Hard-hitting Psychodrama
This one popped up on my Netflix feed recently and while the premise sounded intriguing, it was the magic words "Toby Lee" that hooked and reeled me in. Toby Lee last seen by me in the historical detective drama Miss Truth isn’t the main character here but he certainly commands a strong presence throughout the storyline. The titular "her" is played by Tiffany Hsu and she gives a sterling performance as the deeply troubled Lin Chenxi, a competent HR recruiter or “headhunter” whose life is thrown into complete disarray on the arrival of a new employee.The show begins with a suspicious death in an aged care facility in a small town. The victim is a former high school physics teacher Xie Zhizhong. The local cops finger a nurse, Yan Shenghua, a former student of his, as the chief suspect. As the show progresses, who done it, however becomes secondary to why it was done. The teacher's death is more or less a MacGuffin to make way for the real story — a terrible destructive secret that sets the stage for family dysfunction, guilt, regret and estrangement.
Lin Chenxi is a busy professional going places in her company. On the surface things seem to be going well for her. But enter Danny (Chris Wu) the cousin of the CEO who is eager to prove himself as the organization’s new rising star. His cocky, glib, overconfident demeanour camouflages a far more sinister persona. Danny, in fact is a sociopathic misogynist and loathes being upstaged, particularly by women. When Chenxi successfully talks a potential recruit into accepting a contract after the arrogant Danny botches the negotiation process, he goes ballistic. He lashes out and deploys the only weapons available to him — sexual harassment which escalates into violence.
These series of events seem to trigger deep seated memories and emotions that seem to set the stage for a mental breakdown. In a state of panic after escaping from the clutches of Danny, Chenxi meets with a road accident and is rendered unconscious.
When Chenxi regains consciousness she finds herself back in the house that she grew up in with her parents and twin brother in their hometown. From then on she exists in a perpetual state of confusion about where she is, who the people around her are and her relationships with them. The folks tell her that she’s been in an accident and seems to be suffering amnesia but why does she have fragmented memories of of a life elsewhere in Taipei with a supportive boyfriend (Toby Lee) who is now nowhere to be found. Much of the show sees her trying to navigate these memories trying to sift the truth from the lies as she becomes embroiled in the investigation of the death of her former teacher and the disappearance of an old classmate. It soon becomes clear that her family and former besties are keeping things from her as she stumbles around in the dark looking for answers.
“Shards” used here is apt as it points to the fragmentary and even unreliable nature of memories. Moreover it also refers to the fragility and brokenness of a soul stuck in a tragic past with no healing in sight. A shattered visage as it were. Furthermore “shards” can also signify the pieces of a puzzle that the audience has to put together as they journey with Chenxi.
As the audience sees events through Chenxi’s lenses, we are inevitably drawn into the same disorientation and speculation. Has she travelled back in time? Has she landed into an alternate universe? Is this all just a really bad dream?
The answers come eventually because the show isn’t just about the sordid past but about the dysfunctional gender dynamics that plague our world today. Sexual harassment opens the door to other unpleasant subjects related to the treatment of women in the workplace, the use of technology to invade women’s most private and intimate spaces. As it exposes the nasty side of cosmopolitan 21st century living, the show doesn’t shy away from taking a broad perspective on how both men and women are complicit in perpetuating such behaviours this side of the sexual revolution.
Despite the hard-hitting subjects covered in these 9 episodes, all of this still manages to arrive at a satisfying and profoundly moving finale. It's no exaggeration to say that this drama probably has the best ending I've seen all year. There’s undeniably an ugly side to humanity that has to be confronted constantly and often it seems to be our default position to do harm even with the best of intentions. In spite of the psychodrama and psychobabble at the end, I don’t find the resolution simplistic. There is an acknowledgement that the past is not so easily expunged and living with mental health issues does take a toll not only on the survivors but also on their loved ones. The goal is healing which will take time and effort.
