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1A Good Foundation
So... you want to get into Pete and Kao's story but don't know where to start? That was exactly my dilemma! A quick Google search told me that this three-part compilation by GMMTV was all you really needed in order to continue onto Dark Blue Kiss, the sequel series. I do think it accomplished what it meant to do, as most of the reviews on the full series (Kiss Me Again) claim to have just skipped to the Pete/Kao scenes anyway. But that doesn't mean it was smooth sailing.The first half of this mini-series was rough for me to watch. It literally does what it claims to— it just shows the scenes with Pete and Kao. That's it. And with so much of the show and overall storyline cut out, there is really no tangible plot to follow. The animosity between the two of them, without any context, was boring at best and annoying at worst. Also— there were SO many fight scenes??? And it felt like they were one right after the other, so repetitive and boring, but that was mostly because this compilation doesn't show the scenes that happen in between. Still, it got to be a bit much.
I did end up enjoying the second half much more, especially once the jealousy and actual feelings emerged. I don't totally love the characters yet, but I'm looking forward to watching a full series about them!
Ultimately, this is probably the best way to give a viewer the background so they can jump into the next show, but I'm really hoping Dark Blue Kiss is miles better than this was.
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Eh.
The number of tropes in this drama is sky high, but luckily it's a relatively short drama so it's still palatable...Yes, we got the some lead loses their memory (that's actually the setup of this whole drama so this isn't a spoiler)
and then we got some parents that don't want the leads to be together
and some jealous second leads / random girls
leads thinking the other lead is together with a second lead
etc
you know, we got ALL of these -sigh- (just missing the Korean drama kimchi slap and the water splash scenes lol
But I still gave it a >7 because Li GeYang is real cute and I'm glad that our second lead Cai Yasi (from The Love Equations) finally got rom com first lead and doesn't have to watch his best friend fall in love with someone else!!!
And the leads' interactions are pretty cute. When they aren't fighting.
I don't know. This is a good time filler and cure for the Cai Yasi second male lead syndrome. But other than that, there are much cuter / more original rom coms than this.
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IT WAS SO GOOD I WANNA GIVE IT A 100000 BUT THATS NOT POSSIBLE SO I GIVE IT A 10
NOT ME WAS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. I didnt review while it still aired because I was curious to see how everything would play out. If the writer could maintain the plot and keep it as good as it was until the very end.The storyline was one of a kind. I get to watch dramas with such unique plots once in a while. Both the characters and actors grew on me so much.
White and Black - their bond was just so lovely. No matter how far they were or how different they became they still managed to portray SIBLING LOVE/BOND at its best! I think this is the best character of GUN I've ever seen and it will forever remain with me.
Sean really grew on me. I found myself wondering what his character was about to rooting for him every sunday, crying while he cried and smiling while he smiled.
YOK & DAN - while some people may have hated Dan for his decisions. I understood everything he did. Sometimes loving someone is not so easy and I was so glad Yok could understand that. I loved this couple every step of the way.
Gram & Eugene - I had reservations about them and may have rolled my eyes at them until towards the end but I came to understand. As much as I wanted Black with Eugene, I admit he really did hurt her and she deserves to be happy with whoever she chooses.
Gumpa - Oh my Gumpa! What a character! And Grams ex girlfriend was such a queen! I was hoping Todd wouldn't be what I suspected but everyone cannot be good. He wanted same thing as Black but just choosed a different direction. It really hurt to be see how their story played out!
I'm not sure how they managed to make not a single scene boring in this drama. I cannot think of a single thing wrong with it. Watching dramas these good has raised my standard so high, even more higher than it was before. This was a MASTERPIECE! The plot, the actors, the music! I have to say i dont think any other show can beat this anytime soon.
One last thing! THE MUSIC WAS 💋 WHOEVER was in charge of the music deserves a Bonus!
