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I cant really explain it, but this show is just such a disappointment, I really hoped it'd get better and nope. It didnt. It really didnt. It just got worse and pissed me off even more. And the characters. I cannot get over how bad... Damn
Get a better scrip hunty this aint it.
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There was a bit of a superhero-feeling to this all, which I always found really fun to watch. It was the right amount of cool and camp in my opinion and I like how the show never felt like it was trying to be super serious, while also never feeling tacky or just odd. And I always admire it when a show manages that, because I feel like that is the right type of tone for a story like this. It gripped me completely from the first minutes. The plot is nicely paces, there is nice suspense within in the story, although it drags a bit towards the end, but there are countless questions and cliffhanger moments that come up in each episode that always made me excited for the next one.
I did feel like the show did drag a bit or loose some steam when it focused to heavily on the crime and human corruption of the show, rather than the supernatural problems of the characters. For a drama about people capturing evil spirits I wanted them to capture more evil spirit and for that too have a more central role within the story than it did.
Although the drama did a good job with mixing the characters conflicts, their backstories of the characters, with the main story, I also felt like I had seen that type of story play out a bit too often and there could have been more balance between the crime plot and the quest for fighting evil spirits.
There was a lot more crime in there than I would have wished for, but I can not say that I was bored while watching it. The story has it’s momentum, I could never really guess where is was going. It has a good pace, and there was always a bit of humor and a lot of cool action to go along with it with some really loveable characters that you just can’t help but love. This drama has a lot of good things (action, humor and heart) and does those things really well.
Our main character are true underdogs, and you really do feel for them. They made me tear up several times. Especially So Mun and personal quest and his connection to his new superpowers. He really does grow with it. It may all be a bit typical for a story like this one, but it works really well.
All the main characters are deep, with their own flaws and strengths. They frustrate you, yet you love them and feel so much with them. And I found the evil spirit, their main rival apart from the evil politicians and corrupt police officers, really well crafted. I just really like that aspect of the show. That was why I tuned into it and why I continued on watching it.
The love and affection between all the characters is just wonderful. It’s overflowing with heart; whether it’s the love that So Mun has for his grandparents and vice versa, his friends from school and then the little family that the Counters have. This little found family really touched my whole heart, it’s one of my favorite tropes and I love it when it’s done right, and made me shed tears many times throughout the drama. There’s just a really good heart in this story.
The Uncanny Counter is just a lot of fun. I feel like it sort of threads this path of being familiar and yet unique enough that it feels fresh and exciting. There is suspense and humor and heart at the core of each and every episode, and the cast is super loveable and tug at your heartstrings a lot and which is the true strength of the drama. That found family aspect and the friendship and love between the main characters. It talks a lot about human greed and corruptions and how that feeds the evil spirits and vice versa, which does sometimes feel a bit heavy handed, but the plot is well paced and exciting, so I never got bored, and there is a really good underdog story there that makes it all worthwhile.
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An epitome of 'healthy mains relationship'!
This is my first time writing a review for any show, so please bear with me. I have loved this show so much that I just couldn't help myself but write a review on how good this show is! And also, I am not a native English speaker, so please ignore grammar mistakes if I've made any.Often times when I watch any show, I just care about the main couple and don't give a damn about whatever happens to the side couple/character(s), but here, it's a completely different story. I had the same amount of interest in every character's storyline, if not more. There were no major misunderstandings between the main couple, no draggy plot, no bad or forced acting, no dubbing of their voices either, they were all using their real voices, which is very rare in cdramas. I am writing only good things about this drama because, in my eyes, this show doesn't have any flaws.
The friend group — I adore the strong bond that they have among their group. They are the type of friends who are so silly yet so pure, who will pull your leg at any given chance but will not hesitate to stand by your side in the times of crisis. What makes this friend group so special is that it feels real and you can relate to them in so many ways.
Guan Fang & Grandma — Though his character doesn't have any direct affect on the storyline, I still enjoyed his part too. He's just your normal side character who's there just to add a little element of comedy to the storyline. What I liked about him is his relationship with his grandma, grandma Guan. They had an amazing grandson-grandma relationship. Moreover, I loved that part where they are all gathered in Guan Fang's house and they practise their play in front of grandma.
Gu Ran & Jiang Jia — I admit that during the first few episodes I was not vibing with their storyline, but as the show continued, I became more and more interested in their story too. Although they had a very typical, not so unique storyline, I enjoyed every bit of their story because of the way they presented it. You already know what will happen but you still don't get bored of them or their storyline.
Zang Lu Rang & Su Zai Zai — Finally, our main couple, if you still haven't guessed it, yes, this is my favourite pairing of 2023. Zang Lu Rang is shy, kind of introverted and burdened by his mother's expectations - a somewhat lost kid. On the other hand, Su Zai Zai is straightforward, free-minded, carefree and bubbly. Su Zai Zai helps him open up and makes him believe in himself. Their growth from complete strangers to friends to lovers felt so natural and real. Their relationship development was neither rushed nor too slow-paced. The highlight of their relationship is that there were no major misunderstandings or big fights over meaningless topics. One thing I loved about Su Zai Zai is she was so straightforward and at times sassy in handling issues and would solve things out with Zang Lu Rang before it becomes bigger issue. Furthermore, their scenes together were filled with all the cuteness and my face would light up with happiness every time I'd see them together!
