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A story that goes beyond BL
Wow just wow!!!!Not me was a new bl everyone was excited for since its announcement and especially since offgun was leading. The show itself did such a good job of balancing the bl aspect and non bl storyline to the point were u couldn't pick which you enjoyed more.
Beautiful performance from all the cast especially Gun like that boy definitely showed how great of an actor he is under gmm and even in the thai acting industry. The switch up between black and white is so insane u just cant picture gun being like that, but he pulls it off effortlessly.
DanYok the bl side couple that did something most bl side couples lack and that was pure PASSION. Fluke my husband did a splendid job and im really proud this show gave us a different side of him especially since gmm doesn't seem to respect hes worth.
Overall acting 10, storyline 10 also the pacing for this show is amazing definitely respected them for not dragging the stories out. Definitely gmms top bl id recommend everyone tap in and u won't be disappointed
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Story Line: It may not be the most original story but the performance is well executed which makes this movie a good balance of light heartedness and serious drama. The overall pace is good. The romance and the way the writer intertwined serious drama with light hearted comedy is a great catch for the movie. It makes it an enjoyable experience.
If you are looking for:
A. Cute and funny romance
B. A crazy and hilarious female lead
C. A stubborn, hot-headed and rude male lead
D. Action including Fire fighters and teamwork
E. A bit of drama and curing each others ‘incurable’ scars
Then this is a movie for YOU.
Acting/Cast:
I’d like to point out the great acting from Han Hyo Joo and Go Soo. Actually one of the movie's strongest points goes to the acting.
This is the first time seeing Go Soo in a movie and he gave a good impression, i thought that he was expressive through his actions instead of words as his character isn’t one that voices his real thoughts and that is what made the movie that little bit deeper and special.
Also the second leads were pretty cute and animated the movie. A special remark for Kim Sung Oh because i remember him in ‘secret garden’ and ‘the man from nowhere’ in which his performances were noticeable and i really want him to get a main lead as he is a pretty good actor and deserves it. Each and every one of his roles always surprise me as they are always different and each time he pulls through it perfectly.
And obviously Han Hyo Joo was beautiful and it was great to see her on screen as a bubbly, strong willed and hilariously persistent character.
Music: i don’t really remember much but i did notice one tune. It was a bubbly cute music to suit the cuteness of the finale.
Overall: A well written script with the addition of a great cast with a crazy and hilarious female lead and a macho, stubborn and hot-headed male lead with the action of the hilarious fire fighter team. I’d say you are set up for a great and lovable experience, well worth the watch and re-watch.
Hope you enjoy and hope this was helpful :D
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This review may contain spoilers
Amazing in a lot of ways, but the story is a hit-or-miss
Do NOT read this review if you don't want spoilers.Spoiler-free tl;dr version: the cinematography, acting, music, everything is really good. The storyline is also mostly good but there are some aspects that go a little overboard and may be frustrating. The ending felt a little offputting to me; it felt like there wasn't enough closure compared to the things that happened. At the same time, I feel like this is a case of hit-or-miss, what was frustrating to me may not be to you. Nevertheless, its definitely worth the watch.
I heard a lot of good things about this show and barely even halfway into the first episode I could see why. The way the premise was set, the storytelling, the characterization, everything had me hooked. But in the latter half I felt like I was ready for it to be over already. Not even sure why I'm being so critical of this one, considering I've loved a lot of worse shows, but I think the first couple of episodes set the bar so high that the rest couldn't really meet those expectations and ended up feeling somewhat frustrating.
To start with, the cinematography is absolutely brilliant, and so are the actors. The music just ties it up together to bring you the perfect package.
I love the characterization of Teh and Oh, they're so different but at the same time have so much in common. I especially like the characterization of Oh as a "feminine" gay man but not falling into the typical cliches or being portrayed as a caricature of both women and feminine gay men. Teh's main characteristics are both his high points and his pitfalls: he practically communicates through grand gestures, be it the negatives or the positives, and finds it really hard to acknowledge his true feelings. He would leave everything and make a picture book so that the man he loves can study but can't freaking communicate with that man. The storyline isn't new, it's closer to overdone in romances, but I liked the way it was interpreted here. Starting with their childhood friendship, the fallout and the getting back together set the stage for the show very well.
I also loved the way them relearning each other and getting closer was showcased. Ironic as it may be, Teh helping Oh hit on Bas was one of my favorite arcs, it seriously gave me those bestie vibes and I loved seeing that.
Now for the downhill curve of the storyline... Well, I was expecting the angst but not quite in this way. Teh being in denial of his feelings was absolutely expected, but that didn't make the way he treated Oh any less damaging. I was so pissed at him in that scene after the kiss when he tells Oh that they were just friends. It's one thing to deny your own feelings, but his actions, even if inadvertently, were leading Oh on and he refused to give him any actual clarity. Oh was at fault too for continuing to push someone who was obviously not ready, but I feel like everything would've been a lot simpler if Teh actually talked to Oh and addressed what was going on between them instead of doubling down on other aspects and ignoring the elephant in the room.
