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Soothing sweetness of a healing Love Story in the midst of brutal, relentless Seoul business life
"Love Scout" offers a cozy, soft and warm love story for the heart. Here: embedded in the tough Seoul office workday. Also: it offers perfect KDrama craftsmanship for this genre. Somehow everything was done right. The social network of our two protagonists also fits perfectly into the whole. Additionally, there are quite some valuable messages between the lines. And then there is the soothing sweetness of a healing (fictional) KDrama-world in the midst of the harsh, intrusive, inhumane, unvarnished reality."Love Scout" conjures up a sweet love story in the brutal, relentless professional everyday life in Seoul 2025. On top of that: a workplace romance between a female boss and her male secretary is not exactly the easy choice.
The story has a certain sweetness to it, also thanks to 7-year-old Byeol. She actually manages to bring out the best in everyone, aiming directly at the heart.
However, the backdrop of the drama – or rather that of our two protagonists - is actually rather sad.
SHE is a successful businesswoman with good instincts, running her own headhunting agency, but along the way she has somewhat lost touch with herself – she has sort of cut off her needs. The price of her success is high. She is a workaholic, exploiting her body, and just as she tramples over her own needs, she does the same with those of her employees. Apart from work, she practically has nothing. The advantage: her (guilt) feelings are buried under workloads. No time to delve deeper.
HE has perfected the art of anticipating the needs of others. As a single father, he has everything under control. Admirable. But on the downside, he is almost compulsive, as he has no other choice – he cannot help but recognize the needs of others before they do. His antennas are completely tuned to his environment. Thus, he comes across as quite sympathetic, as he is the nice neighbor, friend, colleague... However, as a single parent there is hardly any room for his own needs either. He defines his joy mainly through the joy and satisfaction of others. This inevitably makes him not necessarily alone, but still somewhat lonely. And there, deeply buried, are well-hidden (guilt) feelings, too.
Both our FL and ML are quite efficient. Almost perfect. But both also work like highly efficient machines. In this, they are similar and can each see behind the facade of the other. A good start for a healing love story. A healing story overall, in the midst of a structurally sickening, toxic work environment where there is no place for human beings with human needs – for appreciation, sincere recognition, fairness, and enough regeneration time to recharge their emotional and physical 'batteries'.
The dance of FL and ML, performed on this stage, is touching the heart. Tender, at times playful, heartfelt. The encounter between the boss and her secretary becomes a gentle rapprochement between two people who are so cut off from themselves and their own needs, yet reflecting, recognizing, opening up and learning to love each other in this very aspect.
It is an overall good mixture. A love story with charming side plots, balanced in a well-proportioned way with socially critical issues. Those who wish, may condone the seriousness. And those who appreciate the earnest critique, will generously be served. Thus, in my eyes, „Love Scout“ offers quite salubrious and gratifying KDrama-delight.
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1Really cute and with a good message
On the face of it, the main character, Fukuhara, has terrible luck. One day, he realizes the popular Shinomiya is the opposite - he has fantastic luck, and Fukuhara decides to get close to him to take advantage of this, and accidentally becomes his boyfriend.This seems a fairly straightforward fake relationship to real relationship story, with the lucky/unlucky framework. But where the story takes on some complexity that is easy to miss, is that Fukuhara sees everything in black and white - good luck vs bad luck - but he never considers how good luck can be a curse too. Shinomiya never knows when people really like him or if they're trying to exploit him - he doesn't have to develop any skills, or work at anything, or can he get a sense of satisfaction for accomplishing anything, because everyhing goes his way. In fact, the first time they meet, it's Fukuhara that rescues Shinomiya from being swamped by adoring girls - and it's "bad" luck that brings Shinomiya into his life. It's very yin and yang - good luck and bad luck are also each other.
But the other message of the story is that luck is a matter of attitude. Have you ever noticed that when you're in a hurry, all the traffic lights are red? Why is that? It's because when you're not in a hurry, you don't really notice them. They're just part of driving. Likewise, if you have a negative outlook, you focus on unfortunate things that happen, and might miss all the positive things happening around you, or fail to take advantage of opportunities that come your way. The opposite is true for someone who has a positive outlook.
How unlucky is Fukuhara? Everyone likes him, and a beautiful man, inside and out (especially out) falls in love with him instantly, both for his looks and his quirky personality. A lot of the "bad" luck leads to positive results - it's just that he doesn't see it that way because he's focused on the negative. Even the final crisis - was it unlucky? It certainly appeared to be spectacularly unlucky - but nothing bad happened, and nothing bad could have happened, but it had a very positive outome. So wasn't it actually lucky?
Deep, right?