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Story: Aside from loving the teen/school romance theme [Yuma and Tsubasa were pretty cute], I was mainly drawn in because of the mystery plot revolving around a certain classmate's death. As the story jumps between the past and present, the mystery begins to tie or "piece" all the main characters together and delve into their own personal lives and innermost feelings/secrets as they search for answers about their classmate's past. One thing I will say in advance is that you may love or hate the ending. I actually liked it, but the only thing I'm not completely satisfied with is that some questions were left unanswered. Nevertheless, the story itself is really engaging as there are so many twists and turns that have you guessing until the very end. You'll also find that the romance in this drama depicts a darker side of love as each character has their own secrets and struggles that prevent them from being true to the people around them or unable to let go.
Acting: I thought the acting was decent. There could've been a bit more improvement, but they still did a good job. I must say though that Nakayama Yuma played his distorted character Hikaru really well. I found myself charmed by him one minute, and chilled by him the next. Definitely a big step up from his Koishite Akuma days.
Music: Everything was great. The songs went nicely with the characters, I loved Yuma's opening song, and even the matchbox twenty song went well with the drama.
Rewatch Value: I'd probably watch this drama again because it was a refreshing take on a teen drama. I suppose the mystery being solved might not be as fun as the first time, but the relationships between the characters and the underlying messages about life makes it worthwhile to watch again. I'd say give this drama a chance if you like teen/school romance stories or mysteries =]
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This review may contain spoilers
This part is not yet the actual "review" but some sort of a disclaimer.There are scenes in the season that will show substance abuse with unsafe sex practice, rape, implied prostitution and self-harm. And they did not in any way sugar coat it. If these kind of scenes are the things you don't want to see, move on to a different drama/series.
From Season 1, no character is a student. That should give the viewer an idea and a mindset that this is very distinguishable from the typical Thai BL series/drama as it involves school and students. All characters since Season 1 are consenting adult.
Now with that laid out, the proper review:
STORY
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This season, "Final Call", is how you ruin a good enough prequel.
The plot could have taken a more direct path and should not have included frivolous scenes.
Yes, in the novel Pop will become a Flight Attendant and Oat will be a monk... However, this season feels like it is beating around the bush.
Case in point: Bo and Pent. Even if you take away their scenes, when they are together, you can still get at the outcome of the drama. As for Mo and Nick, they should have limit their airtime. I for one like a proper "closure" for the character of Mo. For the characters of Newyear and Win, they did not directly interacted with Oat, Pop, Bo and Pree; so my question is: "Why include them?". The only logical reason I can think of is that the are preparing a spin-off for their relationship. And to think that their relationship is so messed up, I am inclined not to watch it if ever there would be one. But for Newyear alone, I might watch it.
If the production team did that, remove Bo-Pent and Newyear-Win; and lessen Mo and Nick scenes, they could have include more sweet scenes for the lead characters, Oat and Pop after all, they are the focus of series since season 1. Unfortunately, that did not happened. And give you the impression that they cut corners just to included the said "unnecessary" scenes.
Last rant on how could Oat-Pop more airtime. The side story. I know it is pretty important for series/drama to advertise their sponsors' products and services, however, in this specific series, it is lengthy to say the least. Like in My Tee/Cause You're My Boy. I am wondering, why WTD-FC did do what they did in SS1, when Pent was doing a liver stream, they should have infused the Blued app in this season. Like other thai series, they show their sponsors products within the scenes of the episode. If Blued had a big "advertisement investment" in this series, then sorry, it somehow ruined the series.
For the story proper... What is the greatest sacrifice that you can make to see the person you love most be happy even it means not being with that person or to achieve his/her goal in life. That where the script writer should have focus on this season.
And achieving your ambition or goal in life can make you happy? Will it make you feel complete and contended? Or will it leave an empty space in you knowing that someone made the ultimate sacrifice just for you to be where you want to be?
Unfortunately, Episode 8 did not salvage the entire season as it has damaged beyond redemption eventhough it is the best among the rest in terms of content and emotions.