So, if you love a good romantic youth/idol drama with a good storyline and great acting or you're feeling down and want to lighten up the mood or you're just looking for a good light hearted rom-com drama that you can binge on, then this drama is definitely for you!
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2This review may contain spoilers
A Visual Feast of Stunning CGI and Unforgettable Friendship
This was a visual feast! The drama balanced political elements with a touch of light-heartedness that managed to maintain my interest. As someone who isn't usually into costume dramas, it was a perfect pick.Baili Dong Jun's character was well-written; a responsible spoiled brat with an unhealthy amount of love for liquor and a soft heart for the people he cares about. I particularly enjoyed his interactions with his father. His friendship with Ye Dhing Zhi and their story were the highlight of the drama for me.
Ye Dhing Zhi's character evoked mixed feelings - it made me both sad and mad. Sad because he didn't deserve such harshness, and frustrated and mad due to the choices he made that led him to his predicament. The journey from Ye Yun to Ye Dhing Zhi was tough!
But promises were kept, and we saw our liquor and sword deity and I devoured every scene of them!
I knew how it was supposed to end, but it was still devastating for me. But actions have consequences and some of those consequences are sad! Can't shake off that bitter-sweet feeling! *sigh*
The character who I couldn't sympathize with until the end was WenJun. Her choices and motivation behind them are still unclear to me, and seemed pretty selfish and stupid at some point. (A bit harsh but I am still frustrated!) She didn't deserve Dhing Zhi.
Also, I enjoyed the master-disciple interactions. The dynamics were fun to watch !
All the fight scenes were visually stunning, some of the best CGI I have seen in Asian dramas! It was such a stand-out aspect. Also, all the cast adds up to the rich visual experience. All of them are very attractive. The title does suit the drama perfectly because everyone is truly dashing! *grins*
Though I haven't watched TBOY and thus I can't compare the two, I still enjoyed this.
Overall, this was a visual treat with an amazing cast, impressive CGI and a plot that remained engaging throughout the 40 episodes.
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The Princess diaries but make it gay
Domundi new era and I’m HERE FOR IT.I know this has been one of the most anticipated series for the longest time, and I’ll admit I had high expectations and you know what I was not disappointed. there was apart of me that thought it this was going to be cringe and I’m glad I was wrong.
you can tell so much effort went into this. Now I am a huge DMD fan but I can admit they sometimes lack in the script or in places here and there. but this, this is everything I wanted and more.
music: fantastic
no cringe acting: that’s a plus
so far no silly sound effects: sign me the hell up.
good fight scenes: yes please
and the cinematography is chef’s kiss.
the wait for us to get here took forever, but you know what, the wait was worth it.
plus I NEVER give 10/10 across the board and yet here I did. fingers crossed it doesn’t let me down
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I hope some take a moment to read this. I am not the best writer. I haven't wrote a lot of reviews yet, but this one forced my hand. I hope it isn't a waste of your time. Also, I hope you give my perspective some consideration. This is a gem.
I have thought many times how I should start this review. However, I do not think I will be emphatic enough of how this Kdrama affected me no matter how much I try.
Oh well here we go...
Playful Kiss was pure, heartfelt joy for me. I am likely going to come at this in a somewhat unique angle. I have to immediately share that I have read much of the hate or criticisms of this drama...mostly about Oh Ha Ni's 'pathetic' puppy dog love and her incessant pursuit of Baek Seung Jo. Which I will deal with later...but a HUGE 'PFFT' – whatever. I see how it made her look dependent, stalker, etc. They even took exception with the mother encouraging this. It makes me wonder what they were watching, but I have my opinion and as I said, I will cover that later. I DO NOT really want to make this negative. This drama is purely about the positive.
A short preamble of sorts. I am relatively new to Kdrama's. I have around 20 under my belt as of writing this review. I think I have a fairly well rounded resume, you can peruse my list if you like, but I have never watched one like 'Playful Kiss'...apparently. Why 'apparently'? It left many of the sinister tropes behind. The overbearing parent, the evil in-law, the person at school or work or wherever that serves as the antagonist. The heal. The 'hated' one or several in some dramas. This was completely devoid of that!!!!!!! It blew me away. It was pure love, warmth, and heart. I do not believe I have watched ANYTHING like this in my life! I am American and our purity on TV left decades ago. The closest we get is shlock filled, syrupy, inane dramas on like ABC Family that are as deep as a puddle and as interesting as insurance forms. This drama had spunk and had loads of REAL laughs. Yes, mostly at the expense of Oh Ha Ni, but in the sweetest way imaginable.
