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Innocent Witness
40 people found this review helpful
Oct 30, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

Sensitive, optimistic and even cheerful. No spectacle, and yet the 2 hours somehow fly by.

"Innocent Witness" does not really want to serve any genre. (I assume, in Germany it would have at best as been shown in Television only. Significantly, the movie never made it to European cinemas. Yet, it was shown on the big screen in South Korea and was also shown throughout Asia and Australia. It actually won a whole series of respectable awards. On the list are 55th Baeksang Arts Awards, 39th Golden Cinema Film Festival, 40th Blue Dragon Film Awards, 6th Korean Film Producers Association Awards, 27th Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards and 39th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards ... Those various awards were given for the characteristically sensitive, emotional storytelling and presentation.

"Innocent Witness" isn't kitschy, it's calm. The story does neither live from driving tension nor offer any dazzling action, just a calm, unobtrusively touching story. The viewers spend a lot of time in the courtroom. However, Law & Order might very well form the framework, but this does not determine what the story is actually about: Communication and reciprocal understanding can only really succeed if you unconditionally focus on the personal world of others, not only your own. This is often forgotten because we think we can easily understand each other when your world and mine seem so similar. (As if we could simply take sameness of a life context for granted.) However, even life perspectives would be similar, this can still not be considered ´mutual understanding´ either. This is mere prejudice. That could work, often does, but doesn't necessarily have to. Most of the time it might fit, so there's rarely a reason to question my personal approach to the world.

"Innocent Witness" is provocative here, because the other person is a young girl with an autism spectrum disorder. In order to reach an understanding, the lawyer and everyone else have to get involved in the world of the protagonist and (arduously?) learn to understand the events and happenings from her perspective. The confrontation with the autistic worldview (in the service of the story quite strikingly, but effectively implemented) may seem crass for most people at first glance, but basically it only demands what we should actually get do in EVERY encounter with every person, with whom we exchange ideas. That is: get involved. Eventually, we are reluctant ... as long as it works otherwise even half-way and the misunderstandings don't catch up with us all too painfully at some point...

"Innocent Witness" pushes the audience to this realization with persistent, warm, quiet tones in a determined and consistent manner. At the beginning there is the girl's question: "Are you a good person?". In the end, the lawyer comes to the realization: "I want to be(come) a good person!" The movie portrays this process purposefully, but quite unspectacularly and without any particular cinematic originality. The gait is characterized by a loving grunt, like a basso continuo, which bathes the punchlines in a warm light and holds the story together on an emotional level. This, however, without wanting to be difficult or too serious. The lacrimal gland is not necessarily strained either. On the contrary, there is also room for a smile, for joy and a good mood.

In short, the essence of the KMovie is the wonderful dynamic between lawyer and witness. Up-and-coming talent Kim Hyang-gi shines in her role as an innocent, often for her autism bullied, young school-girl. Veteran Jung Woo-sung, on the other hand, as a once ambitious human rights lawyer, neither fish nor meat, still single at almost 40, who has gotten a bit off track and becomes seductive because he needs money for his father's Parkinson's treatment. They stumble a little awkwardly into their interpersonal encounter, each in their own way. Dealing with their own feelings and those of others is not their strength. Nevertheless, out of the given need to get involved, a peculiar friendly relationship develops slowly, quietly, subtly, sensitively and sustainably. Initially however, it is quite an ambivalent dynamic. The attorney's original intention is anything but pure at first, when he wants to vet the only witness who claims to have seen his client's murder. In his approach to the witness, he is only concerned with his case and the question of how seriously he must take the witness for the course of his case. The unexpectedly blossoming friendship has an unfair origin that gradually overshadows the encounters. Nevertheless... The two mimes of the protagonists as well as one or the other supporting role have well-earned all their awards, as they embody this dynamic magnificently.

Apparently, the mission of the movie is that people with disabilities are also people with dignity, who we should/must take seriously. Ultimately, however, the mission even goes beyond and demands respectful, serious encounters with EVERYONE - regardless of their origin or clothing, health restrictions or age. We usually avoid those who 'tick' differently, because it seems exhausting and inconvenient to really get involved with someone, e. g. to actually listen, to genuinely want to understand... because this sometimes requires having to question myself and my self-evident attitudes, assumptions and perspectives. It's easier to just take my own worldview for granted on the basis of prejudices as well as superficial encounter and project it onto those around me. Conversely, such an attitude can actually lead to my life becoming superficial... comfortable, pretty, nice and shiny maybe, but superficial...

