Reviews

Brilliant scheming drama full of smart characters, equally matched in term of wit and mind games.

I always want Ren Jialun in heavy scheme political drama and I finally got my wish with Love of Nirvana. I love how clever and matched everyone is in this games of wit and how everyone literally aware of everyone's scheming and mind games. The steps are either 2 or 3 ahead and you only see it when it happens. Some of the chess moves are really unexpected, surprising and also served as plot twists. I usually can only guess the first step as the 2nd step usually comes later when you see the water repels on the course of the actions.

THE PREMISE

At first, you need to understand the premise of this drama on how the ML and FL first met each other. The ML is from Yueluo, a slave nation while the FL is from Liang, the nation that enslaved his people -- so obviously, he only has contempt and hatred towards the Liang people. The point when you watch this drama is see the leads as enemies at war instead of love interest since that is what they truly are -- all they wanted to do is to kill each other, genuinely. The romance only come much later when they finally see each other for who they truly are -- which is the same kind of people of the opposite sites. They did not romanticize it at all which I appreciate. It supposed to be seen as torture and nothing else -- she is a Liang woman assisting a Liang official and mess up his missions again & again -- its as simple as that. If you can get over this part, then you gonna enjoy the ride since this drama is full of twist and surprises.

THE COMPLEX CHARACTERS

All the three leads are characters who is not only complex, but also full of layers with very clear motives. You are not supposed to judge them at first glance since they are all wearing masks intended to misled your first impressions. The 'mask' that Wei Zhou is wearing is a symbol not only used literally to hide his identity but as well as figuratively for the audiences not to judge him and perceived him on the surface -- the cruel assassin mask he put on during his missions, then another façade he is putting when he is in his official robes in front of everyone and his real face -- the look of sadness and helplessness like how everything inside of him is crumbing down when he put the names of his fallen people inside the box after failed missions. The same can be seen with Jiang Ci, our female lead -- on the front she is just this bubbly girl who smile a lot but she is actually one of the cleverest characters on the show. She knew she being used but regardless of that, she wont let anyone used her as can be seen in this drama -- Wei Zhou can used her as a pawn and looks where it got him. Same with Pei Yan trying to control her freedom -- and look how she ended up doing thing exactly where her heart tells her to. Same with Pei Yan -- do not be fooled with his nice and gentle demeanor as he is as manipulative and cunning. Under his good guy persona, he fools everyone to get what he wants. But at the same time, his concern towards Jiang Ci is genuine which add to the weird complexity of his character. Between his loyalty to his country and his filial piety towards his mother who raised him, its all adds up to make him the man that he is.

THE SMART & BRILLIANT SCRIPT FULL OF SYMBOLISMS, METAPHORS, ANALOGIES, HIDDEN MEANINGS, FORESHADOWINGS & THE USAGE OF UNIQUE & CREATIVE STORYTELLING

The scheming and mind games in Love of Nirvana is so well written as it involves really high level chess game moves from both sides. They are all shades of grey which makes everything even more interesting since they basically have no limit. How brilliant is the scheming? It even involves planting a wrong thoughts on innocent person to give misleading impressions towards the enemies. And the drama does a lot of ''show'' instead of ''tell'' so you have to be aware of every clues, smirk, moves and objects as they are used to show the characters motives and actions as well as their thoughts.

The symbolisms used in this drama is really a lot. I love how they show Wei Zhou kept a white bird in a beautiful big cage as the bird represent himself -- the hidden identity of lavish lifestyle with richness and adoration but actually trapped and wanting to get the freedom and justice he longed for his people who being sold as slaves and prostitutes and they humiliation they faced under the Liang's tyranny. Also, the symbolism of Pei Yan repelling the water in a calm pond of fish is the literal things he did to his corrupt family members which turning their peaceful world upside down like he has the hands of God. Aside from that, the use of object to show intention of the character is done marvelously. In one of the scenes, they show Wei Zhou rejected Madam Ronggue's offer of collaboration with tea; 'The tea is quite nice, but it's not to my liking' then the camera proceed with the focus of Madam Ronggue pouring the tea anyway inside his empty cup after he leaves and said 'It's not up to him to decide.' -- thus we knew what is her next chess moves after that.

Also, I love the metaphor of the black orchid seed which being used and described by Jiang Ci -- again, figuratively and literally. The black orchid seed can't be washed no matter how you try to get rid of it which she used on Wei Zhou to track where he goes as evidence. Just like the seed of doubt she planted on Pei Yan or the Emperor (no matter how much Wei Zhou try to wash it later) and these doubts will kept on growing and will crack with times if they managed to read her letter.

Aside from that, the foreshadowing -- there are so much of it all over the drama. From the song lyrics (which has hints of the ending) to all the leads' conversations with each other like the conversation that Jiang Ci had with Pei Yan about the big responsibility or big picture and how admirable Pei Yan is for holding out to that one. No, it wasn't to show where love blooms between them but it is to give us the insight of what's inside her head -- the understanding and admiration she has towards people who fight for what is right which is what Wei Zhou is doing for his people. It wasn't the red flag where he torture her that made she fall for him, but she finally see him beyond the façade he put or the masks he wears -- he might fool other people like the sword dance he did in front of everyone but she truly see him as what he is beyond the act he put in front of her. I thought the directing is great for the particular scene and the point of turn where Jiang Ci finally see Wei Zhou in different light.

