rather, Shu Zhi comes to genuinely admire him for his own strengths – and Chang Cheng, for his part, is unwavering in his adoration of Shu Zhi, even when Shu Zhi tries to scare him off for his own safety. The lines of this relationship are more blurred to me than the one between Zhao Yun Lan and Shen Wei. The intimacy and implied commitment seems decidedly less brotherly and more romantic, but there is still an element of brotherhood there. I guess it doesn't matter much whether it is one or the other or both; they're a cute duo regardless.
The other characters who work at the Special Investigation Department are enjoyable enough, but a little more forgettable for me. (Especially Wang Zheng and Sang Zan, who seem the most under utilized.) Zhu Hong is probably my favorite of them overall, although watching her struggle with her one-sided crush on a co-worker was a bit painful to watch. Da Qing and Lin Jing both sort of have romances with minor characters, but they matter so little that I wasn't able to feel particularly invested in them. The minor characters who fall into the "monster of the week" category were also pretty forgettable overall. Many of them make reappearances, but I found myself struggling to recall which one was which – a problem I don't typically have even with large casts of characters.
As far as acting goes, Zhu Yi Long stands out the most to me given that his roles are the most diverse. In addition to portraying the various sides of Shen Wei – the awkward professor, the Batman-esque masked hero, and the naïf he was 10,000 years before the present – he also portrays his villainous twin brother with dramatic flair. He is really able to showcase his versatility in this drama. Bai Yu also does an excellent job at conveying the multifaceted nature of Zhao Yun Lan. Aside from the two main actors, Jiang Ming Yang has some standout moments as Chu Shu Zhi. Although the character is generally very gruff, the actor really went all out during a humorous "personality changing" episode, and his more serious moments were some of the most emotional parts of the drama for me.
The OST is quite lovely overall. The opening theme is catchy and I'm afraid I'm going to have it stuck in my head for a while. I don't typically bother watching the opening or ending credits of dramas, but I often watched the opening of this one. The soundtrack really drives home the bittersweet sentimentality of the story.
Which brings me to the weakest part of the drama. The premise of the story is reasonably good, but it is not executed well. The plot is messy and the pacing is uneven. Even taking into account that I'm mostly reliant on English subtitles, the dialogue is very awkward at times (mainly between secondary/minor characters). Fortunately, the main relationships and characters are able to carry the show (at least, for me); had it not been for that, I would have dropped it because calling the rest of it mediocre would probably be generous. The CGI isn't particularly good, but I honestly don't expect a whole lot from Chinese dramas in that regard, so that doesn't really factor into my evaluation of it. Probably the most perplexing flaw is that there were many occasions where the audio switched between the actual voice of various supporting characters and the voiceover. It's a relatively minor detail, but it makes the drama seem unprofessional.
In spite of its flaws, I do consider Guardian worth watching because I think many viewers are like me - if you make me fall in love with your characters and their relationships, I'll be wiling to overlook a lot. Indeed, I did become quite attached, so I will definitely be giving the novel a shot.
tl;dr:
- the two main characters are multifaceted and portrayed well
- the main relationship is the highlight of the show, despite being played down due to censorship
- some of the supporting characters are good, many are forgettable
- the plot isn't particularly great, the dialogue is sometimes awkward
- production quality is poor
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This review may contain spoilers
Buckle in, this is LONG; if you don't want to read, at the end, there's a TL;DR.I rarely get emotional over dramas (the only one that's ever made me cry was the Untamed, and I credit that to excellent story writing and Xiao Zhan's acting). And although this drama didn't make me cry, it definitely made me more than a bit emotional.
There's spectacular character development throughout the entire thing. Although flat characters remain rather flat-- for example, Chong Li Ming's father, or his brother, or Xiao Hong--, it's a good thing. It brings more liveliness into our center characters, making them rounder and more full. Chong Li Ming's character isn't a male "Mary Sue"-- he struggles with a lot of issues, such as breaking away from the past as well as letting people go. Ah Yi's character is probably the closest we get to a "Mary Sue"-- he's a better fighter than Chong Li Ming, he's morally upright, he's incredibly kind, and he's committed to his friend. (And Jackson's acting is amazing in this!)
The cast is well chosen and honestly they're amazing together. They have fantastic chemistry together, especially Yu Chu (Hu Bing Qing) with Ah Yi (Jackson Yi). Admittedly, Yu Chu (Hu Bing Qing) is a bit more awkward with Chong Li Ming (Huang Zi Tao), but it works with her character design (to be honest, I'm not 100% sure if the awkwardness is engineered into her acting intentionally or not, but either way, it works really well with the story as well as her character design).
