1More like a glimmer rather than being starstruck
I've said it before and I'll say it again: This should have been a movie. Or, at least, been released all at once. The cut-off of many episodes felt unsatisfying and, overall, just got in the way of the flow of the story.Also, it seemed like scenes were missing, and I'm sure a longer runtime would have added more depth to it . . . However--strangely--I'm not mad about it.
Maybe it's the indie vibes and solid acting that won me over and made me see past its flaws.
Just about Zuho: I do have to bring up how great it was to have him, being the fairly famous K-Pop Idol he is, actually speak out against the hate he was getting for acting in a BL, and not just that, but openly voice his support, love, and respect for the LGBT+ community in his response.
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Tree with Deep Roots
41 people found this review helpful
1A vividly told emotional story about the creation of Hangul and its impact. Absorbing. Gripping.
Of course, this historical drama is (as many others) full of intrigues, power struggles and revenge. But King Sejong, the 4th Joseon king, who is the historical subject of this KDrama, was indeed a bright shining star in the Joseon sky. So is this KDrama.King Sejong created the Korean alphabet. Not just him alone. But this great achievement goes back to his driving force and his vision of a mature people. The story impressively tells of the bumpy road to Hangul. It also tells of how important it is as an identity-creating medium for self-confident citizens. Previously, Hanja - the canon of sheer countless characters of Chinese origin - was the country's binding writing. Not only that, but a whole range of Korean words are loanwords of Chinese origin - to this day. At the same time, this reflects the asymmetrical balance of power between the Korean dynasties and the Chinese dynasties. The use of the Han signs not only symbolizes the hierarchy among the peoples, but also within one's own people. Scribes and scholars were needed, who had the muse and time to learn these characters (more than 100,000 in total). Thus, they had the authority to interpret. It was hardly possible for ordinary people to learn. A scripture that connotes words and meanings in characters is based on a completely different concept than a scripture composed of a compact alphabet. Based on the phonetics of the Korean language, King Sejong developed an alphabet finally consisting of 14 symbols for consonants and 10 for vowels. The writing system to apply those in a way to form words and sentences can be learned comparatively quickly, even by ordinary people. What a progressive concept at the time! What a threat to the elite of scholars and noblemen!
The title "Deep Rooted Tree" refers to verses from the 'Songs of the Dragons That Fly to the Sky' - the Yongbieocheonga. This contemporary document about the Joseon Dynasty and its legacy was the first book that was ALSO written in the new Hangul writing system.
"Deep Rooted Tree" is (among many other truly exciting dramatic events throughout the story) about the impact of scripture for the people of Joseon - a story vividly told in an absorbing manner. A truly fantastic presentation. With gripping protagonists. Multidimensional. With high emotional impact.
The dramaturgical setting introduces the king (from the perspective of the male protagonist) as the bad guy. But the 24 episodes (analogous to the alphabet?) provide an impressive insight into the fascinating life´s work of that great king - embedded in the excitingly increasing momentum of the vendetta of a boy from humble origins who grows up to become an outstanding warrior and finally ends up as royal guard.
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Mr. & Mrs. Smith but historical China
I saw this described as Mr. & Mrs. Smith but period C-Drama* and I would say that's a pretty accurate description.The shortness of the drama left no space for filler episodes or unnecessary drama, which honestly was really great to watch. The emotions from the actors were very well portrayed, and I really loved seeing a female lead that was strong and could protect herself (which is unfortunately rare in these types of dramas). I wasn't as invested in the side couple as I was the main couple since I felt they were a little bit more cliché, but they were still interesting enough to watch.
Because this show is so short, I found myself hitting "next" all too often, which made this go by too quickly! But honestly it was truly a well-done show. It didn't feel like they were too low-budget (likely because it was short) so I was never pulled away in disbelief.
Nobody was ever annoying, everyone played an important role. There were funny moments, serious moments, romantic moments, and sad moments. The ending was a little too neatly tied together, but even so I still very much enjoyed it.
This is honestly one of my favorite C-Dramas now, just because it's so fun to watch!
*credit for the description to sarah-yyy on tumblr
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The film main point is making a dictionary titled “The Great Passage”, like the chief-editor stated: “A dictionary is a ship which crosses the sea of words and languages”. Being a lover of dictionaries and words in general, I am ashamed to admit that I was ignorant of the hardships and the overwhelming mission of making a dictionary that may take more than a decade to accomplish. Therefore, this film was such a penetrating telling of an intriguing theme.
