REFRESHING to your SOUL
With nothing great to watch at jan i found li xian and crystal in poster with latest update and then boom its breath of fresh air ,so relaxing, felt peaceful after some chaos in lifePlot is simple every day interaction of different people with different scars, experience,age in a unpopular tourist town inn. sounds simple but its the storytelling and cast that beautifully delivered such a great masterpiece, becoz every character is memorable not just ml,sml,fl nearly more than 10 characters life is beautifully portrayed and ml &fl relationship, chemistry is the best we may find those 2 on screen talking some random topics fascinating, story gave great life lessons and lastly OST is part of the story it's inseperable like if ost is fl and story is ml , RE-WATCH whenever you feel down,
I don't think i may another drama like in this year or next but hope im wrong 100%
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Pure Fluff
StoryIf I had to describe this drama in a few words, I'd say it is a drama that is more on the cliché side but executes it so well, that even the more predictable things are just a joy to watch. I think most people would agree that what carries this story and journey is the impeccable chemistry of the Main Couple. Just for that, I think this show is worth a watch.
But further, than the absolute fluff and wholesomeness, what really made this drama memorable is that you don't hate any characters. Sure, at times there are the villains that of course you dislike but as far as I am concerned, every one of the key roles gets their redemption.
What I truly love about this kind of drama is when there are no misunderstandings. For someone like me, that is very sensitive towards angst and drama, I really enjoy it when I see a couple that trusts each other and goes through everything together.
OST
I have not a lot to say except that I fell in love with the Soundtrack. I downloaded the whole OST already and I have it stuck in my head all the time. It's just so fitting and cute and well, just plain good.
Should you watch it?
If you are like me, a sucker for fluffy and domestic romance with a little drama here and there that doesn't make you too anxious, you should give it a watch. If cliché and a few predictable plot lines aren't a turn off I genuinely think you will enjoy watching!
The rest of the review will contain spoilers:
What I didn't like:
- I was a bit disappointed that the second lead Du Lei was made very evil, if I may say so, in the last few episodes. I mean I get that he loves her but, please my dear, that's plain assault:( So I was happy that they cut him off from their friend group.
- The allergic to tears plot point could've been build on more. What I mean is that towards the end it was as if the writers forgot it existed. I first suspected that it would cause more of a drama but maybe that's just me.
What I liked:
- I said it earlier but, the MC chemistry is just off the charts. Amazing. One of my new comfort couples.
- I love when every character gets their happy ending. This show satisfied me.
- Dog
- The side couples weren't overwhelmingly great but I still rooted for all of them and loved their collective support and friendship.
- Another thing about the Main Couple, I love how they support each other and just have trust. Even though they fight sometimes it felt like they truly cared and that was what made this romance feel real.
- I can't pinpoint many other things right now but overall I just really looked forward each week to the new episodes. It is a nice show that I won't forget!
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The Lovable aspects of SG:
1) Comedy
This is the most hilarious K-drama I have ever watched. Period.
For it almost caused me a wonderful death by laughter. Now, I know you're thinking that I'm being over-dramatic by saying that, but I assure that I truly am not. One fine midnight, I was lying on my bed, devouring popcorn and happily watching Secret Garden and before you know, utter hilarity ensued between the main characters for the umpteenth of time. Now, I, a mere mortal tried but failed to keep some semblance of calm and so chortle after chortle helplessly spewed out of my mouth. In all this mess, the poor popcorn tried to waddle along my esophagus but my spasmodic movements halted its journey and suddenly, I choked.
And I kid you not, it was surely a full-on deadly choke. My lungs were burning, I couldn't breathe, eyes were flooding and dread had encompassed my heart in a tight fist. Now, a less motivated Koreaboo would have given up on life there and then but I persevered for the ending was still there to finish and hence, became a survivor.
Moral of the story: Secret Garden is a life hazard. Keep oxygen masks nearby.
2) Acting
At this point, Ha-Ji Won can dress up in one of those cringey Teletubbies costumes and go around screaming Friday by Rebecca Black in her Korean accent and I would still be a die-hard fan. I really don't know how she does it. There is always so much sincerity in her acting and she can control her facial expressions in such a way that all that the character is feeling is openly displayed on her features. It's simply captivating to watch her in action.
Hyun Bin- Ah, one of those beautiful creatures who communicate with their eyes. He has such soulful eyes that half of the time, I deluded myself into thinking that President Kim and I were having a telepathic conversation through the screen.
Bottom line: Both of the actors brought their best to the table and I simply couldn't get enough of them.
3) Romance
There is such genuine and honest romance in this drama. It's filled with swoon worthy, butterflies in your tummy- dirt in your mind sweet yet burning moments that you can't help but fangirl throughout. The characters have deep understanding with each other and their chemistry is tangible. Every K-drama watcher probably cried in gratitude because of the make out sessions because finally, they had witnessed a couple who didn't kiss like dead entrails of catfish. The love story is so believable and authentic, that it's a must to root for them.
Bottom Line: You can't get a better ship than President Kim and Gil Ra Im, so get sailing.