All in all this is a strong script that’s tightly plotted. The cast as a whole is excellent — young and old. It’s the first Taiwanese drama I’ve watched in a few years because I had more or less given up finding one with a decent script without tons of fillers. I imagine that the format — 9 episodes — helps in keeping this trim and terrific. Regardless of the fact that I found this show engaging and immersive, I can’t see too many wanting to revisit it.
It would be remiss of me to end this review without some kind of warning. This is not a show for the faint-hearted, it’s certainly not for those who will be triggered by images of sexual assault especially if that’s been a feature of their past. Even though I’m someone with a strong stomach for crime shows, I too found those scenes disturbing and confronting.
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Love transcends all
Where do I even start? I mean I just finished it right now and I feel this weird kind of heaviness. This is one of those shows that I am going to feel nostalgic about. Everything about it was so saddening yet beautiful. All actors did an outstanding job especially the main lead (Fandy). The direction, the lines, the ost were totally on point. Despite knowing how the show is going to end right from the very start you still feel this gravitational pull to continue watching it. It has made me feel so empty right now honestly speaking. It just hits you like like a train I mean it is just so painful yet pretty in its own way. How this one love story helped in bringing together so many people and made us question our own love for those whom we love.It teaches you alot about love and humans. Makes you have so many doubts about your own relationships. It actually literally shows you how pure love can be, transcending even death. How love is more bluer than blue itself that it can surpass time amd continue to live in other people's minds, stories and hearts.
The story is about two people in love who can do anything for each other's happiness even if it means hurting your ownself in the process, about the sacrifices they made for each other and how despite everything their love continues to inspire people.
I will recommend watching it because after a very long time I felt like I will remember a show for the months and years to come. It just hits you right on the spot, makes sure that all your intestines get wrecked and still manages to make you want more of it. I hope the two lovers get a happy ending in their next life.
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I liked the story, it was very entertaining...wait „like“ is a understatement...I LOVED IT. I loved the chemistry between the chracters. I loved it, how they could solve any problem and got new friends. Let‘s talk about my „they“ in the last sentence. The whole cast was amazing. Ye MuXi, the female lead, monitor of the class, my favourite chinese female actor and a very cheerful and joyful (i think both adjektive mean the same but who cares?). And then there is Liao Dan Yi, the male lead, intelligent guy and the opposite of Ye MuXi. And then there is the whole squad, where everyone of them is uniq.
There is just one point in this show, which I didn‘t understand and like. Whenever there was a singing scene, the singing got dubbed. I was a bit stupid, but can live with it.
In summary, I really enjoyed it and recomend it to all who want to watch a comedy school-life drama with fantasy and much much more.
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One of the best Historical Drama in Korea! MR. QUEEN.
Im really hooked in this Drama. Complete genre (drama, action, romance and comedy) All Mr. Queen actors are impressive!!! They do their job well done!!! Especially Shin hye sun and Kim jung hyun. They really fit into their character!!!! And their chemistry is sooooooo undeniable!!! They really complement each other!! I can't imagine any actors can play their role like they did. KJH is really an adlib master!!!. The king's character suits him. SHS is an excellent actress too!!! She gave us a Roller Coaster emotions!!! This literally an ALL IN Drama!! One of the best historical korean drama I ever watched!!! Highly recommended!!!! Mr. Queens staff are all amazing !!! Especially the writers and the Director!!!❤️❤️❤️ They really deserve an award!!! Good Job! MR. QUEEN!!! ❤️❤️❤️Was this review helpful to you?
Acting/Cast- The cast of this drama is relatively new, so I've not seen any of them before. However, each one of them left a remarkable mark on my memory. As a fan of the book, I admit I fantasized the leads to be more good looking as per the description of the characters. I was also disappointed with the cast before watching the drama, but boy did they change my perception. Both main actors were very good at their parts, played with such subtle chemistry and understanding and I totally bought their version of Luo Zhi and Sheng Huainan. Special mention to the guy who played Zheng Mingrui. He was so amazing at his role that I really felt for his character. Soo good. All other actors pretty much played their part really well.
Music- LOVED the music of this drama. Both the beginning and ending theme was amazing, especially the end song was really cute and captured the essence of youth so well.