The quotes: "Fortune favors the bold", "Fortune favors the brave", "Fortune favors the strong", for this specific series, did "Fortune" favored anyone? Or left everyone broken? Or do we need to see the silver lining amidst what happened? Try to be positive and hopeful perhaps? Ultimately, after you watched this series, you decide what will happen next. You make your own ending. Will you unearth the time capsule or just leave it buried for the years to come?
ACTING/CAST
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Episode 8 showed how Strong and Oreo mature in their acting ability. Needless to say, how Strong shifted his personality from season 1 to this season is a noteworthy performance. For Oreo's improvement is his facial expression. It became more expressive and shows more depth in his emotions.
And as for the rest,they have just been consistent how they acted from season 1.
MUSIC/SOUNDS
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I never thought when slowing the pace of this song, On Dao Dtok (Romanized) original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiXp7xjDru0 and the slow version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4dujt2ObJQ , will drastically change your emotion. Evidently in Episode 8.
Boy Sompob's OST ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbLyKTGCH6c ) is a fitting ending for this series.
REWATCH VALUE
================
As it is badly produced with cringe-worthy scenes. I could not see myself re-watching this. With the dark themes (not in terms of cinematography) in the plot that did not have any bearing in the totally of the story can throw off anyone from liking this.
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REFRESHING to see in cdramas!
I support cdramas going into new genres vs. the often over hyped costume dramas or over produced rom-com. I also love shorter dramas like these because they don't drag and waste your time. Yes the story is not perfect, mostly because they had to edit and cut a lot in order to get pass censorship but this director Leste Chen at least tried. I also love his filming style. All the actors are well cast and gave solid performances. Song Weilong is able to prove his versatility and show depth in his acting with this new look and character. Vicky Chen is young and talented creating great chemistry with the male lead. I think it's about time cdramas do something different and I give them a lot of credit for it.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I have no words on how much I truly enjoyed this drama. I have been meaning to watch this upon seeing the trailer, mostly because I have been a fan of Leon Zhang since V Love days and this will be the first drama I'll be watching with him as the main lead. He already had a few dramas with him as the main but sadly those are not subbed at all. Hence I thought this wont be subbed either and temporarily put it on the side. Thankfully though, it got completely subbed and I ended up binge watching this in two days lol. The chemistry between the two leads is off the charts and is definitely the main reason on why this drama quickly became one of my favourite cdramas this year. Their interactions and conversations are realistically convincing and amusing that I just want to squeal every time I see them on screen together. Their continuous bickering is just too funny to watch. And even though they did not become a couple till later in the drama, I still enjoyed watching their banters and flirty acts lol. No offence but Leon and Eleanor have done their roles so well that I don't think anyone could have pulled it off the same way.
The story is simple and does not have a lot of angst. I found the ocean research stuff interesting, as well as the Poseidon and Amphitrite backstory. Although I may get how not a lot of people will be interested with this and might find it boring (y'all can get away with skipping those parts tho lol). It did drag a bit in the middle, but I would say still manageable because of the two leads. The chemistry is truly the driving force of this drama I must say.
I loveeee the character of Ye Hai so much - how he's goofy most of the time but could also be serious and responsible when it needs to be. Although An Fei did not like him at first, he tried really hard and continued to show how much he likes her despite her indifference towards him. Ugh Ye Hai is just a boyfriend material alright?? I also like how they justified the actions of the characters - how they aren't really evil without a reason and how most of them changed towards the good in the end. I truly appreciate the writers for that.
The ending is a bit lacking but atleast it's a happy ending. As an avid fan of cdramas, I'm already thankful that the two leads ended up together in the end cos I honestly don't know what to do if they didn't T___T
Overall, I enjoyed this drama so much and would totally recommend it.
