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A lovely healing drama with bonus puppies
The meet-cute is the usual enemy-to-lover trope. The initial impressions of the leads are also quite stereotypical. Ambitious FL with a chip on her shoulder meets a cold, talented ML. We soon find out that they are actually decent people but both have damaged psyches. They might display a brave front, but their wounds run deep and they suffer in silence. There is a vulnerable individual behind the tough exterior.The Show could have taken the easy road and rely on tropey plots and cliché characters but thankfully it didn’t. It does stray close to some timeworn scenarios at times, but it managed to use them to its advantage.
I appreciate that the story is more complex than at first glance. The writing is layered which makes the narrative more engaging and thought provoking. The characters also have more depth and they are relatable. With only 23 x 30 minutes episodes, the pacing is good and there is no lag.
I won’t give away the interesting plot twists. Let’s just say that it is a nice mix of romance, humour and angst. The found family theme runs deep and resurface again and again.
The chemistry of the leads is very good. The romance appears to grow organically, and not artificially sweetened. There are some skinship. It is not very passionate but it is good enough.
It is not all smooth sailing though and there are some misunderstandings and rash decisions. They are resolved relatively quickly and are not allowed to fester. The best part is that the two leads complemented each other so well and each provide the other half what they longed for. The other CP's are the usual pairing of secondary characters but at least you don't feel that they have been forced together for no reason.
Acting is solid. There are no big-name actors here. The ML is a new idol turn actor with this show being his first starrer. I have to say that he impressed me. It is a measured performance. His role is made a little easier by being stoic and reserved in the beginning but he does expand his range as the show progresses. The FL also did well and turned in a decent, anchoring performance. The support cast generally pull their weight and rounded out the ensemble nicely.
The Show also shares duty as a docudrama about aging traditional artisans and the accelerated decline of their arts in the age of fast fashions. It did get a bit jingoistic towards the end but at least it is self-aware enough not to push through a flag waving but illogical resolution. The ending is balanced and consistent with the overall narrative flow. The added bonus of a decent amount of fan service is appreciated. I also like the fact that neither of the leads have to give up their dream/ambition. There is a middle ground as long as both parties are willing to work hard at it. I admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the nuanced writing so kudos to the writer!
While it is not a high budget production, they did used their resources wisely. The rural locations are beautiful and full of character. The post production and cinematography combined to give us some memorable and poetic scenes. It certainly exceeded my expectations. The OST is pleasant and worked well with the ebb and flow of the scenes.
The Show is a surprisingly good healing journey and an ode to the aging master crafts people. Both the journey and the destination are enjoyable. Recommended.
P.S. The puppies are so cute, but someone should have told them they don’t stay puppies forever. But hey, who wants to be a killjoy. ;)
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Non linear storytelling at its best (with few "flops").
Undoubtedly thrilling and unique story that does not give you a minute of a break - fast paced, well packed with both the plot and the action. Cleverly showing you just bits and pieces of a larger context, uncovering the whole story with each and every episode. While A Shop for Killers had a few issues, it’s still a title worth checking out - perfect for weekend binge watch.One could say it opens like a fish out of the water type of scenario. Not quite. From the start we can see that Jung Ji Ahn is far from being a defenseless young woman, even if she herself is not quite aware of it. Personally, I found the story of her growing up under the careful watch of Jeong Jin Man the best out of the whole show. The bizarre, but obviously strong bond they had, the silent understanding. It was amazing to watch her connect the weird training from the past with her current situation, and use said lessons to survive.
At the same time, Jeong Jin Man’s past seemed a bit messy and did not get the conclusion that fitted the initial tense atmosphere surrounding it. By the end of episode 8, I had to rewatch certain scenes just to make sure I did not miss anything. Where are the answers? Nowhere, just more piling up questions.
Another aspect that was a bit frustrating was how they at times utilized the non linear storytelling by repetitive usage of scenes. The show was short. There were some scenes that truly expanded on what was previously shown - giving us the whole context and full story. At the same time, there were some moments where the “already shown” part was simply too long. I’ve already watched these scenes one episode ago, you do not need to show it to me from start again. I could not stop myself from skipping minutes of the drama, just to get to the point where the story moves forward.