The drama also trust you as an audiences to remember the details and make the connections and compare on the actions and behaviors of the characters. For an example, the contrast of actions of the characters of the 2 male leads -- it is done so subtlety to show to the audiences the swift change in state of mind of Jiang Ci. For starter, we all know how free spirited is Jiang Ci -- while Pei Yan clipped her wings, Wei Zhou in the other hands lets her fly and spread her wings. Pei Yan will limit what Jiang Ci wants to do while Wei Zhou will praise her and ask her to show more of her skills and abilities. Also, when Jiang Ci wants to join any investigation, Pei Yan will stop and forbid her while Wei Zhou will open the door for her. And while doing good deeds to the poor people, Wei Zhou did it at the back without anyone knowing while Pei Yan doing it openly and get adored by everyone. Apart from that, when Jiang Ci gave them the food of the poor, Wei Zhou accept and eat it while Pei Yan left it untouched. This all have the same situation but produce different kind of results between these 2 characters. As to why this 2 gives a very different reactions to the same situation? It comes back to their childhood. While both of them are caged birds, Wei Zhou grew up in a loving family during his fundamental childhood development years where he is taught compassion, love and also understanding -- he only caught later and become slave after that. While Pei Yan grew up in a completely toxic environment the whole of his life which build this very obsessive traits inside of him. While Wei Zhou only become ruthless and unhinged when he's in a mask, he is become kinder to everyone once they are in his intimate circle just like what Jiang Ci has becomes. Thats why Jiang Ci is no longer afraid of him since she seen him without the 'mask'. While Pei Yan in the other hand become completely different when someone become closer to him -- he ended up becoming controlling and taking away their agency just like the 'love' he knew from his mother. Thus, this completely different results of the same situation from the two of them.

Also, the use of deceptive storytelling. The fun part of scheming drama is for you to guess the outcome and Love of Nirvana done this part really well. They will show misleading scenes but at the same time giving different clues so you can guess together with the main characters until the truth is revealed. A lot of plot twists are happened this way that totally caught you off guard but once you know it, it made complete sense and how those clues aligned like pieces of puzzles.

Aside from that, the use of poems to convey emotion are done brilliantly. The prime example of this is the Poem Banquet at the Eastern Palace. All of them are speaking in riddles with flowers as the topic but actually sending their personal message to Jiang Ci. And Jiang Ci, the clever girl that she is responding the opposite and burnt them with her replies. The whole scene is like a smart people conversation with each other -- poetic, seemed unharmed exchanged of literature piece to outsiders but laced with poisonous message to those people it directed to. Not to mention the conversations full of riddles. Like the conversation that Wei Zhou have with the Emperor. They are talking in metaphor but both understand each other clearly.

THE THEME OF REVENGE, FREEDOM, HOPE, PREJUDICE & FILIAL PIETY

From how restricting on 'freedom' did to people and the baggage they have to carry and live with -- which can be seen with Jiang Ci's characteristics (a free bird) and both of the MLs' characteristics (caged beautiful birds) and how they turn out to be. Also, the message of 'Hope' is all over the drama -- how the Liangjiu flowers has stopped blooming for 20 years due to the mass grave but has bloomed again. And also the theme of prejudice -- how Wei Zhou is also shedding his prejudice slowly towards the Liang people and also helped them fighting against their corrupt officials.

This drama also deals with really heavy themes, decisions and choices. And the complexity of it makes it a very good watch as they are not sugar-coating it. We see Pei Yan's dilemma when he wants to stop the case only at corruption only at Nanling. Did he made the right decision to cast aside the SA victims? Of course not. But if the case go beyond corruption only, his clan, hundred of people will be annihilated since rebellion is a huge crime. Do you hate him? Of course! But do you understand his reasons? Yes as well. This also can be seen when Wei Zhou has to make the hard decision of opening the city gate or let all the hostages die. Not to mention in the last arc where he need to chose his own wish or the safety of his people. All these difficult decision making are done carefully without taking lightly of subject matters.

But despite this, there so many silver linings in the drama -- like the Lingjiu flowers that blooms again at Yueluo. Or the friendship that Jiang Ci form with all the Yueluo people -- at first they hate her but then they ended up really adore and love her. The hope of message is everywhere. Wei Zhou once told Jiang Ci that she cant change people -- him or anyone else. But we see how untrue is that. The irony of that statement and how its killing him later to make that difficult decision to deceive her. The drama deals with lots of heavy stuffs. It certainly not for everyone but it made sense, you understand the characters and why they are making those choices.

THE ROMANCE

While the romance is really slow burn, the progress of the 2 main leads' relationship was done delicately. Ren Jialun has amazing amazing chemistry with Li Landi. Lots of their scenes together involves staring into each other but instead of it being awkward, all those scenes glows beautifully. I love how she touched him with his childhood swing and tease him with it or how he drew on her face to cheer her up or just their interactions with each other -- it was really wholesome and sweet.

And I love the scene where Wei Zhou is having a nightmare and Jiang Ci pet his hands to calm him down. He was so restrained even when he's in his private time -- he just grip his blanket tightly and still suppressing whatever things that haunt him in his sleep. Then you realized that Wei Zhou as a character is actually very restrained even in his crazy and unhinged phase -- he could make a new wound on Jiang Ci everytime he faces her but instead, he just poking her wound instead to remind her. I love the consistencies in the writing and you can see how its all adds up to the layers of his character.

Also, the depiction on how Wei Zhou slowly wear himself down around Jiang Ci is a joy to see. In the straining of his shoulder scene where she is putting medicine on him, the stare that he gave her is the confident stare -- like he had her on the palm of his hands. But later, all those confident stares are gone -- when she falls down on him or when he saw her washing his face and neck or when he found her hugging him in his sleep, it was 'Oh noes, I'm in deep trouble!' face since now it is him who is at her disposal.

