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This drama is WORTH to watch!!!! Don't judge it by 1st ep
It's just a great one in the genre it includes anything!!! Full emotions , lessons , science, interesting stories and good casting with lovely chemistry also I couldn't have any imaginations about anything till the end!!I don't know what do people want from a drama .... I just know if you don't watch it or drop in first episodes you don't have this right to share unrelated comments and give a shit ..... This drama is an on growing one
Abt the bromance it was something special among all bromance I mean it's really bromance like two brothers they came to each other like a healer and it was heart melting during all . I Loved all information about our brain all said had attracts and made you fall in love with learning also the fun side was something besssssst something like Waikiki the ideas were new and amazing
Whole the drama is very valuable and make everyone on a good mood you can enjoy it just don't judge it soon or by bad comments some of the (most of them) didn't watch at all . Start it I promise you like
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This review may contain spoilers
Let's just say, one of the best shows I've watched. There's no exaggeration in that statement. It is what it is. I wanted to talk about this show because is something I needed.I'm gonna talk first about Kim Dong Hee. I'm very happy because it's his first main role, one of my favourite actors on the rise. He became popular through his participation in A-Teen, Sky Castle or Itaeweon Class. He's done a great job. I love his acting. The other actors done a great job too. I only knew Nam Yoon-soo. I've never seen any work of the main girls. But I love their acting. Really. All of them were great.
The other thing I wanna talk is about Jisoo. Everyone is debating whether is a victim and in a way he is but he's definitely not. Like sir, this whole sex trafficking side hustle you have is legit the not smartest thing you could do but considering his background and the struggles he's going trough, made me realize, people will do anything for some quick money. Especially if they are motivated to achieve a dream.
Dreams are expensive like Jisoo highlighted and made me think about how money hungry human beings actually are. Even the rich (Gyuri) can't get enough.
I don't wanna talk about Gyuri because oh my god... (SOMETIMES I HATE HER). Gyuri got Jisoo in some deeper things then anticipated and it's also bad on Jisoo's part because he listened to her. Which was because of him liking her a lot (ANOTHER THING I HATE BECAUSE REALLY JISOO IS TOO SUBMISSIVE).
Overall, I thought the drama was good. Every episode had me on the edge of my seat.
10/10 would recommend :)
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WOW, what a journey! I dont get why it got such a low rating...
Its a family melo drama, which also included elements like friendship, success, violence, crime.
Its hard to tell, what the story is exactly about, because if I tried to explain the story, I would have to spoil you. Its so complicated, but in such a good way. I was really surpised, the story was so new, not like one of the 100 plots we´ve already seen. It was such (to me at least) new concept...
I loved that you never knew what was going to happen next. Unless like many other dramas, you can never tell how this episode or drama is going to end. Whenever you think you know, youll be surprised & shocked. Almost every episode has a cliffhanger, that will make you go crazy.
I started this drama crying and ended it crying. Im not lying, there was hardly an episode where I didnt have to cry. So be prepared...if you think youre mentally not strong enough to go through all this hardship, dont even start it! lol
But there will also be cute funny moments, especially between BaekWon&DoYoung;
Childhood episodes will go till episode 11. Im usually the kind of drama-watcher who gets bothered by childhoo eps and just want to skip to the adult-episodes.
But I dont know how the producer made it to completely got me hooked from the first episode, from now on I will never judge childhood-episodes of a drama. lol
Acting/Cast
Uee:
She was actually the reason I started this drama. After finishing Ojakgyo Brothers I thought I wouldnt love her more...but damn, she was even better in this one. Cant believe what a great actress she is! Whenever she cried (and she cried a lot! lol) it was so hard to believe that she was just acting. Her crying will tear your heart apart and make you cry, too.
Baek Woon is such a good hearted girl, who would do everything for her family and for those who need help. But still she manage it not to be that kind of puppy-main leads, we know from other dramas.
Jung Ill Woo:
Thats the first Ill Woo drama Ive ever watched. And I immediately fell in love with this guy. He made it to potray Do Young perfectly, who is a nice and cute guy, but going through hell because of some family matters. I cant imagine someone better than JIW for this role.
(Now i gotta marathone all his dramas!)
Kim Sang Joong:
WOW! That ahjussi is really daebak! I know him from City Hunter, where he played a kinda cold hearted father...but in this drama, he is the nicest and most warm-hearted dad youve ever seen in dramas. This will make you fall in love with him.
Jo Min Ki:
And that ahjussi is just a perfect villain. lol If you already know him from Two weeks and know how crazy and mad he was...youll be completly surpised. In this drama he is even worser...I mean of cours not the actor, but his role Jin Ki. He wouldnt be such a great actor, if he didnt scare me every episode.
