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It was all for "today".
"Right now, you feel like you're falling behind others. Even so, you should live. As you live, there will come a moment when you'll realize, it was all for today." ~ Koo RyeonThe feelings of being constantly torn between killing yourself or killing everyone around you, is dangerous and as unfortunate. In a world, where individuality has become the primary choice of us, what everyone should be attempting is to extract out the positivity out of it. Situations and circumstances definitely play roles in making us commit deeds, that we'd never thought of even. But in the end, it all boils down to the fact that, one needs more courage to live than to kill themselves. Rightfully quoted so, "Sometimes even to live is an act of courage".
Created by 'Studio N' and co-produced by 'Super Moon Pictures', "Tomorrow (내일) [2022]" is the live-action adaptation of the 2017 manga of the same title by Llama. Developed by Hong Seok Woo, the show is a fantasy cum slice-of-life drama, broadcasted on MBC and internationally distributed on Netflix.
"Tomorrow" follows the day-to-day work of the Risk/Crisis Management Team of Jumadaeng (the afterlife company for Korea) which serves to prevent highly suicidal people from committing the deed and strives to bring happiness in their lives. Choi Joon Woong, a jobless young man, gets involved with grim reapers as he tries to save a man from taking his own life. Soon he goes into coma, becoming half dead, and joins the RM team till his recovery. There he meets, Team Leader Ko Ryeon (Kim Hee Sun) and his assistant Lim Ryung Gu (Yoon Ji On); together they save countless lives while facing the threat of disbanding from other departments of Jumadaeng, including the most elite Park Jung Gil (Lee Soo Hyuk), the leader of the escort team. Kim Hae Sook plays the Jade Emperor in Jumadaeng.
The controversial concept and the criticism surrounding it about suicide prevention, might seem futile but I do not wish to discredit and disregard the understandings of people about such a sensitive matter. Nevertheless, it's a relief how this show has been able to create narratives and conversations, about this topic.
Plot development follows both fragmented as well as staircase rule, and I believe this was a best decision in the webtoon writer's part. The pilot episode wasn't very impressive to me, that could have me in it's overall grasp though it seemed decent. I would say the execution in the 2nd episode was also fine. Episode 3 is where it suddenly took me to paradise (not literally because the sufferings of people were so saddening). I mean to say that I could suddenly understand the intentions of the writer and what everyone involved is meaning to relay to all of us. The furtherance was amazing; them handling one case after another, trying their best to sort everything out and put things back to their places, all of that evoked all kinda emotions, making us think, understand and realize about the possibilities that our lives could offer us. The seens involving Jumadaeng and the interactions of all the reapers working in it, was fantastic to witness; particularly Ko Ryeon and Jun Woong conversing was always melting my heart. Everything was okay until the finale week which somehow ended up ruining things for the show. As much as I love this show in overall, the very fact that the ending turned ordinary and rather shoddy, will always bother me, whenever I am reminded of the show.
There are 3 screenwriters for the show: Kim Yu Jin, Park Ran and Park Ja Kyung, and all of them are debutants according to their bios. Nonetheless, as I have opined multiple times, it's not really easy to turn a book into live-action adaptations and the secondary screenwriters needs to be immensely attentive and dedicated while turning books into scripts. So is the case for this; I believe the combined efforts of these budding artists have blossomed into such an amazingly beautiful masterpiece, sparking deeper thoughts and evoking essential emotions. The dialogues are sometimes heart-touching and emotional and as thought-provoking and gut-wrenching at times. The storytelling method with few monologue notes is alleviating and gladdening to a large extents.
Kim Tae Yeon PDnim with the experience of both a screenwriter and a director in both movies and dramas, have been able to do a wonderful job in preserving the eseence of the show. With him co-directs Sung Chi Wok PDnim, who has been a part of several modern well-recieved Kdramas. The tone, scope and subject matter of the show, perfectly corresponding to it's title, has been justified and the inherent messages has been yielded. The pacing was perfect, dedicating each episode to a single case and also narrating the back stories of the main cast meanwhile. The screenplay management, the scenario setups, the screen-editing and the overall execution, everything is beyond 'well done', which reflects in the outcomes that have provided us with gratifying and fulfilling experiences from the show. The only thing that felt off in the initial episodes was the sound production, the background editings, I mean.