On top of that, I love how even when they are at their angsty part of the relationship but the show still managed to make it healing as well. There is thorn, but there is hope as well. Just like when Wei Zhou was given the poisonous flowers by Jiang Ci, but he gave her back small red flowers that she placed on his hair at Yueluo to show that all flowers will bloom again just like their love. I love how this small red flowers are used as their language of love towards each other as he used the same red flowers later to tell her that he will protect her. I really love all this hidden message that we can get from the subtle storytelling.

Aside from that, I love how many of their scenes together conveyed so many things despite many thing are left unspoken. For an example the scene where Wei Zhou fainted after the war and woke up on the bed and Jiang Ci is feeding him the orange. The way the Director focus on his trembling hands and the way Jiang Ci cries silently beside him -- it is to show that she knew he was poisoned but she didn't say anything since she knew he doesn't want her to know. And him looking guilty but also chose to stay silent since if they actually say it out loud -- it will be too unfair, thus not saying anything at all is the kinder way for them to cope with the tragedy. I'm so marveled at how the writer, director and both Ren Jialun and Li Landi conveyed that scene -- it made the scene more heartbreaking and devastating somehow.

CONCLUSION

The drama is so well written with lots of heavy themes and they were handled brilliantly. I love how it did not shy away to show how all these characters are making really hard decisions and they are not sugar coating or give them the easy way out. And all the scheming and mind games are top level but most of all, the amazing script! The conversations full of riddles, the use of symbolisms, metaphors, analogies, foreshadowing and deceptive storytelling made it such a fun ride.

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Like a mucus bath.

Don't be fooled by this drama's engaging start - a hint of intrigue, the promise of adventure, a powerful secret weapon, political conspiracies aplenty and a heart stopping romance between a intrepid princess and a valiant guard. After about a dozen thrilling episodes this drama turns so icky that it feels like a mucus bath.

Instead of the incomprehensible Rebirth For You, this drama's real title should be The Story of Miaorong. Because over 30 super long episodes (50+ minutes), practically all of the screen time is hijacked by the deranged machinations of the female and male love rejects' pathetic, slimy and absurd schemes. Every time you are about to jump ship out of frustration, they will throw some sugar at you with some sweet scenes between Bao Ning and Li Qian but make no mistake, the very boring actress that plays Miaorong gets MOST of the screentime. The final insult to the injury is this smart couple becomes stupid and their devotion and absolute faith in each other devolves into angsty and immature misunderstandings toward the end. The promising plot threads and interesting antagonists are left largely under exploited while the writers strive to bore us to death with every silly, malicious cat fight and scorned lover trope ever conceived of. This is a total waste of both Ju Jingyi and Zeng Shunxi's acting talent and is little more than a shameless exercise in letting second rate actors get too much exposure.

If you are die hard fans, watch about the first twelve episodes and the last one or two. All the rest can be skipped but my overall recommendation is to save some brain cells and not watch this at all. This is my shortest review ever to avoid wasting any more time on this abomination. Rating 3.5/10.0.

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Ok, when I first watched Kiss, I mainly watched for Pete and Kao, and got nothing. Then I watched Kiss Me Again, cause I wanted Pete and Kao. I could care less for Sandee's sisters and their love stories. And when I found out about this, I put it off until I saw it was almost finished. I watched a few episodes and fell off a bit because of watching too many things at once.
However, I went through it thoroughly after binge watching it. If you sit down and watch it all at once, it's great. It's amazing. The only thing I didn't like was how possessive Pete can get with Kao. I get it he's your boyfriend, but like don't make it that obvious. Also, the fact that the gang "didn't know" about Pete and Kao, when Sandee revealed their relationship in Kiss the Series. What? You all knew this.
Non. This little f***er. I get your dad doesn't treat you well, but wtf. Classic teenager, lying about how things happened and someone ends up hurt.
Sun and Mork. MY LOVES. I wish they had the series all to themselves at one point. Nothing between them felt forced whatsoever. It was a gradual love. A hate to love, which in my opinion, is the best kind. Also, all of the little things Sun did for him, trying to not get caught in the process, was too cute for my heart to handle.
My mood needed this after watching HIStory3, so thank you.
And I really want Sun and Mork to get their own series. Blue Sky Love or something like that. Black Forest Kiss. IDK something like that.

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This drama was awesome. I watched a scene accidentally in Instagram and inmediately got interested about this drama. --The acting skills of the cast are good.
--All the characters are likeable:
I always have a problem with the lead female character of any kdrama. I find them very annoying or clumsy or
childish -That's why I stopped watching "The Healer". Here, the female is perfect. On the other hand, I've always loved the cliche personality of the the lead male character - very cold and unsmiling. In "kill it", the protagonist plays this role on another level.
Note: You can definitely feel the chemistry between characters. That's better that kissing and hugging scenes.
The other characters are sweet and funny, but they don't lose the drama's tone.

--Fast development of the story: Unlike other people, I found the story very fluent. Everthing was revealed at the right point of the story, and the fact it was only 12 episodes long makes it easy to watch.

The OST: I haven't listened to a good OST since "The K2". It's excellent. It's the first time I like all the songs. Even though my native language is Spanish, I am trying to learn the lyrics. Then, if you don't want to watch "Kill it" because you have read negative reviews about it, at least listen to the OST. You won't regret it.

SUBTLE SPOILER:
--Right ending: The ending suits the story. Even though, it is not what we hope, it is what we expect.
Note: For our hopes, there is an extra scene that makes us feel satisfied and to some extend pleased with the drama.
My wish: I would love to watch another season even though I know it will be irrational to fix the ending. However, I won't be mad if they do it.

ADVICE:
If you are so used to romantic comedy. Then, I would recommend not to watch it, but please listen to the OST.

