Reviews

nothingburger

For a show with food names+ food on the poster + a chef as the lead, this had too few cooking montages.

I went in kind of expecting a show about food, different culture and how ppl are different yet all the same, and this show did have the material for that. An animater fmc from korea who is living in japan and a chef mmc who was born and brought up in japan....the perfect ingredients to a dish that was never cooked.

The only cultural thing they touched was them having different expectations on how dating looks like, other than that they did not touch this topic at all.

Pretty much nothing happens in this show. We have one conflict which is quickly solved and then an abrupt ending.

Read More

I doubt many writers wake up and say “Hey, let’s do a show about creating an alphabet! That will be exciting!” I suspect even fewer producers would greenlight such a project. Presumably, in the case of Tree with Deep Roots, the authors sold it as a conspiracy thriller, emphasizing the murders, mysteries and epic fight scenes. There is plenty of stylishly choreographed action and several hot guys with swords. However, as befits the show’s subject, the real battles are fought with words. And those battles are some of the most extraordinary I’ve ever seen on film.

“Tree” took a while to pull me in, but once the writers found their groove and the verbal fireworks began, it was riveting. Against the backdrop of a violent era, it asks if the brush can ever be mightier than the sword. If there is power in writing, and if so, who deserves to use it. If literacy is liberation or a different kind of slavery. Characters wield speech like blades in philosophical duels where systems of government and social orders hang in the balance. This is argument as blood sport – spectacular, visceral and deadly.

The cast tackles their paragraphs of text with gusto, and the director keeps the camera moving and the tension high. The final episodes falter a bit, veering away from ideas and more towards traditional action, with an ending that felt yanked from a summer blockbuster instead of developing organically from the drama's themes. Perhaps this was designed to appease nervous studio execs desperate to get to away from all the talking. It’s a small price to pay though for a show that is otherwise so smart, unconventional, and emotionally engaged as it teases out the limits and possibilities of language.

Read More

Not bad, at all.

It’s actually good, whoever said it’s very bad are exaggerating. Tbh, yes, it might took them longtime and it might not be like those really high quality American movies, but the plot, acting and the story are actually AMAZING! I am currently at episode 7 waiting for more to air or I guess maybe 2nd season? I already got very attached to this show and its story/plot! The more episodes air, the better and more interesting it gets. Their acting is soo good. Some did very good and some needed a little practice but overall there wasn’t a moment where I got dissatisfied with their acting. The OST is really good. Anyways I would say it’s really worth watching it, the more you dig in, the better it gets, the more exciting. So don’t drop it yet, keep watching, you will get attached to it, I’m telling you! To the ones who have dropped the series, y’all are missing out the whole plot! Wait till the end you, I promise you, you will love it! Was it worth the wait? Yes. Absolutely! 2 years, but they served!

Story: 9/10
The plot is amazing!!!! -1 because I just didn’t like how they fought a lot and all those stupid dramas they had while being in danger. It made mee maddd 😭 But overall, story = MASTERPIECE !!! AND THE END? EXCUSE YOU? I GOT GOOSEBUMPS, I won’t spoil tho 👀 Hihi

Acting/Cast: 9/10
I love the main roles! They picked the best ones, their acting was on point and it was just chefs kiss. I cried with them, stressed with them and even got angry and scared with them. The way they expressed their emotions was sooo goood! -1 because some support characters acting just needed some effort, I would say? They could do better…

Music: 10/10
Love it!

Rewatch: 9.5/10
Hell yeah I would definitely rewatched it!!! It’s soo good. I binge watched the entire episode even tho I was hella busy with studies but it was really worth it!

I hope the new episodes won’t disappoint us, watcher :,)
Thanks for reading!

Read More

Prison Playbook, a slice-of-life drama set in a prison. I won't say I didn't have my doubts about the series, although it wasn't because of the premise alone. What I didn't expect was that over these last few weeks this drama and it's character would become this close to my heart. But it has, and that's the reason I'm writing this review.