The cinematography is pleasing, each episode usually starting with dark colour palettes depicting misery, and gradually shifting to light and colourful hue, implying, the new beginnings and as hope. The designer and makeup team deserves as much credit, for both accurately and demandingly bringing out the best of the characters, through the careful works on the actors. The fighting scenes, as required in few scenes, were exciting and convincing, if not very impressive.
Composed by Jo Seung Woo and Won Ho Kyung, there are a total of 5 OSTs, and I believe this much is enough. I love how they were incorporated into the story and screenplay.
# "Red Ligh"t by J. DON is my most favourite, which is a rap song depicting the mysterious ways in which one's life operates. The vibes of the song matches with that of the show. It makes me happy rap tracks have become the most prominent in modern slice-of-life Kdramas.
# "Still love you" by Yoo Hwe Seung (N. Flying) should have been the no.1 if not for the original track, where he is a co-singer with Lee Hong Ki (FT ISLAND). The track is of high pitch melancholic and sorrow-inducing lyrics, narrating the hardships of life. The vocals of Hwe Seung are amazing enough to make you cry. I suggest you listen to the original one, as well.
# "My Only One" by BEN is a soulful song reminiscing the moments spent with a precious person that you have admired for a long time in your life.
# "My Loneliness Callls You" by SURAN is again, truly a call for having happiness back in your life, soliciting the presence of your love.
# "Don't Leave Me, My Love" by An Da Eun is a beseech of holding back everything that you think is important. I didn't really like this one.
What I liked...
# Jun woong's character development is what the writer wanted to be the cause of the story. In fact, it was for him, we got to witness jumadaeng and such lovely members and also, the lives of so many people and their different kind of struggles. I could see how he'd turned out to be by the end of the drama.
# Comedy elements in the drama are hilariously funny and glad it was mostly restricted within jumadaeng or among the reapers. Most of it is credited to the Jade emperor (Kim Hae Sook) and equally to Ryung Gu, and Jun Woong was usually the victim of their humors, haha.
# The wide range of personal and social issues introduced and the underlying messages, presented in a fresh way, surely gets through all the way to the heart, viz. school bullying, poverty, career tension, loss of loving ones, ignorance to imperialism victims, life of war veterans, workplace taboos, injustice, sexual assault victims, miscarriage, etc.
# So happy how they thought of involving an animal in one of their episodes, showcasing the importance of pet-human relationship and the subsided emotions.
# Suicide is not something to even think about easily and even so it remains controversial, you really never know what an individual get through while making such decisions, no matter how absurd it seems to me and you. Also, it's not really easy prevent suicidal thoughts of others easily, but we need to understand that this was a fictional show where the writer had to throw light upon various stories and sticking to only one would have differed from the core concept of the story. I personally have nothing to complain.
# That being said, I loved how well the writer emphasized to tell us the stories the persons concerned with the issues in each episode, giving them a bigger fraction of the show. We rarely see the main cast of the show being taken away of this (in a good way, I mean).
# No one can confidently utter that they shall live tomorrow, so death is as natural as to be born. It is very touching the way the the vehemence of death has been propounded. It's nothing new for Kdramas like this, but the ideas and the elements used to represent, definitely move your heart.
# Paralleling jumadaeng (afterlife) with the world of living is another factor that makes the drama .. From the organizational structure to the regulations and operations, everything didn't feel less than any other MNC; they have every single thing, technology, glitches, resumes, editing, and what not.
# The epilogues at the end of each episode were so satisfying and as delightful and truly exhilarating.
What I didn't like...
# The shared past story of the main leads towards the ending is one the biggest (probably the only one) setbacks about the show. I would have loved it if they'd shown it bit by bit from the beginning but the one episode dedicated to the particular matter, that too towards the ending, ruined a small part about the show. Again, it could have been done in a very amazing way, but the way they represented wasn't very likable to me. And as predicted in the 15th episode the finale was rushed.
# As everyone else, I also expected Rowoon to be the part of of something big or let's say have his own share of gut-wrenching past story. Unfortunately, the writers didn't have any such plan, instead he was treated like a supporting character, not all the times though. My disappointment about this particular matter comes from the fact that Rowoon is no rookie or substandard actor at this point.
# Lee Soo Hyuk being shown as the main cast in in the poster and then the makers backstabbing us by giving him unsatisfactory share of screentime is very disappointing. I admit, overally the entire main cast has received half the time, bcs the makers have emphasized on narrating the stories of the victims but of the half, Lee Soo Hyuk gets the least, and I didn't like that.