So, this is a KMovie that plays a lot in the courtroom, but whose verdict on right and wrong is less about the actual legal case - it becomes a mere side issue. It is rather about demanding an honest verdict on our individual ways we interact with our fellow humans: Am I a good person? Am I really listening? Am I truly open to encounters? Are my priorities in life sincere?

"Innocent Witness" doesn't really serve any genre, and yet the story, told in all simplicity, is touching, optimistic and even cheerful. No spectacle, and yet the 2 hours somehow fly by.

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Completed
Youth of May
40 people found this review helpful
by gio
Jun 8, 2021
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND PAINFUL DRAMA EVER

I knew this drama would have a sad ending from the beginning but WOW.

The story is so well written, the acting is SO GOOD and the OSTS are amazing (specially Winter of May). I loved every second of this drama even though I cried my eyes out with the ending.

Go Minsi did a really great job as Myeong Hee, I've never watched a drama with her and she blew my mind! Lee Dohyun also did a really great job as HeeTae and their chemistry was one of the best I've ever seen.

Knowing that Myeong Hee was missing for 30 years and that it took that long to find her body broke my heart. I really hoped that MyeongHee and HeeTae would have their happy ending because they've been through so much to be together.

This show made me you so sad and powerless but at the same time made my heart flutter. I wanted to get inside the screen and protect all of them with all my heart and it hurts so much to know that this was based in a real story and that there are people that are still missing.

I'm really glad I got to watch this drama and I'm really glad I got to know more about the Gwangju Uprising. My condolences to the people of Gwangju that had to get through this event and thanks to "Youth of May" to made us know about it.

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Completed
The Big Boss
40 people found this review helpful
Oct 9, 2017
18 of 18 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 10
I enjoyed “The Big Boss“ fully. I was on YouTube and found it by chance and i was soo happy. Let‘s begin the Review: (And I‘m sorry, if there are any grammer or vocab mistakes... english is not my first language)

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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Completed
Master of My Own
40 people found this review helpful
Jul 24, 2022
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 9.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 6.0

Her Dream was her Best Investment!

First of all, why is this drama so underrated? Like it deserves more!! She was told that "you cannot do this" but she made the same person say "you did it well". Master of my own is not your simple business drama with blah-blah-blah about stocks, that up and down graph, office deals etc. It's a story about growth, huge character developments and a slow burn mature romance you would cheer for.

Master of my own is adapted from the novel "Please Call Me The Director" (请叫我总监) written by Hong Jiu. Directed by Yao Ting Ting, it's a very unique storyline in it's genre.

Let me list what this drama is worth checking out for —

The female lead – she gets kicked, looked down upon and left completely devastated until she gears herself up to fight for her dream to be an Investment Director. What I love about her is she sticks to her principles no matter what. She is especially cool and beautiful at some points. Can't help but shout like a proud mama "You go girl!"

The story – surprising that this is the best Business genre Cdrama I've ever seen. Most of the business themed dramas do upper talk and group meetings in the name of business but this actually goes into little detail. It's not boring and embedded with the character's story. I love how they mentioned all the projects and what an investor thinks before giving money to them. "All" investors aren't emotionless machines who want profit, some do care for a new startup and are willing to take risks. And who doesn't have ups and downs but motivation, hard work, passion shines through this drama.

The male lead – okay. I agree he is just a big jerk in starting and I felt the urge to punch him hard so often but still let me say this to the upcoming viewers, give him some time. He won't disappoint you much in future. He becomes likable slowly.

The Acting – not a big fan of any of the cast but they were so satisfying. Ning Meng by Tan Song Yun is the definite highlight of this drama. The way she looks cute and bubbly and then she transforms with suits and dresses, you can see through her aura. Lin Geng Xin as Lu Ji Ming is suitable for this unique CEO role. The rest of the cast, special mentions to Su Xin and Gong Bei Bi who were great as Ceng Yu Hang and Shi Ying respectively.