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honestly I am not a huge fan of this type of drama but somehow this one appeals to me
the girls in the drama wasn't annoying and I liked that they played nice side characters
Shiiba is such a nice character and this drama is basically all about how he never gives up
I marathoned this drama all the way til the end and enjoyed everything
The fights scenes were great
alot of Bromance
and there was a hint of romance but not that much
If you liked something like Gokusen I would say this is something you would enjoy
I LOVED the soundtrack the music in here rocked!
It's really fun to watch the main 4 fight and it never gets repetative
The main 4 were such great actors all in different personalities too
This is Highly recommended so 10/10
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Story wise, it's unique. The whole seeing smells is something I never would've thought would work but it was all written in extremely well in my opinion. There was plenty of suspenseful scenes throughout the whole drama which kept me hooked for at least 14 episodes. I'd say overall the story was planned nicely, some things were left dry but had they gone into anything more there would've been more then 16 episode, and I think 16 episode was just enough for this drama.
Cast I really, really loved. I liked Yoochun and Se Kyung as the leads (heard people aren't fond of her acting but most like her in this) Their chemistry was enjoyable to watch, especially their comedic scenes. But what really made this drama was Goong Min and all the other character actors. I've never seen a drama with Goong Min and boy did he impress me. He played his character so perfectly it'll be hard for me not to imagine Kwon Jae Hee whenever I see him. The police force was always entertaining to watch. Jin Seo's serious character fit in too well with the three detectives, though they were somewhat useless at time, they were much needed comic relief at other times.
Music wise, I can't really remember much, just the music they always used for Kwon Jae Hee (which I weirdly liked) but OSTs weren't anything to remember.
Overall it was a good drama but nothing to be wow'd about. Unfortunately the last few episodes were kind of a disappointment considering how good the 13ish episodes were, hence the low score. I felt after a while they geared away from Cho Rim's ability and it was hardly used like I thought it would be. Even with the disappointment, I don't regret watching this, and I would recommend people give this drama a try. It's also nice that it's only 16 episodes so anyone could really plow through this drama.
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...
Wait, let me try this again.
Absolutely watch this dorama if you're looking for a different kind of crime series.
I am no expert on the matter, but I believe crime series are mostly about heists and police running about trying to catch the bad guys. In here, of course, you will find all that - Yamaneko is a ''criminal'' after all, - but you will also find a bit of mystery, quite a bit of sass, a lot of friendship, and loads of comedy. What you will also find is a variety of amazingly well constructed characters that will make you fall in love with them as the series progresses.
Speaking of the characters... don't fall in love with the characters or you'll get feels and you'll die. Or, as some people may put it, every character is so real and so genuine you will definitely get attached to them and, when time comes to say goodbye, you'll feel like you've lost a dear friend. That's what the characters do to you, and that's, no doubt, thanks to the great performance given by the stellar cast, especially Kamenashi Kazuya and Narimiya Hiroki.
Kamenashi absolutely slays it as Yamaneko, going from comedy to action to drama in a split second and in the most realistic way. I've seen some of his previous work, and I have to say he manages to surprise me more and more with each role he gets. Narimiya was, to put it in Yamaneko's words ''fantastic!'' He can hold his own against Kamenashi, and really goes all out as Katsumura, especially in later episodes.
As for the rest of the cast, each of them was phenomenal in their role. If I have to be completely honest, I would have liked for Rikako-san and Mao's relationship to be explored more, because they were both strong people who needed each other, and I found that beautiful. Maybe in the (probable?) next season, who knows. The police officers were great as well - and I especially appreciated Sakura's clumsiness and awkwardness when it comes to her senpai. lol
I liked the music a lot! The main theme is great, and I keep whistling and mumbling it to myself from time to time. The ending theme, which I believe is from Kame's boyband, is good, but not that memorable, in my opinion. Maybe it's because we never got to actually hear it, but it was always played in the background, so I never really paid attention to it.
The rewatch value is somewhat high because this series is enjoyable even after the ''mystery'' component is gone. The characters and the comedy stay with you and compel you to watch the episodes again, to laugh with them once more, just for a bit...
Overall, I am very pleased with this roller coaster of a dorama. Nya~!