I especially enjoyed the following characters' acting: Yang Zhen (June Wu) (his character is listed as a side character, but honestly, he's more of a main character than Marie), Ke Yan Xin (Liu Yuan), and Xiao Ke (Li Jun Mo). Yang Zhen's character actually made me hate him so much, which is credited more to the actor, June Wu, then the writing (because you can have a well written story, but if the acting is poor, the character will fall flat). Ke Yan Xin's character starts off as very lovable, but then becomes a less lovable character, which the actor carries well with grace and it's very well integrated. Xiao Ke's actor, Li Jun Mo, also does a spectacular job. Although his facial expressions are a bit recycled, he does fantastic nonetheless.
Honorable mentions: Wa Ge Na (Richards Wang), Hua Jiu Qing (Ning Xin), Marie (Ma Li, actor: Miranda Ma)
I'm going to loop back a bit to the story, as I've gone on a LOT about characters. The story is spectacularly written. I see a lot of people get upset because this was a BL story originally, but what did you expect? It's China, so they're going to have to write that out in order to air it. However, unlike the Untamed, it's far more subtle; it's written more like a bromance rather than having romantic undertones. Nonetheless, it's a very well written story, with overarching themes of loyalty and growth and bromance (there's a LOT of bromance).
The music is pretty good as well, especially paired with the more emotional scenes.
TL;DR: It's good. Watch it. Please. Acting, music, story- all superb. If you don't want to because it took away the BL aspect, know that this is still well written enough to be its own story. If you don't want to because of its length and fear of it being dragged out: it's not and honestly, quite binge-able.
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Hands down…Best CH7 Lakorn of 2020
-I'm gonna be in a drama slump after watching this :(It has everything: angsty romance, emotional father son scenes, plot twists, and best of all some good revenge.
Where do I start? Story, story, and more story. The story is literally everything for this lakorn, forget all the cliches there’s something about this lakorn that keep you on the edge of your seat!
Story: Plot revolves around Paul getting revenge (and rightfully so) on his real father that kept Paul’s mother’s assets and abandoned both of them for his mistress and adopted daughter(Nai). Paul comes back years later to take back what rightfully belonged to his mother and should now belong to him. This is a revenge lakorn gone right, nothing he did was unreasonable IMO. Smart and planned out revenge with no unnecessary BS and no forced kisses or anything, good development for the romance aspect as well.
Acting: EVERY SINGLE SCENE with Paul and his real dad is acting gold on Donut’s part because you can really feel all the emotions, the hurt, the secret hope for his father to be proud of him, and Paul just yearning for his love. Paul and Nai’s chemistry was intense! I mentioned this before but 14 episodes with no kiss and that literally wasn’t a problem, you could feel the love and longing they had for each other, just goes to show that romance isn’t all about physical stuff.
Nai’s acting/ character could’ve had some more development but Prapye did the best she could. I will say Donut’s acting just shone through the whole show he kept the audience really captivated, this dude is going places I tell ya.
Music: Music was pretty good!! I listened to some of the songs audio only because they were pretty catchy (especially the one by “Big Ass”- I still can’t get over their stage name XD)
Because the story is so important, rewatch value is a little less, however its very rewatchable due to the amazing acting by pretty much all of the cast and the angsty romance between the MLs.
only reason i took off 0.5 was because the cousin and niece scenes were a little filler and unnecessary, and also Nai being a little stupid sometimes.
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Usually, Korean gangster movies are either a hit or a miss for me depending on how well the execution and the storytelling are done. Nameless Gangster managed to get the good points out of the general theme.
This movie is set in the 90’s Pusan when Korean government announced war on organized crime. The gangster world got shaken in a way that threatened its existence but that’s not the main focus of this movie. It takes us back in time to tell the story of two gangsters and the struggles they encountered to reach the top. This is a story about a wannabe gangster and a hot shot gang leader that deals with loyalty, betrayal, gangsters’ codes of honor and clashes in the underworld where those two individuals tried to co-exist like a united soul: One is the muscles and the other is the brain. However, creating harmony in the gangster life is almost impossible.
While the story of the movie isn’t exactly exceptional or flawless by any mean; the acting was. I am sure that I would’ve not liked this the same if there was a different set of cast. Choi Min Sik is the lord of Korean cinema when it comes to versatility and flawless roles’ portrayal and his “gangster-like” character was quite hateful in a loveable way. Ha Jung Woo on the other hand is climbing way too fast on the top of my favorite young Korean movies’ stars. He’s creating a shiny name for himself whether by the roles he accepts or the way he makes them feel so attractive. At this rate, I am sure he will become another lord of Korean cinema soon. In this movie, Jung Woo was so fitting for the “gangster aura”; he did so well with the process of his character’s development.
The other set of cast were also well-chosen even if some characters felt a little unbalanced for the setting.
I’ve got to give some credit for the cinematography since it was well fitting for the gangster mood. The music was also quite good.
Watch this if:
-You like gangster movies.
-You’re in the mood for something different and dark.
-You like Choi Min Sik, Ha Jung Woo or both because they were great in this.
Do not watch if:
-You’re not into crime/gangster movies.
-You’re not a fan of the main cast.