The slow burn – slow burn romance lovers like me who enjoy a beautiful friendship and companionship turning to love would enjoy this drama. They don't have those cliche moments at all. It's just a basic understanding and magic between them where enemies turned lovers is like icing on the cake.

Now what still takes away 1 star from it —
It's probably because it became slow in the middle or maybe because I have no intention to rewatch this drama. Okay it was special for Tang Song Yun and her role Ning Meng but rewatching won't happen…

So I am going to remember this drama for the motivation, character developments and the little Ning Meng who does big tasks.

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Completed
Mr. Queen
66 people found this review helpful
Feb 14, 2021
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

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!!! ❤️❤️❤️

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Completed
Qing Luo
66 people found this review helpful
Jun 2, 2021
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 21
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 8.0

How to Date a Single Mom with a Child

I didn’t start watching this drama when it began airing because I couldn’t get over the image I have of Liu Xueyi as Hao Chen in “Love and Redemption”. But one episode in, I was completely drawn in by the acting, the storyline and the humor. It's exhilarating and funny, at the same time, rather serious, dark and oxymoronic, with a hidden super villain, mysteries, conspiracies, murders and plenty of hot kisses. This drama beats many other dramas which are concurrently airing.

Yu Qingluo (Wang Ziwei), a single mom with a 6-year old boy, Nan Nan (Zhang Zihan), is trying to find a father for her child. Time and time again her dates are being sabotaged by the little boy until she falls in love with Ye Xiudu (Liu Xueyi). Strangely Nan Nan also takes a liking to her lover, as if they have some sort of an invisible bond. Indeed Nan Nan has earlier made Ye Xiudu his disciple who has to pay with the price of unlimited supply of crispy fried chickens.

Yu Qingluo is a brilliant so-called “ghost” doctor (“guiyi”) as opposed to an “angel” doctor (“shenyi”) because she uses poisons to heal. She is strong, calm, unpretentious and fearless. She is always flanked by 4 very young, good looking and formidable leaders of prominent organizations/sects as protectors who vowed to protect her and her son with their lives because she has saved all of them under different circumstances. Though kind and vows to save lives, she also kills as a tit-for-tat. She pays back anyone who has come to harm her or her child. This quality really thrills the viewers (well, at least me).

Wang Ziwei is beautiful and mature, and her acting is top notched as a young single mother. She makes motherhood look excruciatingly fun with her super intelligent 6 years old son. And what an adorable bundle Nan Nan is. I am so impressed by the child actor Zhang Zihan’s acting. He brings to life the little Nan Nan’s character, adding a lot of joy to the drama, making the viewers love not just the little boy himself, but all the characters around him, in particular Ye Xiudu (Liu Xueyi). Nan Nan’s favorite food is crispy fried chickens and there is no lack of chicken dishes in almost all Nan Nan’s scenes, that would certainly make many viewers salivating (I feel hungry watching the crispy fried chickens, KFC is of no match). I adore the mother/child relationship here. Their dynamics are heart warming and really funny; ear twisting, face squeezing and pony tail pulling are norms. Throughout the drama until he finds out who his birth father is, Nan Nan has been sabotaging his mother's relationship with any men whom he finds overly intimate with his mother.

A fearsome general and a royalty, Ye Xiudu has unbeatable martial art skills. On the surface, he is serious and upstanding, but at the flip side, he is quirky: he has vasovagal syncope and faints with the sight of blood (imagine that for a general who kills in battles, also reminds me of husbands who faint at their wives' childbirths. That's why he has to blindfold himself when he fights because he cannot look at blood), and he is narcissistic and bombastic. All these traits make the Ye Xiudu character hilarious, laughable and very lovable too. Calling his romance with Yu Qingluo super funny is an understatement. There is a pattern for the OTP: they meet, fall in love, lose memory, meet again, fall in love again, lose memory again, multiple times. I have been prejudiced by associating Liu Xueyi as an antagonist. But here I come to really like him. His acting is superb, capturing all the quirkiness there is of his character. He is a wonderful actor.

There are many very lovable and funny side characters and the acting by the whole cast is authentic and fabulous. At the most tensed and dangerous moments, conflicts are resolved in the nick of time; the hero always appears at the very last and crucial moments.