The issue was that Teh was doing the most for Oh but not giving him what he actually wanted. He was breaking Oh's heart but then overcompensating for it through grand gestures. It was fine till making the book for him, but then the whole "throwing away his own future" thing happened and I almost smashed my laptop. I know they're teenagers so of course they aren't going to do everything right, but you would rather throw away the future you worked so hard for, throw away your and your family's dream, instead of simply talking to Oh once? And again, very expectedly, Oh chose not to "steal" his dream. The second person on that waiting list must have sent them a lot of blessings. This part really frustrated me lol.
Things just continued to go wrong from there, but honestly? This would all have been fine if they gave it a good resolution. But to me the resolution felt incomplete. The conversation with Hoon addressed his sexuality, but the guilt that drove him to do so much was largely unaddressed. Yes, internalized homophobia is a bitch, but in this one I would've appreciated if they actually brought up the things we saw throughout the show, mainly feeling guilty for the way he had treated Oh and the frustration that even after doing so much literally nothing good came out of it: he lost his seat at his dream college, he screwed up his chances at getting into the normal program, and he also lost Oh as both a friend and romantic interest. Honestly the way it was just boiled down to internalized homophobia kinda put me off. Yes, that may have been the root cause, but I kinda expected them to actually address the fact that his overcompensation did more harm than good. Subtext is fine too though.
I also had a major case of second lead syndrome for Bas. Honestly Bas was pretty much the boyfriend Oh deserved to have, so to see him with someone who was actually on the same page as him actually made me feel like I would've preferred this ship more. Like honestly, take the premise and make it a romcom about Teh helping Oh win Bas' heart lol, I need that brightness now.
Overall it was still an amazing show, and maybe after a rewatch it'll feel less offputting, but the main issue tbh was that it started out way too well for the devolving into your average drama to feel justified. At the same time, it felt like it ended too abruptly. I feel like there should've been more closure after all that went down.
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I'm not a great fan of this type of movie, but I enjoyed the battles and the comic side of the story.
i really liked the cast,cuz,of course i'm a fan of Shun. I have to say, in this movie he displayed fantastic acting skills.One of his best movie in my opinion. I really loved Yamada Takayuki's acting in this one too. made me wanna see other movies whit him. The music was a plus of adrenalin and I think that there is no one that can complain about this. yes there war some slow dialogues but after all the "movement" I think they ware necessary to digest and even to understand the story.
A great movie, definitely rewatch this.
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Generally speaking I dislike silly romcoms that have no substance whatsoever. While it's no secret that I love the romance genre, I prefer it packaged with a lot of thought-provoking, heartfelt drama. The movie Always with So Ji Sub & Han Hyo Joo (who also stars as the female lead in this movie) is a good example.
Love 911 fell somewhere in the middle of this preference. It had the usual tropes of a light, brainless romcom, but with an undertone of melodrama. I would've preferred just pure drama (without the melo), but I'll take whatever I can get.
If you watch this genre as much as I do, you'll know Korea doesn't make enough films like Always & Love 911. That is, dramatic romances with happy endings. Movies in this genre are more times than not tragedies and or stories about morally corrupt, cheating spouses that will squash even the slightest of belief in love you ever allowed yourself to entertain.
Love 911 is, therefore, a nice change of pace from all that dreariness. The couple here had amazing chemistry & I had fun watching them get under each other's skin.
The male lead, Go Soo, was like ... wow! Soooo cute! When he allowed people to see the real him, he had this boyish gentleness to him, but in the next breath he could be ALLLLL man! I loved it! And he wasn't too bad of an actor either. He was able to convey an array of heart stirring emotions, even while you wanted to slap him for being a boor. Moreover, I'm sure his reason for being prickly is bound to win over most women! Han Hyo Joo was just as much a delight to watch as she was in Always. So far she hasn't disappointed me in anything I've seen her in.
This is a must watch for any romance fan. It has all the right ingredients: nice, if unoriginal plot, a very likable, sweet female lead, your typical brooding alpha male hero with the heart of gold & man candy galore. Could the makers of this movie be a tad more creative with the story? Sure, but overall this was a whole lot a fun to watch & re-watch.
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A non-fanatic, realistic review of Fuyao: the excellent half, and Fuyao: the mediocre half.
A brief review of the drama "Legend of Fuyao". We will see familiar faces from Yang Mi's previous drama Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms in some of the leading roles, as well as the two Marquises from Nirvana in Fire in supporting roles again.Story Start - Synopsis:
Fuyao is a lazy but smart girl working as a serf on Xuanyuan Mountain. She's in love with her undecisive Eldest Disciple Brother, who recipriocates. Unfortunately, she is opposed by her arrogant Senior Discple Sister Pei Yuan (who also likes him) at every opportunity. The arrival of guests from Taiyuan Kingdom, the ambitious Grand Duke, Qi Zhen, and a useless/hidden-genius Crown Prince, Xuanyuan Min, stirs up some intrigue.
