Reviews

Honestly, I started watching this because I love Uhm Tae Woong. I really had low expectations, but was pleasantly surprised by a drama full of life. The characters of the three main lead women are fully developed. The writer does a good job of transitioning from one woman's story to the next. The women are friends since child hood, but they don't know everything about each other. Makes me wonder what I don't know about my close friends. The writer also does a good job of resolving issues quickly rather than dragging them out. The ending was a little rushed although complete. There is still some Korean cliches such as abusive mother-n-law and birth secrets, but for the most part it was about real life, every day situations.

I adore Eugene. She is wonderful as Yoon Jung Wan with a great mix of strength and sweetness. I also love Kim Yoo Mi. If you haven't watched Cruel City, then I recommend it highly. She plays a more likable, strong character in that drama. In this one I loved to hate her. While understanding her character there were times when I would have loved to hit her. I was unfamiliar with Choi Jung Yoon, but she won me over totally as Kwon Ji Hyun. Her acting is stellar. The male leads are also great. Uhm Tae Woong is just too cute to me. I hope Park Min Woo does more because he is a really good actor.

I HATED Kwon Ji Hyun's appa and brother (can't remember if he was older or younger). They are some hateful people that treated her like a cash cow. Then blamed her for the consequences of their actions. I just wanted to kick their butts.

The music is nice.

I may rewatch this at some point.

If you like romance, family, angst dramas, then I recommend this drama.

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UNEXPECTED DRAMA! DON'T MISSED OUT!

So I'm here reviewing for a web drama which I've never done that previously but I got to be honest here because it's really a great drama to satisfy our guilty pleasure!

Why I say this drama is good because it's story plot touches a lot on areas where mainstream dramas can never air on due to TV regulations. This is what I truly call a female centric story plot because the princess knows when to act "dumb" while waiting for her chance to bring the villain down. She doesn't rely on anyone and knows when to tease the ML and when to be serious. AND not to forget both the main leads' real good looks though the FL is kinda heavy on her makeup but it's fine with me!

But as it is a web drama, the quality of presentation is not as professionally done as compared to the mainstream ones and some of the supporting actors do need improvements on their acting as it is really awkward/unnatural.

Overall, a good drama that you shouldn't missed out on as it is really worth watching~ Definitely a big improvement for story quality in terms of details, line plots, scenery and decent outfits from past web dramas but not yet as professionally produced as mainstream idol dramas.

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I usually approach shows about artists with trepidation. Even if the artist’s work is extraordinary, the act of creating art – of painting a picture or writing a novel – is rarely dramatically compelling. It can literally be as fun as watching paint dry. It is a testament to the skills of the director and writer of this show that they make the artistic process revelatory and exciting. Partly this is accomplished through gorgeous visual storytelling, as paintings literally come to life, revealing the secrets of their composition. More critically though, Painter of the Wind looks at why art matters – how it can reinforce or challenge power, how it can scandalize and seduce, how it can not only capture the world but remake it in a different image.

However, while this is obviously a show about art, it is equally a show about sex. It uses its cross-dressing premise as a starting point to pose provocative questions about gender and sexuality, and unlike many other shows, it consistently refuses to default to safe, easy choices. It suggests that there is more than one way to read a painting or a relationship, and that societally sanctioned views that champion heterosexual male privilege will miss a great deal of meaning. Like Shin Yun Bok’s paintings, this is a daring, sexy show that is quite happy to reveal more about its world than its inhabitants may want to see.

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Uncanny Counter 2; A Disappointing Follow-Up To A Brilliant Series…

When Uncanny Counter hit our small screens back in late November 2020, viewers were in for a great treat under the writing of Yeo Ji Na . The series was filled with intriguing characters, lore and high stakes to keep the plot engaging and well-written. What was delivered to our screens in 2023 left a lot to be desired, not just straying from the original webcomic, but being poorly written.

The basic plot premise of the second season returns to our ragtag group of heroes, The Counters. Now slightly older, Mun ( Cho Byeong Kyu) has begun helping to train the other counters. Ga Mo Tak ( Yoon Joon Sang) has doubled up as a cop and Counter to help the team, while Do Ha Na ( Kim Se Jeong) and Chu Mae Ok ( Yeom Hye Ran) are left to harness their powers.