I wrote in the forum part for this drama about how it completely compared to 'Bridget Jone's Diary'. I said, how 'Bridget Jone's Diary' would be an adult, 'R' rated version, while this would be the high school, family equivalent. Both had a hapless, hopeless romantic lead protagonist that went to great lengths and often made fools of themselves over a man. 'Bridget Jone's Diary' was a critical darling and 'Playful Kiss' has a descent rating on mydramalist, but way too many high brow people looking down their noses at Oh Ha Ni because she was too vulnerable and too often let a man define her...yada, yada, yada! First question I have, um, Bong Joon Gu was EVERY bit as clingy to Oh Ha Ni. He even continued after she was married. He told her that if Seung Jo is now her house, he would be her 'insurance'. Yes, the writers or director brought in Chris to turn Joon Gu's head at the end, but he was still clinging to Ha Ni. No one mentions him as exhibiting the same behavior. It was her character only. That to me is sexist. Once again you bring undue attention to the female doing something when a male was largely guilty of the same thing. She was every bit his 'knight in shining armour' and Joon Gu said so much! Ha Ni went through growth over the arch of the series just as Bridget did. She at the end was confident that Seung Jo was every bit taken with her as she was of him. She had matured and was working hard.
I have a theory as to why there are so many pointing out Ha Ni's supposed 'pathetic-ness'. At least from an American perspective, and likely a European perspective, is cynicism. We have gotten so 'empowered' that any show of selling oneself out for another is a show of weakness. I think a lot more relationships and marriages would go a lot further if BOTH individuals were to give up themselves completely for the other. It isn't PC, especially for a woman, to want to give themselves totally to the other. It's often worded 50/50. That's a hedge. Someone may cry semantics, but each giving 100% of themselves for the other is the way to be. I think that was reached in the end albeit Seung Jo was much more reserved in exhibiting his devotion, but he did. I do wish they had him coming to her defense more and stronger, but alas, they didn't. The beginning was about her devotion and lampooned it as such. It was admitted many times to being one sided, but her perseverance paid off. I just think that too many judged her unfairly. She did nothing sordid. She didn't do anything deserving reproach, she was just wide-eyed and too full of heart.
I am not sure I articulated my point well enough the above point, but I will move on.
Some complained and some LOVED Kim Hyun Joong. I am betting some of the devotees to Hyun Joong are nearly as starry eyed as Ha Ni because he is handsome. However, he seems to be a one note actor at the moment. I have only seen him in 'Boys Over Flowers' and this. I don't hate him. What the director wants from him, he has down to a science. Hyun Joong's performance was nearly an extension of Yoon Ji Hoo. However, for me, he was not what drove this movie, nor was he what touched my heart so much by this drama. He was merely a pawn. He was Ha Ni's carrot and that is about it. I will say this because of the way he plays his part through out, when his tone does change it hits you! The viewer feels it because most of the series he acts arrogant and is brooding all the time so when he does lower his guard and shows his love for Ha Ni the viewer always feels it. However, once again, the series acknowledges that!! He does. His friends do. His MOTHER does always. Even his little worshiping brother does near the end! They all acknowledge that he has personality issues. So to point it out seems rather silly BECAUSE EVERYONE knows it! LOL! It was his known flaw that would expose other flaws in his seemingly perfect demeanor. Ha Ni wears her flaws on her sleeve. They are there for everyone to see...and every one freely talks about them too.
Here's my heart felt feeling in the end, this drama was nothing but love. It permeated the entire series. It's warmth never wavered. I would love to live in a cocoon such as Ha Ni's. In spite her flaws, she brought warmth to everyone she touched and everyone surrounding her brought the love to her too. Her friends, her father, Seung Jo's parents, Joon Gu, her senior homeroom teacher, even Yoon Ha Rae was won over!! Jung So Min was radiant! She played this part as well as you could hope. The way she stumbled. The way she bit her lip. The way she shrunk when she knew she screwed up. I get teary eyed just thinking how special she was in this role...and the hate for her character -UGH! I DO NOT get it. She was a bit naïve sure, but she was so pure in every action how could you not cheer for her. When Seung Jo's mother, Geum Hee, came to her defense and pointed out the heart she brought to their lives it was awe inspiring.
I would love to flesh out more about each of these examples in her friends, Seung Jo's family, etc, but I will only touch on them a little. It was ALL of them that lead to my captivation with this series. I could only imagine having friends such as Ha Ni's and that includes Joon Gu. Her father was so gentle and worked so hard and gave his all for his daughter. However, for me the ones that filled my heart most was Seung Jo's parents. Yes, at first the mother, Geum Hee, seemed off. She seemed to have a screw loose and was weird, but that, at least for me, faded quickly. Her character was explained deeper. She became second only Ha Ni as my most beloved, but that only seems right since they were meant to be VERY similar, if not mirrors of one another. Their out pouring of support and uncompromising support for Ha Ni and her dad was profound. It brought buckets of tears from me.
Speaking of tears, I sobbed so many times during this series. From tears of joy, to tears of sharing their heartache, but it was always a pure heartache never a malicious heartache. The type that just comes with life. People come and go. We say good bye, and if you have a heart, most good byes are misty eyed. I tell my boys the most painful things in life are good byes.