The Not So Lovable Aspects:
1) Episode 17 and 18
Basically everything I didn't like happened in these two episodes. Examples:
a) Over-Crying:
Now this is a drama where there was so much love and merriment throughout, so if they were going to make it sad, they needed to be very careful in order to give maximum impact but I'm sorry to say they failed big time. Aside from that one part where President Kim gives his shoes and watches to OSKA, literally every other emotional scene fell flat. SG went from 0 to 100 real quick and I was caught bewildered in the midst of it all. Everybody suddenly started crying like a baby and doing it over and over again. Sure, give me sobs once or twice and I'll sob with you, but give me sobs a hundred of times and I'll want to shove a sock in your mouth to shut you up.
It was a horrible feeling because due to the excessive sobbing and lack of emotional connection, I started to develop a mild annoyance towards both of my beloved main characters and was consequently upset because of that fact.
b) Rise of the cliches:
Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against cliches. I firmly believe that if you yourself haven't used the idea then it isn't old. Some of my favorite film pieces are those where writers took an over-used plot, put their own spin on it and turned it into a unique masterpiece. SG's plot, while not something never-before seen was already pretty unique in itself. However, in these two episodes suddenly the cliches started piling up. It would've been okay if they were one at a time but bring them all in together and it's a hot mess.
The "I love you so I'll let you go" scene followed by that one jarring accident, followed by excessive crying, followed by the infamous coma, followed by the hero being the martyr, followed by some more crying, followed by amnesia and then finally a convenient plot device to make everything dandy and sunshine. Please no.
2) Im Jong Soo:
My God, I have wanted to repeatedly slap this dude in the face. I mean I get that he was just there as man candy, ready to flaunt his English speaking skills when ordered, portraying a supposedly cool love interest for Gil Ra Im but like, did they really have to cast someone who couldn't act to save his life? It's so painfully obvious that he's a model and not an actor because he literally posed and bullshitted his way through the show. Plus, he just had one of those faces that can annoy you with a mere glance.
One of the more interesting characters was Joo Won's mother. She's probably the worst mom in K-drama history; extremely cruel and selfish. The actress who played her did an excellent job and I loved how much she made me hate the character. No joke, I wanted to grind her into mince meat, barbecue over a scorching grill and then feed her to rodents.
The supporting characters brought their fair share of fun. OSKA, Yoon Seul, Secretary Kim, Secretary park, Han Tae Seon and Gil Ra Im's action school sunbaes were all simply hilarious. Even though I was more interested in the side character's interactions with the main leads instead of their own stories, I didn't think that the drama dragged on more than was necessary.
So yes, there were some downs that came with SG but the ups more than made up for them. This is a sweet and beautiful story and I recommend it as a refreshing dessert to some spicy and tragic tearjerker of a drama.
Enjoy!
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it was a fun ride (need season 2 and a real uncut version :P)
Overall: I enjoyed this series, though I watched most scenes at a faster speed. 13 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI uncut & YouTube cut which reduced NSFW scenes. Later re-aired on Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/40691c-pit-babe-the-series. Later aired on Netflix https://www.netflix.com/search?q=bl&jbv=82761763 Note: this was based on an omegaverse novel which I read but reviewed the series on its own.Content Warnings: murders, sexual assault, blood, kidnapping, parental abuse, punch/slap, beaten up, stalking, manipulation, stalking, non con recording/sharing, violence, child trafficking
What I Liked
- supportive friends
- sweet moments
- Jeff & Alan
- excellent truth about how family isn't always the best
- pretty good NSFW scenes
- visuals
Room For Improvement
- quite a few characters were introduced at once and it took awhile to figure out who was who, there ended up being too many characters and not enough time to fully develop the relationships
- I realized they wanted mystery but it made it difficult to really support the Charlie/Babe relationship and the fact that they changed that plan from Jeff's idea to Charlie's was a mistake
- total nonsense/huge plot holes, many characters shared 1 brain cell
- cliche ghosting trope, Babe also shoved Charlie a bit too much/frequently
- the NSFW needed to be a longer (even in the uncut version) and were choppy at times
- cartoonish villains (and stupid)
- I wish they had either leaned into the omegaverse and explained it more or just omitted it entirely
- not sure how I feel about a certain character's redemption arc
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this was one of the first dramas i ever watched and will always remain one of my favourites and one that i can watch over and over again without losing interest
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This review may contain spoilers
What I liked:The acting was good enough to keep me watching.
The second leads were the sole reason I stuck with this drama till the end. (Even the reason I started watching.)
Dong Hua and Feng Jiu saved the second part of the drama so much, like ugh I lived for the cute interactions. It reach the point that whenever they were on screen, was the only moment I would enjoy the drama.
First and third lives were really good. I started to care about the leads in the third part of the drama, (Mind you I shipped Bai Qian with Mo Yuan before).
Even thought I always stayed away from fantasy cdramas, this one made me think that the action scenes were for the most part quite exciting. It would be sometime until I watch a fantasy cdrama without cringing, but still a great start for me.
What I didn't like:
OMG the second life was terrible. Like Jesus Christ, talk to each other. Things started to go south for me, when Ye Hua decided to keep lying to her after SuSu assured him that no matter what kind of a creature he was, she'll still love him. I could've taken this more easily if there was a genuine reason for the lies. But no, this was all about him wanting to shield her for everything, even of himself.
SuSu was always in the dark, Ye Hua would even abandon her for long periods of time and guess what? Never did he explain shit.