Music
I didnt notec many songs in this drama...but there is one song, that got me goosebumps: The Vow by ALI.
This song was just played at the right moments and made you cry even more while the situation/scene was already so heartbroken.
Rewatch Value
Im not giging it 10/10 only because its so long to rewatch the whole drama...but Im 100% sure I will rewatch some of my favourit episodes. Im already missing it so much...(with 41 episodes you grow a lot with the main leads)
Overall
PERFECT DRAMA! GIVE IT A TRY! ITS WORTH!
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Scrumptious - the word I would describe this drama
I'm rating this drama high mainly because I have fond memories of it lolFrom the posters, I could already tell this drama was going to have something special & I was not wrong.
PROS
1. THE MAIN LEADS
Yes the age gap is huge but somehow Jerry Yan and Xu Ruo Han was the main saving grace of this drama. Both of them did such a great job portraying their characters. XRH definitely surprised me here bc the character looked so natural on her. So proud to see her acting chops evolve every projects she does. She was able to keep up acting alongside an actor like Jerry Yan, imagine the pressure! Speaking of, Xiao Han IS Jerry Yan - so glad he chose this project as it definitely confirmed that yes he STILL got it. He still got the acting chops to make me cry & feel the sincerity of the character. Idk but I really support the guy & I'm glad this drama worked out for him. I can see this being one of his underrated classic works.
2. THE CHEMISTRY OF THE MAIN LEADS
I don't even know where to start because this casting seem to have come out of nowhere but it worked out SO WELL?? The chemistry was sizzling from the first few eps. Idk what magic they put in this but I sincerely believe if they changed any of the two leads, this wouldn't have worked out as well as it did. But I think it all boils down to their acting chops & love for their craft. Xu Ruohan's braveness to just go for it every scene & Jerry Yan's classic ability to look at his FL's eyes with such love & desire all at the same time. This was a pairing I never thought I'd see but I'm so glad I did. Pure magic.
3. THE CINEMATOGRAPHY
Every shot was worth paying for. This was the 2nd best thing from this drama. Enough said. You can tell they out so much effort in getting the best shot of EVERY SCENE. And with flowers involved (chinese drama name is summer flower)?? OH what a combination. Please, if you're gonna try watching this, watch it for the cinematography at the very least. I'm so glad to see these directors still exist in cdramas. I can only imagine how exciting it must be for them to be given the chance to create such magic in a modern cdrama series.
4. THE OST
The songs in this gave me the same feeling as the drama did. The sense of falling in love & just living the moment. So good.
5. THE SETTING
We are at the beach! We are at the house near the beach! We are in a mansion! We are in the flower shop! We are in the mountains! Summer and then snow! We are everywhere! It felt like we were really living in a world following these characters live their everyday lives. The locations never felt empty. It never felt like we were just jumping from one studio set to another. It felt so real and very immersive.
THE ONE AND ONLY CON
THE EDITING
Ah yes, the cuts. So awkward and definitely ruined the vibe of the whole show. I can't even say anything because I'm sure everyone share the same sentiments. I know the production hated it too but they have to do it for censorship. (I'm not even talking about the sexy scenes, ik they had to edit dialogues too to cater to the cut scenes and all that... just sucks.) I can only forgive them if they release a DVD or something. IM BEGGING.
God, how perfect it would've been if this was shown on Netflix. Let adults be adults and just love damn!!!
I wished this was a bigger success but considering the qualms about the age gap, this was pretty successful to me. So proud of my girl xu ruohan & happy for jerry yan for making a comeback. Everyone has put 100% of their efforts in this and you can tell. This was definitely a passion project for everyone involved & I'm a happy drama watcher as my eyes, ears and brain had a feast.
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Acting/Cast: My favourite character besides Wu Xin is Lord Gu. The interactions between the two of them (aka Bromance) is downright funny. Lord Gu is a loveable character and I am sure many who had watched this drama would remember his character well above others. My least favourite character is ironically, the female lead, Yue Ya. This is purely personal preference as I don't quite like Yue Ya's practical, no nonsense, bickering, bossy and some what annoying character. Although I like dominant female characters, for reasons unknown, I dislike Yue Ya's character. I feel Yue Ya has a rather boring, flat and one-dimensional character and to build an epic romance story around such a character does not make sense nor did it appeal to me. Granted, she and Wu Xin do share some touching scenes together and some of their interaction is quite entertaining, the chemistry that I get from them is more of a long-time good friend rather than the passionate and hot attraction of lovers. In fact, the evil Yue Qi Ruo exhibits more passion and chemistry towards Wu Xin than Yue Ya. Too bad she's evil and suck people's spirits to maintain her youth and beauty or I'll be in camp Qi Ruo and Wu Xin. And to those of you who got suckered in by Mike D'Angelo's beautiful pose in the poster, Mike has a very small and minimal role in this drama - only appearing occasionally at the last 2.5 episodes of the drama. His appearance is so sudden that one could even call his character as an afterthought to prepare for the abrupt ending.