So to maybe conclude, the cynicism this series has garnered from some is truly baffling. It's charming from start to finish. Having a happy ending with everyone finding love is unrealistic. People are right, life is mired in pain, suffering, hatred, bigotry, gossiping, backstabbing, greed, and so many other morose happenings. And thank God above this series doesn't have them. This is bliss start to finish, with just the mild bumps along the way. I'll tell you what, there are plenty of dramas that explore those ugly parts of life. Once in a while, isn't it nice to experience a story where people are good and helpful to each other. Doesn't that sound glorious? We live atrocity, why then would we want to ONLY champion that and watch series about that? Why wouldn't we want to escape for a while in a gentle, sweet world that largely doesn't exist in the real world, but wouldn't it be nice if it did? I'm 44. I had a marriage of 22 years end with lies, a wife committing adultery, a broken family through divorce etc. I'm tired of all that. It was a breath of fresh air to live in this drama for a little while. I ordered it on DVD and bought the soundtrack. Now I will not just seek out dramas like this. I will still watch and love the dramas with all the usually Kdrama tropes and expect story devices, but when life has me shaking my head, I will lose myself in this series for a moment and realize how people should treat each other.
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I'll give some justice to to it!!!!
MUST READ to those who haven't watch it:
when I first visit the page Big I was hesitant to watched it due to the negative comments about ending and the story but then I decided to give it a try. After watching the 1st ep BOOOOOM!!! I was like UH OH! I'm glad I watched this drama!!! the name itself says it all, its BIG that you should not miss!!
let me give you 5 reasons:
1. Pure love story
2. the flow of the story is smooth and interesting, it has it's "own" potential to make the viewers keep track on it, it's like a whole puzzle that you must complete to see how it will end.
3. it will make you LAUGH!!!! (i guarantee it to you ;)
4. The sloooowmo- moments )
I'm gonna miss this magnificent drama soooooo much!! :(
When the clock strikes to 10:10 you'll definitely remember this drama!! curious? then gooo watch it now so you can relate :>
PS: I hope my review removes your hesitation in watching the BIGGEST drama!:> why don't you give it a TRY like what I did :)
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1This review may contain spoilers
From the moment I finished the novel last year to when Pursuit of Jade finished airing, it has been a long wait.. This has been one of my most anticipated dramas of 2026.. Well, did it live up to my expectations?? It’s sort of muddy waters.. Because I loved the drama, even though it wasn’t exactly what I pictured.. I just felt it could have been more.. The Lin’an arc like most people said, was the best part of the drama.. They took their time developing the relationship and the romance, building the characters.. It was all done very well.. But once the story moved out of the town, it all just got messy.. Not because the script was poor, but because of the storytelling.. It wasn’t nearly as gripping as the novel.. Still, it was a pure delight to watch the main leads and their journey on screen..Need to mention this.. Honestly, they did Zhang Ling He’s character pretty dirty once he went back to being the Marquis of Wu’an.. All he really had were some witty BGM moments and slow mo scenes but nothing with real weight or charisma to match the reputation of a ruthless marquis.. Not to mention the lack of screen time.. They should have utilized him more and given him scenes that showed the Marquis in his full glory.. And the war?? The battle scenes were very poorly done.. Not one noteworthy fight.. Add the bad CGI to that.. It was disappointing.. Even so, ZLH still did an outstanding job..
Tian Xi Wei.. She was really, really good as Fan Changyu.. Her character development from a common woman to a General felt rushed, but it wasn’t bad.. I think she got better action scenes than ZLH.. And her attires were really beautiful.. She gave a brilliant performance, the camera really loves her..
The rest of the cast are incredibly phenomenal.. Special shoutout to Deng Kai and Snow Kong.. I really didn’t expect them to be this good.. Especially Deng Kai, he was terrific.. The others were solid too.. They are another big reason why the drama worked so well.. When you have a good story to tell, it helps when the people telling it are all doing it well..
Okay, the romance.. I gotta say, it was something else.. The chemistry and intensity between the main leads were just amazing.. If you have watched it, you would know.. There was that sense of yearning right from the beginning, then the sexual tension building up.. And the intimate scenes in the last phase of the drama?? Intense, really intense.. I am just a bit disappointed that the “I can’t do it anymore” scene didn’t make it to the final cut.. If you have seen the leaks, you will know what I am talking about..
Slightly off topic, but I have seen quite a lot of edits of Sui Yuan Qing, romanticizing his character.. He is the same person who slaughtered an entire town and let his men rape those women, serious psychopathic issues.. And people are making edits for him.. Like, how?? why??
The cinematography was okay.. I mean the overreliance on CGI/AI kind of ruined it.. I don’t know.. The visuals should have been better.. The music was good.. It sort of fit the tone of the drama and elevated a lot of scenes..
Now, the middle phase of longer shows are usually boring.. Because the writers have to tie everything together to set up the final phase and sometimes they rush through it.. Here though, they managed to minimize the damage.. The pace never feels draggy or cramped.. My mind did wander at times but not enough for me to call it boring..
The last phase, storytelling wise, was good.. It was set up for an epic conclusion.. But nothing really happened.. We didn’t get a war or a proper battle, not even one good action sequence.. Everything got resolved so quickly.. Why?? Why couldn’t you give us an epic conclusion?? You had the cast and the story right there..