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I want to begin this review first by addressing it in relation to "A Love So Beautiful."
With the popularity of "A Love So Beautiful", I see a lot of people hoping to find a similar drama to fill the void now that it has ended. There are similarities in the two dramas in the sense that they are set in high school for a majority of the run time and take place during the same time period. However, outside of those similarities, the two dramas set out to fulfill different purposes. With "A Love So Beautiful," I feel that it is a love story first and foremost and the life of a student is given secondary focus but "With You" focuses more on a student's life and how those formative years in high school set the foundation on who we become as we grow older. Of course, love is one of the things that students first start to experience in high school but that is just one of the many items that preoccupy a student's time.

For instance, this drama also looked at how students are tasked with huge responsibility at a young age to make a choice that can very well affect the rest of their lives, deciding to focus on liberal arts or STEM. However, instead of leaning one way, it is implied that one should do their best to be well versed in both in order to be a well rounded individual. We come across many different characters (students, teachers and parents) throughout this drama, each with their own hopes, desires,  fears and dreams. And just like in real life, they will come and go but there will be those that leave an impression on you or impact you in some way.
What I also liked about this drama is how helpful and supportive everyone was to one another whether they were friends or "only" classmates. There was a real sense that high school is just one of many stops in your life and how it prepares you to learn and grow throughout life.

Next, I will speak about the Romance portion of this drama which is what I think most people are curious about. And once again I will speak on this in relation to ALSB. In ALSB there are more displays of physical affection and because in that drama they have known each other since childhood they are more comfortable with one another right from the start of the drama. However, in "With You," I enjoyed seeing Yu Hai and Geng Geng's relationship develop over time especially with the way they got off on the wrong foot in their initial encounter.  It's not to say one drama is better than the other in the way they portray love but that they portray different forms of love. In "With You," I feel that the writer wanted to portray how blissful it is to simply be together with the person you like/love. Whether that means being "desk buddies" and helping each other with math/physics problems or playing video games together. No matter what the activity/event was, as long as they were able to do it together, made it all worthwhile.  Similarly, both characters had their own strengths and weaknesses and complemented each other well and were each other's pillar of support when they needed it. This drama is not really about the grand gestures (at least in Yu Hai's case) but about the little ones. For instance, risking the chance of incurring a strict teacher's wrath by asking him to repeat his explanation of a problem that you already understand because you notice that the person you like is having a difficult time catching up but is too afraid to ask.

Ultimately, if you're looking for a drama replacement for ALSB, I suggest you look elsewhere. However, if you're looking for a drama that primarily focuses on youth/school and the growing pains associated with that time period of our lives, I think you would be hard pressed to find a better one than this one.

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"THE EFFECT"

From the start it should have given you an idea on what you should be looking for, the every possible EFFECTs of the things we say or do. As for Newton's Third Law of motion states: "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction". For every EFFECT there is a CAUSE. One does not do an action without a reason behind it. The reason may be obvious, deliberate; but it could be also hidden or unaware to the person doing the action.

When the world you know suddenly was turned upside-down, will you able to handle it even as if the problems of the world rest on your shoulders? How can you recover when your world is seemingly shattered into pieces? Will you be able to rebuild it the way it used to be, or even better?

STORY
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This is a 10 for me.

The show unabashedly and in an unadulterated way features topics that seemingly people just sweep under the rug. (1) rape, (2) rumor mongering on social media, (3) suicide and (4) implied mental issue. Yes, number 1 and 3 have already mentioned in other BL series, but the way this series presented those is raw, graphic and it did not sugar-coat it. For the forth topic which is "mental health" is not that obvious, you need to analyze every detail from the start down to the very last scene. One needs to be very objective and it will be hard to do it with this very emotional show to see things through. It is presented in a way to raise awareness. The kind of EFFECTs any of the mentioned above could have is what the series wants to focus on.

This shows the rape also occurs in the same-gender world and not only exclusive to the male-female relationship. It is traumatizing when a person is subjected to rape, let alone to relive it when you are opening it up to another person. That is why victims of rape tend not to tell anyone or report it to the authorities.

The power of social media. This is what consuming the society nowadays. With the information age at hand, it can bring out the bests in people as well as the worsts. It can be a tool to create a beauty or destroy. The problem with social media, specially with pictures, it does not show the whole story. It just capture the millisecond. Even shared videos aren't 100% accurate if it doesn't show what happened before and after. Social media can rally for a cause, or spread rumors like a wildfire. The question is, will you share right away something that is not validated? This reminds us to be more responsible in what we do and say on social media because we might not know, someone is hurting and dying inside.

They say the people that commit suicide does not want really to die, but just want the pain to end. Often times, they think that ending one's life is the easy way to end the suffering. We should not judge people that commit this kind of act as we never walked in their shoes, lived the life and fight the everyday battles. Rape does not necessarily result to death, it is the depression the one goes through that would make someone to take his/her life.

Episode 1 is the very typical love story, the beginning, the progression of the feelings and finally, saying the three magical words, "I love you". But is life really all rainbows and sunshine? After all, that is the vibe you will get from the premier episode. Or is there a storm brewing in the horizon?

Yes Episode 2 ended very dark, darker than the night. But if you bother to stop for a while and analyze things, things that happened before the despicable action, you will see that it is not just one event that led to commit such horror. From the home, where you should be the safest, to your school, where you spend most of your time, in the hope of finding your happiness in the person you love. Tragically, when jealousy, gossips/rumors and rejection come become a factor, no one can tell what a person affect by it will do next. Especially if that person have not experience that situation before one tends to ease the pain the best and easiest way he/she thinks can.