While watching The Great Passage, you will be stroked by two things: the story’s process and the characters’ portrayals and interactions. The first part is a quite slow narration of events that may not sound impressive at first sight. However, with the film progressing; many parts start to connect and the plot becomes as solid as ever. Moreover, light moments were also used to add some entertainment such as the editors eavesdropping on young girls’ conversation to find out new words invented by the younger generations. Although, this film may not be to everyone’s liking because of the theme and the very slow events’ development but I believe that was the perfect way of making such a film.
The second part is what makes the film quite special too; this film’s characterization was carefully handled to not appear surreal or lacking. For instance, the male lead Majime (literally translated as “serious”) was a quiet man who finds trouble with expressing himself; he’s always surrounded by books and has zero friends and thus no social abilities. The only one who’s able to understand him a little is his landlady. When such a man gets the chance to make a dictionary, he was inspired and determined to make it his life goal. In the meantime, he falls in love and starts struggling to win his lady’s heart, despite his lack of self-expression, while continuing his dream of making the dictionary come to life.
On the other hand there are his co-workers at the dictionary department; his fellows in this enormous mission of defining, refining and editing thousands of words in a modern-day dictionary. All of his colleagues were quite endearing but the most captivating character must’ve been Nishioka; an entirely opposite character of Majime; talkative, social and very affectionate; he was Majime’s right hand because dictionaries can’t be made by bookworms alone.
The acting was powerful. Matsuda Ryuhei is a very talented and versatile actor; I’ve got the chance to see him in five different roles so far and I loved him in all of those but this must be where I become a great fan of his acting style: expressive, calm but turns intense in need. His portrayal of Majime’s was perfect; he involves you with his character at every facial expression. Other actors were also quite good in here especially Miyazaki Aoi and Odagiri Joe, one heck of an iconic Japanese actor.
The selected music for this film was very well synchronized with the film’s theme and developments. It adds a great taste to the watching experience. The cinematography was also pretty well conveyed considering the fact that this film contained many time jumps from the 1995 till 2010.
Watch if:
-You’re interested in different types of films.
-You like watching inspirational films.
-You like to learn more about dictionaries.
-You like watching high-profile acting.
Do not watch if:
-You can’t handle slow films.
-You’re looking for romance.
-You’re not interested in dictionaries or words.
-You find inspiring stories “boring”.
The Great Passage is a motivating film that handles a different topic. It’s certainly not for everyone but if you can handle it then it’s undoubtedly one of those hidden gems that leave you with a smile on your face.
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Just to the add. The leads remain true to themselves and just like their love it has always been honest and sincere. The heart to heart talk and mature discussion before the made up and even the proposal was so fitting. I love the balance of sweet romance and a couple who is honest and mature to face the reality and their background differences, together.
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BEST TIME TRAVEL THRILLER EVER!!!
The storyline and plot is PERFECT for a time travel concept UNLIKE ALICE cough* cough* . The main characters are actually SMART and they actually come up with realistic good plans to try and solve the mystery. The antagonist are all so intelligent that they use MANIPULATION rather than brute force to get what they want. SIGNAL + WORLD OF THE MARRIED = KAIROSThe present and the past are easily distinguished and they put DATE LABELS ON EVERY TRANSITION that makes it easier for the viewers to differenciate. It has ALMOST 0 PLOT HOLES and every change in the past perfectly resembles the change in the future flawlessly. The story IS NOT DRAGGY and every episode ends on a cliff hanger making you want more.
Recommended to VETERAN KDRAMA VIEWERS who can appreciate MYSTERY THRILLERS with NO ROMANCE
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I made jokes about this one in the comments when I first read the synopsis. I was expecting to be force-fed some BS attraction between a young guy and a woman 14yrs older than him. After the first episode, I felt like I was dead on with my expectations, but kept watching since it was entertaining enough. It didn't take long for me to see that I was actually dead wrong.
This show was so well-executed that even the cliche parts came off as normal occurrence. You feel like this story is somehow familiar, like you know some people who have experienced the same regardless of how far-fetched that would be. What I love most is each hurdle is a real growing experience. Not just an "Oh, I messed up and apologized, now forgive immediately." There's depth in each situation.
The chemistry between all the characters is spectacular. Yes, I said all. Each person fits into their role snugly and works so well with anyone else that's on-screen with them. Enemies, friends, lovers, family... you'd think you were made privy to the lives of actual people, it all feels so natural.
Best part: Uhm Jung Hwa's acting. None of that typical stuff actresses do to mimic falling in love. She brings those real reactions that women usually can't prevent from doing and endearing qualities of an enamored woman to her character. All of this while still maintaining a strong no-nonsense personality. She portrayed a woman that can be an axe-grinder, and cutely fall in love without compromising her strength. She also is able to grow to learn from her lessons and change only what needs changing.