Overall, despite all its flaws this is a 9 for me.. Because it just worked where it mattered.. I loved the romance and the chemistry.. Also the yearning, the evolving relationships.. Loved the main leads. The Lin’an arc was just bliss to watch.. The drama didn’t fail in any way, it just could have been more.. I had a great time.. I was happy..
P.S. Read the novel.. It’s the best way to enjoy the story..
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This review may contain spoilers
Tomorrow seems to be a step behind
One can’t say that they didn’t try. In fact, they tried so so hard. Impressive visuals, from shot composition to visual effects, big, big emotions and genuinely good acting moments, relevant subject matters and an important message- Tomorrow went all out. And yet, I am feeling lukewarm about it.Let me tell you what I sincerely enjoyed about Tomorrow, and there is plenty because my heart is not made out of stone, believe it or not: This drama balances a thin line between goofy comedy and over-the-top tragedy, that I think, sort of worked a good amount of the time. The silly moments gave the viewer a much-needed break from all the heaviness on screen, without taking away from the seriousness of the topics. That can largely be attributed to the characterization of our leads, who all had great chemistry together. I genuinely loved all our four protagonists and the end had me shedding a few tears.
Episodes two and three had some visually very impressive moments, I am not just talking about the quality of the CGI, there were clearly also very creative ideas and strong aesthetic concepts present, and while I feel like the rest of the drama was not able to live up to the standard these episodes set, it was still appreciated and overall Tomorrow was a stylish show nonetheless.
Eventhough I was not always happy with the resolutions the narrative offered (I will go into more details soon), there were a few episodes, or at least moments, that tucked on my heartstrings. While undeniably cheesy most of the time, Tomorrow offered genuinely bittersweet moments that were bound to move the viewer, and at the end, I couldn’t help but feel at least slightly touched by the hopeful messages this show at least tried to convey.
But I can’t help but think that Tomorrow just fell short on more levels than I can ignore. Suicide is a touchy topic obviously, and it might be too complex and nuanced for this format. This doesn’t mean that you can’t try but you are bound to run into a few problems sooner or later. There are so many factors that can drive a person to end their life, and those don’t need to include those larger-than-life tragedies the drama relied on. I often feel like Korean cinema does too much when it comes to tragic backstories, they just pile tragedy on tragedy to the point where it almost feels comical. This becomes especially troubling in this format, where the concept is to introduce and resolve a complex issue in the same hour. And even when the narrative wasn’t centered around unnaturally huge disasters, the time constraints this drama set itself, weakened its genuine-ness. Sadly, recovery is not a straight line. The right words at the right time might put you on the right track, but the road to betterment will inevitably include a few steps back at points in your journey (wow have I run that metaphor into the ground yet?).
One of my favorite episodes featured a woman battling an eating disorder. The plot didn’t rely on over-the-top tragedy, the dialogue was at its most poignant and genuine and I feel like this episode was probably one of the more relatable, comforting and helpful ones. But by the end, I could not help but think that the problem had been grossly simplified. The character who had been determined to terminate her mental-illness-ridden existence like a week ago is seen smiling and eating again by the end of the episode. And I won’t say that I wasn’t moved by that moment, that it didn’t put a smile on my face, but to someone who has seen the effects of eating disorders firsthand, this conclusion came across as a bit weak. And I get it, the actual nuance of the topic might not have been a satisfying story. It might not have fit the hopeful message this show is so desperate to convey. You want to show the audience that the character is recovering because that is how illness is usually portrayed: as a challenge to be overcome or a war to be won. Illness is a story told in the past tense. But it’s never that simple or pretty. The actual story of illness might have been less feel-good. But it also might have been the more realistic, important story to tell.
Here is the problem of Tomorrow simply put: Depression doesn’t make good television. That sounds harsh but it’s true. Mental illness is not a three-arc story with a satisfying conclusion. It is a never-ending battle that you have to pick up every single day. And that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t get better, or better said, that you don’t get better at fighting, but it means that when your plotline is centered around suicide, you can’t provide your audience with a clean happy ending without coming across at least a bit ingenuine. No deeper issues or the roots of those were discussed. Every problem seemed to only exist at surface level and could be resolved with the right monologue. It felt like at points, Tomorrow was more concerned with giving its leads witty one-liners that save the day, instead of portraying the complexity of the present issues.
There are a few more problems with Tomorrow, the episode centered around a suicidal dog felt laughable, ridiculously out of place, and almost sort of insulting to me, considering the heaviness of other discussed topics. The episode around a veteran was so oozing with patriotism and propaganda, that it was almost difficult to stomach. The main conflict between Ryeon and Joong-gil could, in theory, have been resolved at any given point in the story, so it felt like a plot point dragged along for drama’s sake. The actual rules the suicide-prevention-team has to follow, are incredibly unclear and seem to only matter when the narrative relies on them, there were multiple moments where the cheesiness of this drama got unbearable for me et cetera et cetera. But compared to my main issue with the show, these criticisms seem minor.