Episode 1-8: Xuanyuan Sect Arc
I feel it is a pretty good introduction to the drama. Xuanyuan Min in particular is a very watchable mystery that us viewers want to solve. This guy gets his flirt on so quickly playing around with Fuyao, their interactions are very entertaining.
Props to Xuanyuan Min, Qi Zhen, and the Saintly Doctor Zong Yue for carrying the first arc. Yang Mi is good when she's badass, and when she's melancholic, which is very little of this arc.
Episode 9-30: Taiyuan Kingdom Arc
The most interesting and entertaining arc of the drama bar none. Absolutely funny watching Xuanyuan Min as an incompetent wastrel of a king. The by-play between the four consorts is insightful too, especially when Noble-Consort Tang's true colours come out. The Xuanyuan Sect storyline comes to an end in episode 24 and is never mentioned again; I am so relieved. After having to suffer through Pei Yuan's cliché'd "petty woman", the competency of Liu Yi Jun's Qi Zhen is refreshing, just like Nirvana in Fire again!
Fight scenes are great too: two stand out for me, Fuyao and Xuanyuan Min's tag team fight (best in the drama), and Zhan Beiye's solo rampage.
Music in the Taiyuan Arc is the best in the drama. The melancholy of Zong Yue's theme is moving, and the epicness of Xuanyuan Min's ceremonial/plotting theme induces plenty of I-can't-wait tension in the listener. The best scenes are when we see Zong Yue and Yun Heng together; their acting really lets us feel the sincerity of emotions in the characters.
I do dislike the inconsistency of Fuyao's "Shattering the Nine Heavens" Swordplay. Isn't this supposed to be a top tier martial art? Fuyao can fight evenly against top experts, but lose terribly if more than 20 minions appear?
I also consider the end of this arc the end of Season 1 - The Excellent Half. What follows is Season 2 - The Mediocre Half.
Episode 30-35: Tianquan Empire Arc
It's a bit less interesting than the Taiyuan Arc, with most of the political plotting out of Wuji's control. I found Fo Lian devious and the Emperor serene. It's unexplained how Fo Lian knew to target Fuyao. Fuyao and Wuji's flirting come to an end when they have "...but I saw this happen" misunderstandings. Pingrong is one creepy dude, but he gets whats coming to him during the close of the arc.
I really like the portrayal of the Tianquan Empire in this arc. The prestige of the empire is so high that it doesn't need to rely on grandiose displays of power and rank at court. Instead, the Emperor is sort of honoured as a spiritual sage "Lordly-Father-Emperor" to his subjects. His hobby is literally medicinal alchemy. This sort of sagely court is rather rare to see in historical dramas.
Episode 35-41: Yao City Arc
As a general rule, I hate desert arcs in Chinese dramas. Deserts always come with an unnecessary long attempted crossing where the protagonists are out of water, injured, or lost. This is the worst arc in the drama, partially because of the above, but mostly because this entire arc is full of sub optimal decision making.
Example 1: If you can swat arrows from the air with your bare hands, please don't run while facing away from archers.
Example 2: If you have a secret but amazing plan to beat the enemy army, please tell someone. Literally anyone is fine as long as you think they are not a traitor.
Example 3: If you are a garrison commander, please shoot arrows at the giant army which you are sure is hostile, not at one person running away from the giant army who you think might be hostile.
Example 4: If you are severely injured to the point of dying, please don't run into the uncrossable desert to find your friend.
By the way, this is the third arc which ends with Fuyao getting saved by a man. I don't see in which way she is a "Legend".
This arc contains one great fight scene: the second fight in the Heirong Encampment. It still doesn't makes up for the terrible writing for this arc. Now that I've written all this out I feel like I should decrease my score for the drama.
Episode 42-53: Tiansha Arc
Oh look it's good again, though I still don't like the Zhan Beiye and Ya Lanzhu storyline that much. I wish he would stop singing his lonely wanderer wilderness song; it is very depressing. The scenes with Zhan Beiye in the cursed wilderness are long and draggy, and an entire episode was wasted in the forest. Ya Lanzhu grows on you in this arc though; Episode 52 in particular is hilarious. Zhan Beiye's martial arts master is one funny dude.
The plot against Zhan Beiheng was well played, but I felt like the Tiansha king gradually lost his cunning through the arc. Fuyao's sycophantic True Martial General was well portrayed. Fuyao and Wuji are now in the lovey-dovey confidiant stage of a romantic drama, there is much less entertaining flirting to be had.
The Taiyuan arc resurfaces again, and is concluded in standard Mainland drama tragic style. Still the best arc in the drama; it is fantastic to see Zhong Yue and Yun Hen's frustration and despair acted out so well. I was slightly disappointed to see that water bending didn't come up again, and that no other country had their own element to bend.
Fight scenes that stand out: the Heavenly Gate Abyss fight and the General selection competition.
