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Very good, could have been perfect if shorter.
The greatness of this drama is in its main characters. They are mature, thinking people with none of the usual simpering of the ganre. They are all complex and rounded and aren't so easily put into the usual boxes of good or bad.The music and costumes were good, but as usual the white skin filtering was too much. Wish the Chinese industry would stop with this nonsense, since they already have such good looking actors without the filters.
The downside of the drama was the number of episodes. Forty episodes were too much for the story and the last five episodes I was mostly skipping and skimming. It was a good drama but it could have been excellent if it was shorter.
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Charmingly funny show with two endings
Delicacies Destiny was not a big-budget production, with nondescript sets and unmemorable costumes and props. Still, those factors did not detract from the show's charm, and one can tell that quite a bit of the budget was invested in the cooking scenes and the resulting dishes.This light-hearted story was primarily about the relationship between a Crown Prince and his Imperial Chef, with a side focus on the female lead's ambition to be the best Imperial Chef in the palace regardless of her gender. It was not a typical historical rom-com with strict palace rules and protocols. The royals in this show interacted casually with their servants and the Queen was not the usual domineering character who controlled her son's harem and marriage. She was unexpectedly very supportive of her son and prioritized his happiness. It was refreshing to see some emphasis on on positive body image.
I was thoroughly entertained with the food porn, cute romance, on-point comedy, and catchy OSTs...until the last episode.
From episodes 1 to 15, I found this drama hilarious and quirky. Still, the ending left me so dissatisfied that it took me time to calm down before I could write a reasonably objective review. Without spoilers, I can say that it was an open ending that irritated me so much that it dimmed my anticipation for a potential season 2 and, like the male lead, left me angry at the female lead.
EDIT: I increased my rating after watching the alternate ending. While it was not the best ending, it provided a proper happy closure that was much better than a clumsily executed open ending.
Our main couple was lovable and dorky. The slow-burn, sincere, and simple romance between them was endearing and fun to watch. Both lead characters were emotionally immature in their own ways which created plenty of opportunities for funny scenes. I smiled and laughed so much throughout the show.
The male lead, Zhu Shou Kui, the Crown Prince, started off being spoiled and entitled and was used to throwing tantrums. Yet, at the same time, he was compassionate and often protected the people he cared about at his own expense. It was great to see his character develop and mature. With the female lead's help, he realized that it was not always about him, and it was all right to let other people share his burdens. As for the female lead, Ling Xiao Xiao, who ended up as the Imperial Chef of the prince's kitchen, she was initially clueless about love. It took more than halfway through the drama for her to finally "kāi qiào" or realize her feelings for the prince.
He Rui Xian as Xiao Xiao is lovely, but she does not quite have the aura of a female lead yet. Her acting was pretty decent, though, and with a few more dramas under her belt, I think that she will get to the next level. I first watched her in the Royal Feast and liked her character there. Her acting range was wider in that drama compared to this show. In Delicacies Destiny, as Xiao-Xiao, she has too much of the wide-eyed, huh? look or a deadpan look, and it was towards the last couple of episodes when I saw more emotional acting from her.
It is my first time watching Wang Xing Yue, and like He Rui Xian, there is room for improvement, especially when it comes to his micro-expressions. I find it hard to believe that he is only 20 years old since he exudes a level of maturity beyond his age. He definitely has potential with his good looks for more male lead roles.
The supporting cast was fine, doing what they needed to do. There was some over-acting but nothing much to complain about and nothing much to praise. A secondary couple provided extra entertainment but did not distract from the main couple's journey.
Music-wise, the tracks were great, and a couple of them were not what you would expect from a historical drama. Still, they were fitting for this drama. For posterity, I have recorded the main tracks after my review.
Overall, I would recommend this show. If you don't like a ridiculous open ending, I would advise to stop watching before the last 4 minutes of the final episode. Or you could watch the alternate ending if you prefer to have closure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XdcFM5zhQo
00:00 陆虎 - 珍馐记 (Lu Hu - Delicacies Destiny)
03:03 锤娜丽莎 - 吃货一枚 (Jiahe Ji - A Foodie)
06:35 徐均朔 - 落尘 (Xu Junshuo - Falling Dust)
10:15 银临 - 七夕 (Yin Lin - Tanabata)
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A Fresh and Unique Story for a C-drama
The story might seem a bit common but the portrayal of the story, the acting and the drama setting took it to a different level. This story might not be for everyone and it kind of seems mature(not 18+ though..LOL) not like a typical c-drama we always watch.The first episode itself got me hooked and of course there are few aspects in the drama that are cliche and Female Lead's mother character kind of lacked reality, to me it felt like an irritating or baseless(logic less) character. Also, kudos to the FL who I think gave it her all for the character and I kind of felt like all the actors fit their characters really well except for the Female Lead's mother character.