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So this drama goes deep! Also the cast was exceptional! Both main actors did a really great performance as well as the female supporting role who plays the detective, Nagisa.
The music is refreshing and fits the different situations of the drama.
Overall....WATCH THIS!!! if you want to see a drama with great emotions, deepness, great actors and an very exiting and interesting story!!
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How dark do you want a drama to be ?
There are some dramas out there that you know are going to be great after seeing the first few minutes of the drama. Crime Puzzle is one of them. As soon as I started watching the first episode I knew it that I would love each and every moment of this drama. And I am quite pleased to tell you that I was right about my thinking. As it turned out to be one of the hidden gem out there.The script keeps getting better and better with each episode and you get hooked to the story line. The actors brought their roles to life. Literally loved each and every one of them. A special shout out to Song Sun Mi's character Park Jeong Ha. Every time she shouted like a crazy women I detested her from the soul of my heart.
All in all it is a treat for the fans who love thriller, dark, crime, mystery and criminal psychology dramas.
Ps : For those who can't handle much of a dark plot. Don't think about the drama.This drama is not for you. It's quite a dark plot with many bloodbath scenes in it.
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This review may contain spoilers
isn't this just porn ?
A two hour long ugly porn movie? A badly directed, poorly edited, with shitty actors, even worse camera work and sent from hell script? Who wrote this and how is rehab going? What kind of drugs are they on? The dinamic between the best friends? The ex THAT GAVE HIM HIV popping out of noowhere, the rainbow flags that are EVERYWHERE, the weird ass gangbang at the begging? DID HE JUST TREAT THAT USED CONDOM LIKE ITS A SLIME TOY. Girl u r some rediculous whore, and no shit you would come crying back after.The problem is, not even the porn is good, in realty its SO BAD. The actors are not ugly but just not actors, just some random ass porn actors that noone knows about. No back ground music, we are jumping throu scenes like an amusment park ride that I would propably throw up after to the point where it makes zero sense. The actor pretending like he was writing on that computer was hillarious, the other dude pretending being on his phone too ?. Mad rediculous.
Also the fact that I had to watch it on a porn site was crazy. The ending? Kinda diserved honestly, thats what u get when u dont apriciate and just use others around u. The golden shower?? All this ass? I almost cried of how ugly this is. Also the movie was in 3-4 different languages???
.
Summing up, an awefull Berlin expirience.
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Jealousy and greed attract very unwanted attention.
I thoroughly enjoyed this twisty-turny story, with not a few butt clenching moments ;DOh Jung-se really suited the role of Yeom Hae-sang and the more I see of him in such diverse roles, the more I love him (his autistic character in It's OK to Not Be OK is still a favourite).
Kim Tae-ri is always good and I loved Hong-kyung as the young Detective.
The entire cast were actually very good and there are several well known supporting actors I always enjoy watching, which helps!
The characters' journeys to discovering the mysteries surrounding an academic's investigation into crimes with a supernatural base and spanning many decades, are gripping.
There are shocks, tragedies and a very dark and brutal catalyst to everything that happens subsequent.
There are, unfortunately, also the usual issues of characters not listening, acting alone, making decisions for others and just not communicating in instances when 99.999999% recurring, of people would.
It's a drama and the story needs that to move forward I suppose, but the writer could have thought of more engaging alternatives in those instances.
I also found Kim Tae-ri's character's attitude towards Oh Jung-se's, later in the drama, to be utterly ridiculous, given everything they'd gone through upto that point and given her own predicament.
I wasn't scared by this drama (although it takes a lot to frighten me), but, as said, it did have its moments.
Cases of people that are already wicked or bad in some way, attracting angry/hungry spirits to them, seems to be becoming a trope (that's not a complaint).
There are instances of child abuse, however, so anyone for whom that's a trigger, needs to be forewarned.
I probably wouldn't watch it again, but am by no means sorry I picked it.
It is worth watching.
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