For me, this is the second best drama I've ever watched and I'm a harsh critic. I'd highly recommend it.
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24 eps seem too short for the first time!
"Our Secret" is a drama with a good plot, lovable characters and excellent acting. the actors in this drama aren't that famous (edit: this was before hidden love) but their acting is really good; definitely how a high schooler would behave, in my opinion. it's fast paced with little or no filler scenes so overall it was a good watch. it felt so nostalgic (even tho I haven't finished my high school yet).the ML was portrayed splendid, props to the actor. he wasn't oblivious but seemed to get along with people around him quite well unlike other leads who act like they are allergic to humans or whatever. no super rich high school 'chaebol' heir so it makes the viewers easy to empathize. the way he looks at the FL melts me uwu. he really set the bar high for a "boy in love".
the FL did an excellent job in expressing a desk-mate who gradually falls in love with someone who she never thought she would and thinks he doens't reciprocate her feelings. she portrayed a girl chasing her love in a charming way and we can't help but root for this cute couple pairing.
the side characters weren't annoying. they had their own story to tell, making us cheer for them even with the little screen time they had. I loved the friendship among all of them.
I really had fun watching this!! trust me, it's a really good watch/re-watch!! ♡. if only someone would look at me the way ML looks at FL... I should prolly stop dreaming *cries in Chinese*. jokes aside, this is definitely a drama that'll stay with me for a long time. I could literally feel the emotions conveyed in the story. wow, what a ride! best of luck to all the actors' future works! signing off.
I'm in love with Chen Zhe Yuan if it wasn't obvious already ♡
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This review may contain spoilers
OH THE FEELS!!! And OH THE ORIGINALITY!!! And OH THE AWESOME LEADING MAN AND SUPPORTING CAST OF CHARACTERS!!! Those are the reasons Ho Gu’s Love (HGL) is getting this review from me. After I finished watching HGL I immediately gave it a 10, then I let it soak in a while and let my objective mind take over and bumped it down to 9.5, but really it’s more like a 9.9 with the only flaw being that so much of the plot had to depend on just simple misunderstandings (like 16 hours of Three’s Company). I felt that after a while it might have been better served for at least one of the misunderstandings to have been cleared up a little sooner, and they became so silly as to almost be a parody of themselves within the drama, as though it was self-aware as to what absurd lengths the misunderstandings had gone (which actually made it better for me). That said the feels and the cast and the characters and the originality were just so on point that they overcame this flaw and then bounded past it like a bullet train past a horse and buggy. So without further ado, here is why Ho Gu’s Love is one of my favorite Kdramas of all time.1. Originality: Yes, I consider originality an essential element of a great Kdrama. HGL had many elements we don’t normally see in Kdramas including decent treatment of normally risqué themes (all of which I’m not going to name because spoilers). It also frequently upended my expectations of how the plot would play out, with a particular bit at the end that I was surprised by when I really thought it would go another direction to give a more pat Kdrama moment (once again, you have to see it to know what I mean). Also, there are amazing parental characters that behave in such refreshingly awesome ways.
2. Characters: Oh the characters. I am so in love with HO GU I just cannot stand it. He really is one of the best leading men characters of all time. The writer (and the actor, to be discussed next) took a character that could have been just a fool and just a sicky sweet guy and made him so real and warm that it truly is a feat of genius. I think what is most amazing about Ho Gu and the way he is written and acted is that he makes everyone else in the world look like the fool that they think he is. It’s like he has got it right and we are all wrong. Even when he shows flaws like being a little too clingy or nosy, it’s okay because sometimes in real life our emotions do override our rational and that can happen in the moment. And then at the end he even grows. There’s never been a character like him before.
a. Do Hee: She rubbed me a bit wrong at first, but by the end I was totally in love with her. She really is pretty awesome!
b. Byun Kang Chul: Speaking of rubbing me wrong at first. There are people that dropped this drama because they hated him so much. To them I say WAIT! Nothing is as it seems! He is wonderful and his growth in the drama is the greatest; don’t judge after just a few eps. You are totally wrong!
c. Ho Kyung: BAD ASS!
d. Do Hee’s Baby: The cutest baby in the history of Kdramas.
e. The Support(ive) Cast: The greatest parents ever (Ho Gu’s)! Parents that show a lot of growth. Funny and kind friends who also have lives of their own and aren’t just props. It all results in just the sweetest extended family you’ve ever seen!