- This drama has so many things to offer to the viewers, and amongst all those things, one is the heartwarming friendship. This drama has one of the most wonderful portrayal of frienships that I've seen, and not just between the prisonmates. They might be at that place for different reasons, but they learn to lean on, rely and look out for each other.

- One of the most enticing things to look forward to in dramas (I guess this comes under the 'friendship' point mentioned above, but I have to mention this separately)- Bromance! This drama has plenty of it. Not just between the two 'main' characters, but between every single character in the drama.The bromance moments aren't just that'll make you laugh, although those are present. But also, there are bromance moments that'll make your heart feel like it's brimming over with feels.

- This drama has some serious #SQUAD-GOALS. The 2B6 wing is freaking awesome!!

- The comedy in the drama is top-notch. It's more subtle in it's approach, but that doesn't negate it's effect. Infact that fact alone makes those comic scene laugh-out-loud worthy. Those humour scenes mostly result from Je Hyeok's various interactions in prison. As he himself likes to put it, he's a bit 'stupid' when it comes to things other than baseball, which leads to some hilarious situations. Ofcourse, other character too, more than contribute the comedy in the drama.

- This drama is about each and every character, not just the main lead(s). It focuses on every single character, whether they are inmates, correction officers, or their families. And that's what makes the viewers fall in love with the characters here. It's hard to find a drama where you love (almost) all the charaters, whether they have minor or major role. I loved so many characters here, I think it's even hard to pick a favorite. But Lieutenant Paeng does come really close.

- Every character has a story. Of who they are. Of how they got here. Of what they dream of. Of what are their hopes for the future. Their story gives us insight into their personalities, and is one of the many things, that makes the viewer close to them.

- Aside from the individual acting of all the actors, which ofcourse is truly commendable, the chemistry between the characters here is crazy good! From Je Hyeok & Joon Ho, Joon Ho & his brother to Looney & Kaist, every character interaction will have you craving for more!

- For the romance lovers, there is romance. It's a bit subtle and can't be considered a main genre. But it is a sub-genre, and it's more than enough, believe me.

- Let's be honest for a second, and admit that there's a lot of prejudice attached with the word 'prison' alone. And there's a reaso for it. Whether they are rightly or wrongly convicted, for the law, and henceforth for the 'general public' they're still criminals, whatever their crimes may be. Hence the prejudice. But in this drama, the writer tries, and is successful, in breaking our preconceptions about those matters. The writer, through this beautiful drama, stresses on the fact that the convicts are, before anything else, human. And just like everyone else, they are also trying to live their life. Some are trying to make the best of their situations, trying to learn from their past mistakes, and are hoping for a better future. At the same time, there are also those who have despaired, and given up on their future. The writer beautifully captures both these types of inmates,

- Have to mention the OST, ofcourse. The songs were good and fitting with the series. I specially liked the songs the 'theme song' "OK', ", 'Bravo My Life' by Eric Nam, Would Be Better' by Heize & 'Like A Dream' by Park Boram

- If you're hesitating because of the run-time of the episode, or if by any chance, you find the first few episodes 'slow', my advice for you would be to keep watching. With this drama, you just need to find your rhythm and pretty soon you won't even notice how long the episodes are. Of course, you could always love the drama right from the start!


Well, that's about it for the review. I hope you give this one a chance, because otherwise you'll be missing out on a wonderful drama.
Happy Watching!!

Read More

Psychometry: The ability through touch, to experience what someone has seen, witnessed in the past; ergo the title of this movie, The Gifted Hands. Rewatch?!! You betcha! A kind friend made this available for me temporary to watch and let me tell you, without English subs, this is one FANTASTIC movie! From beginning to end, I was enthralled and spell-bound by what was happening. Kim Bum, to me is the best of the F4 when it comes to acting. I have yet to see him in a role that he does not shine! And in this as Kim Joon is no exception. I cannot imagine being a person with this ability and being able to function on a daily basis. And as Kim Joon, he showed us how tortured his existence is. Kim Kang Woo as Yang Choon Dong was GREAT! He also brought to life the detective on the case. But let me tell you, even though the scenes are not graphic, I must warn you there is some seriously, twisted cruelty to animal scenes so Animal lovers, beware! Hopefully at the end of the movie, there is a notice that no animals were hurt during the filming. But let me take a moment and talk about our little consummate actress, Kim Yoo Bin who plays the last little girl kidnapped. She is now on my kids to watch list. She is so good in this and if you don't cry during some of her later scenes, you're made of stone! Do I plan on watching this again? Absolutely!!