When she landed in the Celestial tribe, he never bothered to explain to her that she needed to be careful with this guy or that one. He was like "Yeah, don't talk to anyone, don't say a word". Like, dude, Who would believe that every person in that effing tribe has ill intentions? Su Jin was so "gentle" with her, of course SuSu wouldn't think otherwise.
When he took her eyes I was done with him, I had to restrain myself to not drop this. I felt glad, when she "killed" herself.
I get that SuSu lost her memory... but Did you all needed to make her that stupid? She went from mischievous kid to Mary Sue so fast, that I couldn't swallow it.
SuSu never went to talk to Ye Hua about the thing that she was mad about, or to clarify the misunderstandings. No couple can last like that. One hiding things and the other keeping quiet about her pain. It's this the couple of the century? Sadly, Bai Qian does this again when she gets her memory back. never letting Ye Hua said his part of the story, and shuttting down everything. Wich made me more mad, because now she knew how evil Su Jin was, all the plotting she did against her. So Why would she still prefer to care only about what she heard of Su Jin' side?
What could have been better:
The CGI, for starters. LOTS of CGI, I wished they would have used more natural locations instead of this huge amount of green screens.
Sometimes there would be issues with the background. Like that time when the hand of the God of Star suddenly disappeared, when Ye Hua was walking and the castle background suddenly changed. Oh, and how to forget that one time the King of the Sea Tribe (don't remeber clearly), passed through a column.
The would use the same 3 or 4 places to film over and over. They used the cave for the Fox clan, for the Kunlun Mountain, The dungeon of the 4 beast, etc. Same with the palace. All of these things really took me out of the drama.
Apart from Male and female leads, everyone used almost the same clothes in all the drama. All day, every day.
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I had just finished my first drama with So Ji Sub (Master's Sun) and was searching for another one of the same genre with him starring as well. Came across this one, and although an action/serious drama was everything I didn't want, I still gave it a try because, well, it's So Ji Sub. And, oh, thank God I did.
The story developed perfectly along the 20 episodes, although in my opinion there are way too many flashbacks and a few fillers. I loved how the flashbacks were displayed and how the quality was pretty different from the present time action.
I don't have many things to point out except I still have my doubts concerning some hidden cameras displayed in questionable flashbacks. Other than that, this drama got all my attention and was the best company for the last days of my holidays.
I had seen Ghost's poster before, but it never got my curiousity because it had Lee Yeon Hee and, well, I really don't like her acting from what I've seen of her. This drama didn't convince me otherwise. She's too... 1 dimensional. In my opinion (although I'm no acting expert at all), she still has a long way to go.
On the other hand, there's So Ji Sub and his eternal amused look with his sympathetic frown (it does make sense if you know what I'm talking about). Since I'm considerably new to So Ji Sub and thus I don't know him exactly well, I have to recognize he did a great job, but there's another actor that took the spotlight. Absolutely loved Kwak Do Won's acting. I saw him on Good Doctor, but his acting there is far from as good as it is in Ghost. He perfectly portrayed the frustrated and mad detective. I must agree with the awards given to the main cast. So, although I feel like taking a point off the acting, I think of both So Ji Sub and Kwak Do Won and I just can't. Lee Yeon Hee, I want to see more of your expressions. Being a pretty face isn't everything...
I took extra attention to the music ever since Phantom of the Opera's theme started playing out of nowhere. It caught me by surprise and it did scare my at first, but then whenever it played again I would just laugh. But that music isn't everything. Overall, the OST was pretty good. 10 points for P.O's sudden "Burn burn out out" at the end of one of the first episodes.
This drama exceeded all my expectations. Lately I've been into a melodrama, 16-episodes drama mood but this actually changed and surprised me. I recommend it to anyone who likes a bit of action, police-related series and really handsome boys. (y)
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To my surprise, as the story progressed, I found the drama raising interesting questions about finding love after death, about whether simply marrying into a family makes you a part of the family. Bringing these issues to the surface drew me further into the story, as did the growing love between Prime Minister Kwon and Nam Da-jeong. Seeing them display their love through little acts of caring before they even realized the true source of their actions, how their actions stemmed from love, really warmed my heart right up.
However, all of this was abandoned in favor of contrived angst. I don't mind angst in a drama if it's well-crafted and makes sense. Prime Minister and I's angst was neither, resulting in me wanting to slap a few tear-stained faces that appeared on my screen. Wanting to strangle your heroine is not a good sign. Add to that a political plotline that I'm pretty sure was added only to show that the Prime Minister has duties other than shuffling paper around his desk, and you have the elements that sucked the joy out of what should have been a breezy viewing experience.
(Speaking of sucking out the joy of something, what the heck happened to Yoon Shi Yoon in this drama? In every scene, he looked as if someone was kicking puppies off screen. He looked happier when he was filming an actual makjang than he looks here!)
Perhaps if this drama had done a better job of mixing in the heartwarming with the angst, I would have rated this higher. As it stands, Prime Minister and I became for me an unnecessary roller-coaster of cliches and forced emotions that ultimately left me not caring at all.