I liked the steel armour of Wuji's army, very restrained, but disliked his personal white paper-mache armour. The deux ex machina teleporting magic hamster is also ridiculous.
Episode 53-59: Xuanji Arc
Significantly better than the previous couple of arcs, this is probably the second best arc in the drama. The arc starts off with a great fight in Episode 53. The eldest Royal Daughter is such a dear, falling in love at first sight. Unfortunately, happy times end with the reappearance of the second Royal Daughter Fo Lian. Her mother, the current female King of Xuanji, is a pretty charismatic character much like Fo Lian the first time we see her.... but we all know: as mother as daughter.
Xuanji's matriarchal society and government is a refreshing look on different cultures, and its definitely not one that has a lot of exposure in previous Chinese dramas.
Fuyao's decision making process continues to stymie, all the way from deciding to start a dangerous, immobile activity as potential enemies close in, to accepting gifts from people who've tried to kill you, to immediately giving up every time someone frames you for something.
Episode 59-64: Tianyuan Redux Arc
Wuji has to go to war, while Fuyao finds that the Emperor is not who he appears to be. Tragic dude, the Emperor, but his willful insanity is kind of understandable. We finally find out the backstory of the crazy Lady Xuanyuan back in the Taiyuan arc too!
I did not much like the big fight in Episode 62, it was very mechanical compared to previous fights.
All I can say about the ending of the arc is... its very Chinese.
Episode 64-66: Ancient Firmament Arc / Ending
Only one and a half episodes for Ancient Firmament?! This might be cutting it a bit short. Lets start off with the four elders of the sect trying to reinforce the seal of Di Feitian, which doesn't go exactly as planned. Next, Wuji forces his way into this religious cult waving a sword like an idiot, which doesn't go as planned either. I have a newfound appreciation for Xuanyuan Min (or whatever her real name is); she's a great girl, so true to her love. Seven too, so earnest.
Fuyao will Fuyao till the end, at least until the person who we know is really evil suddenly reveals the evil plan and backstabs everyone in order to revive Di Feitian anyway. Then, the power of love.... sort of does something....
The final ending looks like it's Ending A, but upon closer inspection on the dialogue appears to be Ending B. I wish it was actually Ending A, since the ending shots of the city devoid of people is pretty damn creepy.
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Wait what? This show is already over, but nothing really happened.
Level Up is unfortunately an entirely forgettable kdrama, at best a show to leave on the background. There is nothing offensive to turn you away from the drama, and there is also an equal amount of positives to draw you in. At first glance, it seems to have a trendy setting in the modern world of mobile game development, but the story actually falls back to bland kdrama cliches and tropes.A quick glance at my watchlist shows that I’m stingy on ranking dramas highly but also lowly. Ultimately, a large group of people came together to produce this show, and I, ultimately, watched all 12 episodes. So, it is difficult to give any rating lower than a 5. I would only recommend watching this drama for seasoned Korean drama viewers who have already seen the vast majority of romcoms in the kdrama sphere and need something to kill the time.
Story:
The plot of Level Up is a very basic office romcom, secondary leads interfering with the mains and plot-convenient office SNAFUs. In my opinion, there are two ways Level Up could have tried to be different. One, overload on the comedy. The few outrageous scenes were quite funny, though it may not be to everyone’s taste. Two, deliver meaningful commentary on actual modern gaming issues, like mobile gaming/gambling addictions. Instead, we get a very middle-of-the-road kdrama, where an experienced viewer will be able to predict the majority of the plot just based on the premise.
The romance also comes off quite bland. The two main leads seem more like 2 close friends or 2 close colleagues, but somehow the viewers are supposed to see them as a romantic couple. This show is a classic example of forcing mains together.
Acting:
I’ll only cover the 2 leads to minimize the length of this review. I first saw Sung Hoon in Oh My Venus and enjoyed his character in that drama. Based on the online community, I see that he has since been typecast into the character we find in Level Up. I find that unfortunate as I contemplated watching “I Picked Up a Star on the Road”. I can see why viewers are disappointed by his performance in Level Up, but I want to attribute it to the plain writing. For example, he is quite popular as a cast member of I Live Alone, if you watch (or want to watch) Korean variety shows, so he has more to offer than the cool, cold persona.
Similarly, I found Han Bo Reum to be quite funny in Go Back Couple. Her character in Level Up also shines during its comedic moments, but the emotional/romance scenes do demonstrate her weakness as a main lead. Sung Hoon will get more acting roles based on his popularity, but I also hope Han Bo Reum gets a chance to demonstrate her growth as an actress in the future.
Music:
There is very limited English information on the OST for this drama. Based on MNET, there are 3 songs on the OST, 3 ballads. They are all fairly vanilla and do not stand out from the over-saturated kballad genre. I found them enjoyable nonetheless. As a side note, I am not sure if you will be able to easily find English translation for the lyrics.
Rewatch Value:
Given there are easily 50 other dramas to watch before watching this one even once, it would be impossible to rate the rewatch value any higher. I hope I didn’t sound overly harsh throughout this review as, again, I did watch each episode as it aired.