The writing avoids predictability and cliche - Shimomiya is a classic Prince Charming, but there are times when Fukuhara makes confessions that in a "standard" BL would result in a serious and romantic swoop by the seme, but here Shinomiya cracks up laughing - and it's perfect instead of cringey.
The acting is wonderful - both actors have great comic timing. Soto Ryosuke is adorable and hilarious, OTT, but in just the right way, and Sato Yusuke is just beautiful. Especially when he takes his shirt off. (I'm shallow. And I own it.)
What prevents this from reaching 9 or 10 territory for me is that it's really almost a bromance, and there's really no particular reason for this. A little too much of the run time is taken up by what feels like a repetitive cycle of Fukuhara resisting Shinomiya. In the discussion forum, people came up with many justifications - Fukuhara felt guilty, Fukuhara had low self-esteem and didn't feel worthy, etc. The problem is that we hear Fukuhara's entire inner monologue, and he "thinks" none of these - he just feels the needs to resist. This, and the lack of any physical resolution to their relationship - not even a hug - smells of institutional homophobia. The writing isn't explicitly so - Fukuhara never says "I can't be gay!", and Shinomya appears to be gay, as he states what his "type" is. Fukuhara doesn't think he can manage to fall asleep in the same bed as Shinomiya, suggesting he's sexually excited by the intimate proximity, etc. But, well, actions speak louder than words, and at the end they have a tickle fight, which is cute, but not really the most satisfying end to a romance.
Still, this is a pleasant watch, with some funny moments, more depth than it appears to have on the surface, sharp dialog, and plenty of eye candy, so I have no problem recommending this to everyone - it's hard to imagine anyone not liking it.
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I usually avoid historical. NO REGRETS. Personal All-time great drama.
Took a chance to watch this series because I'm a fan of Shin Hye Sun. Don't regret anything about it. I don't usually watch historical because I don't really find it that entertaining. But the fusion of modern-ish stuff, fantasy, and romantic-comedy made this well worth the watch. I watched this series with my brother who doesn't typically watch kdramas and he watched every episode with me. We watched as it was ongoing and waiting out every week for the new episodes. It's good enough that we're recommending it to our friends who watches kdramas.Acting was really good. As expected from Shin Hye Sun (female lead). Her unorthodox character is not easy to pull off. But pulled it off she did. Respect for all those scenes. Basically carried the show for all her scenes. I was embarrassed for her at times, it was that good. Kim Jung Hyun (male lead) did very well, was very funny and did very well on his action scenes. The rest of the main actors were superb as well. Their acting made it that much more immersive and the story engaging. Support characters had their own flair, their own story, and shouldn't be counted out. Just watch them. I liked (almost) every support character in their own way.
Story is very engaging and was spaced out pretty appropriately. It felt like no scene was a filler. Everything had a purpose. I had rewatched episode 1 at least 5 times because I watched it with friends, because I recommended the series to them. I didn't once get tired. I could watch this series again right now. Rewatching value 10/10. Applause to the writers. I know this series had some controversy because of the original work, but everything was done excellently, imo.
Music was mixed with contemporary music, and I gave this a 9.5 star because I've heard more memorable OSTs. This wasn't as memorable by itself, but they all fit the scenes very very well. Didn't take the attention away from the emotions of the scene, and added to it.
If you're on the fence about this series, I'd say give the first episode a go, because the first episode will determine how you like the series, as the first episode is as intense as any other episode in the drama. I've wasted a lot of time rewatching the episodes between the new episode releases, and it was worth it as well. I personally like this series, and is one that those who has avoided watched historical, should still consider. This series will go down as one of my all time greats!
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After almost a year in dramaland and close to 30 dramas, I've finally, finally found a bonafide favourite. A Korean favourite and an overall favourite. I've watched many dramas that I've liked & enjoyed, but none comes even close to how much I love Lovers!
Lovers is the kind of drama I've been waiting for since Oct 2012 when I first took up residence in dramaland. It was just what I needed to pull me out of a minor slump. I chose it at random because it's a combination of two of my favourite genres, gangster/crime and romance so I said what the heck, just watch one episode and see how it goes. I fully expected to be disappointed. Well, that one episode turned into 20 in less than 48hrs.
And damn … what can I say about Lovers except that this drama is really a wickedly delicious lesson in Sexual Tension.
I'm an avid fan of romance, but lately I’ve become rather disillusioned with Asian romance dramas. It's mostly because of all the recurring cliches: separation because of overseas work or study, random cancer diagnoses, stupid nonsensical love triangles etc but it's also, perhaps mostly, because I hate fake intimacy. A LOT.