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This review may contain spoilers
Burden of Proof
Drama has been presented in a unique 'two' connected episodes format, alternating between past timeline(odd number episodes) and present timeline (even number episodes)..... As the episodes progress, viewers get a clear picture of the events in past that catapulted events in the present.... Each character is seamlessly woven in the tapestry of story, making it cohesive and interesting.... All characters' motivation is presented through their background stories leading to their present involvement.... In episode 19, even Wu Lian's past is dwelled into...Why he developed an interest in embroidery, although it is an unpopular choice of profession for a male........... However his past did not give even a remotely plausible explanation for his proclivity.
(Seven years ago - past timeline)
Meng Wan(Janice Wu) and Lin RuLan( Hu Yi Xuan) two young girls with dreams of bright future enroll in Yanyu Tower to learn embroidery from the prestigious Wu Lian(Qiao Zhen Yu)
Wu Lian turns out to be a predator, preying on young girls of his academy. He is a sadist and a narcissistic, his modus operandi remains the same for all girls, he first humiliates them by criticising their embroidery, making them feel inadequate and then under the pretext of guiding and teaching them, he touches them inappropriately and ultimately forcibly sleeps with them. These young impressionable girls who are probably underage are meek and gullible so none dare confront him publicly. He continues to take advantage and abuses numerous young girls. Wu Lian is a powerful individual who happens to have solid backing of rich and influential Mrs. Ning. Wu Lian's embroidered pieces are sought after and even the royal family commissions him. Hence nobody dares to offend him.
After sudden and mysterious death of Ding Ru, a young girl from Yanyu Tower. Wu Lian's truth is exposed in front of Ru Lan. She herself had been a victim but believed that Wu Lian loved her, now she realises that not just her but he has bespoiled countless other young women. Ru Lan decides to fight against him and lodges a formal complain in Yamen office. Meng Wan her close confidant and fellow victim advices Ru Lan not to file such a case.
Ru Lan who strongly believes that justice prevails, goes ahead with her formal allegations, to her disappointment she realises Wu Lian manages to distort her truth in the court and she lacks sufficient evidence to incriminate him.........As a recourse to sleeping with her, Wu Lian offers to take her as his concubine......After all doors are closed to RuLan, she decides to make a final move and agrees to marry Wu Lian as a part of her plan to fabricate evidence against Wu Lian.
On her wedding day she forcibly holds Wu Lian's hand and stabs herself with a golden pin leaving the bloody pin in Wu Lian's hand as proof of her murder, she also leaves a note to be delivered to Shen Mu after her wedding saying that she is in danger enabling two constables including Shen Mu to arrive at the exact moment she falls down from the tower to her death...... However her ultimate gamble also doesn't pay off, Wu Lian goes scott free inspite of such incriminating evidence and witnesses.
(Seven years later - present timeline)
Meng Wan who is very close to RuLan plots and plans for seven years to take vengeance and expose Wu Lian's deeds. She meticulously plans everything and patiently waits for Wu Lain to fall into her trap like a spider 🕷 weaving a web 🕸 to catch insects.
Including herself, Meng Wan gathers seven other people who were somehow affected by Ru Lan's case. She forms a team that is instrumental in bringing Wu Lian's downfall....
Meng Wan prepares handwoven lanterns and hangs them in a circle, metaphorically these lanterns hung in a circle are compared to a trap closing around Wu Lian... Each Lantern has a unique line written for all NINE people involved in this crusade, Ru Lan the torch bearer followed by Meng Wan and other seven allies....Meng Wan says that each lantern is wrapped in soft paper but tough and unyielding inside like 'the women'.
Name of all nine righteous 'justice seekers' and lines written on their lanterns mentioned below:
1.Lin Ru Lan's lantern....."An adult girl is fearless. "
2.Meng Wan's lantern....."wait in the boudoir for seven years, nothing is forgotten. " ........."Seven years in seclusion. Aspiration never forgotten. "
3.Li Jia Hang's lantern....."Give a treasure hairpin to the hero. Ignite a candle light. "
4. Liu Sanniang's lantern....."A leaf in the vast ocean, floating and sinking between heaven and earth. "
5. Shen Mu's lantern....."The young man goes with the wind and returns in time. "
6.Feng Da' lantern......"The wilderness also has emotions. "
7.Haung Jiao Jiao's lantern... "Pray to silk worm mother at the door, worship the God of wealth inside. "
8. Li Chun Feng's lantern... "The path to being an official is unpredictable as debts are hard to pay. "
9.Tian Xiao ling's lantern... "Troubled by wordly affairs, seeking tranquility in the mountains. "
Meng Wan's plan involves targeting Wu Lian's wealth. Symbolically breaking 'two legs' on which he is standing as he is accumulating wealth from two sources......First, by smuggling his work abroad, evading taxes with the help of Lou Yu Jian, a corrupt official in charge of Foreign office......Second, Mrs. Ning's backing who presents his work in royal court garnering him fame and building his reputation.... Meng Wan plans to expose him in front of the public to restore RuLan's good name.... She has brought to her district an upright and unbiased, Lou Ming Zhang to investigate the case of RuLan........Road to seek justice is difficult and full of pitfalls, Meng Wan faces many set backs along the way but she perseveres.....
After several failed attempts to corner Wu Lain, the group finally find some physical evidence...... In the beginning episodes Wu Lian told RuLan that ALL plum blossom flowers are different and unique(implying all girls are different)...... No wonder he had embroidered plum blossoms on a branch of a tree and written name of each of his victims under the flower embroidery...... It is rightly said that each crime leaves some evidence and a serial rapist would keep some kind of a trophy......This embroidered plum blossom tapestry was stolen by Li Cheng Feng without knowing its true significance, it proved to be a goldmine of evidence for the group.....Meng Wan and the team then had to find one person from all those victims who would testify against Wu Lian to reopen the case.