Performance wise? Amazing. Some actors were a bit typecast, which made it easier to guess the their intentions and possible actions, nonetheless - everyone delivered. Personally, I am a fan of Lee Dong Wook in dark roles, so this one hits the spot perfectly. Jung Jin Man is obviously not a good person, not a good character, but there is good in him and that’s what differentiates him from some of his, let’s say “co-workers”. Seeing these detailed differences was an interesting experience. They are both bad, but are they equally bad? How much of someone's actions is understandable, can be explained and excused, where is the line that should not be crossed?
Kim Hye Joon was amazing as Ji Ahn. Well executed character development. Loved the strong and raw emotions she was able to present when Ji Ahn was cornered and truly exhausted with the dangerous situation she got dragged into. Loved the more soft scenes of her as a carefree child and teenager. Loved how Kim Hye Joon was able to present the duality of the character in such a great manner.
Shout-out to the cute guy who helped Ji Ahn when she was a child, if you watched, you know.
Production was great - the soundtrack was full of bops, the fighting scenes had amazing choreographies, the practical effects of blood and other painful “things” were on point.
Overall, left a lot to explore, by the end felt like a borderline bait for possible second season with quite a few aspects not being fully explored. And yet, I’m not mad. It was highly entertaining, had many interesting characters on both the good and the bad side (and let me tell you, the bad side is BAD). Keeps you interested and engaged from episode one till the last scene of episode eight.
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Fahsai is incredibly cute. I fell in-love with her character.
Daniel is handsome and dangerous. Together they look beautiful.
I wish this lakorn was longer
I never skipped any parts.
LOVED the show.
But...
The only reason this lakorn is completely unbelievable
firstly fahsai is dating P'itt for 10 years and she after meet Daniel two days is completely in love with him
Am i the only one that found it weird that for a shot person Daniel did not show much emotion but I kind of understood him he was supposed to be this cold hearted Mafia leader but still pain is pain
another thing the episodes were rushed necessary character development for anyone but Fahsai was not included.
Daniel needed a good ass whooping.
We are never told wether daniel is in love with botan or Fahsai her shadow. Daniel never gave botan up the way he was ready to give Fahsai up to chen ming
He never fought for his love.
Daniel was a cold character but i guess it came with his character.
ChenMing was adorable his dimple made me all warm inside.
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The plot takes the idea of long distance romance to the extreme. It's written so well that the fantastic concept seems perfectly plausible. I loved how their shared moments were shown. The director did a great job of making sure the time difference never felt like a cheap gimmick. The movie is also visually stunning, especially the house itself ("il mare") which I absolutely loved. This movie is not fast paced, nor does it have cute moments full of chemistry/sexual tension. Instead, it's about watching two people become close although they can't be together. Showing that connection is hard, but I think the movie pulls it off well.
The American remake of this film is "The Lake House" staring Keanu Reeves, & Sandra Bullock. I actually liked the remake as well, but one doesn't cancel the other out in my opinion. At the very least, the korean house is MUCH cooler!
I think the key to this story's appeal is the question of whether or not they will ever meet in the future, and have a true romantic relationship. Once that mystery was resolved, rewatching was a little less exciting, but It is still very interesting to watch the story unfold while knowing the outcome. If possible, avoid reading the synopsis, which gives way too much of the story away. I also wouldn't be concerned with how old this movie is. Like the relationship between Eun Ju & Sung Hyun, this movie is timeless.
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The writing is smart and super funny. I love the banter between Su Mang and Zheng Chu, alternately playful and frustrated. The mad chemistry between these two leads leave you wanting more.
This is an easy watch (mostly). No maddening hateful characters that take over the entire show and leave you drained. The last third of the drama starts to get heavy and melo-like but overall it is a very well done romantic comedy with sprinkles of melo. Supporting characters and secondary OTPs complement the show well without overtaking the importance of the primary leads.
The show does have its share of scratch your head moments. For example, where's the baby bump Su Mang? And the ending to one of the characters is questionable but these are but minor quibbles.
Overall, very entertaining. And the OST is super catchy. Loved it.
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I don't get the hate.