3. Acting: Awesome across the board! Even Uee who I previously didn’t think much of was wonderful in her way. And Im Seulong, who I found almost mesmerizing in Mandate of Heaven as the king, was even better here. He really is good and I expect great things from him in the future. He can do drama or comedy with equal aplomb. And his physical comedy is just hilarious. The supporting actors and actresses are all good, especially the parents and the actress that plays Ho Kyung.
But Choi Woo Shik, for him I don’t know if there are words. He is a star. He is wonderful in every way. Without him the character of Ho Gu would have failed with a thud. CWS is PERFECT in this drama with no flaws. When he cries, I cry. When he laughs and smiles, I laugh and smile. When he is intense, I burn and when he does physical comedy, I laugh until my nose runs. He brings Ho Gu so much life and warmth and spirit and even gravitas for a character that on paper would have none. I love him in this. I love him so much it hurts!
4. Plot and Writing: As I said earlier, there is a little weakness here where the plot depends too much on misunderstandings, but the originality and the dialog and the twists more than make up for that weakness. I know this was based on a manhwa so it’s not an original story and I have not read the manhwa so I don’t know how much this deviates, but I think the writing was really top notch. Once again a cable channel brings home the bacon where so many network shows fail miserably.
5. THE FEELS! What puts this drama over the top for me in terms of love and awesomeness though is the feels. I laughed; I cried; I laughed; I cried. I did those things over and over again, episode after episode. I can watch whole dramas and never laugh out loud or cry like a baby; I did both every week with this show. Maybe it touched me more deeply because I have a 16 mo baby. I don’t know. But I will never forget the emotions this show made me feel for as long as I watch Kdramas.
So there you have it. Stop whatever you are doing now and go watch this drama. It is nearly perfect and where it isn’t perfect, the intangibles make up for it. And if you love great acting, you have to see Choi Woo Shik in this. You are really depriving yourself otherwise.
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The writing/direction/production team all paid close attention to detail and crafted both scenes and sets with clues and forshadowing that make it the perfect sort of show to rewatch.
For anyone who is into story analysis, it struck me in the closing scenes that they wrote a Hero's Journey into a romance plot (not along side it, but literally, the romance IS a hero's journey), which is really something amazing. I can't say I've ever seen it before. So, I feel like it's not hyperbole when people say this is the best show they've ever watched. It's pretty amazing.
(Original review written around episode 8 below):
There's so much going on in this series that I love. The writing is tight, well paced, and presents at the same time a fascinating puzzle of a time travel story; a deep reflection on grieving; a thriller-type murder-mystery; and a double romantic comedy, played out in different timelines. It is genuinely a cross-genre show, so don't go in expecting pure comedy OR pure drama.
The acting is fantastic. I have always thought Alice Ke was an exceptional actress and she's not disappointing here. I liked Greg Hsu in Love Storm, and he's even better in this. The whole cast is great, but these two really shine. Directing. It's brilliant. Together, the writing and directing are letting the mystery of the time travel as well as the murder unfold in a way that raises new questions as it answers old ones. The directing includes so many little details that not only draw us into the mystery of the time travel, but hint at the more overarching explanation of what is happening. There are nice little symbolisms, like the red earbuds that the leads share at times, which creates a red thread linking them. There are also many conversations and dreams that we see early on that take on new meaning as the story unfolds, giving a sense that all the details matter... there's no filler here.
There are some more ambiguous symbols as well. There's some significant representations of enclosure and separation/isolation. These could represent grief and loss, which is a major theme in the drama, but they take on additional potential meaning in terms of what is really happening... that there is loss, grief, and perhaps the potential to heal or even change the past is a given. But what isn't given is that what we see is the actual story; many of the symbols reinforce the sense of fragmented reality that the female lead experiences in both her grief and her early experience of time travel.
For example, the "broken audio/video" shifts between scenes, especially with time travel, play into the fact that in the first few episodes the transition from an ordinary story about living with grief to a supernatural story about time travel/fate is started by the use of technology, once to find a "doppleganger" and the second time to use virtual reality to "reunite" with the lost love. While nothing much is made of this (and as of the 8th episode, it hasn't become a factor), these sorts of hints are beautifully done. They make it harder to guess the overarching explanation while at the same time they work on their own. That is, if it turns out that they were never anything more than a couple of scenes in the first few episodes and had nothing to do with the over-arching story, they still work. They aren't just red-herrings to obscure the truth, they are integral moments in the character development and plot that *could* mean more.
Long story short: it's fabulous, and given how well done it is so far, I'd really be surprised if it stopped being fabulous.