Liu Sanniang was captured by Wu Lian when she went to gather intel regarding his embroidery convention.. Wu Lian wanted an official position so that if he was implicated again, his case would be tried at a higher court of Dali where cases were piled up, delaying in his trial....Meng Wan and the group wanted to foil his ambition as well as save Liu Sanniang, decide to attend his embroidery convention at Yanyu Tower... However the group were tricked by Wu Lian and ended up stealing the wrong key to a lock that tied Liu Sanniang to a pole in a room... They were unsuccessful in rescuing her, Liu Sanniang decided to sacrifice her life and urged the group to continue with their campaign... The group burned down Yanyu Tower and Liu Sanniang perished in fire.
Wu Lian urged his wife Mrs. Wu(Rong'er) to ask her family's help for him to acquire the official position that he hankered after, in return he promised her a divorce and freedom from her unhappy married life.... Rong'er's family agreed.... Meng Wan approached Rong'er for help, guilt ridden due to being a reluctant but willing accomplice of Wu Lian, she informs Meng Wan that she kept a secret accounts ledger of Wu Lain's expenses for abortion pills, doctors, bribery to officials etc.... Li Chun feng decides to steal that account book, he is cornered and beaten to death. Before succumbing to death he gives Meng wan and Liu Xin a letter for Tian Xiaoling.... Tian Xiaoling, another victim of Wu Lian, had been living a guilt ridden life of self imposed exile finally decides to step up and testify against Wu Lian after her beloved Li Chun feng's death.
Meng Wan, Ru Lan's brother and Tian Xiaoling petition for a retrial of Ru Lan's case... Due to Meng Wan's clever manoeuvre, His Majesty also gives an order for severe punishment to be delivered to Wu Lian... Wu Lian is found guilt of sexual assault, bribery, tax evasion....As a result of everyone's combined efforts, Wu Lian gets his 'just deserts' he is flogged heavily as punishment and would be forever banished.... In jail Wu Lian swallows a needle and commits suicide.
At last justice is served but a hefty price is paid.... Ending is more bitter than sweet but it leaves a satisfactory aftertaste.... Justice may be delayed but not denied......salute to the people who make sacrifices and pave the way for a better future.
Special Episode 25 (alternate reality- what if, These characters could restart their lives )
What if life gave these characters a reset button and they could restart their lives anew......Life is full of choices that define us, our lives are the sum total of all our decisions... One wrong turn can plummet our life to hell and another right turn can elevate it..... This episode is in NO way "Redemption" of any character but a reflection of what ifs?...... I hope all these characters in some alternate universe made a befitting choice and enjoyed a lifetime of happiness.
All the actors performed wonderfully and were appropriately cast... However, a special shout out to Qiao Zhen Yu (who played the character of Wu Lian). He played the part of Wu Lian to such perfection that he became a character that the audience would love to hate. I saw a few BTS and the actor, Qiao Zhen Yu was rehearsing a very serious scene with his fellow actress, he seemed very cooperative and helpful... It is a great feat for an actor to play the character of a villan with such distinction.
This series deals with very sensitive issues like:
1.Abuse by a person in authoritative position. In this series Wu Lian was a teacher abusing underage girls, entrusted by their parents to learn embroidery at his place....
2.Exploitation of women(men) in the workplace.... 'Me too' movement..... Victims of such abuse remain silent as they are scared that either nobody will believe their allegation or mud will be slung on their character.
3.Humiliation and harrasment faced by a woman in the hands of corrupt official while proving she was 'Raped' .........The burden of proof is on the victim's shoulder.
4. Powerful and rich people bending, twisting and breaking laws and getting away with it... Justice system works differently for influential people, through intimidation or bribery they often escape unscathed.
5.Flickle public opinion 'mob mentality'..... People are often quick to judge another person bestowing 'guilty verdict' based on rumours without waiting for actual proof... public opinion spreads like wildfire and is quite changeable from time to time, even a person held in high regard once is dragged through mud by a single 'deemed' slip.
Overall, a thought provoking story presented beautifully.
PS: I wanted to include some more details but did not want to turn this review into a book😝 so I am writing them as comments to this review... If anyone is as deeply moved by this drama as me and wishes to read more, they can read the comments below.
*comments are about Liu San Niang and Li Chun Feng's deaths..... RIP to both unsung heroes.
*My opinion regarding the author's choice for characters of Li Chun Feng (episode 22) and Liu Sanniang (episode 20)
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Another breath of fresh air from Japan's part!
Japan has recently been providing the fantastic BLs that we all yearn for. Their plots are consistently unique and captivating. Old Fashion Cupcake was like that. This is a story of love between a boss and an employee. It's not the typical cliched office romance plot we have always seen. This is one of the most mature, realistic, and endearing love stories I've ever seen. I can't believe they managed to fit such a heartwarming and endearing love story into just five episodes!