Re-watch value- Definately gonna watch this drama again.
Overall- I might be biased because i already read the book few years ago but this drama is worth the shot and i hope more people watch it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Well-rounded characters managing real-world problems
This series is a huge accomplishment with a misstep in the direction of the plot in ep 11, discussed below.First, some praise…
It has been a while since I've enjoyed a BL so much, and I think it's because this show felt realistic. It depicts well rounded characters managing real-world problems.
Bai Lang suffers from childhood trauma that affects his relationships with others. He is not just afraid of the dentist. He cannot fathom entering a romantic relationship because he thinks he brings bad luck to the people around him. Flashbacks to the past help the audience understand his trauma, phobia, and the coping mechanisms he's developed (like his cadre of plushies on his bed).
Xun An falls head over heels, and ardently goes after his man! To my surprise, he approaches Bai Lang as both a courting lover and a medical professional, recognizing that he needs therapy. I was shocked when the series brought therapy up. A cool plot development would have been to see him accept that he needs treatment and not just a lover. But credit is due for speaking favorably of therapy.
I saw some comments from viewers saying they were annoyed by Bai Lang's manic personality, but I loved that the show dared to show a truly messy, but good intentioned character who is grappling with the belief that he's too much for any lover to handle. Don't we all think that sometimes? I enjoyed seeing him accept that he's worthy of romantic love. Because he is. And when he realizes love is worth risking, he pursues Xun An in the most, hilarious charming way!
The stories of the two side couples develop more slowly, with little morsels included along the way that show the couples' dynamics and growth. I appreciated that we didn’t see insta love from Alex's perspective. Instead, we saw something more believable. The younger guy, RJ's, massive crush on the hot, older bartender. RJ did everything he could to send out romantic signals, trying to get Alex to see him as a man and possible boyfriend. The other couple, the hockey player and Da A, couldn't have been more adorable. The hockey player was so obvious in his pursuit of Da A, while Da A was confused.
I was disappointed the secondary couples didn’t get more screen time or resolution. We needed more, especially from Alex and RJ, at the end. Their story is incomplete. Season 2, please!
There was a misstep in the plot in episode 11. While earlier episodes hinted that Xun An’s relationship with his family wasn’t harmonious, the introduction of domestic abuse was an unnecessary and unmanageable addition. It felt tonally out of step with the rest of the series. With only one episode left, there just wasn’t time to treat this very serious issue. Instead, it would have been more fruitful to deal with Bai Lang’s mental health issues.
Another misstep was to include a surprise fourth couple in the final episode. Rather than this couple, or their wedding, I would rather see one of our established couples get married. At least we did have a sweet proposal!
Overall I'm amazed by the intricate storytelling and tight direction from Ray Jiang, with little details and finishing touches in each scene coming together to form a powerful series. The long take at the end of ep 8 was really impressive! Outstanding acting and OST.
Make sure to watch past the credits after each ep! There are bonus scenes and they matter!
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Story:
Typical josei romance plot (you'll appreciate this if you're a manga reader). Boy meets girl, the guy fell in love with her, then he pursues the girl. Actually the plot is just ordinary, except for a unique twist that the guy is a monk. The comedic dialogues are present which are good, and I guess that what makes this charming (for me anyway). But what I really liked about the story is honestly the guy's character. His personality is really charming in an enchanting way. I don't know but I developed a deep affection to the main lead not only because of his physical appearance but his character development as well. The girl is our typical josei woman (if you read josei manga, then you know what I mean).
Acting/Casting:
Such handsome and pretty people, I must admit. XD Well, I liked how the actors and actresses (esp the main leads) portrayed their respective roles. I haven't read the manga yet so I can't really say if they had portrayed it well but I can assure you they are really good. Good enough to make my emotions sway every damn episode easily. Ugh, I just so love them all.
Music:
BACK NUMBER IS THE BEST! XD YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO IT. YOU'LL DEFINITELY LOVE IT. HAHA Even though I look like I'm promoting, the OST "back number" really suits this show well. I fell in love with this song first before I fell in love with the show, so if you're still skeptical 'bout watching this, then I advise you to at least try listening to the OST. It made me appreciate the show more, maybe it could persuade you as well.