Episode 3. Just when you thought things couldn't get any darker or painful as Episode just felt some did a gut punch to you. As you progress the episode, you will realize that is it not only the bruises or swelling of the punch, but a bleeding cut that you didn't notice at first. You tried to put a bandage on it, only to be ripped away and pour alcohol on it. It is that painful. It will be a long time for me to get over the series of events happened in this show.

On the implied issue of "mental health", one can say that the both leads suffered a mental condition in one way or the other. As one expressed this condition outwards by inflicting harm to others, while the other is to himself. And without the right intervention, it clearly shows the very ugly side of it.

This show struck very near to my heart as I had a cousin who was raped that eventually bear a child, my nephew. And now, that nephew of mine is suffering from a mental condition that at a tender age of 11 is already taking medicines to control his behavior.

(Addendum, after watching Grey's Anatomy Season 16 Episode 5, when Dr. Jo Karev is in session with a therapist)
I found this written on the board:
CORE FEELINGS
1. Fear
2. Anger
3. Shame
4. Sadness
5. Guilt
6. Pain/Hurt
7. Safe
8. Happiness
9. Love
10. Pride
11. Willing
12. Hopeful
13. Peaceful

You can see it the feelings that you can consider bad, affect someone negatively, destructive. On the other hand, you can identify the feeling that can build someone up. What if you are feeling more of the negative ones that the positive ones are seemingly drowned? Can you still live? When fear, anger, sadness, guilt, pain, pride, coupled with the lose of being safe, love, hope intensifies all at the same time, surely one will be broken down beyond repair.

ACTING
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Unlike novels or something you read, where every action, reaction, expression can be told, when watching you are limited on how the actors convey certain emotion and image.

That is why I applaud OAT as KENG. His features will sway you to think that he is incapable of any such evil thing with his charming, innocent looks and unassuming behavior. As they say "Don't judge a book by its cover", could be more appropriate for him here. Is he really capable of a dispicable actions? Or events triggered the inner demon in him that he for eternity tried to keep it at bay or prisoned? HOWEVER, Oat could have shown more emotions when he is annoyed. When a character is the antagonist, and you feel disgusted with the character, this mean that the actor who played the role did a great job.

JAMES as SHIN - you can really see in his face the admiration to Keng without saying anything. And the time he felt betrayed, the pain resonates in his eyes. Opposite of a antagonist, when you feel the pain and happiness, then you know that the actor was able to deliver what is needed of him.

MUSIC
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I like the piano accompaniment on the key scenes. It heightens the emotion. But it could have been better if a voice is heard as it can further the emotion of the listener.

REWATCH VALUE
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This is way too traumatic that even myself would not dare to watch this again. Perhaps after a year or so, I will revisit this.

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Every actor hopes his first project after mandatory service will be a hit. Jung Kyung Ho luckily can set his hopes to rest; they've been realized. Cruel City will likely stand as the best drama of 2013. Even if better appears in the coming months, nothing can take away its status as top-notch noir.

Writing for this series remained consistent and strong throughout, even maintaining good pace. Characters rarely failed to behave in an intelligent manner. The much-lauded, flooring twists are just as crazy as you've heard (and better yet, even supported by prior evidence in the story). What is most impressive to me though, is that the script remains faithful to itself and the spirit of the genre. We are shown a seedy, pessimistic world which is…well, cruel. Potential viewer expectation aside, this kind of darkness is what we were promised from the first and delivered at the last.

Nearly every lead was dynamic, from Shi Hyun and Hyung Min to Jin Sook and Safari. Even the hardcore villains had strokes of complexity which made most more than mustache-twirling monsters. These grounding factors may not cease our hatred of them, but at least add some level of understanding. Yoon Soo Min likely is the weakest link of the main cast, her arc included; she needed a bit more weight to contend on equal footing with the other plot lines. The completion of her journey manages to be satisfying nonetheless.

Jung Kyung Ho shines brilliantly as both star and main draw of Cruel City. Decadent charisma pours from him in droves, lending his Doctor’s Son an impossibly fierce magnetism. The most compelling action sequences belonged to Kyung Ho also; I quickly fell in love with his sharp knife skills and cat-like elegance. It's important to note he filmed the final episodes with a nasty back injury; his epic performance is not only a product of talent, but dedication and hard work. This drama was also very kind to Lee Jae Yoon, whose slowly developing Hyung Min I gradually gained affection for. He portrays the team leader as smart, sympathetic, and steady -- with a shot of menace to prevent him being a boring goody-two-shoes. Honorable mentions go to Kim Yoo Mi and Yoon Hyun Min; their respective characters Jin Sook and Hyun Soo are over the top cool and attractive. To say I became deeply invested in the fate of both of them is an understatement.

“Love is dead,” according to one of Cruel City’s most recognizable themes: Kim Young Jin’s “Wound.” My love for the music will never die, though. It is stirring and atmospheric, always well-utilized in show. Even instrumental tracks are memorable, though the rare vocal was always delicious. Many fans here at MDL went crazy trying to find out their artists and song titles before the soundtrack was released.

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Strong Start, Weak Finish

Contrary to the popular opinion here, I really appreciated the extensive backstories of the characters. It effectively provided justifications for why the participants would engage in such an insane project, which is quite rare for the typical Death Game film (usually, the participants are lazily thrown into their circumstances due to some metaphysical element within the story or deus ex machina reasoning). I also enjoyed the softer social commentaries in the beginning of the film and the fairly realistic and reasonable depictions of the main characters. That is, none of the characters are overly virtuous or exceptionally talented, and they all act or respond appropriately to the situation at hand; I can see these characters in my day-to-day life. Finally, the cinematography and acting (of the main characters) were masterfully executed.