However, trouble is soon on the horizon when a trio of evil spirits Hwang Pil-Gwang ( Kang Ki Young), Gelly Choi ( Kim Hieora) and Wong ( Kim Hyun Wook) become an increasing threat to the counters. With the help of new Counter Na Jeok-Bong ( Yoo In Soo), the heroes find themselves running into more problems than one, especially for Mun and his friend Ma Ju-Seok’s (Jin Sun-Kyu)‘s journey down a dark path…


To understand where one of the major issues of the show lies, I think it is essential for us to address the writing change. Yeo Ji Na’s talents as a writer really shone through in season one. Her ability to address complex issues and themes, as well as facilitate them to shape our characters made the series engagingly dark, comical yet also filled with mystery and adrenaline. The story had stakes because the main villain was threatening and similar to Mun, viewers were new to the world of Counters and learnt about the lore and world of spirits along the way. It made the story engaging and proved Ji Na to be a talented writer.


After season one and for various conflicting and directional reasons, Kim Sae Bom took over from Yeo Ji Na as the main writer for season two in production. Kim Sae Bom, most likely standing out for his involvement as a screenwriter for Bad and Crazy, has a very different approach to writing than Ji Na even from the offset. Is this a crime in itself? No. In fact, the initial premise of season two did seem quite interesting alongside theme shifts, especially with new characters introduced onto the field. So where did things go wrong with Sae Bom’s writing? The big issue lay with the plot and character changes feeling jagged and convoluted , as well as the evident decline of writing between seasons.


Season one was well-balanced between themes of action, angst, friendship, supernatural and aspects of tragedy. It was far from a flawless masterpiece ( and did struggle a little with balance in places), but it was self-aware of its themes and characters. Season two tries to mimic a “ similar balance” in the mould of a mystery comedy setup. The fights are still there , but while the action is present, the emotional deliverance leaves a lot to be desired, even from the balance of themes. This resulted in a notable struggle with the writer attempting to imitate Ji Na in his own style while falling short of being a decent copy. As a consequence, witty jokes from season one turning into toilet jokes ( repeatedly) and yelling random English phrases to enact as the comic relief of the series.

When the series attempted to take a darker turn in parts, it struggled a lot to be poignantly reflective as the previous season. A mixture of sloppily rushed writing ( particularly out of character choices) as well as questionable connection with the audience, did often make these scenes feel more arduous than moving. ( One of the best examples being early on when we see the guardians first reunite with their Counters. Considering the emotional impact of their challenges throughout the first season, the cheesy happy family moments between the characters was somewhat out of place. It gave little opportunity to reflect on the actual development in the relationship between the Counters and their guardians from the previous season.)

The acting of the series was admittedly a little mixed. Although the series has a good cast and some brilliant names introduced into the lineup , a mixture of overreacting and wooden dialogue did have a big part to play with some more cringe-inducing scenes . Some noteworthy performances did come through Seo Byeok-joon as Park Do-hwi, Ha Na’s first love, and Hong Ji Hee as Lee Min Ji, the tragic wife of Ju Seok, in particular. Both actors delivered good performances as their respected characters, even if the writing did not give their onscreen personas full justice.


Character writing is another mixed bag. Main lead Mun stands out in particular as the epitome of the show’s changed writing quality between seasons. In season one, Mun was very much the tragic bullied teen, who goes through a lot of character growth from naivety to teen angst ( mixed with powerful abilities) and then to genuine acceptance of his circumstances . He stood out as a fairly good protagonist because he changed and grew a lot from beginning to end, while still remaining true to himself. In season two, Mun is noticeably different from his earlier counterpart.

Of course, he is meant to be older and thus a little different from his teen self, but the more noticeable traits of Mun being somewhat anxious at times and fairly defiant, is changed for him playing the role of the comic man in the first- half . It isn’t necessarily bad seeing Mun grow out of his shell, but it felt odd considering how much Mun’s noteworthy personality traits were not carried over more in season two, especially by replacing a key aspect of Mun’s personality as a fairly reserved individual. In particular, season one featured heavily on Mun’s deep bonds with only a few people in his life. He needed deep connections with people such as his two best friends and grandparents ( and eventually the Counters) to form genuine relationships. These were important parts of Mun’s life and helped him to carry on. In season two, while these characters do feature in some background scenes, it was beyond out of character to see Mun having such a “deep” bond a practical stranger. It did not reflect Mun as an individual, and even more disappointingly, did not convey the character we had come to love through his gradual growth.Episode eight and nine attempted to offer a “ twist” to Mun’s circumstances, but having already repeated the same concept from season one, it felt a little overused . Perhaps the only good aspect we saw through this “ twist” came through an opportunity to see some more traumatic sides to Mun’s inner-self, as well as his strong bond with Ha Na coming to light. However, the resolution to this convoluted “ development” episode was both rushed and incredibly sappy, giving little opportunity to actually explore Mun’s darker and more difficult issues at heart and growth.