Overall:
I rated this 10/10 in MDL (personal taste hehe) but I'll go now with 9/10. It's really a good one. I rarely get feels when watching Japanese drama but I must say this is an exception. Maybe because I watched this during Christmas eve and Christmas day. HAHA Welp, I don't really know. But I really like the roller coaster of emotions this drama awakened in me. It made me realize that falling in love is not an easy thing. Again. It brings you pain, suffering, tears, frustrations (lololol hint: lots of drama at the end so beware) but as well as happiness, smiles, laughter, and hope. But at the end of the day, you'll still choose to fall in love despite of the pain it will bring in your heart. Because as they say, love can keep the sadness at bay. It will cure a painfully broken heart as well as warming a cold frozen heart buried with time.
Have a happy holidays. :)
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The story is excellent. You can see how much effort the writer and director put into it right from the first scene. While it gets dark and depressing, there is also a light tone to it during some parts. This is the first time I have watched a lesbian Korean movie and found myself highly loving it. While the two women serve as the main characters, Ha Jeong Woo also plays the male lead and has quite a presence throughout. During the entire course of the film, it will give you the feeling of reading a book than watching a film. It's poetic and literary in its narration and the atmosphere of the movie just amplifies all the best parts about the film.
There were a few erotic scenes but I felt like they were tastefully filmed. The girls have good chemistry with each other and Ha Jeong Woo was the perfect barrier between them. I was impressed by how well all three spoke Japanese in the movie (also the supporting cast). Plus the era the film is set in makes it a hundred times more interesting. It's intriguing to see Korea portrayed under the rule of Japan and you can see how much Korean culture was influenced by the Japanese during then. You could watch the movie just for the periodic setting and even then you could enjoy it for that solely as well.
What's cool about the movie is the plot- the conning, friendship, romance, perversion and obsession. There's also a slight revenge aspect to the story which was the main twist and made this movie way more likable. Also the costumes, sets and dialogues are what made it so fun. I swear I blushed during a few parts of the film because I never realized how erotic Japanese can sound with the right diction.
If you wanna know what sets this movie apart, it's the setting/era (undoubtedly) and also the ending. YES. The ending makes it all worth it. The entire 2+ hours will fly by and you will not even notice it. And the twist was so, so clever. Kudos to the writer.
Only watch it if you are over 18 or a mature teen. There are some scenes of torture and hints of BDSM and perversion. They are not too overbearing so do not worry. Just sit down and enjoy it- like me. The ending makes it the best thing ever. TRUST ME.
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This review may contain spoilers
A Love Story That Is Truly A Treasure
Love and Redemption summed up for people who don't want to read this long review:- Beautiful love story
- Misunderstandings could be frustrating for some
- Amazing acting from main and supporting leads
- Music with deep meaning and value
- Highly recommended for Xianxia romance lovers
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Love and Redemption is truly a treasure. You know that a drama is a treasure when you try to find that special word to describe it, but instead come up with many. Everything is so beautifully acted out and composed, and the ending result of the directors, actors, and others' hard work is a drama that will make you laugh and cry until you can't anymore. It really shows the importance of the three kinds of love: the love between lovers, love between friends, and love between your family. The setting and special effects all seem so real, and the costumes are just so intricate and beautiful, which makes this rare gem even better. And this drama is not only fun to watch, but it also teaches us life lessons on friendship, loyalty, and love. Over 200,000 people in China have rated this drama on Douban, and it is extremely popular.
Story: 9.5-
Love and Redemption was adapted from the Chinese novel The Glass Maiden （琉璃美人煞）, and has parts similar to those of Ashes of Love and Eternal Love, being a love story that lasts for quite a long time. (ten lifetimes, to be exact) The love story, like most, encounters various frustrating problems but is one that shows the beauty and sweetness of true love, and how we strive for it. Chu Xuanji and Yu Sifeng are truly a match made in heaven, but it just took them longer to find their happy ending.