I hate the fake kissing, the cheesiness, the characters' lack of sexuality and just the general feeling of watching two grown ass adults act like pre-teens stealing pecks from each other when no one is looking. I can understand that for younger and more conservative viewers this might fly, but at my age I want to see an authentic relationship between an adult man and woman. And let me tell you, this is exactly what I got in Lovers!
Sometimes great sexual tension is better than the actual thing. If most dramas of this genre were half as good at building that tension, as Lovers did, I’d die a happy watcher having never seen two people kiss.
The AMAZING build-up of passionate feeling between Kang Jæ and Mi Joo completely blew me away. Massive props to the director and actors who were able to play up an attraction so palpable that you experienced their every emotion. I loved the banter, alternately playful and frustrated, the subtle flirting, the stolen glances, the longing, the internal struggle, the denial … all of this served to create such mad chemistry you could easily catch your breath and forget to release it.
When they’re finally intimate … it’s like dessert, only more satisfying than the main course. Moreover, if you’re a child of Hollywood like me and you do not want too much left to the imagination, fret not … you can look forward to steamy, lip devouring kisses. Hey, a smoking, HOT red-blooded mob boss like Kang Jæ wouldn’t stand for anything less! Even better? Mi Joo doesn’t want him to! To me Lovers sets the tone of how a romance between adults should play out. The characters act their age in life and love. None of this silly, wide-eyed playground stuff. The typical drama cliches are kept to a minimum or they play out in a way that's logical, rather than frustrating as they tend to be in other dramas.
I’m just decidedly pleased with this drama overall. It’s well written, well executed and well acted.
Given that I like to attack life's struggles with a gangster's swagger, I love that the romance is set against the backdrop of Korean gangland. From the safety of my own living room, it’s a fascinating world to inhabit for 20hrs. Now you may have to suspend belief a little given the absurdity of certain scenes, for eg 2 bands of pipe wielding gangsters invading a hospital en masse and having a go at each other, but no one thinks to summon the police. LOL In spite of this, I love the machismo, the fight scenes, the car chases, the assassinations, the bromances, the loyalty, the code of ethics.
Best of all, the leads are amazing! Kang Jæ is totally badass. Tough as nails on the outside, but melt your heart soft and sweet on the inside. If you have a weakness for bad boys ...
By far one of THE coolest male leads I’ve ever encountered. He lives hard, play hard, fight hard, love hard. And is 100% sex on legs. No wonder Mi Joo calls him her Dimpled Gangster. Male audiences will hate or envy him ;) and female audiences will want … well, HIM! (ha!)
As for Mi Joo, for once I have no complaints about the female lead! I love her, she is awesome! She’s smart, silly and confident all in one nice little package. She’s a breath of fresh air from typical female leads who are annoyingly aloof, stubborn, mercurial and uncommunicative all in an attempt to portray a ‘strong’ woman (I’m looking at you, Joon Young from A World That They Live In, Soo-in from Love Story in Havard).
Her and Kang Jæ’s love is a delicious slow burn. They had no intention of falling in love, but basically grew on each other over time, as fate brings them together time and again, until they realize … wow, this person is really amazing. To me it felt very natural and organic, rather than constructed as say … when one or both characters are made to fall in love at first sight or there's some ridiculous childhood connection.
Story wise I think the show is golden. Badass mobster trying to go legit, but not being able to fully untangle himself from the dark side. Throw in romantic and familial complications and you’ve got yourself one captivating drama. And there are some hilarious, laugh out loud moments too.
There wasn’t any poor performances here either. I was pleased to finally meet the (in)famous mr. Kim Nam Gil, who delivered well as Kang Jæ’s dongsæng and left hand man. Basically every actor did an amazing job with their role. No one stood out as annoying or unconvincing, not even the child actors. Lee Seo-jin, as Kang Jæ, has netted himself another fangirl! To me he played his character just right. With just the right amount of emotion, or lack thereof, befitting a top gangster.
I can not relate to other reviewers who said this drama dragged. I personally never skipped a minute of any scene, a first for me. In fact I rewatched several scenes whilst in the process of watching the drama. The great sexual build-up and the machinations of the mob world kept things fast paced and action packed.
Even the music, which I normally don’t notice, captured my attention. It helped that the lyrics were translated so I knew what was being said, and as a result the score seemed very appropriate in amplifying the overall mood of the drama.