Then there’s the other counters. Mo-Tak was beloved in season one for being the sarcastic “cool guy”, who helps out Mun. The fact that Mo Tak was going to play a bigger role in season two gave so much potential for this character, yet, rather than giving him an opportunity to be developed further , the show rendered him as the show’s jester; often spending most of his time making unfunny jokes and being the butt of someone’s jokes. To add insult to injury, there was also the attempt to weaken the previously strong fighting abilities of Do Ha Na and Chu Mae Ok. Considering their poignant backstories and strength, it was sad to see them being put on the back burner for most of the show . The series did attempt to offer some “ intriguing” aspects with Ha Na’s first love ( one of the few good aspects of this second season) and she did feature in some later episodes, as well as Mae Ok with her son, but aside from that, they were rarely given as much exposure as within the previous season. Choi Jang-Mul ( Ahn Suk Hwan) features again in the series, though while in season one he was the comical rich man (with a not-so secret crush on Mae-Ok), in season two he plays more of the role as a clown in some of his featured scenes.


Then there’s the new counter Na Jeok Bong ( Yoo In Soo), arguably one of the show’s greatest letdowns. Yoo In Soo is a good actor, but even he cannot entirely save his character from failing. Jeok Bong is meant to be the definition of the “ fool with a hero’s heart”. He is beyond awkward and useless at fighting, but he is seemingly a “good person”. The problem with Jeok Bong is that the writing confuses creating the unlikely and foolish hero with being likeable as playing the useless fool all the time. Rather than seeing Jeok Bong gradually grow or develop into a better person ( even through nuanced scenes like comforting others, or be given a more difficult issue to face ) he is still played out to be the fool for most of the series. Instead, a never -ending cycle of toilet jokes and failing fights pretty much encapsulates this character’s screen time time and time again . Whether the writers didn’t want Jeok Bong to grow from out of Mun’s shadow or be the “comic relief”, it is hard to say, but the writing direction this character was taken in was a sad reflection of wasted potential, questioning why another counter was even introduced in the first place . ( Aside from plot fodder.)


The villains of the series were unintentionally a little mixed. Their initial introduction did hold a lot of potential; a trio of nefarious evil spirits who gain Counter powers and are not afraid to kill others in their wake. The problem is that while they are played by very good actors, their characters struggle to be well-developed threats . In season one, the big bad of the series was just that; evil to the core and driven to complete his goals of bringing destruction and ruining the Counters . In season two, it’s hard to really work out what the trio actually wants aside from some measly power grabs here and duped powers . Sure, they want to stop the Counters from getting in their way, but where are the true stakes? Why are they so fixated on them to the point of going as far as they have done? What are their true goals aside from just being plot devices? As antagonists, they are fairly “evil”, just not particularly with a sense of impending threat or being a true foil for the Counters. The stakes could have been there, but season two does little to make them an imminent antagonistic force beyond obvious “ plot drive”. This is sad considering the fact that especially Hwang Pil-Gwang, as the leader of the trio, could have been a really interesting character if he had been developed properly as early hints suggested. Gelly Choi did get her moments later in the spotlight by proving that she is quite devious, but considering her featured screen time, Gelly and Wong were certainly underdeveloped and underused .


Last but not least with characters, it is hard not to mention Ma Ju-Seok, one of the show’s most divided characters for viewers. On paper, Ju Seok had a really interesting role; a “ nice guy” driven to the edge and Mun trying to help him. On the other hand, Ju Seok was simply a cause for plot rather than well-developed. One of his major flaws came through his “ deep bond” with Mun. The show constantly forces the message that Ju-Seok is a “good “guy, but the series forgets a key point in writing: show don’t tell. Rather than showing us these acts ( aside from helping Mun’s grandmother in some scenes ) we constantly hear the same narrative in dialogue that Ju Seok is a “nice person”, but not through very sincere actions or scenes in particular. To make it stranger, Mun is established to be intimate with a small circle of his family and friends, and takes time ( as shown with the Counters) to really develop intimate bonds. It makes little sense for Mun to suddenly trust Ju Seok on such a level ( helping his grandmother or not), without actually getting a sense of what has really drawn them to form such a friendship. For example, had Ju Seok played a role in scenes as an older brother/ uncle figure by encouraging Mun in other respects , then maybe this relationship would have been more poignant, or at least viewers could understand some of Mun’s trust in such a character . Instead, it rarely delivered the full intimacy it was suggesting, making it an odd spectacle to see Ju Seok try and go dark-side and for Mun to be so set on helping a near stranger . Ju Seok’s “ character arc” did have somewhat of a resolution, though it was rushed.