Read More

I'll be totally honest: I still enjoyed this show a lot and would definitely watch season 2.
The main reason I got curious about it was all the fuss around MewArt (that I adore so much, as a couple and singles too) and also because of the work of Lazy Subber whose commentary made me laugh like nothing else xD
I will recommend this series if you're into something romantic and intriguing, but at the same time funny and easy (nothing too serious).
Also, this is way more explicit than half of the BL Thai dramas I've seen so far, at least in terms of physical interaction.
The age focus is also different: all the characters are already working and out of school/university.


However...
- the acting is so so. It aches me to say, but some scenes are not believable at all. I love all the cast, but they could have done way better
- the reasoning behind some characters choices is simply stupid and even though I loved the easygoing feeling of the main couple (Pop-Oat), i didn't get some part at all... and it wasn't because of the translation or a cultural barrier... it was just absurd.
- my full and total love goes to some sexy scenes (kisses and stuff), but I agree with some other opinions: it may seems fake. For me it wasn't the case, cause i was really involved and totally enjoying it xD (I sound like a pervert)
- I wish they spent more time on preeBo, analyzing Rambo's behaviour and Pree's one sided love for Pop better (they just threw facts at us, not giving any clear explanation or character analysis)
- I skipped many parts out of boredom (conversations between Pop and Mo)
- I hate Pent so much. I know he's a funny character, but I can't stand it... especially when he's with Rambo.


I must say I loved the bickering between Oat and Pop, and their story is very cute. It made me feel warm and cozy.
I'll not miss season 2, because I really hope the characters would grow and I'm so curious about the 2 couples.

Read More

STORY- This story is just amazing, I don't really have words to describe my feelings for it. The drama was at it best when it was with the opera troupe. The main two characters are so well written and developed, you just fall in love with them. There friendship (bromance) is so beautifully written. I felt that the director and writer knew and understood the source material, they tried to respect the BL elements as best they could considering censorship. The only parts of the story I did not enjoy were the WWII elements, I found these parts to be pretty boring. This drama is just stunning and a must watch for story alone. Also the production was stunning from the costumes to the lighting it is a gorgeous drama.

ACTING- Andrew Yin was AMAZING as Xirui. He really stood out to me, and I felt like he really captured the character of Xirui well. I was never the biggest fan of Xiao Ming but he did really well in this drama. The whole cast did a really great job.

MUSIC- I thought the soundtrack was really well done. The Peking Opera songs were so beautifully done.

REWATCH- I will most likely watch this show again. Even if this show is really heavy at times and can be a tearjerker, it just to stunning to not watch again.

Read More

It wasn’t that bad actually it was pretty good and I recommend it.

This is to convince you that the drama is good but could’ve been perfect
First of all, all the cast fit the role they were given but i found Jin Se Yeon’s character kinda annoying as she kept hugging and embracing the main guy when she was engage with the second lead, kinda annoyed at how she couldn’t choose one and hold onto them both causing all three of them to get hurt and i kinda didnt like her beliefs, in one of the episodes somewhere when she was in the car with second lead she said it doesnt matter if a criminal gets let free and she believes he can change, that annoyed me as she seems to not care about people’s death which i know isn’t true bc in the earlier episode she apparently saved someone. Ugh i dont know her character just seemed flawed, her character here kinda reminds me of her character in doctor stranger, i dont like it.