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Cliffhangers galore
Probably the one thing that I hated and loved from the first season the episode cliffhangers, especially now as I wait for the finale. Really love this series it gets its hooks in you and won't leave, you'll dream about this show and the things that aren't quite explored. Love all the cast, they are all wonderful the collection of characters, yay and hugs to those writers they need accolades galore. This will move you and have you on the edge, definitely binge worthy series every episode you won't want to sleep because each mini cliffhanger will drive you insane. I really hope there's a third season I think there's plenty of material to expand upon. Praise to the actors and the crew, well done another brilliant season.Was this review helpful to you?
First of all, Eternal Love is a very good drama. It keeps you engaged and you’re almost never bored. You care for the characters and even if you don’t like some of the characters, others will most certainly capture your interest and heart.
The CGI is pretty awful, especially when it comes to creatures, but after a while you get used to it and you stop thinking about how fake everything looks. You start to enjoy the story for what it is instead.
The storytelling pace is close to perfect almost all the way throughout the drama, except for the ending that is extremely rushed. Major parts of the ending feels like quick fixes and you don’t get a chance to really grasp what’s happening emotionally. For me the ending was to 90% a disappointment.
I also think that the main characters Ye Hua and Su Su/Bai Qian can be rather dull at times and boring to watch. The actors were great and most of the time their story was entertaining enough, but not enough to make my heart beat for them or care.
I know that Ye Hua is a good person, I liked him to some extent, but some scenes when he tries to be intimate med with Bai Qian I think he’s bordering to rape or at least sexual abuse. She tries to leave, he holds her against her will, kisses her even though she tries to stop him and looks incredibly uncomfortable and so on. Some scenes when they’re in bed are the same, he’s very pushy and persuades her to be more intimate with him.
The evil antagonists in the drama are very square, predictable and lack real personalities. It’s okay though because their sole purpose is to make life hard for the “real characters”, but it would’ve been nice if they were at least a little bit interesting.
With all of that said, for me the drama was good. I watched it mostly because of some of the side characters and the story itself, and that was enough to keep me interested to the end. It’s definitely worth a watch!
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THE WORST MOST CRINGY AND EMBARRASSING SHOW EVER
Ok I can’t take it anymore. I usually only write reviews about shows that are incredible. I’ve never taken the time or the energy to write a review for a show that I didn’t like. But this show was just SOOOO INFURIATING that I needed to rant about it somewhere. But there are some good parts about this show I like and I will name those at the end>>THIS SHOW IS UNBEARABLE. UNBELIEVABLY CRINGY AND CHOCKED FULL OF EMBARRASSING SCENES EVERY DAMN MINUTE OF EVERY DAMN EPISODE. TOH IS SINGLE-HANDEDLY THE WORST CHARACTER I HAVE EVER WATCHED IN ANY TV SHOW IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. HE IS SOOOO INFURIATING IN EVERY SCENE HE IS IN. I. CANNOT. STRESS. THIS. ENOUGH. THE AMOUNT OF TIMES I ALMOST THREW MY PHONE AT THE WALL BECAUSE OF HIM ALONE, WAS A VERY HIGH AMOUNT OF TIMES. it’s just that NOBODY acts like that in real life. AND HE HAS THE MOST ANNOYING THAI VOICE I HAVE EVER HEARD. Never wanted to slap someone THIS BAD. They made him sooo annoying that it got to the point where even when he does act normal, I STILL AM FILLED WITH RAGE EVERY TIME I SEE HIM. EVEN HIS SMILE ANNOYS ME THE MOST. Yes sure it’s probably not the actor himself. But It’s JUST THE WAY THE WRITERS AND DIRECTORS MADE HIS CHARACTER AND ITS SIMPLY THE WORST. There were SO MANY SCENES I WISHED I COULD FAST FORWARD. I honestly wished I could have stopped watching it. But for some reason I had to keep watching for Nuea and Sky.
Now. Onto everyone else. NUEA IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PERFECT MAN EVER. After watching him he's definitely one of my FAVORITE BL actors. He’s stunningly gorgeous. He has a BEAUTIFUL personality. THE WAY HE TAKES CONTROL OF ALL THE ROMANCE SCENES. SOOOOO HOT. exactly what I want in a main BL lead. My only complaint abt him ofc is, THERE. IS. NO. WAY. HE WOULD FALL FOR TOH. THERES NO DAMN WAY ANYONE IN THE WORLD COULD FALL FOR THAT. Im not saying nobody could love someone that is shy, weird, insecure, or overly obsessed with their crush. That can all be fine. ITS JUST THEY MADE HIM SO UNREALISTIC CUZ NOBODY IS ACTUALLY THAT BAD OK?! TOH DOES NOTTT DESERVE NUEA. FOR THIS REASON THEY DO NOT GO WELL TOGETHER. I CANT STAND SEEING A BEAUTIFUL PERFECT MAN LIKE THAT WITH THE MOST INFURIATING PERSON I HAVE EVER SEEN. FOR THIS REASON THE WHOLE POTENTIAL OF THE SHOW IS RUINED. IT HAD SUCH GOOD POTENTIAL FOR CHEMISTRY. THE QUALITY. THE ACTORS. BUT THEY RUINED IT ALL. it could have been SUCH A BEAUTIFUL SHOW. THE ROMANCE SCENES COULD HAVE BEEN SOOOOOO GOOD. SUCH POTENTIAL GONE TO WASTE. I. WILL. NOT. STRESS. THIS. ENOUGH.