Music: Some people might like the slow and poignant music. I am impartial to it. As far as I'm concerned, it suited the feel of the drama.
Rewatch value: No hurry to re-watch. No unforgettable romantic scenes to re-wind to. Although the demon and monster fighting parts are nice, I do not know anyone who would re-wind back to those scenes unless they get their kicks out of watching supernatural beings running amok and people getting murdered?
Overall: Despite the weak ending and the lack of lovers' chemistry between Wu Xin and Yue Ya, I did enjoy this drama for the monster killing, the mystery and the investigative parts. And although the mystery of Wu Xin hangs in the air like an unsolved mystery even to the end, I liked the character Wu Xin and the potential for a Season 2 (if they want to continue with it). Otherwise, this is the end and life just continues to go on (forever) for our monster killing hero, Wu Xin.
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Is There A “Trace” Of Hope With Actually Trying To Watch ‘ Tracer’?
Procedural dramas, particularly ones revolving around mundane subject areas such as tax evasion or bureaucracy, can be a bore for viewers. However whilst ‘ Tracer’ is still not unable to evade its more tedious moments, under the directing reigns of Lee Seung Young ( ‘ Voice 2’, ‘ Missing Noir M’) and the writing tutorage of Kim Hyun Jung ( ‘ Who Are You: School 2015’), MBC’s ‘ Tracer’ possessed a surprisingly rigid plot motive from beginning to end.
The drama focused primarily upon male lead Hwang Dong-Joo ( Im Shi-wan). Formerly a disreputable accountant with his own personal vendetta , Dong-Joo ends up working as an investigator for the National Tax Service (NTS). However instead of ending up in a reputable and prestigious department of the NTS, Dong-Joo ends up being sent to division five; a dumping ground for undesirable and difficult cases by other departments.
Alongside the help of team investigator Seo Hye Young ( Go Ah-Sung), Chief Oh Young (Park Yong-woo) and his extensive knowledge into the field from his past , Dong-Joo is determined to stop at nothing in order to enact his own personal justice.
Kim Hyun Jung’s screenplay is notably dark in parts as well as primarily fixed upon the objective of the storyline. Whilst there are admittedly moments where certain overblown dialogue exchanges , Hyun Jung’s personal touch towards the series’ notably heartfelt plot moments and subject areas was surprisingly subtle, yet effective.
Arguably one of the star attractions of ‘ Tracer’ came through the casting choices. Im Si-Wan ( ‘ Misaeng: Incomplete Life’, ‘ Hell Is Other People’, ‘ Run On’) is particularly brilliant onscreen as main lead Hwang Dong-Joo;adding a surprising touch of charisma towards his role as the antiheroic main lead.
Costarring alongside Si-Wan was Go Ah-Sung ( ‘ The Host’, ‘ Snowpiercer’ and ‘ Samjin Company English Class’ ); a hesitant yet virtuous individual in the NTS, Park Young Woo (‘ Ditto’, ‘ My Scary Girl’ , ‘ Hwayi: A Monster Boy’ and ‘ Late Spring’) took on the part as the ridiculed yet talented Chief Oh Young, whilst Son Hyun-joo ( ‘ Tazza’, ‘ Secretly, Greatly’ and ‘ Empire Of Gold’) played antagonist and director of the Central Regional Tax Office, In Tae-Joon. All of the main cast were brilliant as our main leads; helping to flesh out and add a dynamic charm towards their onscreen personas.
However within the execution of ‘ Tracer’, the pacing could notably present a pitfall also. The drama’s attempt to stimulate the storyline’s narrative could often leads to the motives of characters, or the roles of key players rarely feeling elucidated. Perhaps this was also a consequence of a nonlinear narrative; rarely allowing certain moments for viewers to sit back and take in in the events of the storyline.
However perhaps one of the saving graces for ‘Tracer’ came through screenwriter Kim Hyun-jung’s ability to intertwine niche and predictable setups against moments which allowed opportunities to explore the wider scope of Dong-Joo. Whilst Hyun Jung could sometimes fall into a slightly cyclical pattern of a “ new dilemma” forcing Hyun Joo to keep on his toes, this did highlight diverging writing niches of characters being merely plot devices. Instead Hyun Joo and the supporting characters of the series were involved and attached towards the events and processes of the storyline; allowing opportunities in order to explore certain elements of character depth.