Love and Redemption has become one of my favorite c-dramas, but the reason why I did not give the story 10 is that while the misunderstandings made the story more captivating and interesting, I felt like there might have been too many of them, which made it quite frustrating sometimes. If you’re a person who can’t stand long term misunderstandings, this may not be the perfect drama for you, but when the misunderstandings are slowly unraveled, it is certainly satisfying. Another smaller reason is the editing. The cinematography was gorgeous throughout the whole show, but some scenes (mostly the sweet ones in the last few episodes or so) had rather bad editing, which disappointed me, as I had seen the scene in the trailer but the one released was edited differently. Well, no drama is perfect.
This love story is certainly one that is very special and memorable. All male leads in romance dramas are willing to do things for the female lead, but Yu Sifeng takes this male lead image to a whole new level. I sometimes wonder how he can do so much for Xuanji even if he knows she may misunderstand him. In the first few episodes, Xuanji is portrayed as a clueless girl, which frustrated a large number of watchers. After she regains what she was deprived of, she turns into one of the strongest female leads I know, protecting her love at all loves. The ending was happy and very satisfying as the good were paid for the good they did and the evil received retribution. While 59 episodes may seem long for some, it is definitely worth your time. In fact, you might even think that 59 episodes is far from enough.
Acting/cast: 10-
Many of these actors and actresses can be found in other dramas as leading and supporting roles, and their performance here was outstanding, especially the two main leads. Everyone's characters and personalities contrast greatly, and the actors acted their parts so well that many characters are either extremely loved, or extremely hated. And although I just wanted to simply stab the evil characters to death, I really need to give them a round of applause. The evil characters have so much personality that without them, there would be no drama. And their stories are all captivating, even if they are evil people with no sympathy or heart, especially Hao Chen and Wu Tong. They were both acted exceptionally well, as the actors showed their emotions and evilness quite well. Those two were the two main antagonists, along with Tianxu Sect Master, but both Hao Chen and Wu Tong found peace at the end. I really liked how this story showed how the evil characters accepted their fate, and their closures was one that was fulfilling.
The main leads, Crystal Yuan as Chu Xuanji, and Cheng Yi as Yu Sifeng have amazing chemistry, and their acting can truly make us feel the character's happiness, sorrow, anger, and pain, and not help but shed a few tears here and then. I almost never ship actors and actresses, but I just couldn't stop this awesome ship in my head. In my opinion, both actors did amazingly well here and showed the characters' thoughts and feelings very well. I have heard quite a lot of people comment that Cheng Yi did better than Bingyan, but I believe that they both acted spectacular well. Cheng Yi did kind of pop out though, because his portrayal of Sifeng is so accurate and heartbreaking at times. Bingyan also did great at showing the change in Xuanji as time goes on, from a naive little girl to a woman of great strength and power. I was also quite amazed at their acting of different characters in ten different lives, they were all so different. Bravo to these two talented actors!
There is a second and third lead couple, and they made the drama more interesting as well, but I felt that the second lead, Linglong and Minyan, played by Zhang Yuxi and Li Junyi did not have much chemistry, and while it's cute that Minyan loves Linglong so much, his “sacrifice” seemed rather stupid to me. But Linglong and Minyan do make a very happy family together. In my opinion, the third lead, Purple Fox and Wu Zhiqi, have an amazing love story that lasted for a thousand years as well, and I cried a river when, well, I'll leave you to find that out.
And the other characters, such as the sect leaders and elders were acted out so well that I was laughing at their uselessness and stupidity. Man, these actors have talent. If you watch any behind the scene clips, you'll know that they're all pretty different or are literally the opposite of their character.
Music: 10-
All of the songs in this drama have such deep meaning lyrics that they could just tell the story with the music. I am Chinese, and listening to these songs honesty made me cry. The OST could easily go on my top five, and the song Thousand Years of Love （千年之恋）by Shuang Sheng is just so beautiful and sorrowful it brought tears to my eyes. The songs all are so special and suit all the different situations in the drama very well, and you could probably understand this love story even if there wasn’t any drama. (Okay, I may have exaggerated, but this music is, just, indescribable with words) There is a song for every occasion that is repeated. For example, Xuanji unleashing her powers always has that exciting music while Wu Zhiqi and Zi Hu always have the music that sounds like a sense of longing.