Onto another character. I LOVEEEEEE SKY. HES PERFECT IN EVERY WAY. He’s an ANGEL. That man has not done ONE wrong thing in this entire show. And Jao is super adorable. I LOVE them two together. Sky never gave up. Kept chasing him. Who doesn’t love that? The side couples are 100000 times better than the main couple. I have NO complaints about those two.
Now about Intouch. That MAN IS FINE OK? He is STUNNING. wish he got more screen time. Also. No issues at all with him or Daisy. I need a spin off series of just them two… withOUT Toh. Please.
Alright I doubt anyone actually read all of that^ but I just needed to get all that anger off my chest. I’ve watched a hundred Thai shows, and yes they ALL have so many cringy scenes. That’s undeniable. But this one was multiplied by A MILLION. Every damn minute Toh was there.
Anyhow. Ya. I think that’s most of it. I have never used caps lock so much before. BUT HE DESERVES IT.
The moral of this is: SAVE YOURSELF. DONT WATCH IT. ITS NOT WORTH IT. YES NUEA AND SKY ARE BEAUTIFUL BL CHARACTERS. BUT. ITS NOT WORTH THE PAIN.
Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk~ Dani.
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Poor writing partially saved by a great cast
This was a real disappointment - the story had potential and some good ideas, but the execution was sloppy and the plot ran out of steam after a few episodes.The acting is great with First as the standout, and Neo and Louis quite engaging whenever they had screentime. The music is also quite good, with well-chosen and moody background score that supported the story.
The problem was the writing. We started out with good ingredients - a story about tradition and authority vs modernity and individuality. At first it looked like we'd get an intelligent examination, with a quite excellent in-class argument in which the rebellious Ayan manipulates an authoritarian teacher into supporting his perspective while he takes hers - but it's like all the intelligence in the script went into that one exchange because it was never repeated.
Instead, the authors come down heavily on the side of freedom, equating rules with depression and suicide - which might have worked if he rules weren't so mild and commonplace - wear a school uniform like 90% of humanity as mandated by ministries of education, and don't use phones during class. Really? That's it? And the writing contradicts itself, as almost everything bad that happens is due to preoccupation with social media, so maybe phones were the problem after all.
The Curse of Suppalo was another interesting idea, which quickly petered out and became incidents so benign that people's OTT reactions to them were ridiculous.
There is a plot twist in Ep 11 that you won't see coming, largely because it isn't set up in the slightest and ends up requiring someone to behave totally out of character, and everyone else to behave out of character in their reaction to it - and since there are no consequences resulting at all, it's meaningless - just a random twist for no apparent reason.
The relationship between Akk and Ayan starts off interesting, but quickly degenerates into a string of tropes including the most stupid accidental kiss I've ever seen, by far - it's so bad I dropped the series and only picked it up again when everyone assured me it got better. It didn't. There is no real organic development between them - they're pushed together by stupid cliches and tropes, and it's never clear why they like each other, so you have to conclude it's a physical thing. I will say that I liked that they didn't do the seme-uke thing - in fact people in the forum argued over which was which.
This is basically a six-episode story stretched out to twelve. It really has nothing to say, and despite its promising introduction, was basically just a typical formulaic high school BL, albeit set in an all boys school, so we're at least spared the stock evil gf character, and it is refreshing that the characters are actually gay and identify as such.
The last episode is cloying and preachy. Nobody watching BL has a problem with homosexuality, so preaching to the choir is pretentious and irritating - plus the absolute ease with which coming out is accomplished and greeted sends no message - in fact it's a bit offensive in a story that has pretentions of social commentary and in its portrayal of depression and mental illness to just handwave away the most difficult and painful thing LGBTQ+ teens have to deal with.
I'm not sure I can recommend this. If you're a big fan of the cast, then I'd watch it - but otherwise it's a frustrating, shallow, formulaic melodrama. I doubt I'll have any recollection of it in three months.
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Reminds me of Brewing love, but better
I have been waiting for this one for a while now. It's finally here and I couldn't wait to start.At first it seemed too much like Brewing love, which I only finished because of Chanhwi. There's no fantasy element, there's potatoes instead of beer but other than that it's very similar. The first episode wasn't very good but I gave it a chance because it's the introduction we have tonget tonknow our carachters before the fun begins.