I really don't get the hate for this drama. It wasn't the worst thing I watched, but it wasn't the best thing I watched. The plot is a little cheesy, but to the people bashing Seohyun for her acting abilities or Suelbi's characters, you have to realize that she was literally locked up for 20 years +. She's not supposed to be fucking mature. She is a kid who does kiddy things. She matures throughout the series and starts to realize the real world is tougher than it looks. I don't understand blaming Sookwang either. He never wanted a romantic relationship and didn't take advantage of her. Very "pedophilic" right? He just gave her home because he was a genuine person. If anybody should be blamed here, it is the chairman and everyone surrounding him. He later redeems himself, but this wouldn't have happened without his greed. It was also weird that Minju kept advancing onto her when he barely even knew her. At least with Sookwang, she spent time with each other. It's really not that deep.Was this review helpful to you?
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My expectations were not high when I started the drama. It was raised when I saw Hawick Lau's character as Bai Lang. Suave and smooth. I fell in love with the character. Tiffany Tan was described as brave, courageous, and kind--very naive. She was brave when she acted against Bai Lang and charged into enemy territory. Though it was stupid, it did suit her character. But that character disappeared half way through the show. She became another stereotypical damsel in dramas. Where did her courage and bravery go? Did she drop it? Well, she didn't bother to go find it cause the drama lost spark half way through the drama. The only thing that kept me going was Bai Lang. Suave.The second leads were bearable. I didn't like the thief, Xiao Han's character at first. Her character was only an annoyance and didn't really spice the drama. After going through more than a third of the episodes, her character was better. Her acting was explosive as an antagonist. Though, not to reveal many spoilers, her character description based on previous actions didn't really suit her later actions. Like the damsel, she dropped her character and forgot to pick it up.
The second male lead annoyed me the most. I may be biased towards Bai Lang because he was so hot but the second male lead only served as an annoyance. I didn't feel anything for him.
Overall, the script went stale after 20 episodes. The beginning kept me interested because Bai Lang and Jiang Xin's chemistry was too cute for my heart. But after that, it went stale and boring.
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Good watch for those who enjoy tragic love stories....
This drama is really good if you enjoy dramas with a beautiful emotional love story. It’s a story of 2 people who did not have a childhood filled with happiness. They found each other and fell in love however unfortunate events kept happening to them.I watched the entire show in a day so it’s definitely possible to binge watch the show. #Woodohwan and #Leeyoumi had insane chemistry and their acting was so good! Haejo’s character was very free spirited and he liked doing things without any plans. Jaemi is very extroverted and has an outgoing personality. Both of them suit each other well cause they relate to similar pain.
Now the story is really very simple, there is no plot twist and nothing really shocking. It’s a very simple deep love story. So for this genre it’s good but personally not my style of show so there were parts where I just skipped…
I enjoyed the relationships shown in the drama especially Haejo and Bongsuk who was basically his guardian since he was young. She cared for him as a mother / sister and was always there for him.
Jaemi had a fiancé who she was going to marry and he was deeply in love with her. Initially I didn’t think he was going to have such a big role in the drama. But he is actually the second male lead. So there are many scenes regarding his family issues as well. He was an understanding SML though always thinking about her happiness so nothing toxic! (just that maybe there was too much screen time regarding his issues)
I’m sure everyone who will watch this knows the ending so…. 🙃 Everything is revealed in episode 1 itself so there isn’t any shocking reveals after that.
For those who really like the emotional tragedy kind of romance then this is for you! There is fluff definitely but it’s all under the shadow of tragedy so… 🥺
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1A warm ode to our youth – one day, we will become someone that our past selves can be proud of.
Mental turmoil latched onto me the moment that I attempted to evaluate this drama with a rubric. To claim that this show is close to objectively “perfect” would be awfully far from accurate. But the more that I told myself to be impartial, to judge this drama as fairly as I did every other show that I’ve ever consumed, the more squeamish I got. After all, it's one of the most magical dramas I've ever had the pleasure of watching.The overarching plot of Dear Diary starts with a woman by the name of Chen Meiru. Like many young and hormonal creatives, she wrote a self-insert love story when she was 12, and paired herself with a handsome and devoted prince to boot. On her 24th birthday, he appears before her very eyes: a buff Babylonian man, wildly proclaiming his love for her. Hilarity ensues as the jaded careerwoman attempts to return to her normal life, haunted by the gorgeous prince, his loyal subordinate, and a beautiful love rival – each of whom she designed under her own pen as a starry-eyed child, but who are now composed of flesh and bone.