The thing i liked the most from this drama was jang ki yong’s character, i liked how his character seemed psychopath but you somewhat will want to hug him as he seems to be getting blamed on, like his characters were hella precious. He’s the main guy but yet most of the times the second lead seemed more of a main guy than the actually main guy. It reminds me of this phrase ‘this is supposed to be my drama/ I dreamed this drama/dream’

I’m not sure if he died at the end or not but i think he did, at the last scene the female lead was crying while looking at the main guy (I think that was the main guy) but before that scene she was with the main guy at Old Future smiling.

Please give this drama a chance (; it could’ve been perfect there was only a few flaws and annoying things in this drama

Read More

I honestly loved this movie! The "anime-feel" of Kurosaki-kun no Iinari ni Nante Naranai was spot on. It was not only hilarious but left me with butterflies in my stomach. ^-^ Also, and this was a fact that surprised me with this movie, that it was kind of hot for a Japanese drama (which usually tends to leave us with shallow or few kisses), but this was a lot more, well physical, but of course in a sweet way. Haha.

So if you want something light, fuzzy, hilarious, adorable and mildly steamy, then this is the drama for you. ;)


Also! I recommend you to watch the drama series first, then the movie, since the movie takes place after the drama.

Read More

Excellent acting but slightly weak plot

I'm on holiday in Bangkok when I decided to catch the movie since I'm not sure if it will be shown in Singapore.

First thing to note - It's not a BL movie but the chemistry between Mile and Apo is still there.

As someone who is not Thai, it feels weird realising that the dialogue was not in the Thai language that I'm used to with my Thai friends. I think it's in one of the many Thai dialects but got used to it within 15 mins of the movie.

The production is seriously gorgeous. The costumes, the make-up, the backdrop was all so beautiful. It is a visually appealing movie in every way.

Apo's acting improved a lot compared to back in KinnPorsche. Bas was a little bit underuse but the scene between Apo, Mile, Tong & him - Bas completely stole the scene from everyone. I hope people in the industry notice more of his skills. Personal opinion - I feel that Mile's acting was the weakest among the 4 of them. I felt that the other 3 step up their game while Mile's acting was still the same back in KinnPorsche but still love him.

The plot was okay. I felt that something is missing from the storyline but I'm not sure what it is.

Overall, totally worth it for me to catch it at the cinema while on holiday!

Read More

I started watching because I saw a clip of Vier helping Love out of the water. Most male actors have a hard time playing a fenale in a male body but this was the exception. Male Love never felt like a guy was the character but it also didn't feel cheesy.
Pros: the acting was incredible. When Love is stuck as a boy in ep 4, her/his screams were so painful. Just like when Tangmo died infront of her/him. Tangmo was also a strong actor, you could see him start to fall for love and his heartbreak was subtle but perfect. Vier's guilt was well portayed as well.
The plot was another pro. Rather than take the general route where a guy falls in love with the guy only to find out he was a she and have a happy hetero ending, this had Tangmo like Love as a guy and embrace that and when he found out Love is a she but stuck as a he, he expressed that he didn't care what her body was just that they were them.
There was more than just romantic love expressed as Vier dealt with his fatherly love, Good and Love shared familial love, and friendship was strong.
Cons: The small con I found was that with only 8 episodes I thought it was a poor choice to have Nuclear have a love subplot. It did not add to the show and took time away. The first episode needed better pacing. The last episode was a bit rushed ad well.
Overall the show was a pleasant genderbend and a story that has everything.

Read More

Starts boring, then interesting then boring again??

The first time I watched Episode One, I was bored. Not really bored but just bored, but since EP2 was coming out in two days I said "let's give this drama a chance." And it was amazing! For the first part...

The story is suppose to be a life as a idol, or at least that's what I think. Does this drama portrayed that? I'm not an idol so how would I know? But I could say the drama handled it pretty okay? I was thinking the show would put limelight into the idol life and how hard and stressful it is. I mean it did that, but only for some scenes. Most of this turned into a rom-com.
But that's not my main problem. It's just some relationships I don't like and have a problem with.