If I have to criticise anything about Lovers it would be the ending. It’s perhaps a tad rushed. If ever there was a drama that needed to be 21 episodes, this is it. That said, it works as it is and I LOVE the show regardless. I recommend it to anyone who’s looking for more than your average run of the mill romance. Something with a more mature spin, and a little danger thrown in for added excitement. As of now Lovers has taken the # 1 spot as my all time favourite Asian drama. It was a bit underrated when it first aired, but then … the best dramas usually are. :)
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Story:
Typical josei romance plot (you'll appreciate this if you're a manga reader). Boy meets girl, the guy fell in love with her, then he pursues the girl. Actually the plot is just ordinary, except for a unique twist that the guy is a monk. The comedic dialogues are present which are good, and I guess that what makes this charming (for me anyway). But what I really liked about the story is honestly the guy's character. His personality is really charming in an enchanting way. I don't know but I developed a deep affection to the main lead not only because of his physical appearance but his character development as well. The girl is our typical josei woman (if you read josei manga, then you know what I mean).
Acting/Casting:
Such handsome and pretty people, I must admit. XD Well, I liked how the actors and actresses (esp the main leads) portrayed their respective roles. I haven't read the manga yet so I can't really say if they had portrayed it well but I can assure you they are really good. Good enough to make my emotions sway every damn episode easily. Ugh, I just so love them all.
Music:
BACK NUMBER IS THE BEST! XD YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO IT. YOU'LL DEFINITELY LOVE IT. HAHA Even though I look like I'm promoting, the OST "back number" really suits this show well. I fell in love with this song first before I fell in love with the show, so if you're still skeptical 'bout watching this, then I advise you to at least try listening to the OST. It made me appreciate the show more, maybe it could persuade you as well.
Overall:
I rated this 10/10 in MDL (personal taste hehe) but I'll go now with 9/10. It's really a good one. I rarely get feels when watching Japanese drama but I must say this is an exception. Maybe because I watched this during Christmas eve and Christmas day. HAHA Welp, I don't really know. But I really like the roller coaster of emotions this drama awakened in me. It made me realize that falling in love is not an easy thing. Again. It brings you pain, suffering, tears, frustrations (lololol hint: lots of drama at the end so beware) but as well as happiness, smiles, laughter, and hope. But at the end of the day, you'll still choose to fall in love despite of the pain it will bring in your heart. Because as they say, love can keep the sadness at bay. It will cure a painfully broken heart as well as warming a cold frozen heart buried with time.
Have a happy holidays. :)
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This review may contain spoilers
I Love the Breeze
I am inlove with IQIYI right now. This production is heaven sent! I am so glad i found this.No need for recap, lets not waste time as you can read the summary from the main title.
What i love:
1. The very good looking leads; It seems like more and more KPOP idols are trying to venture into BLs, i hope its just not for gay business. Irregardless, Shin Jeong You did a good job. Woo Ji Han is also so lovely how could anyone resist that charm.
2. The very good pacing, i love that the story focused on the main leads and gave them the maximum exposure. THey really used the short time so well.
3. The very nice friends, not overexposed. Im also glad Seung Joo found his happy ending;
4. I love love love that they spent one whole finale episode to let us take in the sweetness of their newfound love. Some BLs show us the conflict at the penultimate episode and rush to wrap up things at the finale, im glad this show let us enjoy the main leads as a couple even for just one final episode.
What needs improvement - sorry i cant think of anything right now, im still in cloud 9 after watching this series. I dont think they even need to make it longer, its enough just as it is.
Overall its a 9.5. Speaking of insomnia, I found this drama after a sleepless night and at 7am. I thought Id try watching one episode ended up watching the whole series. Now i can rest. Reccommended for quick watching! Makes the subscription so worth it, IQIYI keep them coming!
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Masterpiece
Story: very good ;well written , comedy was smart while using very well the grotesque.
Soundtrack: very good ;
Not once i got bored by it, it helped the story perfectly.
Visuals: very good ;
Empathy to characters: very good;
It's not every drama these days that manage to get me attached to the characters.
In this one, i felt some attachment even for side characters.
Casting: very good ;
Everyone did well, but Shin Hye Sun stole the show, she is perfect.
P.S: Bae Jong Ok as queen dowager deserves an award.
Realisation + direction; very good ;
Pacing: Good
I'm not giving it 10, because i never give 10, but it came as close as possible.
I don't know why i waited so much to watch this.....
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Mostly centered on the rise and fall of an unfixable friendship, it doesn't stretch out the same one plot for sixteen episodes risking to make it lame and repetitive. Different stories are told, just like different stories happen in one high school class. Each of these plots lead back to friendship in the end, but none of them is like the previous one, as they all touch a second different topic, reminding us we're never the only ones who suffer although not everyone has to face the same kind of hardship we're going through.
This drama is original, true, bitter, at times shocking, but also inspiring, hopeful and fun like the age of its protagonists.