Perhaps the few strengths of this second season came through showing Mun’s darker issues ( though not in resolution), as well as the return of Mun’s friends Kim Woong-min ( Kim Eun Soo) and Im Ju Yeon ( Lee Ji Won). Although very much background characters, their teasing potential romance between the two characters: as well as their long-standing friendship with Mun, did provide quite fun and heartwarming in most of their featured scenes. Another minor character, Park Do-hwi ( Seo Byeok-joon), Ha Na’s first love, was also quite a delight. ( The series did seriously go about a very cliche way of his resolution , but his featured screen time was certainly engaging .)



The other issue at hand comes through execution. To put it simply, Uncanny Counter 2 struggles with pacing a lot. The major part of the series nearly drags along at a snail’s pace, trying to place some action in training montages and some villain scenes to lead up to the “ big showdown” . Later episodes did bit up the pace slightly and were slightly more engaging with the plot and some themes , but most episodes, especially the first-half, felt underdeveloped and quite repetitive. The ending was probably one of the show’s greatest letdowns. It certainly brought a bittersweet note for the show, but last minute plot points, which could have easily have flourished and been developed earlier on, were rushed and thrown in for quick angst. This lead the resolution to feel a little unresolved.


The directing of the series under director Yoo Soo Deong follows a fair sleek and basic cinematography. The CGI is decent enough, though compared to some of the more sleek palettes in season one, there is a little left to be desired for the eyes. The OST was okay; there were some good songs such as CRAVITY “Ready, Set Go” which helped set the mood in some scenes, and was quite catchy too.


Overall, Uncanny Counter 2 is not quite on the same level as its previous season both across the writing range and execution. It is understandable the show wanting to go in a different direction. Mun is no longer the naive kid we saw in season one, and has begun to grow beyond playing “ the heroic role” all the time. However, the way the show tried going about this with poor writing decisions made Uncanny Counter 2 feel a little rushed and convoluted in parts. There are definitely a few good aspects to the season , including accessibility to viewers who have not watched the previous part as well as some interesting characters and general setups . However, poor pacing did make this season feel out of place across thematic and writing styles. Overall, okay for a quick binge watch but that is about it.

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The Ballad of Li Chang Ge

The drama tells the story of Li Chang Ge (Chang Ge is transliterated as “Long Song”, hence the title of this drama), a princess of the great Tang who after inadvertently getting embroiled in the vicious court politics of the royal family, ends up on a journey of self discovery during her self-imposed exile. Along the way, she discovers the true meaning of friendship, love, justice and sacrifice for the greater good.

When I first heard about this production and read the synopsis some time early last year, and based on the cast involved, I fully expected it to be a romance-driven “light” historical featuring popular young idols. I then came across the trailer towards the end of 2020, which totally changed my perception - the drama looked every bit the dramatic and potentially epic production it was rumoured and publicized to be, while the outstanding OST songs by powerhouse performers sensationalized it even further. Since then my expectations were exponentially raised and I had been patiently waiting for it to air. Having completed it months later, I’m happy to declare - my expectations are utterly fulfilled!

Production

The Long Ballad is adapted from the China Animation Golden Monkey Award and Golden Dragon Award-winning manhua Chang Ke Xing by renowned writer Xia Da. It is directed by prolific HK director Chu Yui Bun who has notably helmed dramas such as Singing All Along, Noble Aspirations I and II, Ashes of Love and Skate into Love. Due to legal proceedings over intellectual property issues between the writer and the publishing company, this historical fantasy manhua remains incomplete, thus paving the way for the award-winning screenwriter Chang Jiang to develop the screenplay and, in particular, the ending to the story. She has a formidable portfolio of works comprising The Advisors Alliance, Growling Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Secret of Three Kingdoms and Novoland: Eagle Flag. As a result, what we get is a very well produced and executed historical drama.

Technical Aspects

The drama features extraordinarily innovative visual presentations. In particular, the transitioning of ALL battle scenes from live action to manhua and donghua formats. Although not everyone is pleased with this and would prefer to see real action, I actually found it to be quite refreshing and artistically delivered. Additionally the usage of “monochrome against colour” juxtaposition to re-create memory flashbacks in certain scenes is creatively rendered.

Cinematography for the most part is quite exceptional, where overhead photography of the cityscape of Chang’an is featured, and some immersive camerawork for certain scenes particularly at Liuyun Abbey, and the cherry blossom valley in the grasslands. The indoor cinematography and the effective use of lighting ensures that the scenes depicted are never dim or dull. The use of soft filters and vibrant colour palettes provides a generally pleasant and vivid viewing experience.