Rewatch value: 10 -
There are parts that I have rewatched multiple times, and just won't get tired of it. I also have a few episodes that are my favorites, either because they are so cute and sweet or because a misunderstanding was cleared. There are many satisfying parts that I keep watching over and over again. So yes, the rewatch value is high, unlike some dramas that just have cliche plots.
Overall, this drama is just amazing, from just the story itself to the diverse characters. You should definitely give it a shot, and discover the wonderful Xianxia world in the love story of Chu Xuanji and Yu Sifeng!
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1Her Second Chance - a fight for justice
The Double (in my opinion) has rightfully earned a top spot among the recently aired historical/periodical Cdramas (on par with Love Like the Galaxy and Kunning Palace). It is a suspenseful story that follows the female lead on her journey towards revenge as she makes friends and finds the true love of her life. Both the female and male leads make intelligent decisions (for the most part) as the story progresses, hooking the audience from start to finish.Adapted from the Chinese novel “Marriage of the Di Daughter”, The Double stars Wu Jinyan and Wang Xingyue, both of whom have starred in many successful dramas. Firstly, please allow me to say that their age gap was not a problem. In fact, after watching The Double, I can’t imagine anyone else as Xue Fangfei and Xiao Heng. Their chemistry was simply this strong and is reflected in the satisfaction of nearly all viewers.
The Double was not on my Plan-to-Watch list. In fact, I was skeptical to even begin the drama. What’s so special about some revenge/identity change drama? But there is just so much to talk about, from the plot and production to the acting and characters. After the female lead, Xue Fangfei grasps this second chance to live, she grips it firmly and doesn’t let go, determined to find justice for all who were wronged. We follow XFF on her journey towards justice for her family and powerless civilians as she gains support from those around her. She takes on Jiang Li’s identity, seeking revenge for both herself and the girl who should’ve lived a carefree life as a daughter of the Jiang family, hence the name of the drama. XFF shows us that there is hope in anything we do, as long as we are still alive and hold the motivation and strong belief. She suffers tremendously but fights for her eventual happiness.
What I particularly like about this drama are the complexities of many of the characters. There’s really much more than meets the eye, and we get to see the backstories of a few of the villains. While I do wish that the director/producer allocated more screen time to the main couple, it was quite interesting to learn more about Princess Wanning and Ji Shuran, though I still think that some scenes were unnecessary, such as some between Wanning and Shen Yurong. (it’s also important to know that Chinese regulations have set a max number of eps to 40, so scenes should be chosen carefully). Some were disappointed with the ending, as it seemed a bit rushed and unfinished. However, the ending scene in Episode 40 makes it much more memorable, with XFF’s billowing red gown and XH riding on his horse to his wife. And be sure to watch the extra episodes that the leads just filmed a few days ago! It wraps everything up nicely. (ugh, I just wish dramas could go over 40 eps…)
Compared to other historical dramas, The Double’s romance is much more slow-burning. However, there’s a lot of flirting between the leads and I find myself always forward to their dialogues, no matter how brief they are. The leads’ interactions in the first half of the drama were also quite amusing to watch. XFF constantly asks Xiao Heng for favors, to which he easily agrees. Xiao Heng is known throughout the capital as a ruthless duke who should not be meddled with, but XFF treats him differently. Throughout the drama, there are numerous details (faint but noticeable) that suggest Xiao Heng’s increasing interest in Xue Fangfei. She is originally regarded as a pawn who puts on amusing shows for Xiao Heng to watch but soon becomes so much more important to him.