I never expected a C-drama to be this open and mature or I might not have come across other dramas like this one...But yeah, if you prefer a strong emotion with great acting that gives you fresh vibes for a rom-com....Well, this is it.
Go watch it!!! You will not regret it :)
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Despite the weirdish pet/owner relationship between the main characters, this drama is somehow very realistic. In the end, it is about people searching for someone with whom they can be themselves and that is a something everyone can relate to. Even if you don't like Matsumoto Jun - who, by the way, does a superb job in this drama, very adorable - you should give this drama a try. It might well be that at the end of this drama you too hope to have an adorable Momo as your pet! ;)
If you have read the manga, I think that this drama adaptation isn't a bad one at all. It's different, of course, and it doesn't follow the manga faithfully: there are quite a few changes and some characters omitted, some added/having bigger roles. However, I do think that the drama has the same spirit as the manga, and the main characters are quite the same. Anyways, I read the manga after watching this, so my opinion might be a bit biased since I was charmed by Matsumoto Jun's Momo first. :)
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This review may contain spoilers
Not a BL...
You make a boy as girly as possible, you make a masculine school bully and a masculine silent one. You heteronormalize it together and make sure the girly boy denies being gay all the time. You produce some drama between the bully and the silent one and have an "happy end" between the girly boy and the silent one as being friends.In 2026 such a queer baiting series is not needed.
In 2026 such a series should not have been produced
In 2026 everyone who thinks this series is fun should think about what the series tell us. If you protect the girly boy from bullies it's ok if he's hetero.
Of course there are girly boys who are not gay. They could be anything from hetero, bi, pan, gay, asexual or everything inbetween but the series was not structered that way. For me it was 100% queer baiting and not commiting as a BL. Besides being in vertical format and good production quality, I can and never will support such a series. It still makes me sick that such a series is even produced. It sends the wrong signal to all the people watching it - or what is more probable girls consuming it will not even think about the aspects. I rate this series just for the queer baiting and the MDL tag "gay romance" is 100% misleading.
Update: The biggest question of all: Why is this shit show on GagaOOLala. I remember the outcry of the community when they tried to put "Wu" on GagaOOLala. But this show is even worse and it's on it.
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This is the perfect Japanese drama i have ever watched. Now i am not sure if there's any good stuff out there.
Scale of 1 to 10...10.5
Rewatch value.....perfect score
I highly recommend this for someone looking for something sweet and fluffy. Thank me later.
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Surgeons actually follows a pretty standard "format". You have the established specialist, perfect in every way, return from the US to work in his home country as our protagonist Zhuang Shu, the idealistic but highly-talented surgeon who is oblivious to everything outside of work as our heroine Lu Chen Xi, and other side characters whom you can find in practically every other medical drama. Some people call this the modern version of Nirvana in Fire, since Zhuang Shu, like Mei Chang Su, returned to seek vengeance on his enemies. I think the similarities pretty much stop there though (but I never finished NiF so I won't know).
The main plot isn't really prominent in the drama until the later stages. Surgeons actually focuses more on doctor-patient interactions. I don't think it's anything to shout about, but I think the script is pretty well-written in the sense that the dialogues were great. The characters were also designed well, none of them are completely evil, or completely good (other than LCX). Acting wise, I'm not too impressed with Jin Dong. I think he was serviceable, but he didn't come across as an elite surgeon. Imo, LCX is the true protagonist since she is the one who "changed" the most throughout the drama, from someone who is borderline annoying because of how stubborn and unmalleable she is to someone who is, well, a little more flexible and understanding. I was never a fan of Bai Bai He's acting because I think she's herself in every project she stars in, but she was good in this drama. LCX and her buddy Chen Shao Cong showed most growth in the drama (probably because they started out at lvl 0). CSC is freaking hilarious and I think Li Jia Hang played the role well. My favourite character is Yang Fan though. I think you just can't hate the character because Liu Yi Jun is so awesome with his portrayal. You can really see the difference in just acting and good acting when you watch dramas like Surgeons and In the Name of People. I was blown away by the veterans.
Also, kudos to the scriptwriter for making the female characters likeable and "aggressive". LCX and Yang Yu are just kickass when it comes to dealing with their boyfriends. LCX's responses when asked about ZS were so freaking funny as well. The two couples had good chemistry too. I think they did a good job with the romantic development in that it was a slow process but you can see how they come to like each other. Much better than other dramas where you have no idea why they are falling in love with each other, or the dramas where the main couple lacks chemistry so badly (yes, I'm talking about O2O).