When I look at Tomorrow, I see a drama that is desperate to make me feel better. I see a country, that has one of the highest suicide rates in the world and doesn’t seem to understand why. I see a team of people that genuinely tried. I see a story that failed to understand its own nuances.
You can call me bitter; you can look at my review and say that I simply didn’t get it. That the point all this time solely laid in the show’s hopeful conclusions. That it never tried or had to be gritty or complex. That there is no shame in a clean happy ending if it provides someone out there in the world comfort. And you would 100% be correct. If Tomorrow gave just a single person out there hope, it probably did its job. I don’t have to get something, for it to have worth. Maybe this drama simply wasn’t made for me. But all this doesn’t change how I feel. Tomorrow represents a big swing and a miss for me. But maybe I just need to be thankful that it attempted to swing big in the first place.
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Not Your Typical BL
My thoughts on this show are below:STORY: I truly feel like this is one of the most well written BL stories I have ever had the pleasure of watching. For most of my viewing, I felt that the writing style was purposeful, captivating, and effective. I felt like the story was well thought out overall and compared to most other BL’s I have seen… it didn’t have as many moments that left me confused when it came to the writing aspect. I will say though that I had to give the story portion a 7.5 objectively because as the series came closer to the end… there started to be some plot holes regarding certain characters and some minor hiccups in terms of when you compare how certain characters and situations were in the beginning to how they were closer to the end. Some of the story aspects felt just a little disjointed in the last few episodes if I am being completely honest. Also, the finale left something to be desired as well. Even though I may say that… I still think that overall the positives outweigh the negatives when it comes to this show. I loved that the story also revolved around serious topics such as politics and social issues. It isn’t your typical BL story at all. I could understand why more serious topics for a BL might turn some people off, but I feel like you would be missing out on a good story if you decided to skip this one.
ACTING/CAST: I MUST shoutout the king Gun Atthaphan for playing two roles with such grace. He got the nuisances of Black and White’s characters down perfectly. You could tell the distinct differences in the characters very well. It must be hard playing two roles, but Gun always impresses me with his acting. He knocks it out of the park every time. When it comes to Off Jumpol, I was equally impressed. His acting just keeps improving from project to project. I am proud of him!!! As for the rest of the cast, I believe that they all brought their A game for this show. A standout character for me was Mond Tanutchai who played Gram. I loved his fiery and determined yet balanced personality. On the surface, he may seem tough and assertive but underneath he had a heart of gold and I love characters like that. I also loved that this show explored morally grey characters even more because it really got the viewer to debate on the ethics of the characters actions to a greater degree. The female characters actually had substance to them as well which I loved. Usually, female characters in BL shows are reduced to being nuisances to the main characters... so it was refreshing to see strong women who had their passions. There was not anyone that made me question there acting abilities. There was no cringiness or awkwardness. It was honestly like I was watching multiple award-winning actors on screen. Oh, and one more thing that I wanted to point out was that I LOVED the characterization of each person in this series. You didn't get one-note characters. You got people with depth and meaning. I also loved seeing the backstories of characters. When a character is fleshed out like how these characters were, I feel it really takes the show to the next level. THEY ALL DID WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE!!!
MUSIC: THE MUSIC IN THIS SHOW IS SPECTACULAR!!!!!!!!!! This is one of those shows that had me looking up the music being played on Spotify so I could add it to my library. Music is very important to me so when a production does it right… I am elated!!! Not Me’s soundtrack really added to the mood and tone of the scenes taking place. Sometimes the music can either make or break a scene and the music turned Not Me from a good show into a great one. Here’s a link to music that appeared in Not Me: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0wln5IkDmnp5fGCf0LWws8?si=48f09b1643224ac7
REWATCH VALUE: I think this show is one that you can rewatch over and over and not get bored because there are many details that you can pick up on through repeated viewing. I was already rewatching episodes over again as it was airing right after they came out, so I think that tells you all that you need to know lmao.
PRODUCTION/CINEMATOGRAPHY: WOW the production on the is show is TOP NOTCH!!! I haven’t seen many BL’s that look this crisp and clean. Everything from the camera angles, to the shots used, to the use of minimal makeup, to the clothing choices, to the locations, to the coloring of the scenes, to the voiceovers. I literally could go on and on. You can tell that a lot of detail was put into the pre and postproduction of Not Me and it shows heavily. It honestly looked like I was watching a high budget movie and to be honest, it looked better than some high budget movies I have seen. The production crew and cinematographer deserve ALL of the awards in the world for their work on this show.
In conclusion, Not Me is one of the BEST shows I have seen lately and I hope it continues to receive all of the love in the world because it’s well deserved!!!
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How to train your dragon koi.