My Verdict

This is an amazing drama with a hilarious storyline. It is action packed, fast paced but balanced by the romantic moments. With only 24 episodes, it wastes no time with fillers. Having said that, the pace slows down a lot towards the last 2 episodes. There is a lot of kissing scenes, intentional or accidental, in almost every episode. Everything is crazy and over exaggerated, including the romance. The whole drama is like a mash-up that mixes “Butterfly Lovers” to the giant flying mushroom, to the blind wuxia fighter of Gu Long's Hua Manlou, with tropes like multiple memory losses and multiple falling-off-cliff-and-survive scenes. Random uses of random music and jingles add on the light-heartedness. Imagine hearing a Christmas song in a Chinese historical drama (at the end of Episode 10, the tune “Tidings of Comfort and Joy” is played, cheekily, to create a cute mood). Animal sounds, such as a cockerel's crow or a goat’s bleat, are played to signify a blunder made. And modern vibes are inserted here and there brilliantly. It is as if the writers try to make the whole thing as preposterous and as outrageous as possible to poke the viewers for fun.

Despite the fun and non-seriousness, the writing is pretty tight and the editing is quite good, even the CGIs are rather well done. I’m particularly impressed by Yu Qingluo’s pet scorpion which is also her weapon. This doesn't seem like a run-of-the-mill production.

I give this drama a very high rating because it makes me laugh out loud so hard. We know it's a dumb story as it constantly reminds us that this is a crazy drama with a lot of silly stuff. A viewer puts it succinctly, "It's not the comedy nor the music, but the whole thing so lame that makes it laughable." I agree. So one mustn't take it seriously. The whole thing is like a cartoon, with comical music to egg it on. So folks, lighten up! We all need it.

A great watch for the family and to fight off the pandemic lockdown blues. A delightful show you don't want to miss!

BRAVO!




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Completed
Unrequited Love
66 people found this review helpful
Jul 19, 2019
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.5
Story- I have read the book this drama is based on and its really amazing. Its not just about another girl crushing on a boy. The story is so much deeper than that. The story is about a girl who has harboured feelings for a boy for over ten years but you can't really blame him. He literally had no idea she even existed untill they meet in university. He is not a jerk but neither he is a saint. She's not any damsel in distress or someone you can mess with. They both have complicated personality, especially the girl. When they finally meet and starts interacting, the guy actually falls for her soon. This makes us question that if she had the courage to profess her love in all these years, maybe there wouldn't be as much heartache for the lead couple. The drama has variated from the original story at places and added several extra scenes but main plot of the stroy is still intact. This unrequited love story is not like the ones we have seen before where the guy is a jerk and girl keeps chasing him. This is a more mature story and take on one sided love that has lasted for more than a decade, not because of rejection but because of fate and stubbornness. Its about a girl who have selfishly harboured an unrequited love for a boy but never blamed anyone for it. She knew what she was doing. It shows unrequited love of not only the main couple but also other characters around them who in someway or the other are in love/relationship with people that does not return back their feelings as they expect. I hope people would not judge the drama based on the name and synopsis and give it a chance.

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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Completed
Three Kingdoms
66 people found this review helpful
by Aryael
Apr 13, 2016
95 of 95 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 9.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 5.5
Story: This series is a legend by itself. There are many movies and dramas out there on this classic story of the 'Three Kingdoms' but none had truly captured the entire novel, page by page, as this 2010 version. With 95 episodes, it is one of the lengthiest series I'd followed but also the most satisfying to complete. Admittedly, I watched this in 2010 when it was airing and has recently re-watched it to remind myself parts of the Three Kingdoms' story. This drama is like reading the novel itself. Each character is depicted accurately - from their behavior, aspirations, thoughts, speech patterns to looks. The director certainly selected the perfect cast to act in this series. Many would say 95 episodes is plenty but in actual fact, there are little side stories in the novel that were excluded. Otherwise, this would turn into a 100+ episode series.

Acting/Cast: If you want to know what is professional, solid, honest-to-goodness acting, watch this. The actors and actresses will make you feel as if you are watching history unfold before your screen. They will put all those idol actors to complete shame! Everything was to the dot - from settings, costumes, etiquette to speech...they all accurately depicted the correct era in Chinese history.