On the one hand, there is 29-year-old Togawa, who aspires to live a regret-free and purposeful life. The 39-year-old Nozue, on the other hand, believes he is too old to try anything new and goes through life in a cycle of sleeping, waking up, and going to work. However, things changed as they went to a pancake shop. From that point on, Togawa had been seducing Nouze covertly under the disguise of helping with anti-aging treatment, deepening their relationship.
The leads had good chemistry together. They seemed so exceptional and natural. Watching their interactions and conversations was fun. I adored the way Togawa seduced Nozue and made the most of the anti-aging procedure. This drama was very satisfying all around. Every single second of it was enjoyable for me. It doesn't happen all the time, but sometimes I feel like I want more! I'm hoping that Japan will continue to make such unusual BLs like these.
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MRIAG is like Dam's fav food; chicken - full of flavour, sweet but also spicy, and addictive!
When I say I want to watch a romcom that doesn't annoy or bore me, THIS is what I mean! My Roommate Is a Gumiho has everything I could want and more in a romcom.If you like light-hearted dramas with a sprinkle of intensity, you'll probably enjoy this. It's a stereotypical one, meaning there are some predictable cliché scenes, but that did not stop me from loving every second of this gem! I have to also mention the editing, I mean come on, it's just too good! From the funny sound effects to the scene of Dam dancing on meat while singing about her love for it. Overall, the plot is well written, has good pacing and nothing seems rushed.
The chemistry and interactions between the characters, specifically Dam, Woo Yeo, Hye Sun and Jae Jin (including Soo Kyung, although she's not part of the main cast), are the best. For me, that's one of the most important aspects of a drama and they chose the cast really well! They're all perfect for their roles. Lee Dam, in particular, has become one of my favourite characters in dramaland, she's so hilarious without even trying and I just love her wacky personality. It's been a while since I've seen a female lead so refreshingly honest and straightforward, it's awesome. Aside from the main couple, who I swoon over whenever they appear on my screen, the side couple was really sweet too!
I thoroughly enjoyed this, binging a whole 14 episodes in one sitting. Yes, I know, I have no life. I just happened to not be busy that day lol. The plot may not be very unique, but it sure entertained me and I've seen many romcoms. MRIAG's an easy watch, with it's light and funny charms being something you'll look forward to in each episode.
No doubt the best fantasy romcom I've watched this year.
Warning: Ki Yong's smile will melt your heart.
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1Wasted Potential
This series had almost every ingredient that it needed to become a hit: a unique, intriguing premise, handsome actors, sweet romance, great OSTs, and beautiful cinematography. I am still in disbelief that the production team messed up the recipe so badly that what should have been one of the best BLs of 2022 turned into a dull, plotless product placement fest. It is beyond my comprehension how other reviewers are so generous. I started this series with no expectations, aware of all the criticism that it was getting, and it still managed to disappoint me. Let me tell you why.1. Plot, or rather the lack of such.
As you will know from the summary, the story revolves around newbie colorist Talay and famous actor Puen, who are transported to a parallel universe and into the bodies of Tess, the heir of an entertainment corporation, and Tun, or Pakorn, a wannabe scriptwriter, who meanwhile are sent to Talay and Puen's universe. Overcoming their differences in personality, the two boys team up to help each other navigate their new lives and find their way back to their world.
Sounds great. Except that this is what the story should have been about, not what it is actually about. After episode two, it strays far away from the plotline and does not come near it until episode ten. For eight episodes, the viewers are treated to a mundane, cliché college story about a group of guys trying to make it as scriptwriters in the movie industry. I felt like I was watching a badly written remake of Theory of Love – which is probably precisely what it is – and in each next episode, I skipped more scenes than in the previous one because I was bored by the predictability of it all.
Furthermore, the unimaginative scriptwriters of this series have decided to rely on annoying, overused tropes, such as love triangles and female characters' coming between the main couple, to spice things up, while the main characters are, illogically, left to live ordinary lives. This makes no sense. To lose your whole life and be forced to live someone else's is stressful, even scary, but after the initial confusion, Talay and Puen seem to have forgotten that they have family, friends, and careers back home. In episode one, Talay was shown with a tight-knit group of friends to whom he was clearly attached. Not once throughout the episodes does he mention that he misses them or his family. Puen is similarly indifferent. It is true that the reason for his being so is explained, but this revelation comes much later than it should have – as does any other substantial information abut him as a character – and this makes him difficult to sympathize with through the bulk of the series.
Worst of all, there was a timeskip of one year that was introduced out of nowhere. What did the characters do for a whole year? We do not know. The story just continues, as if five, not 365, days have passed since the characters' last interaction.
2. Flawed pacing and endless product placements.
The more useless a scene is to the story, the more it drags. Too many scenes are included only for comedy. In the initial episodes, I, surprisingly, laughed many times – I usually do not buy the humor in BL series – but then the fun fizzled out, and the humor became forced.
Product placements – do not even get me started on them. At first, they were not as glaring as I feared they would be, but by episode seven they had become intolerable and were spoiling the mood of almost every scene that had the potential of being meaningful. Shame on the production team for prioritizing commercials over everything else.
3. Romance, or rather bromance.
On one hand, I am impressed by how healthy the dynamic between the two leads is. I forgot the specific instances, but I was surprised by their dialogue several times because instead of the cliché replies that I was expecting came kind, mature replies. Talay and Puen are both willing to express their thoughts and feelings and work on finding the best solution, which is essential in a healthy relationship. They also have moments of tenderness that made my heart flutter.