I appreciate the complete absence of romance, not because i don't enjoy it but because it's a nice change in kdramas standards.
At times it seems ridiculous the ability this school has to find a reason to expell someone every other day, but nevertheless the screenplay keeps the suspence up until the very last minute.
And there's no reason to deny or hide it: the bromance will kill you over and over again.
This drama is a jewel.
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This review may contain spoilers
SPOILER FREE: This is a must for suspense/psychological drama lovers. The plot is quite intriguing and the acting was really good. Masaki Suda was amazing (again) and the plot is full of twists that keeps the viewer on the edge. This series was highly entertaining and it was easy to watch. The death of Reina is a mystery to all and the viewers try to understand what will happen next. It wasn't perfect, but it was still powerful.MAJOR SPOILERS!!!
From the beginning, this series shows the effect that social media have on our society. The drama gives us, each episode, a new clue about the main case and as viewers we try to uncover the crime/suicide of Kageyama Reina. The truth is slowly revealed and as a person who watched the show I expected a great conspiracy or something even if the actual reason is something that is shown -one way or another- in the first episodes.
This show was a message to everyone in a society that can't live without social media. Almost everyone has one account -or more- on sm and it takes away a part of our lives.
The ending was brilliantly filmed as Hiiragi talks on the camera, about who the real killers are pointing to everyone who is watching the series and therefore uses social media. A harmful word -intentional or not- can cause great damage to someone even if that person doesn't know us personally. The anonymity of social media gives everyone the opportunity to give their opinion no matter how harmful that can be. I loved the comments that Hiiragi received while he exposed the truth, as it was the most realistic reaction that could happen. It is not only that some can't accept the truth, but the most terrifying thing is the ones who don't understand that they did something wrong. It was great to show that the purpose wasn't to stop what we call cyber bullying, but being able to change even one person. As someone said if we want to change the world, first we must change ourselves.
To everyone who watched this - including myself - this is a great opportunity to double check before posting anything and thinking before talking, because our words can really be the knife on someone's hand.
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Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
This excellent adaption of one of Gu Long's best known works 绝代双骄 is also known as peerless or legendary twins. The cringey English title is a shameless bid to advertise the main leads as eye candy idol actors. This delightful romp through jianghu is faithful to the original story and checks all the boxes in terms of what a true blue wuxia ought to be.This is a typical Gu Long plot structured around one overarching conspiracy that comes to light after the main protagonists encounter many adventures and solve a few smaller related mysteries. A woman scorned by unrequited love sets out to extract a terrible vengeance by separating twin brothers at birth and raising them to kill or be killed by each other. As the leader of the powerful Yihua Palace, she raises one of the brothers Hua Wuque (Hu Yitian) to be a stellar martial artist whose mission is to hunt down and personally kill the wicked Jiang Xiaoyu. Wuque is a handsome, refined and righteous but overly naive and reserved young man who is the spitting image of his father Jiang Feng.
Wuque's brother Jiang Xiaoyu (Chen Zheyuan) is rescued by Jiang Feng's sworn brother legendary swordsman Yan Nantian and grows up under the influence of the ten great villains of Wicked Canyon. He is renown for his intelligence (mostly due to self praise) and is a lively, charismatic and healthily skeptical young rogue. Less skilled than Wuque, he relies on his deviousness to squirm out of tight situations. He is a determined bachelor that evades several persistent young women before meeting his match in wit and resourcefulness. This embroils him in several romantic entanglements and triangles. During his many colorful adventures, his path crosses with Wuque and they become friends and allies. Together they tackle their main antagonist, the scheming Jiang Biehe and his son Jiang Yulang. Despite their disparate upbringings and appearing on surface to to be polar opposites, both brothers are innately good natured and have common values that bind them in a deep friendship. Nonetheless in accordance with jianghu code of conduct, they must fulfill their vow to face each other in a predestined duel to the death.
The plot and the many archetypal characters in this well known story may seem tropey and unoriginal but Gu Long was one of the pioneers of the modern wuxia genre. If this feels familiar or like something you have watched before, it is more likely those stories or characters were influenced by this rather than the other way around. It is easy to follow because the audience is usually one step ahead of both protagonists and antagonists and knows the big secret that they are brothers. It is a favorite of mine because the overused revenge trope is handled compassionately and does not devolve into simply just an eye for an eye. All of Gu Long's women are capable of being frighteningly single minded in love, unscrupulous, vindictive and utterly ruthless and unforgiving. One of these bad-ass ladies always gets the guy but this is from the 1950s so while there is romance, it is very chaste by today's standards.