# I think I have already told how it turned out to be a rushed ending, so saving the elaboration again, I strongly feel the ending could have been a lot lot lot better. sighs.
Final Remarks... Overally, "Tomorrow" bestowed love, hope, everything else that you felt on personal levels. The denouement has been essentially deep, eloquent and worthwhile, provided all efforts contributed by the entire cast & crew. "Suicide prevention by Grim Repears", might interest/intrigue some while making people think for a while, but I suggest you try this out. For me, this was worth my time and emotions and I would cite this as a must watch. My rating of 8.5/10 is the reflection of it's drawbacks, as mentioned, would have given a 9.0 otherwise.
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A journey of group with full of mysteries ...
As this is my first drama which is adapted from a game rather than of a novel , it is a perfect drama in every aspect ...this drama starts from cute and fluffy and is going on a way to angst ...in this drama there are two people who wake up together after losing their memories with great martial arts powers . one thing i want to clarify is they are not siblings , FL do not remember her surname so ML gives his surname to her ...
so in journey of finding their memories they start to unravel mysteries of martial world and in their way they meet their companions ..
Casting is really great , both xu kai and yu shuxin knows how to express emotions with their eyes , even side characters are showing their ultimate level of acting ...
Double role of Xu kai is the key concept for me in this drama ..
Production - Tencent has done a great work in the production of this drama , set , CGI , dressing everything looks perfect ...
OSTs - as expected the music is the heart of this drama ... after a long time there are such good ost ...
this drama is continuously breaking records in every charts of dramas in china and the upcoming teasers are all more exciting , because many mysteries are ahead of our young heroes .
although i do not want to write review now but because of some haters i have to write this one ...
when this drama ends i will edit this one ...
love for Xu kai and yu shuxin ......
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The story isn’t original as it’s a remake, in all honesty this is one of the first remake I can say was better than the original, I might seem biased as I watched the remake before the original, but I’ve done that to a few shows and always Felt the original was best. Every episode was full of adrenaline hoping everything will just turn out okay in the end.
The character development was a main point in the storyline and showed the growth of friendship and love between the two main characters
The acting was phenomenal especially from a child actress starring in her first major role of a drama she stood out to be the best role in my opinion throughout the drama
Overall this drama is the best to start off 2018 and I’m kind of sad for it to finish now I would recommend it if you can stomach a lot of tension after every episode
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While telling an interesting story, Healer manages to do brilliantly what most fictional works should and sometimes fail to do: create 4-dimentional characters, believable persona whose growth and mutual interaction reach the heart of the viewer. When characterization is so strong, the plot twists - whatever they are - fall to the background, becoming a mean to an end. In this sense, it doesn't matter how many times the same plot subject has been used in a drama: what matters is how this same subject pertains to the journey of the characters. The reason why I was constantly on the edge of my seat while watching Healer, is not because I wondered what was going to happen next, but because I was eager to know how each character would react to a certain event. Will she give up? Will he fall apart? Will that one lie, speak the truth, run away, face the challenge, cry, laugh, rejoice? What would I do, in their shoes?
And every single time I feared the ominous K-drama tropes would sneak into the narration with the usual noble idiocy, nth misunderstanding, petty jealousy or envious triangles, these characters surprised me and made me extremely happy for NOT conforming.
Someone here called this drama "a breath of fresh air" and I couldn't agree more.
This story, while simple on the surface, hides a few, much deeper and more complex subjects. One over all, the roles of adults and how their choices can make the lives of children a living hell. K dramas have accustomed us to adults who abandon their children, or abuse them, dictate them, mold them to their will, silence them. In the best of scenarios, they over protect them. This drama, on the other hand, gives out a different message: adults should give their children the means to fight their own battles, their own way. The same could be said about women, who are the true strong point of this drama. I wish I could write an essay on Young Shin and Ahjumma, but don't worry, I'll spare you the boredom, Suffice to say, true courage and strength are not in the fists.
Healer is also a love story. A sweet, realistic, heart wrenching and heartwarming love story made of little, endearing details. It's the encounter of a young man with a tough shell and a vulnerable soul and a young woman with a fragile body and a brave, unwavering heart. They are so natural together, watching them is a pleasure. I think I fell irremediably in love with them as a couple. I ascribe it to the acting, but also to the brave script, which for once depicts 2 young adults who admits they are attracted to each other physically as well as emotionally. I do not expect a drama to show me anything happening under the sheets, but I'm a little weary of tons of dramas where the girl is shocked by the mere hands touching and calls for a trial. Guess what, Young Shin and Jung Hoo are human!