On the other hand, most of the time, they act more like friends who care for each other than as young men who are in love with each other. Their interactions are sweet and intimate until they have to kiss or initiate any other physical contact that is not a hug. Then they become forced and awkward. They did not manage to convince me that they are actually crushing on each other.
They also do not act like they have already known each other for a whole year. Their friendship, while genuine, seems like it has not moved past its initial stages – which is understandable, considering Puen's illogical decision to not reveal his indentity to Talay. I understand why he might have not wanted Talay to know in the beginning. However, by episode five, it had already become clear that they had grown really close and were not afraid of opening up to each other. Puen was ready to tell Talay who he is a long time ago. The production team wanted to have an illogical twist in episode ten, though, and this twist could happen only if Puen did not tell Talay, so they did not let the character do what would be natural for him to do.
4. Acting.
Jimmy is not as bad as some viewers complain that he is. Compared to Bad Buddy, in which he did not deliver a good performance, he has improved. There is even something charismatic about him, and his gentle, slightly hoarse voice is pleasant to listen to. However, neither he nor Sea handle negative emotions and intense scenes well. Their acting becomes lackluster. They should both work on their facial expressions.
Edit: Episodes eleven and twelve were a notable exception. Although they had inconsistencies and unnecessary drama, they were breath-takingly romantic. The emotional scenes had depth because Jimmy and Sea's acting suddenly improved a lot. I do not know what caused this improvement, but kudos to them. If they had been on that level throughout the other episodes, this series might have been a success. They, and the ending, which awakened the hopeless romantic in me, made me raise my rating.
Overall, the production team of this series bit off more than they could chew. Vice Versa would have been much better received by the viewers if it was just a sweet college romance with a body-swap trope, without the alternate-universe plot. It would have also been great if all the time that was wasted on unfunny comedy, unnecessary conversations, and product placements was used to show how Tess and Tun are doing in Talay and Puen's bodies.
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This review may contain spoilers
All Aboard the Hot Mess Express
Despite the beautiful production value and great performances from the side characters, In a Class of Her Own managed to take a well-praised and solidly written show, and water down the series into a remake that leaves a rather bitter aftertaste. This drama did not have the tension or the romance of the original Korean drama Sungkyunkwan Scandal, and I’d recommend going into this one with low expectations — and perhaps also picking up the original show instead.To start off with some of the positives of this show:
♡ Awesome Side Casts: Wang Ruichang and Bi Wenjun have to be praised for their performances as Lei Ao and Le Xuan respectively. Both characters were complex with deep backstories, and the issue was that at times their acting easily overshadowed that of Song Weilong who was the main lead. Both characters have their own personal struggles and conflicts that they undergo during the drama, and I think their stories were well incorporated into the broader plot of the drama. Their unique and distinct personalities gave them good rapport with the main leads, as well as the other students in Yunshang, and I think they were really the standout performances of the show.
♡ Cute Team Chemistry: The chemistry between our “Yunshang F4,” or Lei Ao, Le Xuan, Wen Xi, and Cheng Jun was my favourite part of the series. You can see how each of them grows to care for each other deeply, even if they start off in the beginning as being wary and bickering with each other. When they face difficulties in both their personal lives and in the broader politics of the series, they help each other and support each other through their challenges. It’s really a treat to see how these four friends become each other’s family at the school, and how each of them in their own way supports one another.
♡ Updated Production Value: The great thing about this remake is that it updates a lot of the milieu of the series, from the beautiful clothes and uniforms, to the beauty of Yunshang Academy. The props and backdrops were all very high quality, and I loved how every member of the side cast had their own unique dressing style which complemented their personality. Ju Jingyi has some gorgeous outfits and jewelry, especially when she dresses as a girl. The soundtrack was also very well done and memorable, and overall the general design and colour story of the drama are ethereal and tastefully incorporated into the show.
♡ Mischievous Female Lead: Truthfully, despite comments on how Ju Jingyi is very pretty and beautiful, and not believable when disguised as a boy, I think that her performance has improved and quite liked Wen Xi as a character. While I did have issues with some of the romance in the series, especially her relationship with Cheng Jun, I think the Wen Xi (especially in her pursuit of being a scholar) was quite admirable and fun to watch. I also loved how the drama did delve into the status of women and the poor, and questioned relevant social issues such as understandings of meritocracy and the inheritance of power. Overall, I liked how she lived up to the name of the drama, where she played to her strengths in order to achieve success, and changed the social and political norms at Yunshang Academy.
But there are also some major issues with the show, including:
♥ Lack of Chemistry and Romance: I will warn that this show has no kiss scenes, and that the romance is not well done in the series (in fact, the romantic lines between Wen Xi and Lei Ao, as well as Wen Xi and Le Xuan, seem more believable and well-developed). The main issue is that Feng Cheng Jun can be quite a bland character, and never really develops or experiences character growth. In addition, the drama clearly tries to show Wen Xi falling for Cheng Jun because of his upright nature and his intelligence, but this often comes as abrupt instead of organic, especially considering how the drama never really explores Cheng Jun’s own weaknesses and limitations. In other words, the main lead never really has the same kind of personal growth as the other side casts, which makes it difficult to appreciate him as a character and as part of the main couple.