I was really impressed by the cast. Many important roles were played by young and upcoming actors and this was very obvious in the first 4 episodes. After that, almost everyone got into character and it came together quite well. While Chen Zheyuan somewhat overacted Jiang Xiaoyu, he is a very versatile and charismatic young actor. He just needs to not try so hard, be a bit more nuanced and develop his own style. Similarly Hu Yitian's Hua Wuque was a bit too restrained or underacted initially. But they had great chemistry and really excelled at showing us how the brothers grew to become more alike as they got to know each other. I must also mention the awesome cat and mouse encounters between Jiang Yulang and Jiang Xiaoyu - what an excellent villain! I actually found this to be the best acted, most nuanced main role.
Finally in terms of what makes or breaks any wuxia it is the fight scenes. These really knocked the ball out of the park - they were truly awesome - excitingly and powerfully choreographed with the right balance between stills, slow motion and non-stop movement. And naturally it is Gu Long so it is a total feast in terms of the number of heart stopping lethal clashes between some very colorful, slightly eccentric martial arts champions with wildly improbable combat abilities. I love this stuff and immediately rewound and re-watched each epic clash.
What a fun, well paced, light heart-ed and engaging wuxia. I wish all adaptations of the classic, best loved Gu Long and Jin Yong wuxias get this kind of quality remake. Two thumbs up!
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This review may contain spoilers
“The song that I madly, deeply wanted to sing... That song should've been mine.”It's been exactly 3 weeks since I completed this movie, and I've made sure that I'm not emotionally attached or blindingly giving full scores. I can't find any fault in this piece, still. I never had such a hard time trying to put my amazement into words. I hate to spoil or guide you to view this film in a certain way, but I believe that the synopsis and the trailer are already a huge spoiler, so here's my attempt to elaborate:
Let me tell you first that this is not a “journey to stardom” kind of music movie or a story about two girls pulling each other's hair and fighting over a guy. Of course it does revolve around the themes of music and jealousy, but there are more to this than just being another love triangle story between musicians.
There is an absolute charm to how its English title accurately describes what this film has to offer. “Love, Lies” speaks for its entire composition: 50% hope and 50% despair, and I don't say that lightly; this film boldly runs for 1 hour telling the story of love, friendship, hope and dreams while building up the tension, then, later at its 50% mark, turns into a story of lies, jealousy, betrayal and broken heart for another hour. It also wraps up with guilt and consequences at the end, leading you to fully sympathize with every decision made by the main character no matter how crooked she’s become.
The setting in 1943-1945, the very end of Japanese occupation era in Korea, was fully utilized here and it intertwined so well with the music theme. It was the last two years that “gisaengs” existed. It was the most modern period of those Japanese backdrops. Also, Korea's liberation at the end of the story plays a good part. Here is where it could become difficult for some people to give this film a high score; the movie does require a little understanding of “musician mindset”.
Music is a form of art, and by art, it means there's no correct answer. It’s very subjective and personal. One may view music as something suitable for high class, but on the other hand it’s never wrong to think that music should belong to people in every social status. This conflict will set lover conflicts in motion in the story. So, think: What if your musician lover prefers someone else’s voice rather than yours? It’s unfavorable, but it’s not wrong, right?
Because the man in question is a musician – a pop music composer, it somewhat allows his unfavorable choices to slip through. It’s quite a given that his mind does not (need to) function entirely logically. He makes choices based on his artistic hunch. When he, according to the synopsis, “falls in love” with his girlfriend’s best friend, I came to fully accept the fact, although I didn’t support his decision either. And that was just one of the many reasons I loved how thoroughly planned the writing for this film was.
The Korean title for this movie “Hae-eo-hwa” is another old term for “gisaeng”, women who received high education in music to perform in front of and entertain men of high social status. “Hwa” means flower, so “haeeohwa” also means “a flower that understands human’s words”. The term represents how women (gisaengs) were treated as social inferior. This “haeeohwa” theme plays a big part in the film more than just suggesting the leads’ profession. One woman is willing to follow the guidance of a man she loves, and another goes against her own beliefs and throws herself at another man to gain power to take back what she loves.
All of these are combined into great storytelling, and in the end, you will see for yourself whether it was the “artistic mindset”, the social derogation of women, a man’s swayed heart, a friend’s betrayal… or it was entirely something else that ruined it all.
“Why did ____ not know back then that it was good enough?”
Also, don’t forget to keep an eye on the minor character Kim Okhyang. She doesn’t appear often, but she’s another character that will leave you with many thoughts in the end.