On the surface, Dear Diary is yet another kooky fantasy rom-com mess. In a genre teeming with titles, what instantly sets this one apart is that it’s legitimately funny…hmm, nope; “hysterical” is a more fitting term. Not once does it rely on cheap gags. All the jokes fit perfectly with the situation and are delivered impeccably. I had just gotten my wisdom teeth pulled when I started watching this drama, and the amount of pain I suffered due to failed attempts at suppressing my cackling was not trivial. Totally worth it, though. (Side note: some of the jokes may only be effective if you have prior understanding of Chinese culture. I took a look at the official English subtitles and they don’t provide any relevant context to understand these references. Booooo. If you're interested, you can visit my profile for a link to my fan-subbed version, in which I translate and explain these references.)
Is good humor this show’s sole asset? No, no, no. That’s the mere tip of the iceberg. Once you go for a deeper dive, you’ll discover that this show possesses a power that many others can only dream of: logic. Halle-freaking-lujah, it’s not mindless antics! Not only is there a methodical sequence of interesting events, there are actual reasons behind those events. I would like to thank these writers for displaying to their industry peers that “fantasy” is not a synonym for “has no rules.” In spite of a few plot holes (which are inevitable due to production reasons, as I’ll explain in a bit), the overall story is one of compelling, nonstop developments.
As you learn how and why certain events occur, more serious themes emerge. Whereas a great deal of creativity went into the layout of the story, an equal amount of thought went into tying it all back to reality. The fantasy elements become increasingly metaphorical in nature and the initial humor recedes to reveal the characters’ internal struggles. While I adore the comedy, the tone shift is truly brilliant and utilized fruitfully. Savor your joy – the higher your mood flies in the beginning, the more tears you’ll shed when later episodes wrestle you back down to earth.
How do the funny and somber components both work so well? Obviously, the writers and directors put in excellent work. But it would be a severe injustice to not applaud the actors. Across six lead characters (that’s right; six, with each of them bearing equal weight in the story), there’s not a single weak link to be found. They all interpret their roles very seriously, which allows you to immerse yourself into every scene – be it one of comedy or one of tragedy. I’m especially appreciative of the actors and actress playing the three characters risen from Chen Meiru’s diary. These characters would be extremely easy to exaggerate to the point of being awkward caricatures. However, because each actor gave due respect to the role that they played, every character feels real and their reactions suit the situation. Also, special shoutout for Bu Guanjin, who I swear has some of the best line delivery skills in the industry.
For the sake of clarity, I’ll go over the drama’s characters by splitting them into two groups: “human” and “paper,” the former being those in the story who are regarded from the get-go as “real” people, and the latter being those who rose from the pages of Chen Meiru’s journal. These paper characters, Murong Jielun, Ouyang Wenshan, and Jiutian Longnu, all start off as you would expect – horribly cringeworthy. Flat, one-dimensional; the pinnacle of an adolescent girl’s imagination. But, over the course of the story, their growth is the most impactful and satisfying of all. It’s through them that we witness the departure from supposed destiny, and the subsequent importance of taking your future into your own hands.
As for the humans themselves: you have Chen Meiru, Jiang Huizhen, and Duan Shuiliu. Each of them live drastically different lifestyles, but are ultimately as similar to one another as they are to you and me: full of youthful dreams, and also full of doubt. Perhaps we’d expect that them teaching the paper characters about life would be the primary focus. However, what is of more interest is watching them—the “real” humans—find hope within cruel reality by cherishing and loving those fictional, yet genuine paper characters. It’s poetic cinema, I tell you.
At its core, this drama is a tale of growth and self-worth; about overcoming insecurities and reaching for greater heights with the support of those around us. This storytelling is especially valuable for us women in the audience, who need more media in which ladies are permitted to be vulnerable, to be flawed, to be irritable. Of course, this message applies to you; whoever you may be. We all have our moments of weakness. We all have negative memories that hold us back. But through others and through our own self-reflection, we can find happiness.
Alright, so I’ve talked your ears off about all the good points. Then what made me initially waver away from giving Dear Diary such a high score? For one thing, the dubbing leaves a lot to be desired. It is extremely obvious that they recorded over existing dialogue for numerous scenes. I’m sure it was unavoidable, but dubbing will always get me in a huffy mood.