The dialogue is admittedly overblown in parts. However Hyun Jung did include some surprisingly witty and sardonic responses for Dong Joo, helping to personify his unpredictable nature to audiences throughout the series. The comic relief present in ‘ Tracer’ is notably an odd mixture between ferocious insults and name calling, as well as lighthearted and somewhat benign exchanges also.
‘ Tracer’ isn’t a series that will suit everyone’s personal tastes. However whilst ‘ Tracer’ focuses upon a notably mundane and simplistic formula, the execution of the narrative is surprisingly tactful. The acting performances are brilliant and solid throughout and whilst the finale helped to setup events for season two, ‘ Tracer’ is notably not without its more evident writing flaws here and there. Overall the first part of ‘ Tracer’ is notably a dynamic mixture of revenge, angst and wit in order to create a surprisingly entertaining drama along the way.
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After Moving Seats, the Boy Behind Me Has a Crush on Me
28 people found this review helpful
This review may contain spoilers
cute but...
This is JBL is very cute and very open. The only point missing is the makeup department. Sometimes they look young and sometimes due to the makeup and the lighting they do not. Of course it would have been better to have actors somewhere closer to their age to portray them. Especially when you have watched "Takaras Treasure" Eito looks soooooo much younger. This is my only major gripe with this series...Overall it was beautifully done, nice pictures, good vibe and yes, they really kiss which is an improvement over so many other JBLs. The story is not the most exciting but still interesting. Of course they serve all the clichés expected from a BL either in words or in pictures. The unique point is a supportive bigger brother.
Of course there must be drama in such BL, which happens on the end of episode 5 when Asamiya says something stupid and I wanted to punch his face immediately. "What is wrong with you?" At least they did not drag that on, it gets resolved with the encouraging words of Asamiyas friend who supports him from the "shadows". Also Mayama is growing, taking initiative and leaving his inferior complex behind.
This was nice and wholesome. As with most JBLs it's a positive story with a postive vibe. Production quality was good, but as mentioned above lighting and makeup were inconstistent. Especially Eito is superb in his role making the comedic bits believable and not cringe. This series is worth binging.
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There were a lot of potentially interesting elements to this story. The fashion design aspect, the military/action aspect, and the business aspect. All three things that don't necessarily go together, but it seemed like it could work. The beginning of the drama wove those three plot points together fairly well in my opinion. Things seemed to make sense as you watched, but as you continued on, it basically seemed like they were giving up on these major plot focuses one by one.
Not even halfway through, most of the action side of it basically disappeared as they closed the plot that they introduced at the beginning of the drama. It went from being action scenes in almost every episode, to being basically nothing until the last few episodes. Honestly, the action side was the only thing keeping this from being completely another basic modern business romance.
I honestly feel like even the fashion element was thrown out of the window after a while. It went from focusing on designing for multiple different business projects and showing the designing process and trial and error, to just basically talking about it and saying "We're starting our own brand," but by the end was only really showing the business aspect of everything and everything else was just something they mentioned every once in a while to keep it in your mind. By the time they created the Qing Cheng brand, there was really NO mention of the design process. Scenes would go by and all of a sudden there was an entire store filled with clothes, whereas at the beginning when she designed the waterproof uniform, there was constant mention of how to make it, what materials to use, what the problems were, etc.
Romance wise, there was obviously a lot of that. It moved fairly quickly (the first kiss was episode 10 or so) and seemed to make sense as to why they fell for each other. There was a LOT of romance happening though. Four different couple pairings by the end of the drama. A LOT of split screen time between these four. There was a lot of focus on the second lead couple, but at this point the main couple was firmly established, so it was ok I guess.
ACTING:
Zhao Li Ying - honestly, ZLY is one of my favorite actresses. I think she always does a really good job with what she's given and shows a good variety of emotion and skill. This particular drama (and a LOT of people agree with me), I honestly think she shouldn't have taken up. Personally, I don't like her modern dramas (or modern dramas in general as they always end up about the same), but after seeing her being such a strong, smart, brave, etc. character in other dramas, it was really annoying to watch her just be such a Mary Sue character in this drama. She was talented and loyal and loving, sure. But that's about it. There were a lot of aspects where she was just a sideline in the process, or they talked about how important she was, but she didn't really show it. I have no problem with her having a cutesy role and whatnot, but I just feel like this character wasn't someone she needed to take up and there wasn't much about Lin Qian that made it a MUST HAVE role.
Jin Han - personally don't think he was that great. I've only seen him in supporting roles, and always as a bad guy, which I honestly thing suits him a lot better. I fall for male characters really easily in dramas, but there wasn't a lot about this role that I was infatuated with. The character himself was fine, but there was a disconnect for me between Jin Han's acting and the character coming to life.