In short, I think Surgeons is a good watch. It sort of faltered towards the end, but I think it's just me who's a little exhausted because of its length (44 episodes) and how frequently the episodes were aired. I was completely drawn in by the earlier episodes though and so I'd give it a 8.5. The drama is also rated 7.5 on Douban, slightly lower than what it should have been because of Bai Bai He's scandal.
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This review may contain spoilers
It’s good but something is missing
I liked this drama. I really did. But something was missing for me. Usually horror stories bring a sort of dopamine rush which was not there for this drama. The story was interesting and several plot lines were only revealed at the end. The pacing of the drama was good too and none of the episodes felt draggy or boring.The acting of the characters whilst great, I could not be completely engaged. I think this was a stylistic choice by the author who decided to write a plot driven story not a a character driven story. This is why many characters save for the female lead felt very one note for example the mom was supper annoying that’s it, the grandmother was super evil that’s it. The back story of the ghost was tragic but somehow when it was being played out the scene did not land.
Having said that there was a fairy talesque vibe to the story. The folk practices were sometimes fun to watch and the cinematography was awesome. We usually don’t talk enough about the technical aspects of drama making, but to me the most fabulous job was done by the camera/ cinematography crew. There was a very solid technical team behind it. And I wish more people realised how great the people behind the camera could be.
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Asuma Ibuki and Otazawa Mei are Mutsumi's classmates. They've been best friends since childhood, with the tomboyish Ibuki always at Mei's side as her constant protector and savior. Mei is shy to the point of being almost incapable of interacting with anyone else, so the two of them focus solely on each other, rarely allowing anyone else into their circle.
With Mei being so fearful of other people, Mutsumi at first sees her as his ultimate challenge, but as soon as he starts in with his usual tactics to win her over Ibuki realizes what he's up to and fiercely shuts him down.
This leads the undaunted Mutsumi to start thinking that Ibuki herself would be an even more challenging conquest than Mei. He makes a bet with two of his friends that he can make Ibuki fall in love with him, and from there the game begins.
A compelling addition to the series are occasional "self confessional" videos where individual characters sit alone and reveal their private thoughts and feelings. These segments are filmed in portrait mode as though recorded with a mobile phone, adding to their sense of immediacy and rawness. It is here that we learn how troubled Mutsumi really is, and Mei as well. In Mutsumi's case these sessions expand upon his character and make him more sympathetic, and it's through them that we learn that the feelings he's showing toward Ibuki have become real for him.
Ibuki is the most central character to the series, since the other three -- Mei, Mutsumi, and a younger student named Sakurai Nao (introduced about midway through the series) -- are much defined by the ways in which Ibuki has awakened a need in each for a deeper connection with her.
Performances are superb all around.
Itagaki Mizuki impressively navigates the many sides of Mutsumi's character, making us gradually understand why he's become so guarded and hostile, and eventually making us want the best for him. With Ibuki's encouragement Mutsumi gathers the courage to let others -- including his estranged mother -- know the real him, and it's endearing to see how much wonder he feels over Ibuki's sincere concern for his emotional well-being.
Takeda Rena as Mei fully embodies that character's vulnerability, and we cheer her on when she finally attempts to expand her world beyond Ibuki, one tiny step at a time.
Rounding out the main cast, Goto Yutaro makes a perfect Nao, androgynously beautiful and fearless in his own way, not hesitating to make his feelings known to Ibuki as soon as he realizes them.
'Sixteen Shoukougun' ('Sixteen Syndrome') is much more than a high school romance. Its complex characters will stay with you long after it has ended, and if you're like me you'll be returning to it again to pick up on what you might have missed before.
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Silly, but Cute
Overall Impression: A cute and fun story. If you're not looking for something serious or deep and you're a fan of BL romcom, you'll probably enjoy this show. Don't take it too seriously or you might not enjoy it.Pros:
- Funny/cute characters and story, a feel-good type of show
- Music is really catchy
- Actors have good chemistry together
- Follows pretty closely to original story, but some changes are made to fix some controversial material from the original and apply to a live action format (more serious than original)
- Scenery/sets are really beautiful
- Anda's character is still cute and somewhat innocent, but not nearly as childish and naive as the original
- The side characters are loveable
- Cute fanservice
- Anda's friends are so awesome!
- Uplifting ending
Cons:
- messy international release and subtitles (now available on AISPLAY official YouTube)
- Character and relationship development feels somewhat lacking with the leads
- Ryo's character is a bit unlikable at the beginning
- There is quite a bit of "filler"
- I wonder what happened to the side plot sometimes?