Secondly, and possibly most importantly, the pacing is far too fast. Like, “someone needs to dish this production a speeding ticket”-level too fast. 24 episodes at 20-some minutes a pop? It’s whiplash waiting to happen. In regards to the overall story, the length is tolerable; but as they say, the devil is in the details – the compressed timing creates a good number of plot holes, which leads to clunky development, which in turn harms intricacies in the characters and their relationships. Frankly, I didn’t find it to be a major issue; but the progression definitely doesn’t feel as natural as it could be. Here, I’d like to mention that the producers edited the entire show twice before it could air (due to reasons like our beloved censorship). Twice. Can you imagine how much precious content got cut out in the process? I could cry just thinking about it. Anyways, if the crew is willing to release an extended director’s cut—even if it’s secretly in some kind of drama black market—I might have some pocket money at the ready…just saying.
These issues could prove fatal for any other show, but I’m more than willing to overlook them all for Dear Diary. This is a rare drama where you can truly tell how much care and effort went into making it something of emotional value. You never get a sense that those involved in this production were in it to make mad bank or to revolutionize the Asian drama scene or even to be super dramatic. It’s just here with the modest goal of telling us a fun, soothing story. Whether it be in the realism of the acting, the craftsmanship of the dialogue, filming in Morocco and having the cast learn the Akkadian language for scenes referencing ancient Babylonia – there is no shortage of genuine dedication. There’s something exceptional about witnessing a passion project, bursting at the seams with honesty and sincerity, coming to life upon your screen. It warms my cold, cold heart. It inspires me to be just as heartfelt toward my own life.
While Dear Diary may not be “perfect,” it’s a perfect example of the sentiment that a show need not be flawless in order to receive love from its audience. When a writer cares deeply for her script and an actor his role, a viewer can instinctively feel it. That emotional connection, that soul alone can be enough to make a show into something special. Dear Diary possesses that soul. And I couldn’t be more grateful that the team behind it shared it with us, because it really is something special.
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Why you may want to watch this drama?+ plot line is very sweet
+ ROSE IS AMAZING (You'll know when you watch)
+ BL
+ hot hot hot main male lead with amazing seduction/teasing skills
+ he also has great hair! (and a killer jaw)
+ even the second leads don't do much damage to the main leads' relationships
+ potential misunderstandings are discussed rather than acted harshly on.
What should you be cautious of?
+ the hero and heroine literally do the mating dance (per say) for a long long time before they finally end up finalizing their feelings.
+ the main male lead gives too much of his attention to his idiotic ex GF (aka second female lead)
+ the second male lead is an idiot. I repeat, an idiot.
SPOILER:
+ A happy ending.
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Underwhelming Female Lead Outshined by 2nd Female Lead
I finally decided to watch this old drama since there's nothing new worth watching right now. The biggest issue this series had was that the 2nd lead couple stole the entire series from the main lead couple. The main couple was so bland.The Good:
- ML (Leo Wu): although his acting was still pretty stiff in this series, I do enjoy watching him. He's grown to be a better actor in his more recent work (Love Amidst in a Snowstorm, Love Like the Galaxy).
- 2nd FL (Zhao Lu Si) did an amazing job. She really portrayed the character development very well from a young, helpless, naive cry baby to a compassionate, determined and capable princess.
- 2nd Lead Couple (Princess Le Le Yuan and the guard Hao Du) were way more interesting than the main couple. Both actors showed believable character development and had great chemistry. I rooted for them from the start.
- The emperor Li Shi Min was very likeable and delivered a solid performance.
The Bad:
- FL (Dilralba) was a disappointing. This actress is better suited for support roles. She's beautiful, but her acting is mediocre. Her posture in this series was terrible, like a turtle with its neck stretched out. It was so distracting. Her portrayal of such a lofty character like Li Chang Ge was underwhelming. She failed to evoke any emotion from me.
- Main Lead Couple: zero chemistry between Ashile Sun and Li Chang Ge. They felt more like an older sister/brother relationship.
- Storyline: overall it was a solid storyline with some plot holes that made no sense. Li Chang Ge character was over emphasized too much that it became ridiculous at times. She's supposed to be a young teenage girl but somehow has convinced experienced generals, royal officials and tribe leaders to follow her lead in major warfare? She was supposed to be a skilled martial artist but couldn't beat royal guards and was always getting captured. She was constantly being saved by Ashile Sun.
- The slave girl (Mimi): how does a slave girl get to roam around at free will everywhere, be arrogant and demanding to people, etc. It just made no sense at all. She was a very annoying character.
OST: It was edgy and fits this type of storyline/series but it wasn't my favorite.