Everyone else - No one in the drama honestly really stood out to me as being amazing. Whether it was character wise or acting wise. Again, this might play into the fact that I don't really care for modern dramas, but overall no one gave me a particular sense of joy while watching.
Side note - the portrayal of Peter really blew my mind. Not so much that the acting was amazing, but just the characterization was just WOW. I know he was supposed to be a bad guy in the drama, but the pill popping, sexual harassment tendencies, and general psychotic-ness was just a LOT.
OVERALL:
The drama wasn't terrible. The story made sense overall, it just was fairly boring (really just predictable and meh) by the end of it and again, the main aspects of the story that were introduced weren't all upheld by the end of the drama, turning it into just another fairly standard modern drama. I also again always have high expectations for ZLY dramas and really do think she's a very good actress, but there wasn't much with this drama by the end that made it super worth it (especially knowing how popular and in demand she is and how full her schedule is, I just think this drama wasn't necessary). Don't really feel the need to rewatch as there wasn't a lot in the drama that was super memorable for me.
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I met a friend, at the edge of the universe
This show is perfection! There! It has been achieved. Arguably one of the best shows I have ever watched, Lost is a profound, philosophical, and incredibly romantic masterpiece that examines its characters in a moment of personal crisis. Depending on how you look at this show it’s about a couple falling out of love, about people falling in love, about finding your self-worth, about letting go of the residue of your trauma, and about healing your soul and stepping back from the edge to find a new meaning in life, in yourself, in your relationships. This show deals with death and death ideation with such patience and natural care that despite the heavy subject, the show never felt claustrophobic or bleak. The story follows its main characters through a crisis of humanity, yet it doesn’t make you feel miserable and nihilistic. Instead, it inspires warm feelings of being understood and seen and appreciated on a journey to find a new facet of oneself.Granted, this is not your typical drama or even melodrama watch. It requires a bit of a commitment from the viewer to pause and absorb the emotions quietly. The show does not have loud emotional moments that will have pay-offs of cheap reactions. There is no melodramatic event in this show. There is no grand gesture, no epic confrontation, no shameful and over-the-top confession. The biggest and most impactful events happen and pass by as you would expect them to in real life; with little noise and then life keeps going. That’s perhaps the most profound narrative climax that the show has achieved: that life goes on. It keeps going even if it feels like it should be over. All will pass and you will feel better soon. The calm and serene way that the camera follows stress-inducing events manages to truly reveal a new side to the story of its characters. It doesn’t communicate the distress and anxiety but the empathy to cheer the characters on as they survive the mundane hardships of everyday life. This might just be the best show I have seen all year long.
This show has everything:
1. A beautiful, profound friendship formed with delicate care and harmony
2. Kindred spirits healing together
3. The most beautiful father-daughter dynamic in any show I have seen
4. The hardships of everyday life
5. Dealing with loss and grief
6. The best romantic development I have seen in a long time
7. But very little physical romance (so don’t expect Eros love. It’s more of a platonic love, in the PLATOnic sense…I’ll elaborate later)
8. Suicide and depression and how to come back from the edge of life
9. Complex human relationships in which no one is a clear villain/victim
10. A very subtle and well-expressed reference to privilege and abuse in the entertainment industry
11. Profound symbolism and metaphors
Summary: Lee Boo Jung has hit rock bottom. She is working as a cleaning lady getting treated like crap, refuses to deal with her clueless husband, and now she even has a possible criminal record hanging over her head. At forty years old, Boo Jung feels like she has reached the end of her potential and has amounted to absolutely nothing. Her elderly father is the very last thing she cares about. Lee Kang Jae is only twenty-seven and has his own successful stand-in escort business but he is so ashamed of the person he has become and is so far beyond caring about himself or life that he wears apathy as a second skin. The two of them live at the threshold of each other’s lives. Then one fateful night, after the suicide of a friend and one lawsuit later, the two of them see each other for the first time. Really see each other. In a way that no one else in either of their lives has seen them. Fate, destiny, enemies, or money conspire to further entangle these two’s lives together. It might sound like a recipe for disaster but it ends up being a blessing in disguise.