I've read somewhere this drama had a very low budget, so low that they had to film lots of scenes in a rush and couldn't afford complicated special effects. I grew even fonder of it because of this and wish viewer would stop comparing this show to others which had a lot more money to work with. All the actors give out the impression of truly believing in what they are doing, that's possibly why there's a collective, tangible alchemy keeping the whole cast together. As for the music, I admit at not having liked a particular song in the beginning, but because it was so fitting to the story told, I ended up loving it too. The instrumental pieces were perfect.
As I said, I've already watched this twice. When I reached the end the first time, I felt the urge to go see again how it all began and how it all unfolded. When it comes to dramas I like, I am a serial second watcher and go in search of that lost detail I've overlooked before. I think Healer lends itself very well to multiple watching, because even when you already know the outcome, the journey there still has so much enjoyment to give.
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1Switched by the witch.
In Blossom or 花间令/Huā Jiān Lìng (The Flower Order) is a mystery romance with fantasy elements. I checked this out because of Liu Xueyi, an under appreciated actor who is just as good an antagonist as he is a protagonist. Despite some flaws and controversy, this sleeper hit won Liu Xueyi high praise for his good looks and compelling acting.Yang Caiwei is a scarred, inauspicious undertaker shunned by citizens of the sinful city of Heyang. She finds herself embroiled in a murder case with the new magistrate Pan Yue, the most handsome gentleman in the capital. As it turns out, before misfortune befell her family, she was engaged to Pan Yue and he seems determined to honor their betrothal. On their wedding day, she is switched by the witch Shangguan Zhi using dark magic. She finds herself in Shangguan Zhi's body right before "Yang Caiwei" is murdered and suspects Pan Yue of doing the deed! Assuming Shangguan Zhi's identity, she investigates her own murder by working for Pan Yue at the yamen in the hope of finding evidence of his complicity. Body swapping is the only fantasy aspect and it is readily accepted without that much disbelief by the characters in this story.
This production drew early criticism because Zheng Hehuizi guest starred as Yang Caiwei for two episodes and impressed viewers with how she interpreted the role. Her Yang Caiwei is a solemn character; a child whose world was shattered overnight and endured nine years of hardship. She finds meaning in following her shifu's footsteps as a coroner, obtaining justice for victims of foul play. This characterization of Yang Caiwei makes sense to me but unfortunately, there was no meeting of the minds in how the role should be portrayed. Although Ju Jingyi delivers an adequate performance, her depiction lacks depth and gravitas. Her Yang Caiwei is literally only Shangguan Zhi; a happy, pampered young lady who never suffered a day in her life. She is so un-serious as a coroner I just scoffed at her autopsies. Still, she didn't quite ruin the show for me as she is so pretty and charismatic I always have a soft spot for her. I just sigh for the opportunity missed because Yang Caiwei is one of the better written female roles and Liu Xueyi is a fantastic actor to be paired up with. She could have impressed enough with a more layered performance to break her out of her usual typecasting but sadly she did not approach this role thoughtfully enough.
While I watched this for the suspense plot, both romances are nicely written. Liu Xueyi and Ju Jingyi look so gorgeous as a couple that their visuals alone deflect many flaws. To me, Pan Yue’s early obsession with Yang Caiwei was not healthy or well founded but I enjoyed how he fell for her against his better instincts thinking she was the detestable Shangguan Zhi. I never faulted Pan Yue for taking so long to figure out she was Yang Caiwei because both actresses failed to show me of they are the same girl. I like how Zhuo Lanjiang is written to be as capable and powerful in his own way as Pan Yue. He is a credible love rival that does not descend into delusional archetypes. But I wasn't that invested in his romance either.
After the big letdown of Youku's big budget Judge Dee's Mystery, this much more modest production satisfied my craving for a good mystery. The cases, beginning with Yang Caiwei's own murder hooked me from the get go. I enjoyed how each case pulls at threads to reveal links initially to the four major clans of Heyang and ultimately a far wider conspiracy that goes back many years. This familiar formula used in many other investigative series is quite well executed. Despite small plot holes, the focus on the human tragedy aspect of these side cases made me either empathize with the victims or at times even the perpetrators. This is something both Judge Dee's Mystery and Mysterious Lotus Casebook failed to do. The main villain is neither too obvious nor revealed too early, which was my biggest gripe with Mysterious Lotus Casebook. This one does well in keeping us guessing right up till the end. However, this is achieved by concealing information from the viewer instead of hiding all the clues in plain sight.