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It was VERY cheesy. Good for young kids to enjoy but not for me lol
This was probably the first time ever in my life where a girl made my heart skip and beat so fast, that ending was amazing and nana is amazing for it.
Huge plot twist and I wasn't even paying attention to the whole thing.
It was more like abuse and weird submissiveness to me that didn't make sense because she could have just said no many times.
Any way I won't watch this again because it's just not my taste. They were too young to act like this and I'm too old to watch youngsters act weird, although they're probably my age today.
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The Cute Kid Carried 2/3rds of the Show w/Help from the Leads
I have seen some of the cast in various shows before but this just looked like a rom-com that I may have enjoyed. To be honest though, it was very underwhelming. The reason it got the score it did was because of how messy the script was and that I essentially had to ffw most of the 28 episodes. The child actor was the best thing out of the entire show and he was smarter than his parents and all of the adults combined. He legit carried 2/3rds of the series with help from the leads.Pros: Not too many of those here sadly. As I mentioned the kid actor would probably be favorite because he would be the voice of reason for his parents and their constant quarrels. The leads had a great chemistry when they were together and there was decent comedy. The supporting cast was actually good (save for gorilla glue) when they were by themselves. But when the script started throwing them together at random, it went down the drain. The story had a lot of potential from the past to the present and growing and understanding, it just threw too many monkey wrenches into the mix which will be discussed below. I liked the flashbacks at the end of each episode as it explained what happened 5 years ago in detail.
Cons: So much potential in this script but it was wasted. The past and present at first, it was understandable why both leads would be at odds but then once things started to become clear we still had an FL that refused to let go of her narrow-mindedness and it would just be this constant 1 step forward, 2 steps back. The amount of times something needed to be said or a kiss happen and they were interrupted went from silly to tropey and boring. Felt like their second chance start being interrupted by CJJ and back to the bus accident we went was more of a filler then anything else because it brought the leads to odds again and it either shouldn't have happened or placed earlier so it was more cohesive. It was so mismatched and out of place that it seemed like they ran out of how to move onto a proper reconciliation and needed to throw something in there that was already over with and understood.
Both support couples getting together was so confusing and ridiculous. One ran over her younger dude with a car and then turned into a cougar ravenous after her prey and the other happened like a very bad whiplash. One moment SML is finally going to confess to the FL after 4 years of hoping she'd randomly like him, the next he really likes gorilla glue, baby voiced, stalker chick and is ready to turn himself into a pretzel to show his affection when he couldn't utter two words towards FL. It was so out of any realm of understanding and just beyond confusing. I didn't feel chemistry between either couple. They were literal fillers when they--sans one--could have just been great friends and support systems to the leads. This was essentially two very forced romances on the audience that didn't need it.
What in the what was up with the villain? He wasn't even on anyone's radar other then being a lewd and womanizing bastard and then in the last literally 6 episodes they turned him into a viper of a monster that was ready to sexually assault, run over, beat up, harass, extort people, kill dogs, and lord knows what else. That Ding dude was a more believable villain than CQR because from his first appearance until his arrest, he was a predator. But they didn't do that to CQR, who didn't even appear in a half a dozen episodes. There was no evolution to his character, so to go from like 0 or maybe a 3 to infinity in antagonist land in literally under 10 episodes was ridiculous and a disservice for a person playing a supposedly important antagonist character. There were many other plot holes like this.
The literal flip of FL from "we're not meant for each other" to "yep, we're together", was too spastic and sudden. It could have been done way smoother. ML had promised her a zillion times already that he'd take care of her but only when he spoke for her to CQR after she'd beaten him up, then she was like "ok I'm yours." It needed a much smoother transition. No wonder in the last two episodes ML's heart started to give him problems again. She was so busy with her own life and world that it never even dawned on her that he was in trouble, even when his sister told her that he would hide things so not to worry others. Like that angered me because everyone was feeling bad for the FL but in this case, the man has gone above and beyond and you supposedly love him so much but you can't tell that he's not being honest with you? And you know so much about the heart and whatnot? It was quite unbelievable.
Would I recommend it? Only if you like messy plots. But personally only reason it got this score is because of the adorable kid. And I'm not rewatching this again. A lot of folks liked it and more power to them but it's not for everyone.