Plot: There are multiple amazing facets to this story and I think the show has managed to execute each of them to perfection. First of all, this show does suspense and mystery better than all mystery shows I’ve seen out there. The story begins in medias res so when we find the characters, it feels like they are already in the middle of a bigger crisis. There’s a lot of information that is kept hidden from the viewer and they unravel as we learn them along with some of the characters and with each revelation the picture becomes more and more clear. This creates an excitement and anticipation that is usually not there for slow-paced and quiet shows like this. On the other hand, there are the journeys of the characters themselves. While Boo Jung and Kang Jae are the unrivaled protagonists, the show also has a plotline for all the side characters. Everyone seems simple and typical at first, like the evil mother-in-law or the bumbling husband. Yet, the show manages to follow their stories and reveal inner depths for them to the point that with the exception of two or three characters, all are extremely sympathetic. Even in the case of the unlikeable characters, there is still depth so that I couldn’t bring myself to be enraged by them. It’s just an incredibly human story. I came to care deeply for all characters and the writing is so amazing that by the end of it, all the characters get satisfying albeit realistic ends. There’s just something irresistible about a narrative that is so harmonious from the beginning to end. In a lot of ways, the experience of watching this show was more akin to reading a good novel, rather than watching a show.
The romance: Oh yeah, it gets its own category because I want to rant. This is not a romance-centered show. There’s romance in every cell of it. Love oozes out of the characters like tears. Everyone in the story is desperate to have it, to find it, to hold on to it. One of the less-likable characters in the show says: “Love? Is there still such a thing?” and I think that was the ultimate way to show how pathetic that one character was because everyone else was vying for love and struggling for it but this person was blind to that sensation and isn’t that the worst punishment of them all? Side-romances aside, the profound love between the two main characters truly surpassed what I have witnessed in a TV show so far. When we talk about platonic love, we usually think of a friendship of sorts, not romance. Yet, interestingly enough, platonic love as defined by Plato himself is not one that excludes sexuality and physical love but one that goes beyond it. In fact, there is a distinction to be made between amour platonique and amour platonicien. Here, the love was platonicien in the sense that it did have a physical aspect but it grew beyond that. Instead, it depicted two people coming together as kindred spirits.
Usually, in older woman/younger man dynamics or affair plotlines, the focus is on the sex. It’s on the physical chemistry between the characters and it’s usually not surprising when things fall apart. This show bypasses all that messy sh!t. Instead, it has the characters connect because their souls call out to each other. Their interest in each other helps them open up and express themselves even if ultimately words are left unsaid between them, they are forever changed for their connection together. That’s why it’s better than all the other stories. It’s a love that does not judge but elevates the soul and it was gorgeous. Even when typical melodrama hurdles get in the way, they float above those pesky things and focus on that authentic dynamic between them. I can’t praise the show enough for this.
Acting: A bunch of giants acted in this show. The acting was just…beyond amazing. So subtle and natural. From the male lead's heart suddenly beating faster in overwhelmed emotions to the slowly growing smiles of the female lead, to the tears that formed in Kim Hyo Jin’s eyes but just wouldn’t fall to the tired disappointment in Jo Eun Ji’s drooping shoulders, the cast out-acted the pants off each other! Just wonderful. Ryu Joon Yeol looks ethereal. He’s handsome, yeah but also not conventionally handsome? Like he’s beautiful in this beyond reproach way and that’s exactly the energy his character has. Then with a mature and seasoned performance, he slowly unravels that icy veneer of his character, and he becomes so human and vulnerable in the show and I just loved that. Jeon Do Yeon was beyond outstanding. She just brought Boo Jung to life in such a heartbreaking and natural way. Her character doesn’t have to say anything to express the most complex and difficult emotions. Her gaze is enough. I am truly in awe of her and this cast.
Music: I finally figured out my issue with music in East Asian productions. Unlike western shows that have soundtracks for each episode, East Asians have an original soundtrack with a few songs that are created specifically for the show and used for different scenes. Now, this will be fine when you watch one episode a week but if you binge it, then it’s like listening to the same songs straight for 4 days and everyone knows that’s the fasted way to hate a song! Here, they had more music than you usually expect from a Kdrama and they masterfully use them in tandem in such a way that nothing gets repeated so much that it’ll be irritating. I mean just as I thought they were going to play Hallelujah to death, the show stopped playing it altogether and it only came back once, many episodes later. An impactful return if there ever was one. In addition, the show uses silence as well as it uses sounds and so the calm and measured playlist melds perfectly into the pattern of storytelling and truly elevates the watching experience instead of interrupting it with loud bursts of noise or dramatic screaming by a singer.
Production: The aesthetic, the camerawork, the creation of spaces, lighting, attention to detail were all amazing. Time passes in this show!!!!!! I know, a shocker! There’s continuity. There is a timeline and the show stays true to it. It’s just a very well-thought-out production with great attention to detail. You can tell it was made with care and not just to make profits.
Rewatch value: YES! I already want to watch it all over again. This is a story I will definitely come back to when I need some feel-good but not boisterous watch.
Overall: What’s left to say? This is a story about not being able to go on living and then finding a way to do so anyway. It was just a joy and a privilege to watch it. I am so glad that I made the choice to watch it and I hope others will give it a chance and actually like it. It might not be for everyone though, I acknowledge that but it was definitely the perfect watch for me.