The narrative hiccups in the final arc back at the capital. It seems like a different writer took over. The villain is revealed shortly after they show up onscreen instead of building suspense for a bit. The final villain is not that smart and only gains an upper hand because two hitherto smart characters are thrown under the bus and exercised their free will in unintelligent ways. It always makes me angry to see good characters get undeserved outcomes so I am not happy with how this ends. Good characters were literally wasted just to squeeze some tears from the audience. Instead of ending on a big reveal, it just descends into melodrama. The chilling ending epilogue however is well done but to avoid spoilers I will elaborate on that below. All things considered, this is still an enjoyable watch. I would have rated it 8.0/10 were it not for the ending. My final rating is 7.5/10.0.
ENDING SPOILER COMMENTS
The ending epilogue is a nice chilling way to end regardless of whether Season 2 gets the go ahead. If there is no Season 2, it suggests that #1 is some kind of arch nemesis of Pan Yue, like Moriarty to Holmes who is still out there; that organizations like The Flower Order are not that easy to wipe out. Note there are actually 9 tokens in total in the end scene.
If there is a Season 2, the mastermind is either someone we already met or someone that has not yet appeared onscreen. Recall #2 only shows up in the final arc so this writer does not play fair with the audience. In that case, it is not useful to speculate further. If however, the mastermind is someone we already met, I think it is most likely Shangguan Lan. It is evident from the plain cyan sleeves that it is a man and while the cloth is rich, there is no elaborate embroidery on the sleeve like the nobles and high officials like Pan Yue and Minister Pan wear. The Shangguan family keeps a private army and they have the vast resources and network to be behind this kind of clandestine organization. They also have links to witch doctors and dark magic, which is how Shangguan Zhi swapped bodies with Yang Caiwei. So it would not be surprising that they worship pagan gods like the ram god. I initially ruled out Shangguan Lan due to his age, but he could have inherited the token from his father.
There is also a possibility the mastermind is a woman because the Chinese title is The Flower Order. In that case, it could either be The Empress or Qingdi, who now pretty much controls Heyang after Pan Yue effectively eliminated all her rivals for her.
X
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– Beautiful scenography.
– Spectacular original soundtracks and background music.
– Okay acting. I was in it for Mike He and wasn't disappointed one bit in that regard, however, I feel like they could have fleshed out his character some more.
– Chemistry. This is really a matter of taste and opinion. The main couple did have chemistry and cute moments, but not to the degree that I would ship them (I think I shipped the side couple more). To me, their relationship felt more like a noona-dongsaeng relationship rather than a romantic/mature one, but guess that's a given considering the age of the actors.
What NOT to expect?
– A strong plot. The premise of the story was interesting—it was literally oozing with potential—however, not very convincingly executed. The plot was not strongly knit together and above all, lacked focus. It lost me somewhere between the middle and the ending.
– A love triangle (although the poster might suggest otherwise). Not sure if there was a love triangle—if there was, it was very vaguely present. Don't forget, Mike He is not playing the second male lead, he is playing the main character of his own story.
– Not the most satisfying ending of all. In fact, the ending was WTF-inducing and felt rushed. On the plus side (or not, depending on how you're looking at it), chances of a second season seem high judging from the manner in which things were rounded off in the final episode.
Was it worth watching? Yes. Would I watch it again? Doubt it.
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i would classify this as pornographic, there are explicit sex sceenes, which is fine, but you have to be in the mood for porn to watch porn. i was in the mood to watch a movie.
a previous reviewer talked about it being a pedophiles dream and stated the male character was 17. he's actually 19, i even turned off the subs and listened to them state his age, my korean leaves alot to be desired but i can count, so by american standards it isnt pedophilia. the actor that plays him was also well over the age of consent in both america and korea at the time of the filming, so if the under age thing had you skeeved out, dont be.
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They story is not anything new, but I loved the way the executed this movie, and it really stands out. You get sucked in the first seconds you watch this movie. There is NEVER a dull moment! So in the 2 hours you'll be guessing, sitting on the tip of your chair and you might encourage some characters.