The CGI effects are sparingly applied, although principal photography took place in Hengdian. While certain blips are exposed, on the whole it has been adequately presented. The horse-jumping at the bridge scene isn’t the most realistic, for instance.

Because this drama isn’t a full fledged wuxia, the fight choreography depicted is more grounded and practical. That said, there are demonstrations of “martial prowess” by the likes of the Taoist priestess Madame Jing Dan and the roving swordsman Situ Lang Lang in one of the more breathtaking moments of action. On the other hand, I can’t really comment on the action scenes on the battlefields, since they were not depicted as live-action. But generally there’s more than enough fight scenes to make up for the lack of massive sieges and battles.

Story and Characters

Despite being historical fiction, certain events and characters depicted are based on actual historical records of 7th century Tang Dynasty. The Xuanwu Gate incident, Emperor Taizong, the war between Tang and the Ashina clan of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, among other depictions. The elements of both fiction and reality are seamlessly interwoven and thrillingly executed over the course of the entire 49 episodes. The drama has a very lively start and the pacing of the storytelling has largely been brisk and engaging. Multiple locations are showcased which sustains the momentum of the plot and provides viewers with a variety of scenery to savour. From the Tang Dynasty’s imperial city of Chang’an to the frontier city of Shouzhuo, the preceding Sui Dynasty’s ancient capital of Luoyang, the grasslands of Mongolia and the Northern Desert of Mobei.

There’s no question that the quality of the storyline is very good, which is attributed to the excellence of the source material and screenplay. However, as much as this drama is plot driven, it is also made that much more compelling by the depth of its central as well as supporting characters. I quite like the way most of the characters have been written. Apart from having sufficient character development, in particular Li Chang Ge, Li Le Yan and Hao Du, the interactions and chemistry between everyone in general are realistically and convincingly portrayed. This applies across the board to all the political factions as well as those without affiliations. I also think that the portrayal of women in this drama is deserving of praise. The major female characters are multidimensional and each of their respective story arcs is very satisfyingly fleshed out.

Cast and Acting

This is the fourth time I’ve watched Dilraba Dilmurat, having seen her in Swords of Legends, Liu Shan Men and The Flame’s Daughter. She delivers a commanding performance here and I think she has improved markedly since the last time I’ve seen her. Her portrayal of the FL made me even more invested in her character and thus her journey of redemption. The same feeling applies to Zhao Lu Si, whom I last saw in Dating in the Kitchen. This young lady is very versatile indeed and it is especially gratifying to see her infuse the character of Li Le Yan with so much believability and relatability.

As far as Wu Lei is concerned, many people seem to still view him as that baby-faced teenage bodyguard in Nirvana in Fire who has never really grown up to adulthood. Since NiF, I’ve seen his gradual development in productions such as The Imperial Doctress, and Fights Break Sphere. He has indeed matured into a fine young man with well defined chiselled features and his casting for the role of Ashile Sun is on point, where he gives a fine overall performance. My second time seeing Liu Yu Ning since Ultimate Note, he seems to excel in very similar roles - the stone-faced and distant sort of characters. However, his portrayal as the misunderstood and rather pitiful Hao Du is nothing short of commendable. It took a while but I eventually warmed up to his characterization. I saw a bit of Alen Fang in Jiu Liu Overlord (which I didn’t complete) previously and I think appearance-wise he does suit the character of Wei Shu Yu the way it was meant to be portrayed.

It’s worth mentioning the notable performances of the supporting cast in the form of veterans Geng Le, Cheng Tai Shen, Lu Xing Yu, and Yang Ming Na in the roles of Li Shi Min (Emperor Taizong), Advisor Du Ru Hui, Governor Gongsun Heng and Princess Yi Cheng respectively. Special guest stars who deserve acknowledgment are Sa Ding Ding, (the renowned singer who also contributes a track for the OST), Liu Hai Kuan (of The Untamed fame) and Richards Wang (In a Class of Her Own), for their memorable appearances as Taoist Priestess Madame Jing Dan, swordsman Situ Lang Lang, and King of Mobei Yaoluoge Pusa respectively.

Soundtrack

As usual, my habit of compiling the track listing for posterity. This drama has some of the most unforgettable songs ever composed and performed for a historical production. Featuring powerhouse singers Zhou Shen, Sa Ding Ding, Zhang Bichen and Jin Wen Qi. In addition, the lovely second couple contributes a song each.