Another special aspect between the leads is the mutual trust and respect. Xue Fangfei knows that she can trust Xiao Heng no matter what, and he thinks the same about her. While there are supporting characters who are attracted to the leads, they aren’t a roadblock in the leads’ relationship and actually become more loveable. I loved watching the strong friendships form between Xue Fangfei, Ye Shijie, Jiang Jingrui, and Liu Xu. They have such different personalities yet end up becoming each other’s greatest supporters. The bromance between the emperor and Xiao Heng also remains strong from start to finish. The emperor was thoughtful and warmhearted but also remained alert; he is a ruler I would support. So many supporting characters made the drama fun to watch: On top of Tong’er and XFF’s new friends, Lu Ji and Wen Ji were Xiao Heng’s most loyal subordinates and Wen Ji was especially funny. And we don’t want to forget about the villains, who are people that can easily be hated to the bone (especially Shen Yurong, ew). Actors embodied their characters to the fullest extent. Liang Yongqi as SYR really gave off lifeless vibes to the point that I was questioning if his eyes were this lifeless irl. (In reality, he’s a funny boy who enjoys his iced coffees, lol!) Wang Xingyue told stories with his eyes (and bless the eyeliner) and Wu Jinyan completely stepped up into her role as a girl determined to help the righteous. The way WJY runs in her outfit is absolutely stunning as well. She’s received so many hateful comments over the years regarding her acting but has proven the haters wrong with this drama.
In terms of production, the costumes and sets were gorgeous. Duke Su was [perfectly] fierce and handsome wearing his red wardrobe, while Xue Fangfei’s lighter-colored attire matched her elegance and intelligence at the Gu Zheng and chessboard. The women’s hairstyles were intricately decorated with beautiful hairpins and other ornaments, and it was my first time seeing the pearl makeup look (inspired by the Song Dynasty). Camera angles were chosen masterfully and the blossom scenes were particularly memorable. It was fun to watch Duke Su fight the majority of his battles with his fan, and his constant “A’Li’s” (definitely not fangirling).
All in all, The Double may just be the drama of this summer (there always seems to be one or two summer dramas that captivate viewers, and I’m certain this is the one for 2024). On top of the beautiful costumes, loveable/hateable supporting characters, and swoon-worthy moments between the leads, the drama emphasizes the fight for justice. It is an intriguing revenge drama with a slow yet strong love story.
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This review may contain spoilers
I really don't know whether I can actually write a review for this without giving any spoilers. But I'll try, so here we go. This. Drama. Is. HILARIOUS. I mean, I know different people like different kinds of Humor but this one would definitely tickle your funny bone. Whether it's Hwang Tae Kyung's duck pout or Go Mi Nam's aunt's butt slapping or Jeremy's sexual orientation dilemmas or lots of other things that might get to you. But it'll surely make you laugh! The story is awesome and refreshing in the most cliche way. A girl dresses up as a guy and works with guys and falls for one of those guys. But out of all Gender-Bender stories, this one would definitely stay with you forever. I mean, I've literally had moments where I suddenly zone out and start thinking about random scenes from this drama and laugh hysterically, and then people eye me like, "Did you just have a crazy-woman episode?" and I can't explain it to them because they just won't watch the effing drama! I mean, come on, it's weird explaining.
Coming to acting. EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THAT DRAMA IS EPIC. Like, seriously, all the characters, even Jung Yong Hwa (playing Shin Woo) who people keep dissing saying he's a horrible actor, is just EPIC in you're beautiful. The actors playing even the smallest characters are epic. The music is mind-blowing. Definitely on my top 5 Korean drama OST (and you know how much competition the K-drama OSTs have). "Without Words" by Park Shin Hye has so much meaning to it, it just gives me goosebumps. Whoever wrote that song, HATS OFF! I have watched this drama twice and keep searching funny clips on YouTube and rewatching them all the time.
So, in conclusion, everyone should watch this drama. It's a rite of passage for every Korean drama watcher. But I guess most of us have watched it already, but still. If you haven't, you should definitely put this one on your PTW list :)
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What I loved most about this drama is that the story just kept getting more and more extreme as it went on, and I just kept getting more and more sucked in! For 32 episodes I couldn't wait to see what crazy thing would happen next so, unlike other viewers, I was never really bored. I also liked that all of the major characters had a dark side, or were flawed, which made them a lot more interesting.