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Once you read this you'd think that it's a gloomy depressing drama...but it isn't!
As the name says "A Bittersweet Life" this drama might have a bitter sad moments but it's full of sweet moments too!
The main lead is a mysterious man...he could be sweet and cute as a little puppy in one sec...then he turns to a crazy maniac the following sec just as the other title indicates "Demons Living In My Body"....I think LDW did his best in this role...
his character is what ties the 3 other leads together!
the drama gives equal time to all the 4 characters to tell their story...
All the actors did great in portraying their characters!
The OST is amazing...all the parts are touching and fit with the drama!
I'll definitely re-watch my favorite scenes from time to time!
Finally: this is an unusual drama in all aspects...I highly recommend it for those bored with the normal cliches!
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Sweet boy love office romance
I really enjoyed this twosome. I loved their chemistry and the support and care shown by the junior office worker for the team leader, especially at the end. I just wish it were longer, but that's the problem with most underfunded Korean BL drams like this one. I don't fault the series for not having more time to pursue their relationship in more depth. It's a little overly dramatic at times, but not so much that it got in the way of me enjoying their cutesy "date mate" relationship.I loved the photobox scene where they start far apart but are quickly side by side. Plus, the photoshoot and fainting scene were pretty cute too. I liked the scared penguin and relentless polar bear analogy, where normally, those two animals would never meet, one being in the Arctic and the other being in Antarctica.
I just found this series to be an enjoyable, if not at times mindless, couple of hours well spent.
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The main couple is cute, but that's it. The initial progression between the couple was nice and I enjoyed the (slow) pace the story set. But this show has one major flaw: There is no depth to this pair. They are just cute. So the story beats got repetitive very quickly and my frustration level rose, because even the actors didn't have chemestry which is a big problem for a romance drama. Besides the characters didn't really change beyond the ML in the beginning of the story opening up to the FL. After that it was just... the same. I don't really have more to say on this part of the show.
Initially I watched this because the story promised to show some E-Sports-Drama.
And the players are all great but ultimately not fleshed out characters. They are there just too squee when the main couple is together.
My favourite charcter is the team captain Wu Bai. He has few scenes and is overall silent which gives him an air of mystery. I wouldn't have minded more scenes with him, but this mysteriousness is probalby why he is so interesting so showing more of him would probably destroy that.
Boyond him all the other team members are all the same charcter. I mean that. Which annoyed me more than almost anything else on this show, because when these actors are given more to do I could tell that they can deliver, but there simply wasn't anything destinguishable in their characters.
For some reason I had the feeling they cut out all of the competition scenes in the later episodes and in hindsight probably in the beginning aswell although it is not as noticable there. I mean the players go on stage, start playing and then a winner is announced. All in less than a minute.
Leaving this aspect of the show severly lacking. Because the ML interest lies with his team and we never really get to 'see' the pay-off. This lead to me skipping most of this plotline (almost half is dedicated to this) even though it was what initially drew me to this drama. It left me rather unsatisfied with the whole drama.
Also too many flashbacks... seriously way too many. And to boot with little to no payoff. The ML backstory is 'explored' in these flashbacks but we never see anything beyond what we have been told or could tell from the character interacions in the present themselves. Thus making these very skippable aswell.
All in all I finished this drama because I wanted to know how all the plot points get resolved and the drama manages that, but it wasn't particularly unforseeable. All the actors are easy on the eye so that certailnly helped.
Whoever is short on time should watch roughly the first part of the show and know that this has a happy ending in all plots and then call it quits.
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Less means more, more means less…
At least in terms of number of cliches, politines, schemes and unnecessary side characters. Develop and elaborate on what you already have - sadly the writer did not get the memo.Yes, I am aware that all these unnecessary side plots and twists were part of the source material, but I am also quite aware of the fact one should be selective of how much they decide to bring to the adaptation. It’s okay to remove some characters from the plot if they don’t really add much to it anyway.
First half of the show was honestly pure perfection. Female lead with good character that you want to root for. Too perfect to be true male lead. Supporting characters that feel like real people. Well paced drama and conflicts and get reasonable resolutions. Villains that are so awful you kind of start to appreciate how much of a hazardous waste they are.
And then the second half happened… Adding one dimensional characters just to annoy the viewers (since the same plot could have been achieved with the already existing cast). Why? Tell me why they decided adding side plots and characters to never develop them, never give a proper closure and actually make the already existing set up more messy and unrealistic, would be a good idea. Adding one dimensional, poorly written and poorly acted characters will never increase the quality and value of your project.