♥ Banter and Comedy is Rather Flat: Supposedly, this is a drama that is meant to be interspersed with comedic moments, but I never really found the show to be all that funny. There were attempts made to create "running gags" in the drama, such as Lei Ao's "do you want to die?" catchphrase, but often didn't work as well as they did in the original series. I will also say that some of this is because the character relationships have been changed a little (i.e. in the Korean version, the characters Lei Ao and Le Xuan had BL undertones), and I think the dynamic they tried to use in the show didn't work as well as it did in the Korean drama.
♥ Pacing Issues and Cutting Out Important Plot Points: One of the main reasons Sungkyunkwan Scandal was hard to put down was because it was a show with a lot of tension and to some extent even suspense. The viewer was always led to worry about when the female lead’s identity would be exposed, why there were political manipulations in the school, and there was always the fear of the backgrounds of the main cast being revealed. Unfortunately, In a Class of Her Own sometimes verges on boring, especially as some of these problems are never properly foreshadowed, explored, or developed in the drama. Instead, time was put on arbitrary scenes to artificially create romance, or extend dialogue and conversations about broader political issues that focused less on the students and instead on the teachers and generals.
♥ The Trainwreck of the The Last Couple Episodes: One of the things that the original Korean drama did very well was showing its characters taking accountability for the elements of the plot. For example, there are consequences for being disguised as a male, for taking vigilante justice, and for other problems that the show introduces. In a Class of Her Own however seems to wave off resolving the issues that it introduces, and instead makes a rushed attempt to address the main plot during the latter stretch — which is ironic, given how this show had more episodes to work with. The show therefore loses the sparkle that it had in the first half, when the students were solving issues in the Academy, to fill its last half with problems that result in a less than satisfying and logically inconsistent ending.
In A Class of Her Own had a lot of potential to be a great remake, especially since it already had a very well-written story to work with. While the show succeeded in some ways, such as through the refreshing performances of its side cast and the updated production of the series, it lacked immensely in terms of balancing the plot, creating a believable romance, and living up to the sparkling chemistry of the original series. While the drama is not terrible, I can’t really recommend taking the time to watch this if you are expecting In a Class of Her Own to live up to to the freshness of Sungkyunkwan Scandal, or unless you are a fan of the actors in this series.
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This series is awful and pointless
Boy, the other reviewers are very kind.The only positives to this are that both leads are very attractive and they are both very comfortable with kissing scenes.
The acting is not good, which is surprising, because Green is a fantastic actor - one of the best in BL - and Chap is... well, he looks extraordinarily good with his shirt off. The side actors are generally unmemorable - not terrible, but noticably acting.
The story is so stupid it's not really worth spending time on. It's not so much a plot as it is a string of cliched tropes. There's nothing so stupid that they can't do it twice. There are two accidental kisses, and two times someone falls into a body of water. In fact, in what seems to be an attempt for the Stupidest Series of All Time award, they even combine these - an accidental kiss caused by both characters falling into a bathtub. Accidentally. Somehow. The second immersion has a character fall into a pool - there are about 50 people there, and nobody does anything about it whatsoever except stand around and wait for the main character to notice, except this takes him more than 15 seconds and this is a BL, so the guy drowns. But is revived and is fine. I don't think he even really coughs - just spits out a mouthful of water and then carries on with his day.
It's a typical enemies-to-lovers scenario, except they go so overboard with how awful Satee is that you hope he dies alone, and then the transition to love is so abrupt it feels like someone flipped a light switch.
One of the leads is an angry agoraphobe who needs to get to the tailor's shop. Besides his fear of leaving the house, he also hates the tailor, so the author has written herself into a corner. But she comes up with the ingenious solution of having the assistant lightly tap him on the back with a small hollow glass scupture, which knocks him out and they somehow drag his body to the Tailor. Problem solved.
I normally wouldn't nitpick the wardrobe choices, but the theme of this series is about a picky guy finding the best tailor for the best suit, so I would expect the clothing to reflect that. Everyone spends the entire series wearing dark, wool three-piece suits, which is more or less insane in Thailand. Nobody expires due to heat exhaustion - only being tapped on the back with a hollow glass scupture or being immersed in water for 15 seconds can do someone in.
But the clothing is all really poorly tailored! The trousers are too long, the jackets don't fit well, and the styling is terrible and unflattring. Also, the suit in question is not even a tuxedo, it's a boring ill-fitting blue business suit. The tailor does wear a tux to the main event - it is so horrible that it looks like something a guy might wear to a prom who waited till the last minute to rent his tux and so ended up with... whatever that was. The waistcoat was so over-sized that I wasn't sure if he was going to a party or volunteering for the defense of Mariupol.
The theme song is by Jeff Satur, and even that doesn't help. I'm surprised they paid an actual artist for something (or kidnapped his family and forced him to do this), but he only had to write two bars, which they play over an over again. It's a particularly blaring love ballad which becomes unintentionally funny because thy fire it up at a moment's notice whever something happens that is supposed to be romantic.
I'm shallow and I like attractive well-built men with their shirts off, but I have to say that Chap's body is so beautiful that it will catch you by surprise - and he knows how to use it - the way he stands and moves... That's why I gave the series a relatively high rewatch value. I have already watched his first shirtless scene several times and will be returning to it.
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