Where the series started to go seriously wrong was in the final few episodes when the filmmakers decided to use caricatures for their characters as if they were holding a contest to use as many tropes as possible to fit the bill of the caricature in question; at some point, I was not sure whether the series abruptly became a satire. Not only were these caricatures agonizing to watch, but the decisive shift in narrative presentation really killed the immersive experience evoked by the previous episodes. Additionally, the moral justifications for why the mastermind started the entire project were banal, forced, and unconvincing; the creativity of the "midnight bet," from which he grounds his perspective, is what you would expect from a #SocialExperiment YouTube video, not a Netflix produced K-drama.

All in all, for someone who does not enjoy the typical Death game flick, I found the series very entertaining and well made within the category, but beyond this, it is forgettable. Although the cast, cinematography and music scores were appropriate and exceptional, there was, unfortunately, nothing noteworthy about the screenplay and directing.

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Here is the more positive review you were looking for

I guess the reviews are mostly so negative because a lot of people had high expectations in the cast and the fact that it is an adaption. Not saying that the drama is bad, but that people probably just expected something much different.

I mainly knew what I was getting into, though I hadn't watched the original adaption, but there is not too much of a twist to expect about a drama that focuses around rich people. The Greatest Seducer was a good drama. I loved it. I felt a whole lot of emotion from happy, anger and sadness. It is definitely not the greatest drama that is out there, but it has all the qualities all good dramas have. A good cast and good acting, and an interesting plot.

I know a lot of people hated Joy's acting, but she did very well, actually. Most people just dislike seeing popular idols in lead roles, what I get to a certain point, but I could also give you the names of three "veteran" actresses who are in my opinion worse and loved by millions.
The storyline was nothing new, a lot of intrigues, tragedy and drama but also a lot of cute romance and funny side characters. Since it's an adaption after all, I am really surprised by most of the reaction to the plot, besides that, just the fact that this drama is about chaebol problems gives you enough information about what this drama was going to be - like I said.

What I liked the most was our female lead. TaeHee is a strong character from the beginning, and she mainly stays true to it. I read quite a few reviews about TaeHee being annoying and dumb, but I guess the world is just not used to a female character that is strong but also vulnerable. I never doubted TaeHee's decisions because it all fitted with her experiences and morals. SiHyun was a character with very good character development, and it was very nice seeing him grow up and embracing his problems. The romance of the leads is built very nicely and in my opinion pretty realistic for a first-love type of story. As much as I loved most of the drama, I do disliked some parts. My biggest problem lies with the side characters. For me, it seems like the writers gave much thought about how they wanted to develop the main couple, but gave very little thought about every other character. Especially our antagonists, they were all just driven by love which blinded them to a point that it was ridiculous. Even though they had major story lines, a lot of characters were just so unreasonable that it was difficult to understand where their problems, angst and difficulties lied with. Also, a lot of the problems stay unresolved, and I feel like even quite a few characters get forgotten throughout the ending.

After having watched the original, this is still better.
Overall, The Greatest Seducer did stress me out at parts, but I kept coming back for all the tea. I don't regret any minute of it.

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I loved this drama to bits, but not for the reasons I was meant to.
Imagine you are sold a book with the cover of a travel guide and on reading discover that in fact it contains a romantic novel. You are captivated by the story and read it to the end, but you'll have to go out again to buy that travel book you didn't get in the first place.
That's exactly what happens when you start watching Scent of a Woman. You prepare yourself for a romantic comedy and find out that there isn't even a hint of comedy. The scenes which are meant to elicit a laugh range from painfully embarrassing to bitter-sweet.

But I loved it nonetheless. If the definition existed, I'd call this drama an "urgent passion". Urgency is the undercurrent of the whole show, to the point as a viewer I found myself praying for more time along the main female character. And passion for life is the glue that keeps all plot lines together.
The actors are amazing. All of them. I can safely say this is the best acted drama I've seen in a while. If you want to feel true empathy, cry, smile, grit your teeth or fall in love, watch this. The chemistry between the leads is tangible, and it grows so subtly and gradually it becomes a natural process in their story. I understood why they loved each other and not because the writer wanted me to, but because they were so incredibly believable.
The same applies to all the secondary characters. You'll grow to love them or hate them, they are not bi-dimensional people. They stay consistent to their nature and when/if they change they do so without pomp or unbelievable u-turns.
And I love that the message of this show is not a simple "live your life to the fullest". There's so much more. As I see it, the main theme of Scent of a Woman is: we are not alone here; everything we do, and the way we do it, effects the lives of those around us in a huge domino effect.
Message subtly told and beautifully executed.

Photography and attention to details are spotless.
I didn't really care for the music, but this is just me. It was chosen with sense and I appreciated the fact that it was in line with the show: elegant. I'm glad they didn't go for any lalala pop song, which would have ruined the mood.

Without spoiling the end of it, I need to say the last episode was simply perfect and beautiful, one of the reasons why I'm giving the drama a full 10.
Therefore, I'm going out now to buy that travel guide book I wanted, but I'll keep this beautiful love story bought by mistake on my shelf, for future re-reading/watching.

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This is definitely the oldest drama I've ever watched but I must say I felt right at home watching it. From the beginning to the end, I just loved the characters and their interactions. I think viewers of a certain age would appreciate this more than others. As I watched, it solidified my fandom with Kimura Takuya, what an actor. Imagine my surprise to see this was Yamaguchi Tomoko's last role. I loved her character's perkiness and willingness to bounce back after her break up. The supporting characters also brought so much to the drama. And thankfully totally devoid of the usual drama cliques!! I loved that the most about this drama!! Again, it's not for everyone. Not one cell phone in the story!! It was great!