Lee Dong Wook's Jae Wan was a fun character to watch unfold, even though he was damn near robotic. This drama is basically his tragic story, and it's a doozy! At first I was turned off by how cold he was, but I liked him more and more as more of his story was revealed. Eventually his need to keep his composure seemed haunting.
Lee Da Hae as Ah Mo Nae was extremely annoying, even as she started to mature, but I thinks she was a great character. Kudos to the actress for making me want to smack her through the screen several times. I also really loved the forbidden romance between Jae Wan and Ah Mo Nae, especially early on when it was technically "very" forbidden. I think they had great chemistry, although they do much more crying than flirting.
Lee Duk Hwa as Lee Joong Goo had not a single ounce of redeeming quality in him, so It was fun to watch where his extreme evil would lead. Just when I thought he couldn't get more cutthroat he would surpass his last action tenfold. I thought he was excellent.
My favorite character by far was Kim Hae Sook as Baek Mi Nyeo. It took a lot of range to pull that character off. She was manipulative, mentoring, backstabbing, sympathetic, ruthless... she'd make me drop my jaw one minute and boo-hoo cry the next. Very few actresses can pull off a role that crazy, but she definitely did. It's not the most realistic character, but again, that's why this drama was so much fun.
There is nothing subtle about this drama, it is melodrama at it's finest. I loved the cast. I loved the music. The writing may not be perfect, but considering all this story tried to take on, I was impressed.
32 episodes is a huge commitment, but I didn't mind because I didn't want it to end. I would also watch all 32 episodes again, which should tell you how much I enjoyed it the first time. I definitely recommend this to any one who likes their dramas to be filled with DRAMA in ALL CAPS.
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Cliches done right!
THIS is how you incorporate all the cliches without making them annoying. THIS is how you incorporate humor without making it loud and cringy. THIS is how you do the perfect rom-com.Business Proposal felt like a throwback to early 2010 k-dramas and the golden age of romantic comedies, but it modernized it and fixed all the frustrating misunderstandings and miscommunications that made me tear my hair out back then.
I felt like the friendships were such an important part of this show from beginning to end and it made it that much better. The FLs and MLs are each so supportive of each other with their respective family situations, the coworkers are also such a supportive team, and it made the show that much more comforting to watch even when side characters came in to sabotage things as they usually do.
I admit that the ending is a little short and leaves some scenes and closure to be desired — but I understand that we only had twelve episodes and there probably wasn't much time to spend on some of the more interesting, non-romance subplots like backstories and family issues.
Nevertheless, if you're looking for something light-hearted and stress-free, this drama is the one.
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This story is supposedly based on a true story and can I just say this is a complete tear jerker. My friends kept pushing me into watching this and even though it's sad, I am so glad I decided to watch it.
This movie is just an amazing story about ones first love. It teases you with so much happiness and then just stabs you in the heart with sadness. I think it hurts a little more inside when you realize this based off true events.
I loved the cast. I really liked Miura and Yui together. There were those awkward acting scenes but I've grown used to them after watching so many dramas. But their chemistry was pretty good. I liked the supporting cast as well. Their characters were shown just enough and all blended well together.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone and if you are still iffy about watching this, just watch it..with a box of tissues of course
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Mostly centered on the rise and fall of an unfixable friendship, it doesn't stretch out the same one plot for sixteen episodes risking to make it lame and repetitive. Different stories are told, just like different stories happen in one high school class. Each of these plots lead back to friendship in the end, but none of them is like the previous one, as they all touch a second different topic, reminding us we're never the only ones who suffer although not everyone has to face the same kind of hardship we're going through.
This drama is original, true, bitter, at times shocking, but also inspiring, hopeful and fun like the age of its protagonists.
I appreciate the complete absence of romance, not because i don't enjoy it but because it's a nice change in kdramas standards.
At times it seems ridiculous the ability this school has to find a reason to expell someone every other day, but nevertheless the screenplay keeps the suspence up until the very last minute.
And there's no reason to deny or hide it: the bromance will kill you over and over again.
This drama is a jewel.
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