Nameless Gangster is a movie about survival, friendship and loyalty in the underground gangster world from the viewpoint of a wannabe gangster and a proclaimed gang leader portrayed by two of the best actors in Korean cinema.
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Had Potential
Based on the first few eps, I really thought this series had potential to tell a well rounded story within 6 episodes, but by the end of ep 4... it gets a little messy (and annoying). Not sure why Night tripped over his own two feet so much, especially if he had y e a r s to wrap his head around what he felt for Dream. I really didn't like how he emotionally toyed with Dream throughout the series. But I guess it shouldn't have been a huge surprise since he basically what he did with Namwan also.Acting was great. Just wish the story was told better.
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OK, so hear me out...
... but I kind of liked it. It's certainly not going on my Top Ten BL list, but it was a pleasant watch, and it probably didn't hurt that it was the only BL on Mondays.The "plot" is rather thin. Ai has a big crush on his straight friend, who is less straight than he thought, but is also a high-maintenance nightmare.
They "get busy" at a party, and in the aftermath, Nhai doesn't believe it's possible for anyone to put up with him in a relationship (which appears to be an excellent assumption), so he agrees to a one-month trial relationship so that Ai can prove he can tolerate him as he is (useless and whiny). It's a good thing he's cute.
Anyway, they have a few scrapes with jealousy, because Nhai is insecure about his suitability as a partner, and because Ai is very possessive, and have many other minor conflicts and arguments.
This is a spin-off of Tonhon Chonlatee, and it's much better, although that's saying almost nothing, and it retcons a lot of the offensive elements of that series.
I'll start with the negatives:
- There's no plot outside of the above. They just spend the whole series doing normal things - shopping, camping, eating at home, talking, going to school, getting sick, etc. It would have been nice to see a theme or something to overcome - maybe Ai is NOT sure he can put up with Nhai, and maybe Nhai is acting up because he's pre-supposing Ai will leave him, and gradually they develop the confidence in each other to make it work. As it is, they seem compatible almost immediately, which is a bit dull.
- The dialog is dull and delivered with too many pauses, although that's a pan-Thai-drama problem.
- The acting is a bit wooden in the main pair. If Nhai is supposed to be difficult, it would have been nice to see some energy put into it. He's basically just lazy. But it's not bad acting.
Positives:
- They are respectful to each other and it's pleasant to watch them interact.
- It's cool that Ai has two gay dads.
- Meen (Ai) is hot. To be honest, that's a big factor in why I stuck with this. In their first love scene, I'm fairly sure you won't be ready for what's under Ai's loose university shirt. All his normal clothes are form-fitting and very flattering to all his assets.
- Speaking of their first love scene, it's early, and aggressively initiated by the uke (Nhai), who is the "straight" one, which is unusual. Afterwards, he feels overwhelmed and cries, but tells Ai he's not made at him but wants to be alone to process everything, which was also unusual and quite nice. And even better, it isn't drawn out. He finds really bad advice on the internet, wonders if he's trans, then sensibly goes to talk to a gay friend about it.
- It's unusual for a pair to enter a relationship in the second episode, and it's nice to see them interact as a couple.
I can recommend this if you like fluff. If you don't like fluff, it probably won't work for you. I found it pleasant to watch, sometimes dull, but sometimes you want some brainless eye candy.
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Worth Watching!
I'll state right up front that I see why other reviewers had issues with the way the politics came across and how some of the show was done. Could those areas be improved on? Yeah, probably. However, this is still a BL and they still had to focus on that aspect as a major plot point, and I think to completely nail everything story-wise it would've needed to be longer.Now that we got that out of the way, I want to mention that the political and social issues that the show brought up are very important, especially to present day Thailand. The differences between upper, middle and lower classes, privilege, LGBTQ+ rights and activism, treatment of the disabled, etc. These are issues that were very bold and I applaud the show for addressing them, and in a BL no less.
The acting from everyone was on point. From the main characters right down to all of the minor support actors everyone delivered. Gun was absolutely phenomenal, and you could tell which character was on screen Black vs White just by looking at him. Off did a great job and has really improved! First & Fluke were so good you could forget about everyone else when they were on screen. Mond was heartwarming and so likeable. Honestly, every last one of them brought their A-game and knocked it out of the park. Also, I'm so thankful that there wasn't a single jealous, bitter, angry bitch female character dead set on ruining one of the guys or being spiteful. It was incredibly refreshing to have mature, reasonable female characters with self respect. Oh, and I can't forget Sing, goodness, I've seen him act since he was young and now suddenly he's grown up and played his adult role flawlessly!! I was very impressed with how well he took to this role.
I was kind of expecting a little something different based on trailers, I thought we'd see gang on gang action or something of the like, I did not know that it would be so political and socially charged. So I was a bit surprised that the antagonist was not even remotely what/who I was expecting, but in the end that didn't detract from the show, it just wasn't what I thought it would be. I still loved every episode and I'll probably watch it again.
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