MA-HA AND RYEOK (Main couple)
I could say they're pretty cute. The only problem I have with them (well really Ryeok) is how Ryeok breaks up with her (Ma-ha) EP9 because he's worried about Shax's. Then literally the NEXT. The NEXT episode, they get back together? I get they're 12 episodes but come on, what the hell was the point of the break up then? For tension? If so, their was barely any. I get the breakup's are suppose to be like a "Oh my gosh NOOO!" for the viewers moments but if they broke up, at least give them 2 episodes to get back together? The romance with them felt kind of force? I did admit they're pretty cute but the first few episodes I couldn't really say 'aww" to a lot of their moments up until EP4 or EP5.

RI AH AND LEE HYUN
I personally can't say much about them, they barely get any screen time soo... They would look cute together though. Don't really love them but don't hate them either.

HYUN JI AND YOO JUN
Oh my gosh does this couple suck. No offense to any of you guys who like this couple nor any disrespect to the actors but I see no chemistry at all. It's obvious Hyun Ji has feelings for Yoo Jun but him? No. It looks like he doesn't even like her romantically. They barely even had interactions together, unless it was just him asking about Ma-ha. I really didn't like these two, by EP9 I was hoping they would get more development as a couple but nope. nope nope nope, did they not.

LA LI MA
I love her so much! Her character AND her actor! At first, you probably think (if you didn't read the webtoon) that Li Ma will be the antagonist/jealous SFL (second female lead) of the show. But it's really not like that!

FLAWS
Only flaw I can find (other than some of the actors acting) is the relationship between Hyun Ji and Yoo Jun. And some more duration time into the episode would've been great for character/relationship development. I mean that's a lot of problems with 12 episode shows, character development.

SHAX'S FANS
Oh my gosh do I hate the main three fan girls. So annoying! But they also do show something, They show a lot of real fans out their of real idols. Some fans actually do stalk their favorite idol and get way to much into their personal lives. As much as I hated the Shax fans, I'm glad they got showed.

EUNJO AND ANNIE
Honestly, yes they have a sad story but their plot reminds me of At a distance, Spring is Green with Yeo Jun's family problems barely being apart of the plot even though there's a lot of flashbacks. The same thing with Eunjo and Annie, their plot is barely brought up and resolved easily by 2 episodes.

Honestly when it starts getting boring is around EP10. Even though their was some REALLY GOOD ost in that episode!

The acting was good! I willingly just watched this because it was an upcoming drama, knowing none of the actors! Some scenes had some average acting, some bad and some good.

The Music. OH. MY. IS IT GOOD! I love ALLL of the ST (sound tracks) played in this show! This is mostly why I'm giving it what I gave it. I’m mostly biased here since I'm a huge k-pop fan.

Am I rewatching? Yes but not all episodes. As I did state I didn't like a lot of the relationships here. I'll rewatch episodes like EP4, EP7 and more.

SUMMARY
In total, the show is about a rising girl group, a popular boy group, and an average boy group all trying to make it bigger and bigger into the industry while obviously having a bit of drama and relationships on the side. I recommend to stay for the music if you hate the relationships as some relationships suck/have no development or are just average and have cute moments.

Anyway. Consider yourself lucky if you didn't watch this while it was airing, the torture of waiting every Friday for 1 episode. ONE.

Read More

1) The reason I watched this :

I discovered it by mere chance while I was searching through some Asian sites.
“A miserable girl because of her irresistible beauty... Is her beauty the Blessing? Or the Curse? »: this line reminded me of a similar case in my real life that’s why I decided to watch this.

2) Storyline/Plot:

*This is a different unique storyline that touches a sensitive subject especially to women species which is Beauty.
In this review, I won’t talk about main genres because it’s a dramatic film (only one genre).

Positive Points:

*This film had an uncommon concept which made it absorbing and beautiful in too many ways; the storyline felt atypical in an intriguing way.
*The film touched a common issue (beauty) and made it unusual; the storyline conveyed an interesting point of view about beauty whether it was obsession or dissatisfaction; everything about this matter seemed appealing.
*This film’s plot makes you want to know more, its events can release the curiosity within you that’s why you can never lose interest in the storyline’s development.