Episode two took of and I could not stop laughing, This show is absolutely ridiculous, full of clichés and absurdity. The male lead is so unlikeable the female lead is so loud and over the top but it just works. It's not to be taken seriously just sit down and have a laugh. It's dumb fun and I will continue to enjoy it as such.
A little update after watching 6 episodes it's becoming sillier and sillier, episode 5 made me laugh so hard my belly ached.
I understand why people aren't liking it it's just a dumb shutdown your brain and watch kind of drama and the humor is very stupid which is not for everyone and it's OK.
I finished the whole thing today and it was Ok overall, it just kept getting dumber and dumber as the story progressed with the last scene being so stupid it was cringy.
There wer some minor hiccups here and there, Like Park Kise should've been ground up and used as potato fertilizer but it's fine it's not that kind of drama. (I'll just imagine it happened).
While The younger brother and the best friend might have been the funniest duo I didn't quite like them together, I don't know why. He's so freaking adorable and she's crazy and so funny but as a couple I didn't like them much but it's probably just a me problem.
I will be generous and keep the 8.0 rating, this series is inoffensive, give it a chance if you like silly and you'll have a good time.
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This review may contain spoilers
Just as described and much more
Starting with the description “Hard boiled extreme survival game movie” “Project Wolf hunting “ a movie never seen before.. Well this movie is like that, you have never seen anything like it, even if you think you have, I assured you, there is nothing like it, and if you think you are prepared, you are not.Director Kim made used of tons of fake blood, so it is a very bloody and brutal movie. Director Kim also shows evil human nature, what happens when heinous criminals are trying to take over, what happens to a body or part of a body gets smashed, cut, etc.. The movie has lots of twists and turns, unexpected situations, and a beyond evil character, who has not a single drop of humanity, but it is only filled with rage and cruelty, a beast like killing machine. There are no heroes, you never know who will survive and how, the movie keeps you in your seat, time flies, there are funny parts, there are really extreme intense parts, and some parts where you will be screaming “No”, also you will be closing your eyes a lot due to the nature of the movie, but it is all part of the experience..
The acting is top notch, so many scene stealers, Seo In Guk transformation is absolutely fantastic, the way he plays a criminal is superb. Park Ho San, Sung Dong Il, Jung So Min, just to mention a few, they played characters never seen before.
All in all, this movie is a must see, but just be aware, it is gory/brutal to the extreme.
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Not a KDrama, but a dramatic Korean story with a lot of Korean heart. (A hybrid?)
Ok, this series tells a Korean story, it´s about Korean destinies. BUT it's not an original KDrama. It is a (western) Apple production in which some (Apple) producers from the US obviously had a say. So, first of all, a bit of criticism about the American serial adaptation of a bestseller novel, which 'coincidentally' has a Korean fate as its subject. (Before I go into praise...)North Americans with Korean family backgrounds may have been involved in the production (the directors, the person responsible for the script adaptation and a lot of actors, for example). Nevertheless, it is and remains a North American production. The sad thing about it: the series production repeats - if you like - the theme of the story in a new media version: in this case, the profitable exploitation of 'Korean stories', 'Korean fates' and even a bit of the KDrama soul...
Using the example of several generations of a Korean family and their personal destinies against the background of Japanese colonization and racism to this day, why reduce a 500-page book to ONLY 8 episodes? Why not use the time and space and retell the story in at least 20 episodes, or even 50?
Quite simply: the series production is not of South Korean origin, and it is not made for South Korean television, but for the international streaming market. The rest of the world isn't THAT interested in South Korea, but it is quite touched by Korean fates. So, the enthusiasm for the original bestseller in a binge-capable, compact format has to be cleverly marketed in a colorful and moving way in order to attract new streaming subscribers to Apple. The world (those who have not yet read the book but have now watched the series) is shocked and touched by what happened between Japan and South Korea, which is still today formative for many Koreans. The rest of the world was hardly aware of this historical chapter. However, in the series adaptation, the individual fates were told less in detail. They were rather reduced to catchy basic emotions, and these were cleverly knotted as a cross-generational leitmotif in key scenes over time jumps. The focus is on Sunja - with the focus on Sunja in her third phase of life. This is embodied by Youn Yuh-jung, who was already able to leave a lasting impression on the international audience with (her Oscar for) "Minari" and thus gets plenty of screen time as a 'star' among many internationally comparatively unknown actors.
Well, that's the way it is.
If you have a background with KDrama, you will find a nice study object in "Pachinko" to compare the different narrative styles (Western style vs. Korean style) with regard to emotionality. Western style would be more like: 'I WATCH the mimes have their feelings'. The individual sequences of different timelines, some of which are strung together at very short intervals, convey this 'Western' handwriting. This is, so to speak, Western objectivity in the depiction of emotionality. The (South) Korean narrative style, on the other hand, deliberately draws the audience into the emotional world. E.g. 'I sympathize. I'm IN there too.'