This rom com xianxia is a barrel of laughs. It is about an ancient spirit dragon Tian Yao who falls for the wrong woman, a rancid Taoist harpy called Su Ying. She steals the guileless Tian Yao's heart and scales at the altar, dismembers him and stashes his core magical parts in different directions. A shadow of his former self, he encounters a dauntless, money loving, ousted Taoist disciple Yan Hui. They form an uneasy alliance that subjects the embittered Tian Yao to the indignity of becoming her demon familiar, a dragon koi. His plight wins Yan Hui's empathy and she vows to help him recover his shards. She soon discovers that learning how train your dragon koi is an arduous and dangerous task. Despite his deceptively benign appearance of an odd hybrid of koi, deer, pony and dragon, Tian Yao is a very dangerous creature. Apart from having deadly taste in women and friends, he also has a nasty habit of stabbing first and asking questions later.The interference of a mysterious shadow cupid Bai Xiaosheng comically advances their romance until the enabler turns into an obstructor. It is pretty much three's company as they go on many adventures, picking up lifelong friends along the way. Despite some run-of-the mill xianxia tropes and cardboardl villains, the friendships and adventures shine and are the high points of the drama.
Zhou Ye again proves her mettle as one of the most promising young actors out there. Her Yan Hui is spellbinding. She infuses the role with that effervescent joie de vivre and passionate idealism of youth that inevitably eludes older, perhaps lovelier and more seasoned actors. She looks shockingly good with Hou Minghao, whose acting is to say the least, a work in progress. But dang, he is so drop dead gorgeous that I barely register that he looks constipated at the most inappropriate moments. In some ways, his casting is brilliant as a rather uncomplicated and overly good character that loves and hates with equal ferocity. After all, dragons, kois, ponies, deers are all creatures with bigger hearts than brains. So he does some really (let's admit it) not smart things but he is so pure hearted it's almost impossible to fault him. Notwithstanding some acting rough spots, this splendid pairing had me rooting hard for them all the way.
As for the plot, its biggest criticism is that it strays from the original beloved novel in some unforgivable ways in terms of both Yan Hui and Tian Yao's characterisations. I didn't read the novel so I won't opine on that. What I can observe is this drama hooked me from the start despite the low budget and the somewhat cartoonish CGI with phenomenal storytelling. I loved Bai Xiaosheng and found him to be a wickedly good accretive addition to the original story. Unfortunately, about halfway through the characterisations of Bai Xiaosheng and Tian Yao take an abrupt nosedive. It is as if a different writer took over and defaulted into the worst, laziest tropes out there. Although the narrative recovers from a massive hiccup in the middle, it falls well short of the beginning momentum. The writer failed to capitalised on such a fresh and unusual character such as Bai Xiaosheng and turns him into a tired trope that gets sidelined toward the end. Nonetheless Wang Yilun is hugely entertaining in this role and though not as pretty, he is incredibly charming and out acted Hou Minghao. As for how Tian Yao's character is assassinated, I have no words and although he more or less redeems himself, I wish they had not gone there. I am told Yan Hui is also diminished in this adaptation but as far as I am concerned, she is perfect in her imperfections. She elevates Tian Yao to the extent, that I can forgive his character's stumbles in the middle.
While I enjoyed this drama from start to finish, there are too many shallow sub-plots in the latter half and the theme of love obsession is over-exploited. The ultimate antagonist had repetitive indifferently narrated motivators that while hateful enough, lacked depth and complexity. In fact, Su Ying was a more interesting villain than the final boring mastermind who is just beyond meh in terms of motivation, acting and complexity. Overall, this is a humorously told story that re-hashes well explored xianxia themes with no profound new revelations. Indeed the underlying substance, emotion and message of the original works is perceptible but is neglected and abused in the telling. I had big fun and many laughs with this drama but I can see how it missed the opportunity to be a whole lot more and can only rate it 8.0/10.0. I may have gone with an 8.5 had they rolled out Hou Minghao in that spectacular white wig earlier on in the drama.
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This review may contain spoilers
Well...That Was... At Least They Are FortPeat--- hihi?
Am I the only one who wanted to put a potato sack over that assistant girls head for all that overreacting in the earlier episodes? Yeah, no? okaii.And listen to this: Tongrak is so traumatized with his mother falling in love with a gigolo that he doesn’t even believe in love, so of course, his solution is to… *check notes** get himself a live-in gigolo. Child! Like?
Also, what the hell was up with Rak's sperm donor? No really, Rak's dad is a rubbish person. Mfer walked into the scene looking like he collects coupons and went: 'I want you to break up with my son because I want to be a good father to him.' HUH??? His whole motivation for being a bum went like this.
RAK’S BUM ASS DAD: Yes, I’m a sucky father and husband. But I want to make it up to my son and be there for him. So even though you make him happy, I want you to break up with him, so he can be miserable.
ME: Ah, so, we taking nonsense orders now. Alright. *drives to a church* Pastor, I’ll have the beef burger with cement, please.
RAK’S BUM ASS DAD: You make no sense.
ME: No you make no sense you bum ass sperm donor.
Quick Review:
Listen, this drama was a dumpster fire. It didn’t even know what it wanted to be. It want from being a sugar baby au, tags: (#islandlife #authorswriting #shortsrealshort #showerseks #crazydads #mentionedgigolos) to annoying cousins revenge plotline, to wanna be gangster dads, to bracelet selling island dwellers, literally pick a struggle. And the sad truth is, after all that, the story-line still felt flat to me. Though, except for wondering what will became of the gl couples, there wasn't any loose ends, cuz the writers had Rak's mother become the ex-machina. Not only did she take care of the dad problem, but also the cousin, all off-screen, and suddenly everything was rainbows.