- Sometimes story seems inconsistent or repetitive
- Sometimes takes itself too seriously for a comedy
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This review may contain spoilers
LIFE
This drama is completely different from typical modern dramas. We are presented with characters who have real life problems and are dealing with them. We are given a broken family and the daily dealings of those in it. Moral of the story: life isn’t always how we plan it!We make plans to graduate school, get into a univer of our liking, graduate and join the workforce, meet someone we want to spend the rest of our lives with, marry them, advance in our careers, have children, etc… But tomorrow was never a guarantee.
For Lin Tuo his diagnosis was a sudden and inevitable change to those plans, but as the fate would have it also for the people around him.
I will be honest I didn’t want to give this drama a shot. I like to use C-Drama Land as an escape from reality, and this drama did just the opposite, however I am a huge Lin Yi fan and after only getting one drama from him last year I chose to give Angels Fall Down Sometimes a shot in between watching Everyone Loves Me which was simultaneously airing and also had Lin Yi in it. To say the least, it quickly became the other way around as ELM became my ray of sunshine after the many deep emotions AFDS made me feel. I cried in most episodes and related one too many times with at least one of the characters. It truly is a blessing to have people who love us and chose to stick by our side through the thick of it.
My takings from this drama, live the life you will be proud of every single day, because tomorrow is uncertain and also be the friend/ family member that sticks it out despite the storm raging on.
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This drama is easily, without a doubt, the weirdest drama I have ever watched. From the very beginning and your first introduction to Soo Kwang, I could tell this drama was going to be different. It was amazing and so poignant, and I honestly believe that it might make some strides in reducing the fear and ignorance people have when it comes to mentally ill individuals.
First off, I want to say just how amazingly well suited the cast was to working with each other. Their chemistry was just phenomenal, and there was hardly a moment that went by that you weren't just so happy to see them all together. Soo Kwang and Dong Min's relationship was touching, and how much they fought for each other, and WITH each other, just felt so real and unique. They were a house of people that most other people would scoff at and call them all certifiably insane, but they also all loved each other unconditionally and that is rare.
As a Running Man fan, I was so excited to watch this for Lee Kwang Soo. I was a little worried when I heard his character, Soo Kwang, was going to have Tourette's, but Kwang Soo played it off absolutely brilliantly. This was my first Jo In Sung drama, but it will certainly not be my last. He was able to put on so many hats in this drama, from the romantic leading man, to the hurt little boy who has to face his childhood demons. I was seriously impressed with his range.
Story line wise, this drama always felt fresh and was almost never boring. There were a few times when I was irritated a little bit by how much the two main leads fought towards the middle of the drama, but it was definitely barely enough to knock it down half a point.
I really loved how this drama dealt with mentally ill individuals. It never made you feel like they were ridiculing them, and it really did its best to try and foster understanding that just because a person is sick, it doesn't make them any less deserving of love and happiness. I also loved how this drama really made you question who the bad guys were, and if sometimes you weren't your own biggest enemy.
The music in this drama was just phenomenal, as well. Almost all of it was English, but it was all so upbeat and perfect, it just completely enhanced every episode in every way.
So far, if I had to pick top 5 dramas of the year, this one would definitely win a spot!
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You know, I watched this movie first time a year ago, and rated it 7, and when I rewatched it yesterday, I was socked how I could have 'insulted' this movie that much, maybe I can say I was not attentive enough during my first watch (though that's a lame excuse, as yesterday my eyes were glued to the screen)... Let's say I wasn't in the right state of mind for this movie at that time... I am glad I suddenly decided to rewatch it yesterday.
The cinematography is so perfect, there were scenes my breath was caught somewhere in my throat... The colors (if you decide to watch it just download it, and preferably HD, the bigger the file, the better, trust me) were driving me crazy! The hill on which they placed the mailbox became one of the places I want to visit before I die, it's the most beautiful, peaceful place! The way they shot it at least made me want to go there,sometimes it seemed I could even see the wind blowing the grass and the hair of two lonely characters standing there...
The plot is simple, and honestly I didn't need more complicated, as the scenes were so rich visually, other complications were unnecessary...
Acting is wonderful! As a big fan of Han Hyo-Joo, one more time came to adore her character.
First thing about JaeJoong I noticed was his husky voice, which drove me crazy, I was WAITING for him to talk... I think he was a perfect person to portray JaeJoon...
The music is very complimentary to the movie, perfect match... calm, relaxing and light...
Also the symbolic meaning of the movie adds to it value so much more... White lies to help people, is it right or wrong? Teaching a lesson by making the person to look at life from a whole another angle of life... Learning how to withstand the difficulties of life from zero... falling in love after being hurt...falling in love...^^
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