Cocoon 繭 by Zhou Shen 周深
The Direction of Light 光的方向 by Zhang Bichen 张碧晨
If Return 如若归来 by Sa Dingding 萨顶顶
Falling Sand 落砂 by Jin Wen Qi 金玟岐
I Wish You Were My Long Lasting 多麼願你是我恆久的歌 by Zhao Lu Si 趙露思
A Love Like Before 一愛如故 by Liu Yu Ning 刘宇宁

Overall

Well made, well executed, well acted. The Long Ballad is a drama well done. If you’re a C-historical fan, do yourself a favour and get this on your watchlist asap. If you’re not a regular watcher of this genre but are intrigued by the premise, this drama would represent the perfect starting point in watching your first historical C-drama. As an added bonus, don’t worry about the curse of the C-historical for this one. Rest assured, you may enjoy it with a peace of mind.

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An original take on love in the time of pandemic

Each of the 10 episodes in this anthology series is its own original love story. You don't have to watch them all or in sequential order to enjoy them, but all the main characters make a cameo in ep 10 and we learn a bit more about what's happened to them.

The approach to romance is unique in each episode. One couple meets on a reality tv show while another meets when their spouses are having an affair. There's an ep about a run-in with an ex and another about a playboy who inadvertently gets his comeuppance. In another ep, childhood lovers reunite, and in another, a working class man with a disability finds unexpected connection with a hard-working mom. There's even a psychedelic, out-of-this-world surrealist episode that I don't have words to describe (ep 4). In one of the most charming episodes, a man discovers he loves being a stay-at-home dad, but he and his wife have to negotiate what that means in light of gendered social expectations.

The episodes end with the suggestion of what's next rather than dramatic flash-forwards in time. In other words, the narratives focus on revealing what's going on "at the moment" rather than the details of what comes next.

Expect butterflies and sweetness but also angst and heartbreak in some of them. We see couples of different ages and at different stages of life. There's a sense of realism to the stories and their variety of representations of love. Although the episodes are set during the height of Covid, the pandemic is more of a backdrop than at the center of the narratives.

There are queer stories too. Episode 5 is in the vein of BL while episode 9 is a very touching GL.

The series brings together high production values with an all-star cast! If you’ve followed Taiwanese film and drama series, you will recognize some of your favorite actors and actresses here.

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Good but more soft pay gorn instead!

I've been watching this and it's great movie i can tell. The actor is giving me intense vibes that it's like a real. I barely understand what they talking about because the sub is unclear and probably kinda wrong tho but honestly is best soft pay gorn movie i ever watch. The tension, the feeling they gave, the expression between main lead is so generous and genuine, love it. I just think that this movie is so short so it cannot delivering meaning of this movie( especially they focused on s3x or intimate scene ). It's pretty good and i do enjoy it, the main lead also had nice body features and act like actual one when do intimate scene, so it's really interest me a lot. Hopefully they make the full series so that the story is clever and clear ...

That's it, 9/10 from me!!

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too much toxic but not a boring serie

i found myself entertained, at least im able to watch and not feel like im about to sleep because of dragging scenes..
the 1 hour ep here pass like 20 mins, that says that im enjoying this, mostly because i dont see heavy filler scenes with this one. so i barely skipped anything..
while i understand why many people complain, yeah toxic unhealthy relationship, this serie is based on the novel, so if you are going to watch keep in mind there is obsession love, and physical abuse, sa etc
i liked the couples chemistry, the music, and the story is so toxic but still interesting to watch, maybe because we are discovering with Day about what happened in the past

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a collection of distorted memories - painful, yet dazzling

(It's hard to believe the MDL ratings for this drama because it deserves so much love.)

A friend recommended this to me and I immediately began watching it. At first, I thought of it as a slice of life, romedy - packed with a bunch of ridiculously funny moments. The first few episodes are definitely light, set with a good pace and a good amount of humor as well. The characters, especially Hyeja's brother had me rolling my eyes and facepalming at his antics (in a good way). The bond of friendship is cute, filled with some heartwarming moments. You'll never know what the story is about and what's the motive behind it all till you get to the last four episodes. At least that's what happened with me.

It is then when you realize that the story isn't coming to an end, it is, in fact, beginning to come around so well, that it leaves you in awe of the way it's so cleverly written and how beautiful it is. I felt the need to revisit all the previous episodes to see how the moments we saw have completely changed in their meaning. It flips the entire perspective around and suddenly things start to make a perfect sense.

(might contain some spoilers)

I will begin with the beautiful symbolism of the watch. How it is seen as some time-traveling device but actually turns out to be more meaningful and connects you with a painful memory. I never could have thought that a watch will make me cry so much. The moment you find out its significance, things become sadder. It's just like what Hyeja's son says - that she goes back and relives the happiest moments of her life. And now we know why she is seen traveling back in time and why the watch is shown as some time-traveling medium (cue tears).