Negative Points:

For me there weren’t any negative points to talk about but I will mention some points that felt negative to the majority of the audience:

*This film contains some serious disturbing scenes which can make you feel disgusted that’s why I will point out that this film is directed for adult audience only.

Story: 10/10.

3) Acting/Cast:

*The acting department was extremely good, I am not familiar with any of them but the lead female delivered great feelings while portraying the role. Although, she doesn’t have the breathtaking beauty but she had the great skills to make the role feel believable.
Other actors were good too, their acting was convincing.

*Characters were attention-grabbing especially Eun Young who was a great main character; she managed to be interesting no matter what’s her state. Furthermore, the character development was fascinating in a way to make you sympathize with her at some points, hate her at other points but most of all you would feel her.

*Other characters were important for the storyline’s development; all the reactions that we get to see were simply mesmerizing in terms of beauty.

*Appreciated character: The policeman had a critical character here; if he didn’t exist then Eun Young would be on her own. He was struggling in his own way too, I liked that character.

*Relationships:

--->Eun Young and the policeman: It was charming while being dangerous; this relationship was appreciated because it was convincing on too many levels.

--->Eun Young Vs the world: This relationship was the core of this film; it conveyed too many strong messages to viewers.

Cast: 8/10.
Acting: 9/10.

4) The ending:

The film’s ending was logical; you wouldn’t expect a fluffy ending for this type of storyline. The ending scene was very creative and disturbing at the same time.

The ending: 8.5/10.

5) My impression (How did it affect me):

*Like I mentioned earlier, this film’s storyline’s is similar to a person who’s close to me that’s why I was very invested in its events. However, personal reasons were only a part of my liking because this film has a very interesting and unique storyline.

*Is this film memorable: Yes it is, it was a different story with an unusual topic that deserves to be remembered.

My impression: 8.5/10.

6) Overall:

*If you like different unique storylines then you may like this.
*If you’re easily disturbed then you may not like this.
*If you’re not a proper adult then I wouldn’t recommend this.

*Beautiful was a film that contained a different storyline with a brilliant lead female actress who knew how to make it appealing.

Overall: 8.5/10.

Read More

Mommy and Daddy issues at its most disturbing....

This is not a romance but a drama in its true meaning, set in a beautiful setting, filled with dialog, gazes, and a whole lot of yelling.

This drama is extremely messed up, and beautifully made, telling a story I am not sure I wanted to know about in a way that had me feeling conflicted feelings about how extremely messed up everything in this drama was. As every single one of the people in here was crying for help in one way or another, making me hope all three would go their separate ways, get help and move on with their lives... And while I truly appreciated the production of this the dialog itself seemed to never really end in one way it was sooo not my cup of coffee, it felt more or less unbearable, while at the same time I appreciated how uncomfortable it made me feel...

There are a lot of intense gazes and dare I say flirting between the male leads, however the creators make sure the audience does not forget for one moment how messed up those gases really are, Though both male leads are adults capable of making their own choices etc...

" Is there something wrong with falling for the man my father once loved" - Well I may be a bit conservative here but kind of yes... Sorry kiddo there are a lot of things that you can inherit from your dad, but the man he loved is just not one of them...

However that was not nearly as disturbing as the way the mother in this drama talked about both her dead ex husband and son...

Giving us honest and raw emotion, loss, regret, screaming silence and I guess a story rarely seen on screen...

So there was a lot of disturbing dialog, even more disturbing silence... Honestly I think the silence in this drama spoke the loudest and was actually the most brutal part of it all...

I do not really know where I am going with this since I do not want to spoil the plot but if you are looking for any type of romance then run for the hills and watch more or less anything else, But if you want to feel really uncomfortable, watch some dialog driven drama, emotional stuff and secrets being dragged out by force... in a mess of mommy and daddy issues at their worst. This is definitely a must watch!

Read More