The acting was amazing, the fact that they could suck me in from the first till the last seconds is very good! I thought everyone precisely fitted their character.
The music helps a lot to build up some tension, and I recommend this movie to anyone who likes action, a good story, suspense and tension!
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'"Passion" is a brand of Lubricant' said Chen Xi with a perfect little shit eating grin.
ᴍʏ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ ꜱʏꜱᴛᴇᴍ: 9.5 = [ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴇᴅ ɪᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪᴛ ᴀ ʟᴏᴛ, ɢᴏᴏᴅ ꜱʜᴏᴡ]I actually just loved this short piece in general!
Even just some of the candid dialogue lines in these short 4 episodes were so unique and so straightforward, and also quite true to how natural conversation and banter might go in a situation where two unfamiliar people are discovering attraction for one another and flirting. So let me break my thoughts down.
THE GOOD:
- Not only was their acting natural, smooth and appropriate to each scene, as well as their chemistry being easy and effortless, these two Chinese actors also might be two of the best looking leads I've seen together in a BL in a long time. For me personally, I usually end up liking one, or neither ML, looks-wise in a show, so the fact I think both of these actors were good looking was a bonus.
- The budget wasn't high for this but it goes to show what can be done with even a minimal budget if the actors, script, director and set designers are ALL competent. Very suitably written, designed and filmed.
- There was so much clear context in just four eps and yet it didn't feel rushed or forced or confusing. It was pretty complete for only being four episodes, we knew just enough about all the moving parts to understand these two characters individual situations and to appreciate their damaged yet sincere connection to each other.
- The dialogue, I loved the dialogue in this.
- Chen Xi's actor (and his character) was very unintentionally and intentionally sexy, it was a nice blend.
- Tidy little tale with a happy enough ending.
- No shitty slow motion, excessive music and all that crap that wastes time in the run of mill BLs.
No BAD here, but two smaaalll disappointments:
- Duh, the length, even just 4 eps at 30 min long would have been a little bit better.
- I wish they'd kissed properly even just once. The lip pecks were nice, but really, the visual of them kissing properly would have just been the cherry on top.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Again, some of the dialogue in this was so well written, just the right kind delivery too from the leads.
- Proper emotional range in the acting, which is rarely seen in BLs from Thailand, SK, Taiwan and Japan.
This is short but it's a small gem, I would 100% recc this.
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12 episodes could've easily cut down to 6. Casts weren't bad, cute enough and acting not terrible, but director & editors did a crappy job making most of what's already an unoriginal story. Still recommend watching it if you like BL. Concept is still cute and idea for BL couples, and who doesn't enjoy happy ending?
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I still can't believe I watched all 52+ episodes of this mess voluntarily.
I gave myself an extra week before finishing this drama because after weeks and weeks of this hot mess of a drama I wasn't quite ready for it to end. Watching this show has been slightly masochistic. The plot is possibly the most ridiculous I've ever committed to watching, the main couple was well past my threshold for cheesiness, and yet I couldn't look away. Every week I volunteered to be irritated by characters and baffled by their actions. The actors committed to some of the worst written characters I've ever seen, so I can respect them for that, but it is so way over the top that I couldn't take a minute of this seriously. If I could rename this drama I would call it "Why can't everyone just mind their own business?!!" since most of the plot ends up being about meddling parents and caring too much about what others have to say. I'm sure culturally this maybe resonates more with a Korean audience but I couldn't relate, and the actions of many of the characters felt insane. I felt insane too because I couldn't stop watching.The main story is pretty basic. A young tutor/nanny and her widower boss fall in love in the most nonsensical way. There is also an implied HUGE age gap between them which already felt strange because in real life there isn't that same big age gap, and it shows. Their romance also feels extremely childish. The FL was constantly having random mood swings that went from obsessed crush to pouty brat while the ML was usually in robotic and gullible mode. They fought like immature kids, not lovers, for most episodes. Maybe people who like an old-fashioned love story will like how innocent they are but I felt like they traded in chemistry for a more "wholesome" style that was more cringy and corny than exciting and romantic. Still, this didn't stop me from waiting and watching to see what would happen, even when the same tropes kept repeating episode after episode. The silly music often played to remind us when it was supposed to be funny but I don't remember ever laughing... not even once in 52 episodes. I just stared at the screen wondering how something so terrible could put such a spell on me.