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I was stunned by Han Hyojoo’s acting as the sweet yet heartbroken Jung Soyul. Facial expressions were the key to this character’s portrayal, and she was utterly perfect. Casting Chun Woohee as Han Hyojoo’s best friend who needs to look and feel smaller and a bit inferior was also a great decision. Yoo Yeonseok’s laid-back demeanor was definitely suitable for his music composer role. He also deserves compliments for his months of effort in practicing piano just for this movie. Everyone including the supporting cast really made this movie come to life.
As for the music, there are plenty of music movies that fail to deliver an excellent result in the music department. This movie did not just reach my expectation but surpassed it to an exceptional level. Traditional “Jeongga” music and 1940’s trot are not what would appeal to everyone’s ears, but this movie made their music very sweet, easy to listen and memorable. For additional points, the two lead actresses performed every song themselves, and they were spectacular.
Lastly, the artistic department deserves great compliments. Locations, costumes and props were top-notch. Cinematography presented this film in vibrant colors, and the composition was beautiful from the beginning till the end. Everything was grand and aesthetically pleasing here.
I usually don’t rewatch, but I will definitely watch this one many times.
I absolutely recommend this film to everyone.
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Low quality but fluffy
This story may seem like just another teen romance, Icicle knight in shining armour (School uniform) saves the bullied "damsel in distress". But it actually does have quite a bit more to offer and has s slightly different angle than the one we are used to seeing.Icicle ML seems to have spent 10 years completely lacking the ability to communicate when he now suddenly has to take it all at once and is therefore slightly obsessed, and oddly clingy... Hover he is very kind and we as viewers to ge too understand the reasoning behind it.
Weak ML is so weak it is almost made me wonder how he survived so far, he is however kind, forgiving and oddly enough the one character in this drama that is probably the most hard working self aware person in this drama,
The way they interact with each eother shows very clearly how people are different depending on the context they are in, and these two seem to bring out the best in each other, at least if you support clinging...
Non of them are the type to make you swoon but they do seem human , and seem to deal with their imperfections pretty well. Though I must add that the acting was far from perfect... it was still enjoyable and did not distract from the story.
The friendships in this drama are sweet and so are the parental relationships. There Drama has some tension ant there are definitely parts to make you nervous about their future parts that may raise your pulse and keep this from being too bland.
Deffenetly a decent watch, easy to bine and has lots of feel good fluff... soft clothing, soft filming, soft petals... soft cake... yep fluff all around...
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Worth watching!!
Brilliant. Gripping. Exhilarating. On the edge of my seat. Addictive. Unforgettable.I'm not the type to watch crime dramas as they tend to bore me after the 2nd episode or don't interest me enough to continue since there's a lot of repetition with specific topics. However, this series has managed to change my perspective on the genre. It continued to surprise me and I couldn't stop obsessing over how much I enjoyed it!
Holy moly where do i even start!? This is one of those dramas where you can't predict what happens next which is both frustrating and exciting at the same time. Flower of Evil gets better and better with each episode. Never once was I bored while watching this, every moment was thrilling. It exceeded my expectations and I loved every second of it!
Every scene is interesting, with each episode ending on BIG cliff hangers that get me excited for the next episodes and give me something to look forward to. The plot is well done and there are many unexpected twists throughout it, constantly keeping me on the edge of my seat and eager to see what happens next.
The two main leads are phenomenal. Lee Joongi's acting is incredible, I never doubted his skills but damn he's good! Moon Chaewon too, she performed her character very well and at times I could almost feel what she was feeling, it was that good. This is one of my all time favourite pairings in a drama, their chemistry and development is amazing!!
Even if you aren't a fan of crime, there's a high chance you'll still enjoy this one! It's got a sprinkle of everything. The story's unique and refreshing, it's fast-paced and straight to the point, very interesting, definitely recommend watching.
P.S. some scenes are a bit disturbing, just a heads up for those not into that!
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The sum of ordinary is great.
Wow. I did not expect to enjoy this drama so much. In fact I didn't expect to get past the first episode. But I just had to check it out for the spectacular cast. And I am well chuffed that I did. It is the most eloquent and engaging low concept drama made in years.Wang Shouyi is chief of the chronically short staffed Bailihe People's Police station. With a 93.4pct community satisfaction rate, they rank 144 out of 163 in the district. These are not elite cops trying to solve major crimes. They are just ordinary cops that grapple with mundane, daily cases from petty crimes to heated community spats. The denizens of their community are a loud, colorful, chaotic, demanding, often ignorant, unreasonable and utterly exasperating lot. This is written authentically with a strong dose of humor and irony that garners big laughs from small things such as an absurdly moving case of diaper theft. It is an intricate, intimate account of the broad array of everyday social pressures experienced by Chinese society. This brilliant, unglamorous drama that feels like a shared coming-of-age experience traverses the bleakest, most flawed to the greatest, most compassionate aspects of humanity.