The strongest point of this drama, for me, was its beautiful, larger than life moments. The cast is so brilliant, their acting is honest and heart touching. At times it even made me tear up. My friend discussed with me how there are some powerful scenes where there aren't any dialogues but the expressions convey their feelings so well and I'd agree with that.

Hyeja's character, despite all of her struggles, is so inspirational. I absolutely fell in love with Kim Hye Ja and how she beautifully portrayed her. A woman who is struggling to hold onto her memories and her memories resulting in that vague, distorted ones that we saw. And yet, she believes that all those memories, even though they were painful, were full of light. And I believe in her words. I believe that she cherishes them so much because it is visible in the way those moments shine and I loved how they managed to capture them so well.

I couldn't stop my tears for Joonha's character. He left such a deep impact that it wrecked me. Nam Joo Hyuk is a phenomenal actor; I always love watching him on-screen but this is his best acting till this date. He really shone as Joonha and was so radiant.

There is this scene where the old people look at the setting sun and seemingly reminisce about their youthful days. And it made me think of how the title "The Light In Your Eyes" is so apt. We often think of old age and relate it with death, but at that moment, their eyes shone so bright and they looked so alive.

The drunk conversations between Hye Ja and Joonha, the fun times with their friends, the old people making us laugh; I think 'The Light In Your Eyes' definitely had its bizarre moments, but despite all of that, what it really meant to me was this beautiful collection of distorted memories - painful, yet dazzling.

This drama will surely make you think about what is important and how to hold onto it forever.

I'd like to end this with this beautiful quote from the drama - "Even if you are struggling right now, everyone alive has the right to enjoy this every day. Even if one ordinary day is followed by another ordinary day, life is still worth living. Don't waste the present regretting the past and worrying about the future. Live this day beautifully, you deserve it. To all of you who was a mom, a sister, a daughter and yourself."

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This drama is placed with 3 other historicals as my all time favorites. Dae Jang Geum, Dong Yi and Queen Seondeok. There are many other good historicals but these are my 11's on a 10 based scale. What is different about this drama vs those is that the main lead is actually a man instead of a woman. Dong Yi showed the life of musicians, Dae Jang Geum showed the life of a physician and a cook. Yi san shows a different profession in the joseon period which is equally as interesting. I have watched this drama several times (at LEAST 4x) and i will watch it again. A 77 hour epic. I have read that as this drama got extended and extended again due to its popularity during it's run.. the competitors to the network delayed their own new drama's premiers as to compete with Yi San would have been a ratings disaster. Lee Seo Jin is the best portray-er of a king i have ever seen. Every cast member did an outstanding job. I watch all my drama's as binge. So much i want to add to this review but it might be construed as a spoiler. Like who yi sans great great grandmother is. Why he cared about poor people, why some nobles were so opposed to his reign. Who his father was. But since they might be construed as spoilers you have to watch it yourself and see. If you liked those other drama's i mentioned, YI SAN fits right in. A true timeless classic with love, friendship, loyalty and perseverance. Just writing this review i want to watch all 4 of these again. These drama's are so good you will rejoice at having altzimers so you can watch them again and again as if it was the first time every time! One last comment, the child actors! Where does South Korea find these child actors! I have NEVER seen anything outside South Korea where child actors add to the magic instead of detracting from it. They do such a good job that they set the hook.. that snares me for the whole wild 77 hour ride into another time and place!

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Fantastic Action, Meh Story

With Officer Black Belt, Jason Kim seeks to further cement his legacy as a master of the action drama, However, unlike previous works such as Midnight Runners, and Bloodhounds, Officer Black Belt is a movie that falls flat in really everything except action.

Let me start by saying that the action in this movie is fantastic. The choreography is really impressive, well executed, and easy to follow. One thing I really loved about the fight scenes is that there is a dedication to truly incorporating the martial arts that Lee Jeong Do knows. I have been practicing Judo for a good portion of my life, and I watched this movie with a friend who does Taekwondo and another friend who does Judo. One thing we could all agree on about the action scenes is that there were a lot of clearly identifiable moves from both Judo and Taekwondo (I won't be able to speak on he Kendo sadly). You don't see that often in dramas, sometimes they'll use maybe a few moves and then it ends up just being a kinda flail of limbs. In this case there were a lot of moments where we could call out the techniques. The action really is impeccable in this movie, and a lot of work and love went into it. It's fun to watch and really exhilarating.