The rest of the characters consist of selfish parents throwing tantrums... a Sa Ra who is just as evil and slap inspiring as Se Ra's of dramas past, a lot of random family members in their own relationship messes, and 3 kids... 2 of which are super adorable and the show's highlight by far. All of these characters also constantly talk to themselves aloud which adds another layer to the ridiculousness. Still, I can only blame myself for tuning in each week. I dare say the end didn't disappoint, complete with a cringy musical moment that felt like our big prize for finally finishing this. There were also dramatic moments that left me completely dry-eyed but helped with the closure I need to move on.
Would I watch this again? Bahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaa.
No.
Should you watch it? How do you feel about wasting hours of your life watching parents act like toddlers and the dysfunctional relationships they cause through meddling? Do you think dramas today aren't wholesome enough? Can you just not get enough of Amnesia plots? How about birth secrets and false paternity claims? Do you enjoy yelling "This is so stupid" at the screen? Do you enjoy being frustrated by characters doing things that make so sense at all? Do you love stories that drag out plots and jokes? Then by all means enjoy all 52 episodes of this train wreck of a drama. Scroll through the comments here and commiserate with others who also decided to watch this madness week after week. This is the one time where I feel like watching in real-time was better, and I just can't see binging this show for 52+ hours. The way so many parts of the plot drag on would be more blatant if watched back to back.
And don't forget the special... which could have easily been added to the last episode but maybe they needed more time for product placements and cheesy montages and flashbacks.
I admit that I will miss the "Do-Ba Do-bi-do-bi..." song during the awkward moments, which was a guilty pleasure.
Not to be confused with the more lighthearted "Dodo lehdehdeh..." lol! The music was definitely cued up to set the mood and will probably haunt me for years to come.
Overall, this is definitely a drama for a specific audience, so I don't want to trash it too much because I chose to keep watching. I'm still in shock that I made it to the end. If you dropped it, don't bother trying to watch it again. It doesn't get any "better" If anything it gets worse. Or maybe gather friends and you can heckle it together like "mystery science theater", because I know I wouldn't have made it without the comments here showing me I was not alone.
To all those who also made it to the end, We did it! I don't know why we did it to ourselves, but we did it!
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-Kiyoshi Kurosawa's films have always had a wonderfully surreal and eerie pitch to them, and the same goes for this TV mini-series. If you didn't know, there'd be no way to tell this was a TV show rather than a film.
-The cast is excellent, no exceptions.
-The premise and format of Shokuzai is highly intriguing: Five grade-school girls are good friends. One is abducted and murdered. Each subsequent episode reveals how this event screwed up all of their lives in completely different ways.
-The plot-line is highly suspenseful and unpredictable. One never knows what exactly is happening with each individual storyline or the overarching plot until near the end of each episode.
Negative thoughts:
-The show goes a bit too far into twisted and disturbing territory towards the end. I do immensely enjoy tragic and disturbing stories, and Shokuzai succeeded in this aspect for most of its duration, but by the end of the show it feels like the show starts becoming as twisted and disturbing as possible merely for the sake of it.
-Nearly every male character is either deranged or evil.
Overall thoughts:
I've always been more partial to Korean dramas, but Shokuzai has launched me into the Japanese drama scene, particularly WOWOW's mini-series'. Great show, and I hope to find more like it.
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When I started Secret Garden, I really didn't read the description. And, maybe that's a good thing. I might not have given it a fair shot. Because of that, the twists and turns that I experienced (especially after episode 5 or so) had such a big impact. My train of thought when things started to get interesting: "Wait, did they...did that really...did she just grab her own boobs? Wait a minute, did they just switch bodies? What? WTF? What just happened here?!" In all honesty, I should start watching everything now without reading descriptions. So much more emotional build-up and surprise. But, anyway, I digress.
With very few exceptions, Secret Garden did everything right. An unexpected plot journey, a phenomenal cast (even down to the supporting actors - Lee Jong Suk isn't just brilliant as a main lead in dramas...), beautiful settings, an evocative and unique soundtrack, heaps of awkward comedy, tear-jerking drama, and more. It was (and still is) everything I could ask for in a show.
Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won are simply incredible. Their chemistry is immediate, and it becomes an excellent foundation for the remainder of the story. Honestly, though, while I have a certifiable girl crush on Ha Ji Won, Hyun Bin truly made this drama. Completely. From the comedy of the body switching to the drama of the later episodes, he NAILS IT. The growth and changes that his character experiences are so fun to watch.