But even with that messy last few episodes, the drama managed to end on an enjoyable note. One thing I for sure appreciated was the message - you do not really need magic powers and time travel to change your life. Pay attention to your surroundings, see the value in people who support you, don’t be scared to ask for help, do not let people treat you badly - you deserve better. You have more power in your hands than you might think, you just have to take that first step and start using it.
That would be the “message” part, how about the romance? As for the chemistry, it was mediocre. I honestly think Park Min Young does not have good chemistry with any of her romantic co-actors. All of her rom-coms usually feel one sided - I see a lot of feelings and passion from the men, and then… not much from her. It’s the same case here. For how unreasonably perfect and poorly developed Yoo Ji Hyuk was, Na In Woo truly sold the character and even if by the end of the drama I did not feel like I know Ji Hyuk that well, I knew how much he loves Ji Won.
While I did not vibe with Park Min Young’s romantic scenes, I do think she did a great job with the personal journey of Kang Ji Won - from the shell of a human, defeated, angry, dying, to a confident, driven and strong woman. I felt her pain, I felt her frustration, I felt her fear, but I also felt the satisfaction and the sense of victory with each and every positive step she took.
All that said, I think we can all agree that the true stars of the drama were Lee Yi Kyung and Song Ha Yoon - what a powerful duo. They could be given as a definition of characters you love to hate. Cannot believe I’m saying it, but I will miss their selfish, crazy, self pity shenanigans.
Production value? Soundtrack? Set design? Makeup and costumes? All typical mainstream drama level - great, but not outstanding and for sure not memorable.
Overall, it was extremely entertaining, then it became extremely frustrating, but still entertaining. Closer to the end it hit rock bottom and almost made me drop, just to finish on a high note again.
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Let me start with the plot. You could say that this movie is devided into two equally long parts. The first one focuses on the development of the relationship of the two main characters, and the second one shows the situation of the male lead 17 years later.
You could say that the real story only starts with the second half of the movie and for people who are not into light romance movies, the first half of the movie might seem really draggy and uninteresting as it only shows selected scenes of the couple and their relationship, but believe me, every one of those scenes is necessarry to understand what happens in the second part of the movie and why exactly the main character falls in love with one of his male students.
And let me tell you, this is not a gay movie! It is true that "gay" becomes a subject at the end of the movie, but that is not what this movie is about.
This movie is simply about love. About endless love.
I don't know how it is for most people who saw this movie. I've read other people's opnions about the ending, but I don't agree with most of them. Some just didn't get the message this movie was trying to deliver.
It was not about society and gay people and the "curse" of loving the same gender. Absolutely not. This movie was just about how much love effects you and that it is possible to find your soulmate. This movie is about an undying love that no matter what will never fade.
The characters and the actors were just awesome. I can't really put into words how much I loved the male main character and the way he changed after 17 years, but his love for her never died. It was also increcible how the second male lead (who becomes his love interest in the seconds part of the movie) resembled the female lead, but was at the same time so different.
This movie is just the best and people who like complicated but sweet romance stories should definitely give it a chance. And yes, I really think that this movie is sweet, despite the drama and tragedy that seem to happen to the male main character the whole time.
I've watched this movie a lot of times already, but I could still watch it over and over again and love it just as much as I did the first time I watched it.
Just one thing: Don't drop the movie before the "17 years later" part begins. You will love this movie, believe me!
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This review may contain spoilers
No Gain, No Love had a lot of promise. It had a lot of classic tropes, it had Shin Min Ah, it was very progressive for a kdrama. But I think that the main issue is that this show tried to do way too much with only 12 episodes. There were so many storylines that a lot of them didn’t get resolved at all (with Ji Uk’s parents, or her ex) or were so rushed that they had no impact at all. Even the main relationship didn’t feel developed, so it felt like it had no stakes. Kim Young Dae really didn’t work for me as a lead and he did not have great chemistry with Shin Min Ah.
Ja Yeon was adorable and I really wish she had gotten more screentime. The show tried to do too much with her character in very limited time. I liked her arc as a romance writer and would have liked that to be more of the focus. The whole murderer dad getting out of jail and coming for her was a pretty unnecessary plot line. I wanted to like her romance more than I did. The way they met was very hard to come back from and it kind of dampened their entire arc.
The third friend’s storyline was completely forgettable and uninteresting. They should have just written her out if they were going to do a shorter show. Everything with Hae-young’s ex was also very annoying and took time away from other plot points.
I could see that there were elements of Hae-young’s character arc that I would’ve liked and could’ve connected with but the show just never delved into those parts in any meaningful way. Even her relationship with her mom felt like afterthought.
After a somewhat promising start, the show really fell flat for me in the last couple episodes. I’d still say watch it if you love Shin Min Ah, but overall the drama felt pretty shallow in terms of the characters and story.
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