Wang Jingchun's canny Chief Wang is the star of the show. He badgers his director into assigning four new recruits with diverse abilities and backgrounds to his station. With wisdom and perspicacity, he assigns an experienced mentor to each of the bright eyed and bushy tailed young recruits. This excess of greenness and enthusiasm is met with a mixture of annoyance and trepidation by the battle hardened veterans. Prodded along wisely past hiccups by Chief Wang, adjustments are needed on both sides to make these seemingly random pairings work out. Over time, their shared trials and triumphs end up being a catalyst for character growth all around.
Xia Jie's father, the former well loved chief of Bailihe station perished in the line of duty ten years ago. Her mentor Cheng Hao was mentored by her father and like Xia Jie, seeks closure from what happened so long ago. She is treated like a protected species by her father's comrades and her mom hounds the station to keep her out of harm's way. My blood boils every time her mom goes on a rampage. But as much as I am frustrated and angry at her, I can't help but be moved by her sheer terror and deep sorrow, at how time did not ameliorate the shock and intensity of her loss. I really applaud Bai Lu for her true to life portrayal of Xia Jie's struggle to make peace with the past, find meaning in her role at the station and build life bonds with her peers. I also love that the drama only hints of awareness that could blossom into romance down the road but keeps the primary focus on the camaraderie and burgeoning mutual understanding that turns the four young friends into found family.
Liu Dawei is the other super solid characterisation of a young cop with rough edges that offers the barest glimpses of another Chief Wang in the making several decades down the road. On paper, he is the least promising recruit, a trouble maker at the bottom of his enrolment class. But he has high EQ and it is as much his kind nature as his inherent nosiness that gets him embroiled in everyone's business. His mentor Chen Xinsheng is initially very irritated to be saddled with this brash and over talkative young man with an instinct to rush headlong into danger. Their relationship and how it evolves on multiple fronts and interlocks with the other characters is the best written and portrayed dynamic in the drama. This is not at all surprising that magic happens when you put together immersive and versatile actors of Zhang Ruoyun and Ning Li's caliber.
Xu Kaicheng also delivers a very respectable performance as the book smart Yang Shu, the perfect foil for the street smart Liu Dawei. His struggles with Cao Jianjun his ethically flexible mentor with hero complex, is forced at some emotionally complex moments but overall comes off well. He is surprisingly good at comedy - I laughed the hardest when he is pimped out by the station as an undercover gigolo. I also much enjoyed the stingy Zhao Jiwei's great relish and talent for self criticism and his eye for detail in the cracking of the diaper theft case. This memorable ensemble cast would not be as well rounded out or grounded in reality without Zhao Jiwei and his mentor Zhang Zhijie's focus on how it is the small things that make the biggest difference.
This slice of life drama is far from a fairytale - It doesn't try to suggest that life is fair or bad things don't happen to good people. It resonates because it is simply about coping with life's daily challenges. The outcomes are not always just and success and failure do not necessarily correlated with good or right decisions. All four of these young recruits come with baggage and are mentored by battle scarred veterans with their own issues. Their flaws and personal traumas enable them to process and respond to situations with compassion and compromise and thus not always to the full letter of the law. They may just be ordinary cops trying to be their best selves but together they prove that the sum of ordinary is great.
It is normal for these types of slice of life character dramas to be light on plot but the final arcs do dial up the complexity and intensity of the cases as the young recruits gain experience. While the drama does end at a climax, I would have preferred that they ended this on the penultimate gaslighting/cyber crime case. This drama was never about heroes so I am not sure we need to see history repeat itself with another Xia Jie in the making ten years down the road. It isn't a bad final arc at all it just strikes a bit of an odd note with the rest of the drama. That does not change that this is an immensely enjoyable story that made me reflect a bit, laugh a lot and tear up occasionally. I am rating it my first 9.0 for 2022.
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A Good RomCom! Watch With An Open Mind!
I don’t understand why everyone seems to hate this show! I found the basis of the plot interesting and the main leads kept me coming back for more. Their dynamic was great and I had a lot of fun watching this show. Very cute and lots of funny moments!It’s also pretty tame for a Thai BL, so maybe some reviewers who found it “boring” were just looking for something a bit more explicit.
To each their own, I do highly recommend this show if you’re looking for a lighter-hearted funny show with a cute main couple who has really good chemistry. I looked more into Joong and Dunk after I finished the show, their chemistry in real-life ABSOLUTELY translates onto the screen.
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