If you are unfamiliar with kdramas and would like to start, give Secret Garden a try. It's a great example of when things are done right. Even if you are a kdrama veteran and still have not managed to see it, I would still recommend it. There's a reason why so many dramas include bits from it.
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The story-line is absolutely hands down the best writing I've seen in a drama. The plot is well defined, the characters are so real and true to their personalities throughout, and the little nuances of individual people are always there that it took me watching it twice to fully take everything in. It has the best character growth I've seen yet also. You really get to see Ruo Xi grow up and become a much more mature, if not more defensive person (in terms of being careful of deception) and learn from her mistakes, but some of the mistakes she makes are impossible to stop because even if you're sent to the past, how do you know what you should say or shouldn't? (This always bothered me about going to the past type dramas, because there's usually that person that says "Don't do anything, or you'll change history!" but how do they know that that person isn't meant to say something to make the history they know happen?) Anyways, it was unavoidable to end up getting tangled in the prince's lives.
The bond the princes all have with Ruo Xi was such a pleasure to watch. They each have their own connection with her, from childhood friend, to soul-mate friend, to not meant to be lover, to true lover, and everything else in between. Even if they're out to get the throne, when it comes down to it, they'll do whatever they can to help her when she needs it. But don't worry, she's not a weak female lead by any means. She's strong, smart, and often comes to the princes aid even if it goes against her lover's desire. Her sense of relationship with each of the princes is so strong that she never abandons them and isn't above sacrificing herself to save their lives. (Not in the typical stupid female lead way either, but with an intelligent and thorough plan.)
It does have some palace intrigue, and vying for the throne of course, but when it comes down to it, it's about realizing what you have and sometimes learning to let go to what's gone, instead of trying to have everything, because eventually something will be sacrificed. I cannot get over just how much I adore this drama, and the characters are still firmly in my heart. 8th prince and 13th Prince, you'll always be my favorites!!
(Part of my review got cut off, so I'll add the rest here. I probably did something silly.)
There is of course an awesome and beautiful love story throughout the entire series. From first love to deep and soul capturing love, you can feel their profound love for each other, and how they grow to know and accept each other as time passes. There's none of the "I love you right away just because" feel a lot of dramas have, they grow up together and experience life side by side. You never doubt that they absolutely love one another. Even with the romance being a main point, this drama was so much more to me. It was about the wide variety of love and relationships a person has in their lives, and how each one weighs in your heart, and how they each mold who you are.
There is also a stark reality each character has to face, and you as a viewer have to accept. Not everything is sunshine and rainbows, and someone you knew can become someone you can't recognize through time. The drama does an amazing job of showing how you change through various trials, and how greed can poison everything.
The actors and actresses really did such an amazing portraying their roles, that I was lost in the story and almost forgot it wasn't reality. There are more than a few scenes I had to stop and re-watch right away just because of how powerful they were acted. Liu Shi Shi as Ruo Xi was astounding! I've only seen her in another drama, and while I liked her in it, her acting here godsmacked me. Down to the minute details, she executed her character perfectly. I honestly love Ruo Xi. Nicky Wu as 4th prince and Kevin Cheng as 8th prince also always left me in awe of their talent. I really felt like they were their characters, and I will definitely be watching more of their dramas just to see them act.
The OST is also just wonderful! It displays the emotions of the scenes perfectly, and really sets the tone of them. Some will make you tear up just hearing them, and other make your heart race because you know something is about to happen. It's one of the first OSTs I'll be downloading just to listen to when I want those feelings back.
Sorry for this being such a long review, but this drama left such an impact on me and really made me think about my life, or life in general, as corny as that sounds. XD Just one of those stories that stays in your heart and becomes a part of you. Please give it a chance, and maybe you'll love it as much as I do, or at least enjoy the ride. I don't think I'll ever get tired of this story.
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Xiao Fang is highly recommended
It is a must watch. Xiao Fang is not your typical series. Its nice to watch something which does not evolve around revenge, crime and incestuous relationships. The actors are all good.Plus the scenery. Its really a fresh breath of air. The series focused on how a choice can affect your life. Xiao Fang is so brave to break barriers. She is absolutely fearless. Her grandmother is my favorite. She is a grounded person.
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