Half the cast were so one dimensional. The cousin(literally what did she want? her whole thing was to remind us Rak's mom likes gigolos, okay, and?), the bum arse dad who showed up only to be a bum arse, and the actress friend who apparently likes whinny overreacting girls. The only characters I felt carried and kept my attention was that little girl, Meena (great actor, played her role really well), and Mahasamut. Fort have improved in his acting since LITA. Of course Peat to some degree as well, though a few cringy scenes. Hopefully they’d will improve even more in their next drama.
And were we supposed to feel sorry for Rak in the finale? cuz my arse was just annoyed. Literally, when they got together I was like, yaay?... sure, happy ending. Cuz, after everything Mut did, he still didn't want to commit to a serious relationship? Sure he had problems to work through, but after everything, even being the one to mend you and your mother's relationship, he still didn't want to admit his feelings, acting like a spoiled kid. His behaviour in the finale made me wanna throw tiny rocks at him. He did eventually realize his feelings, but at that point I’d already checked out, so instead of being sad and crying when they got together, I checked how much time was left.
That being said, Rak's fashion sense was cool, his short shorts were on point, and I love how he saw Mut and went, 'I went it, I get it. You like my island boy toy, geez thanks, just got him.' But his constant 'I don't love you' act annoyed the hell out of me.
Up until Mahasamut beat up Rak's bum arse dad, I was half/half on his character, liked him cuz he had no shame, and he was honest. After the beat-up he became my fav character. Imo, him mostly, and the chemistry he had with Rak was the saving grace of this sinking ship. Still can't believe he got that tattoo and ruined his beautiful neck, child, if you wanna forget someone get a hobby, don't ruin your skin.
Also the two female side couples went nowhere, and did we need to know the actress friend spoke french? It was so random, and a waste of screen time, cuz it had no follow up whatsoever. And that assistant girl. Do people really find whinny people adorable and cute? Because like, every time she showed up, I wanted to put a bag over her head, which is unfortunate, cuz the actress was so beautiful, but the role she was given to act was just unfortunate.
And I'm still not sure what that cousin girl who threw water in her own face wanted? Whenever she was on screen talking about whatever I was like, okay sure, whoever you are. What the hell did she want from Rak and why was she so angry her auntie likes gigolos? Did I miss the explanation?
Anyway, I remember all of us being in shock in that unholy shower episode, and counting wrappers, the tl was fun that day. Although there wasn't much going on here, and things felt flat to me, if you are a FortPeat fan, you'll sure enjoy this drama a lot, cuz their chemistry is still very great. So I'll recommend it. If not for anything, watch for the chemistry and Rak's fashion.
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Fantastic appetizer but don't bother with the main course and desert.
This drama really wowed me at the beginning - heart stopping kungfu fight scenes, the two leads had good banter and chemistry, the set was gorgeous (obviously big budget) and the story had a good balance of intrigue, romance, action and good and evil characters. I was hooked and truly enjoyed the first 25-30 episodes of it. Then just when you are at the point of addiction, the show peaks, which is just plain cruel. And then in a truly impressive way the show crashes and burns, getting progressively worse as it advances. I kept watching in the desperate hope that it would turn itself around but sadly it did not. It was as if an entirely different production crew took over and set out to purposely destroy the show. The plot meandered down multiple mind numbingly boring and ultimately repetitive political plots to steal the thrones in 3 of the 5 kingdoms only to be foiled by Fuyao and her friends. There were lots of unnecessary side characters and multiple unanswered and non sequitor sub plots. Not to mention the many long winded and boring philosophical discussions that I strongly suggest fast forwarding through unless you have trouble falling asleep at night.Ethan Ruan and Yang Mi were great together most of the time and especially at the beginning. However, there were long periods where Fuyao/Yang Mi was on her own and the story/actress could not really carry those moments alone, frequently coming across as reckless and annoying. I did not love the supporting cast either and I felt that Vengo Gao's role/storyline was almost as if they were trying out two potential male leads with parallel (repetitive) plots to see which was better. Obviously Yang Mi and Vengo have zero chemistry and that sub plot that went on forever should have been eliminated altogether. I guess the entire crew was being paid by the episode judging from how it ended up being all pasted together to create one big mess of a storyline. Its a shame because this could have been a terrific and memorable (much shorter) drama with some ruthless editing and tighter script/plot writing.
The only thing epic about this drama is the effort I had to put in to see it through the end. Starts with a bang and then death by a thousand cuts of boring inanity. This is one of those shows that definitely would have benefited greatly from the latest Chinese government ban on excessive budgets that lead to too many unnecessary episodes in Chinese costume dramas. To be fair, I would say the first say 30 episodes are actually worth watching. If you can endure some suffering you can even watch a few more episodes until Fuyao discovers Wu Ji's real identity. After that, do yourself a huge favor and drop it. You will just feel angry and cheated if like me, you persist until the bitter end because it then becomes just so, so much more bad than good.
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