So, with "Pachinko" there was a lot of Korean heart and soul mixed into the story and series adaptation. You can feel that. This is how an interesting hybrid production actually came about. It's not a KDrama, but a Korean story with a lot of Korean heart. Thus, the spirit of Korean storytelling still blows through some of the scenes. Actually, even the concept chosen for the series adaptation is the strongest element: if such a complex family saga is told in 8 episodes, then through the characteristic basic emotions in the form of impressive scenes - less in plot, action and dialogues. For example: when the mother ceremonially prepares the rice for the wedding, which they are actually not allowed to eat, or the young bank employee throws his expensive jacket into the puddle and dances footloose to the street music on the open street (in Japan!), or the grandmother, completely moved, after decades back on South Korean soil on the beach of her childhood... There are strong scenes like this - lastingly impressive, without words - that (want to and actually do) touch the heart. THAT, I would think, is Korean style in the way of its storytelling. It somehow sneaked into the production (still US production, even if it was trilingual) and confidently took its place. (Perhaps in the same way that people under Japanese oppression quietly preserved their inner dignity and inner defiance despite all bending and suffering.)
And by the way: the title track may be well and good. But! The intro clip is in my eyes most peculiar and completely missing the subject. It's nice that all generations come together here, but the extreme exuberance of the dance performance has nothing to do with the rest of the series. It seems rather strange, how in contrast to the particular, muted, rather gloomy 'Han' (Korean pain/world pain) of the story it comes along in such outlandish US style...
Nevertheless: the series is captivating, moving and over all a rather inhospitable excursion into inhospitable Korean living conditions, which are emotionally shaped for some even to this day by the Japanese colonial era. Even decades later in Japan and the USA, life is shown rather inhospitable. Only a few well-chosen scenes open up in a visually stunning and atmospheric way, as if to remind us that life itself is a gift...
Even if it's only told in 8 episodes (and by now apparently in 8 more for a second season), "Pachinko" offers an unforgettable, visually stunning excursion into a sad segment of recent Korean history using the example of a moving family saga. A concentrated load of multifaceted contemporary rich topics that can at best be roughly touched or tabbed upon in the series adaptation. Nevertheless. It is definitely a masterpiece to compress the 500-page epic into 8 slim episodes and - without having to bend the story too much - to convey a stringent, central emotional attitude even in the face of the inhospitable nature of being: the protagonist despite all the suppression keeping a quiet, inner dignity, grounded and clear - from there drawing the strength to face life and its challenges again and again, in all simplicity.
Lastingly impressive!
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A Whole Lot of Frustration in a Gorgeous Package
Most of the other reviewers seem to have really liked The Rebel Princess, which is great, but I thought I'd offer a different perspective since I ended up being very underwhelmed by this drama even though I really wanted to like it. Keep in mind that my c-drama experience is limited (this was my 21st one) and I'm not familiar with the source material of this drama. Also, I watch dramas mostly for the romance.Positives:
+ really nice set design, costuming and lighting, which made the drama feel more realistic and quite refreshing after all the wuxia dramas
+ shot well
+ A'Wu and Xiao Qi were smart and nice and respected each other
+ the acting was fine
Negatives:
- another reviewer suggested that this drama should be watched for the slow burn romance, but I thought the romance wasn't that much of a slow burn and the main couple ended up together quite fast all things considered
- I was mostly invested in the main pair's relationship during the first ~15 episodes, after that their relationship stayed pretty much the same throughout the rest of the drama, which would've been fine had their dynamic been more interesting. And no, I don't mean that I wanted to see a drama-filled tumultuous relationship, I just wanted the drama to explore more in-depth why the two characters loved each other and what made them a great team. Now I just got the feeling that they were together because they were literally the only two equally powerful good people in the show that liked each other well enough. Actually A'Wu and Xiao Qi were mostly in separate places during the show, which might have been technically realistic but also very frustrating if you're in it for the romance.
- the drama was way too long considering how little happened in it
- there was a heavy emphasis on political scheming, which I'm never a big fan of but this time around it was somehow especially boring
- most of the characters were unlikeable and/or uninteresting
- the characters who did bad things during the story didn't get punished either at all or at least not in a satisfying way
- like in some other dramas I've seen, there was an overemphasis on forgiving absolutely everything because fAmILy and bEinG a gOOd pERsOn, which at this point is one of my biggest pet peeves
- rape and the threat of rape was used as a plot device at two different parts of the drama, and in my opinion it wasn't handled very well
- I spent most of the drama just waiting for something interesting to happen
- normally I dislike unhappy endings but now I was low key waiting for someone to die because at least that would've been vaguely interesting
- okay actually I was so unattached to the characters that even if they had all died I would've been like "huh, okay" and moved on
Watch if you enjoy:
- more realistic historical dramas
- political scheming
- heavy emphasis on side characters
- forgiving people who don't necessarily deserve it
- slow story progression
- emphasis on other aspects of life besides romance
Don't watch if you're looking for:
- a plot-heavy story
- surprising plot developments
- strong character development all throughout the story
- in-depth romance
- frequent interaction between the main pair
- revenge plot
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