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A hero’s journey through personal growth, love and friendship

Don’t let the first episodes fool you into believing that this is a childish drama. Yes, the drama starts off as goofy and light-hearted but from episode 13 the tone completely changes to serious and mature and it stays that way until the end. The drama is about the male lead who has lived in isolation all his life until he meets the female lead. Together, with their two newfound friends, they go on a journey to find the truth about the male lead’s parents and the mystical sword left to him by his father.

This drama is based on a video game of the same name thus the atmosphere and script feel quite different from the usual wuxia cdramas (in fact I believe it’s xuanhuan genre). All Sword and Fairy dramas are stand alone, they take place in the same world but have different stories.

PLOT:
This is a plot driven drama with some romance on the side. The first 6 episodes are extremely goofy and lighthearted. Until episode 12 the story is at the setting stage, we discover about the world, get introduced to the four main leads and see their adventure side quests with other side characters.

Episode 13 is when the main story begins. The tone is changed from lighthearted to more serious and mature. The main conflict is addressed and we begin to learn the truth of what has happened 19 years ago (which all characters are involved with). The good guys meet the bad guys and the angst begins. Here the drama does a fantastic job showing the characters growth and the many wise life lessons they learn.

MAIN LEADS + ACTING:
The male lead appears dumb at the start but is actually uneducated as he has spent all his life in isolation. Despite that he adapts very quickly and shows us the wisdom he has learned from his father. He is kind-hearted, brave and protective. He has tremendous character growth throughout the drama. The actor Chen Zhe Yuan showed brilliant performance as always. He is the reason I started to watch this and his on screen presence did not disappoint me. The actor has such expressive eyes that all his emotional scenes HIT ME HARD.

The female lead is confident, outspoken, perceptively and brave without being annoying. She appears tough on the outside but is actually soft-hearted. She is quite unique from the typical female leads that I’ve watched. She has fantastic character growth from being morally conflicted and somewhat selfish to becoming the most supportive friend who is the glue of the friendship group. The actress Ju Jing Yi shines brightly like a diamond in this role, her on screen presence is fantastic and her acting radiant.

The second male and female lead are both more reserved and their stories are directly connected to the main leads. The male lead is called an Ice Cube. Despite his cold nature, he has the warmest heart. The actor is fantastic in his performance with micro-expressions and has a strong on screen presence. The female lead is kind but firm.

POSITIVE:
- A fantastic execution of a hero’s journey - from zero to hero.
- Engaging main plot. From episode 13 the plot was executed fantastically and I didn’t find a single episode boring or having the urge to skip parts.
- Villains are usually boring and evil for the purpose of being evil but in this drama the characters were well developed and a delight to watch. Everyone in this drama has a strong purpose and legitimate reason for what they were doing.
- Chen Zhe Yuan and Ju Jing Yi shone bright on screen with their brilliant acting and fabulous character’s growth. Both actors really stood out to me and pulled me into the story. Their performance was wonderful to watch.
- Pacing of the drama was perfect. The mystery and plot was built very well. With each episode the stakes were higher and higher and I could feel the angst towards the approaching end. Until the finale episode, I couldn’t guess what would happen.
- Cute romantic moments.
- Nice visual fight scenes especially towards the end of the drama.
- Great chemistry between the main leads. I was rooting for them from the start. I loved their banter and bickering.
- Many morally grey characters (including the female lead at the start) which I loved to see.
- Fantastic character growth for all important characters.
- Wise life lessons shown.
- Epic adventure vibes.

NEGATIVE:
- The first 12 episodes gave a wrong impression of the drama and were not particularly strong which is a shame as it made a lot of people drop this. There were side stories of side characters that I found boring. The main leads would help side characters and receive a small amount of information which meant it wasn’t a filler but at the same time the actual stories didn’t add any value to the plot. However the guest appearance of these side characters were done by actors that I knew and their acting was really good.
- At the start of the drama there was focus on the romance which made me believe that it would be a huge part of the drama but it wasn’t. In most episodes the romance was completely gone and the plot took the driver’s seat. The hopeless romantic in me needed more romance.
- One sided love stories that I wish weren’t there at all. Not really love triangles but both the second male and female lead fell for the main leads. They didn’t interfere in their relationship and were very respectful so I’ll give them that but I felt it kind of ruined the friendship aspect of the drama. Whenever the main leads would have a romantic moment, the director would always zoom in on the second male and female lead’s unhappy faces which didn’t sit right with me. I wish the focus was more on developing their friendship with each other rather than them falling in love with each other.
- I didn’t like the second female lead most of the time. Her character’s reserved personality was quite boring for me and I found her acting wooden at times especially compared to the rest of the cast. However she did improve towards the end of the drama. Despite what I said, many people loved her character so this is just a personal preference.
- Second male lead stole all romantic moments with the female lead. I honestly didn’t understand why the writers did it this way. But the female lead had so many emotional bonding scenes with the second male lead that were very impactful compared to her scenes with the male lead. I wish the writers focused on writing platonic friendships between them.

OVERALL:
If you are looking for a well executed plot driven drama about a hero’s journey through many trials and emotional growths with morally grey villans + you love Chen Zhe Yuan, give this drama a chance.

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so peaceful

Peace really is what I felt while watching Koisenu Futari. It's like watching your best and happiest dream unfold on repeat, just full of warm and contented feelings. One of the special people in my life is an aroace. She's a remarkable woman, gifted and strong, but also lonely and often feels misunderstood. I feel like I understand her a little bit better now after watching this drama. And while Issei Takahashi was the originating reason why I found Koisenu Futari, the theme is what made me determined to watch it.

Don't we all want to live our best and happiest life? And what does that look like for each of us individually?