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The novel is so much more convincing when it comes to the main relationship, the Beloved Enemies because in it Gu Qing Pei is actually gay and is extremely attractive to other gay men that surround him (His foxy cunning is so alluring). Yuan Yang is young and brash and initially has non consensual sex with GQP, but the passion in their relationship gradually is very convincing. But that is the novel.
This Drama is a separate beast altogether. Though the main relationship remains explosive with unresolved sexual tension that is very palpable, in absence of actual sex a real mentor and pupil relationship comes to a forefront and the progression of said relationship is very realistic. As a rule the story deals with two very different and lonely people who have no one they can trust, as they are thrust into a situation they both don't want while being chained by their temperaments and positions., And the show does very well with the options it got. I mean, I would watch it for the suiting (costumes) and visuals alone, but it also has an intriguing plot and some good arcs and a great eye-candy cast. So kudos to this. I know it's futile, but I hope that one day we will get a proper BL adaptation of this too... *sigh*
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Now that's out of the way,
This movie contains some 'difficult to watch scenes' and explicit, yet realistic portrayals of sex.
''I want to know what women want, what they're thinking. If they could have ANYTHING, what do women really desire?''
When do our desires become perverse, what is perversion?
This movie seeks to explore not only human sexuality, but the disconnection from humanity that so much of today's youth experience.
We don't know how to connect, where to begin.
For some, sexual encounters are the ultimate disconnect we seek, for others it's the single point of connection.
This movie seeks to portray ''meaningless sexual encounters'' in their correct context, it will perhaps help YOU redefine your interpretation of meaningless sex.
Once this movie is finished, take a moment to ponder - what kind of sexual encounter was meaningless to him?
I have my own thoughts on that.
We follow a completely ordinary man, in an extraordinary occupation in which he ultimately finds solace, defeating loneliness by gaining his own version of ''great purpose''.
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Shining Inheritance fits both definitions. There's envy, greed, a dead man walking, 10 trillions lies, missed encounters by a microsecond, corporate plotting, memory loss, love polyhedrons and such a dose of odious behaviours your becoming a virtual assassin would be justified.
But before you decide you hate the genre and turn the page, let me say this drama is strangely and acutely addictive. It took me 4 weeks to pant through the first 7 episodes and less than 1 to watch the remaining 21 (granted, with a little fast forwarding here and there).
The plot is very consistent. Every narrative line comes to a conclusion and justice triumphs. Delicate subjects are touched here, and I appreciated this the most.
I maintain the whole story could have been easily condensed in half the time and the dialogues thinned, if only the characters had stopped repeating the same sentences like an echo and the word money had been uttered one thousand times instead of one billion. There will be moments in which you'll question your choice of dramas, but at that point you'll be so implicated in the crime… ehm, plot, drop it will be harder than exit a gang.
The acting mark is the result of an arithmetic mean. The beginning is not encouraging at all, with exaggerations and wooden deliveries all over the place, but it improves a lot in going. It's as though the actors had been attending Theatre Class while filming. With a notable exception: Yun Joon Suk, who plays the autistic brother, is impressive all through, and makes the drama shine in depth and emotion every time he's on screen.
I'm usually only mildly interested in the cast's attire, unless it's so distracting it prevents me from fully enjoying it or it is integral part of the narrative intent. But grandmother's grey wig - I truly hope it was one - looked so disjointed from her skull I watched all her scenes brandishing a comb. Not that Lee Seung Gi's hairdo was much better: now and then it truly looked like it was about to migrate towards warmer shores. I prayed he would be caught in a sudden downpour to flatten it but, alas!, the sun shone brightly on him. There's improvement in this department too, though, and if you fall for the very pretty main couple, the deed is done.
Two words about the music. I had a hard time coming to terms with the blend of Bach's adagio and K-pop, the first being too solemn and fit to a mass in Latin and the second too… pop. Once again, it's the little brother who saves the score with his very sweet piano piece dedicated to his Noona.
So here's my little piece of advice: watch it. Resist the urge to drop it after the first episode, contain your puzzlement in the second and third, wipe your sweat to the 7th and you'll be hooked. Completing it will give you a sense of power and the feeling you have truly watched The Drama of All Dramas.
What does not kill you, makes you stronger.
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The acting is absolutely top-notch, the music is currently on infinite repeat in my apt, and I would watch this drama again.
I wished that there were more heart-pumping, squee/cringing moments--that kind that make you feel embarrassed and avert your eyes to give them privacy. But that's just me.
If you enjoy having a characters of the following variety:
love-to-hate, endearing, kick-ass, hilarious, hopelessly tragic, and one-you-watch-bc-you-fell-in-love-with-them-in-a-diff-drama/movie/etc
THEN THIS IS THE DRAMA FOR YOU!! ;D
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