Unfortunately, the action is really the only thing this movie has going for it. The story can't exactly decide what it wants to be, somewhere in between being about following the law, but also about vigilantism. Many characters feel like caricatures of certain archetypes (like gamers, and nerds), and there are a lot of questionable moments logically. Why does no one call the cops early on? Why do people keep turning their backs in fights? Why do people not make sure weapons are out of reach? Why were there no repercussions from authorities? It feels like in an attempt to draw out the action and to have conflict, there are a lot of dumb moves done by characters. There are also a lot of unnecessary triggering scenes, particularly in implied rape and child sexual assault. Which don't really need to be there. We don't need to see a child in distress and about to get assaulted to understand what is happening. At some point it feels like too much, especially for a movie advertising itself as a comedy (the contrast between the trailers I saw and the actual movie tone/scenes really surprised me).

There are odd tone shifts, and the pacing in the movie suffers from a somewhat jilted story-line. The action really is the saving grace of this movie, its fun to watch which is what you want in an action movie. If I were to rewatch this I would probably just skip past all the non-action scenes and just watch the fight scenes. All in all, I think this is a movie you kinda need to turn your brain off for. If you are looking for action, this movie is great, but don't expect anything revolutionary in the way of story line or characters. It's good, not great, and the action really does the heavy lifting in stopping it from being worse.

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what happened in the last 2 episodes

it started out kind of predictable and I enjoyed the FL and ML first off but all of the off on off on between them got a bit tedious after a while. FL maintained a good acting style but the ML seemed to get faded out and by ep35 literally was gone. I enjoyed Zhan Yu Xi in South Wind Knows but the story line in this let her down. the other female lead and supporting actresses were all good as well....males were a bit wooden. The story line was quote disjointed, we never saw anything about the dance troop from when FL decided to save it from them winning the top awards???? also the annoying little brother, he added no value to any of the story lines at all. As I said the last 2 episodes seem to have just been a closeout as quickly as possible..with no story to it really other than at least 30 mins of dream sequences.

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Refreshing, but not great

Overall impression: Rough start with the first two episodes but improves a little from episode 3 when plot starts to pick up. Ending is downhill again and disjointed writing. Seemed like it wanted to be poetic and "healing," but came across kind of awkward. Not the highest quality production, but still kind of cute and enjoyable if you're just looking for a short drama to waste some time.

Pros:
- Acting is pretty good, not perfect but it's mostly the writing that's the problem
- Nice setting and cinematography for the ocean. It has a calm, soothing type atmosphere which fits the "healing" description
- Lead characters are good. Han Pada is quiet and serious, but doesn't seem like a cold, emotionless character. Just shy and awkward. Tommy's character is refreshing, cute with a little sass.
- OST is pretty good. I'm not usually a fan of Holland's music, but these songs were alright for me. If you're a fan, you'll probably like them a lot.

Cons:
- First two episodes seemed rushed and awkward, but pacing improved in episode 3
- Writing is a disjointed and awkward, but not so bad it's unwatchable
- Unlikeable female character (improves a little towards the end)
- Zombie makeup
- Sometimes seems overdramatic
- Feels like nothing has really happened in the plot. Biggest plot point was skipped over vaguely.
- Chemistry isn't really there from the writing
- I don't know what the heck happened for the last episode

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I have been thinking so much about the title, because it never really made sense to me even at the very end. Why the title? Koreans has this weird way of putting in titles to their drama which sometimes doesn’t make sense (or maybe it's just the translation?). I will dwell on title confusion some other time, but for now, let me talk about the drama.

Save the last dance is melodramatic so don’t expect yourself to smile all throughout the episodes because, I’m warning you in advance, you won’t. There would be action scenes in which I have noticed in most Korean melodrama series, they never cease to insert any fist-fighting-kick-ass-moves to make a statement that this is where all troubles began. Then after all these, the romantic moments come in along with conflicts.

The story revolves around two different people who have an entirely different family background: Kang Hyun Woo get’s the dose of amnesia, while Ji Eun Soo helps him recover his memories. In that period of time, romance blossoms and when things were going smoothly for both of them something tragic happens in Eun Soo’s end. Then the plotline gets pretty much out of this world after that.

I like how the story ran not letting you know what would happen next. The twist and turns at the ending and the portrayal of the characters were a bit refreshing after watching too much rom-com with predictable sub-plots. It’s quite amusing to see them running around, chasing something which may or may not be there because in truth, they’re just confusing themselves for the things they’ve done to each other.

Another highlight of this drama is the sound track. If it’s possible to be in love just because of a song… then I was probably already in love when I was watching this drama. The main theme song had a very nice composition and the lyrics (yes it was translated to English as well, that’s how good the song is) was simply love.

What made me recommend this drama are the story line and its romantic moments. That hooked me into the drama big time, then throw in the OST, ah… just perfect.

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