That's the question that both Takahashi-san and Sakuko have to answer for themselves. Takahashi always gave of himself to fulfill the expectations of his grandmother and of society. He lived in the same, in the now, and he never let himself think his life could be any different. He blessed Sakuko so much, freeing her to be her true self, teaching her that it's okay for her to be different no matter what anyone else said. And she returns that favor to him tenfold by helping him discover just who he wants to be and what he wants to do and equipping him to follow that dream.

Everyone goes into dramas with preconceived ideas of what it will be like. This drama was none of my preconceived ideas. I'd even settled on disliking Kazu-kun because he just seemed like someone who would annoy me. When in fact he also became such an integral part of Takahashi and Sakuko's development, and he grew and changed so much through the course of the drama. I didn't like Sakuko's sister, until I suddenly did. I thought some elements would end up being tropes and they weren't. And of course, the ultimate fear that the story would devolve into a love story, which it never did.

Koisenu Futari is perfect. Its value is so far-reaching and I hope it gains more traction and viewers. Thanks to Kaizen Subs for their hard work. Many thanks to the brilliant performances of Issei Takahashi and Yukino Kishii. The more I learn of Takahashi-san's filmography, the more I love him. He doesn't settle for the norm, but stretches boundaries. If you want another equally magnificent drama starring him, try Bokura wa Kiseki de Dekite Iru. Another hands' down favorite, only this time he plays a man who I believe is on the autism spectrum.

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This is how you do a gay musical

“My School President” might not be an original soundtrack; two boys in high school, one has a secret crush and chases the other. Been there, done that. I mean after more than a hundred gay romance shows (I'm not even joking, check my stats) you'd think I've seen it all. Yes, I have seen everything in My School President before, but not like this.

MSP takes all the tried and worn tropes, weaves them together seamlessly into this epic gay musical. The show has an energy to it which I cannot put into words. For the most of it, MSP is a really fun show: friendship, family and slice-of-life youth drama, but there are moments of grief and sadness which binds the story. And MSP reminds us time and again, that when it seems everything is lost and grey, you will find the purest emotion left: love.

The main arc is of Tinn and Gun. Nerdy Tinn, son of school principal and perfectionist has comitted the ultimate crime: fallen in love with a backbencher, and a boy nonetheless. After (several) repeated attempts to get Gun's attention, Tinn finally comes into the spotlight when he runs for school president. But wait! It has now set him as an enemy to Gun! For the school is trying to shut down the Music Club which Gun leads. With the excuse of "bringing glory to the school", Tinn pairs up with a reluctant Gun to try and win the Hot Wave and the rest, you know it :)

Not everything goes perfect in this story. There are many, many downs. MSP deals with topics like failure, grief of death, homophobia and the fear of first love. In this also, MSP has set itself apart from other dramas. Any misunderstanding or event is dealt in withing the episode itself, without letting it drag to the next episode and viewers are always left with the expectation of something fresh and delightful.

There are few stories where I can say that there were no moments which I found to be extra but MSP truly has no "filler moments". It does not lag, it does not take up a sloth speed at episode 8 (which most bl dramas tend to do), it is never boring.

Apart from Gun and Tinn, a major part of the story are their family and friends. The Hot Wave takes centre stage in episode 10, 11 as Gun and his friends battle three stages to reach their destination. The boys and their relationship with their families is so heartwarming to watch, their mothers both approach their sons so differently. There are a few unexpectedly cute side couples too. At the end of the day, MSP is a show about love and all its different forms.

It is evident that the production teams really put their efforts into this. Each character, even the side characters, have been crafted uniquely. They went all out with all the love songs here and it's obvious that a lot of work has been put into it. As far as chemistry goes, Gemini and Fourth are a match made in heaven. I say this not because I ship them, but some pairings just click you know? My main inhibition regarding MSP is that I dislike school shows and the tragic boring uniforms they have on all the freaking time. The show makers however put extra effort into everything with a stylish wardrobe for everybody (and I have to point this out because it's one of my sore points with most others school/uni shows).

Each actor and actress has done well in their role, and this is really important because MSP is one of those character centric shows. The dialogue is well written without the cliche replies. It gets especially fun when Gun teases Tinn! I love how Tinn is like this confident gay until Gun does something even minutely flirtatious. Gemini and Fourth brought them to life and I wait (not so patiently) for their future projects. And the OSTs! The Holy Chinzhilla in its Greatness has blessed us with the best songs, and so easy to sing along too that I cannot get them out of my head!

MSP has been a delight to watch. The secrecy of having a first crush, the innocence of first love, the buoyancy of being seen and recognised, if only for a moment, by the one who makes your heartbeat pick up. MSP will make your heart race and wish for that romance you haven't had yet or remember the cherishable memories you have experienced.

And while it is not an original soundtrack, it is the one of the most genuinely hearwarming songs, an ode if you will, to love. As they say, “love songs we listen to in high school are the best love songs ever”, and MSP is proof of that. One word for this show: fluff. 9.5/10.

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There was nothing in the genres, trailer or summary that could have prepared me for the amount of emotions that came with this movie. The storyline is probably not going to be what you expect it to (if you've only watched the trailer). You know those movies and dramas that leave a mark? The ones where years later you've kind of forgotten most of the storyline but you still cant forget about certain scenes or the over all feel it gave you? This is one of those.

Even though I felt that it was lacking in something on the surface, that I couldn't quite pinpoint, it still had a lot of depth and talent in pulling the viewers heartstrings. The three main actors all did an amazing job which made the story more believable and worth remembering. Over all, it has that dark atmosphere running through almost the entire movie and even though it's more slow paced than the trailer made it out to be, it is definitely worth your time and it will most likely leave you wanting to re-watch it later on (or at least with a craving to recommend it to everyone you know).

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