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HPL is very special for me and it did teach me a lot. The main theme of a fangirl is something so close to many of our hearts. I especially loved how they chose an older heroine - this generation created the fan culture we know today, so that was a big bonus in my book. Also, I head no idea about the sasaeng world, that was a new experience.The drama starts out very strongly. First couple of episodes are phenomenal, the first half of the third episode made me fall in love with the drama like nothing else. The tempo was there, there was also a lot hinted at and besides one of the best romcom couples on screen, it was interesting to unwrap all the mysteries. Unfortunately, the writing became a bit weak in the second half of the drama, notably after episode 10 or so. Writers used a couple of shortcuts that did a bit of harm to the drama in my opinion.
Also, HPL has some of the best developed relationships between all of the side characters out there. It was a shame, that one of the shortcuts was not exploring these further. in the later episodes. Mostly because in this drama, the minor characters don't feel like props at the beginning, as they mostly do in this genre in other dramas, they come off strong from the start. It is just a shame that they did not keep pace with main couple.
Now, Deok Mi and Ryan are strongest part of HPL. Their relationship is so well done and explored through patience, kindness and nurture. Also, the chemistry is just mad - I kept thinking that my screen is going to burst into flames. almost every episode.
The music, colours and overall playfulness are also a huge strong point of HPL. I was pleasantly surprised that both PMY and KJW went for it fully in this one - some of the humorous scenes got me by surprise. They both balanced the emotions so well, a joy to look at.
I think that I will come back to HPL to look at my favourite parts. However, I don't think that I will rewatch it as a whole. It is worth your time, though. I looked forward to it every week.
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"And then comes one Japanese slice of life and completely erases all the other movies she has seen in last couple of years..." Pretty much the first thought that came to my mind after watching this movie. It has blown me away. With every single thing in it. I had some idea about the plot and I knew it was gonna be some tragedy and illness thing but definitely haven't thought that it'd be such a gem, such a rare thing to watch, such phenomenal piece of art. Yes I think this movie is art. Poetic, artistic, so imaginative, full of parallels and metaphors, visually stunning, with excellent music and brilliant acting and writing. I seriously feel so weird now, I can not explain, I'm sad, I cried near the end like crazy, I'm devastated, I'm strong, I'm grateful and thankful and above all I am happy that I am alive. Description of the movie is already given on movie page so this won't be a spoiler for what I'm gonna say. Just imagine that you find that you're sick and that you're gonna die and suddenly you can extend your life in exchange for some things to disappear each day. I mean the sole idea is very original and interesting and from the first moment it caught my attention but with this pace and this excellent writing it really hit me hard. With each of those things that were disappearing, also memories with a certain person important in his life disappeared as well. With each day it was a new struggle, a new shock, a new fight in his mind and heart, terrifying knowledge that if you want to gain something, you must lose something, and when that biggest attack came, the most difficult thing he could ever lose, then it comes the final acceptance of his fate and his sickness. It was pretty hard to watch those scenes as they were very emotional and with pure rawness. I can't give enough credit to Sato's performance as he was simply incredible, his eyes, his smile, his way of talking, crying, yelling and dealing with everything, all of it was beautiful to watch. He really showed with this role that now there isn't anything he can't do and I'm glad cause of him. As most of the time he was the only one on the screen, I can't say that the others were in the same spot as he was but Miyazaki Aoi and Harada Mieko were amazing in their portrayals too, which was expected from such huge talents like they are. What amazed me the most is that by each encounter, by each of his choices we learn something new, new life lesson, new meaning of choices we make and consequences of that, we experience everything together with him and so easily imagine ourselves in his place, it was so easy to do that. And in the end what this movie really wants to say to us is what really counts -love, bonds and relationships we achieve in our lives. That even if you come to the most difficult and terrible point in your life, there will be always something, someone to make you feel good. To make you feel alive and realize why you're alive in the first place. That nothing can compare to the people you love and care about. That it is better to be loved, to love your family, friends, children and partners to the fullest even if it means that you'll live shorter, all that is better than being alone in the world without anyone to call to, to watch a movie with, to travel with but live a long life. I finally understand what 'If Cats Disappeared From the World" means. And it is something the most powerful. Go and watch this movie, either you're a slice of life fan or not, you won't be indifferent to this one. p.s. And watch movie till the very end so that you could hear the ending song and read the lyrics, it has such a deep meaning and perfectly goes with the whole movie progress. Was this review helpful to you?