Music: If you are expecting great OSTs, you will be disappointed. But if you are expecting music that accurately reflects the music of the era in the 'Three Kingdoms', you will be delighted. During those days, ppl compose music to be sung as a poem with accompaniments from traditional Chinese musical instruments. The words sung are very meaningful. Even the OST at the start of each episode adequately summed the entire novel in eloquent words. This is a story about war, the end of a dynasty, ambitious men, heroism, political plots and personal struggles set in an era known as one of the bloodiest in Chinese history.

Rewatch value: I set the re-watch value as low because of the 95 episodes. However, most ppl I know who had watched this series would usually re-watch the parts they like; eg: Diaochan's plot to bring down Dong Zhuo through Lu Bu, the appearance of Zhuge Liang (Kongming), the battle of the Red Cliff, Liu Bei's marriage to Sun XiaoMei and the ensuing struggle to establish his own hegemony at the south, Zhuge Liang vs. Zhou Yu, Zhuge Liang vs. Sima Yi etc. It also helps that wikipedia breaks down the series' episode based on the book chapters it covers - making selective re-watching easier.

Overall: A perfect series with perfect actors and actresses. A must watch for lovers of chinese history and literature. The only complain I have is the length but then again, it cannot be helped considering how this series follows the novel closely.

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Completed
Oh My Ladylord
66 people found this review helpful
May 13, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 6
Overall 4.0
Story 3.5
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

This drama was like a badly written wattpad story

My only expectation when I started this drama was a good rom-com, the show started off promising and ended up being one of the worse plots I have ever seen not trying to exaggerate at all, the plots were all over the place and the writer jumped from one plot to another, from one genre to another to create a totall mess.
I'm not a stranger to the main actor lee min ki and I always thought to myself how he always picked out good scripts
I have no idea why he picked this one, although I have never seen NANA's works I could tell she had good acting skills and the actors had the needed chemistry too but nothing could save this drama.
Then we have a second lead, he had little to no chemistry with nana and his character was the most useless you won't feel SLS in the slightest, one thing I enjoyed at some point was the story about their mothers, I actually have the last episode left to watch but I'm not even curious about the ending.
all in all I don't recommend this at all and this has to be one of the worst dramas I have ever watched.

UPDATE AFTER FINALE (spoilers on finale)
The ml disappears in the end (there's a plot about him being only able to live 49 days amidst a lot of other things) great a bad ending to a bad drama, i'm aware the leads dying isn't a bad ending but in this case, the whole drama was just really bad, if u dive really deep into the story and re-write 95 percent of this with the initial idea of the plot this drama could have been saved , if they wanted to show the ML'S development after only having 49 days to live even if they would make him die in the end there were a million better ways to do that but alas they failed miserably and to end this giving this a 4 is me being generous

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Completed
Rebirth for You
161 people found this review helpful
Nov 23, 2021
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 41
Overall 3.5
Story 4.0
Acting/Cast 4.5
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 1.0

Like a mucus bath.

Don't be fooled by this drama's engaging start - a hint of intrigue, the promise of adventure, a powerful secret weapon, political conspiracies aplenty and a heart stopping romance between a intrepid princess and a valiant guard. After about a dozen thrilling episodes this drama turns so icky that it feels like a mucus bath.

Instead of the incomprehensible Rebirth For You, this drama's real title should be The Story of Miaorong. Because over 30 super long episodes (50+ minutes), practically all of the screen time is hijacked by the deranged machinations of the female and male love rejects' pathetic, slimy and absurd schemes. Every time you are about to jump ship out of frustration, they will throw some sugar at you with some sweet scenes between Bao Ning and Li Qian but make no mistake, the very boring actress that plays Miaorong gets MOST of the screentime. The final insult to the injury is this smart couple becomes stupid and their devotion and absolute faith in each other devolves into angsty and immature misunderstandings toward the end. The promising plot threads and interesting antagonists are left largely under exploited while the writers strive to bore us to death with every silly, malicious cat fight and scorned lover trope ever conceived of. This is a total waste of both Ju Jingyi and Zeng Shunxi's acting talent and is little more than a shameless exercise in letting second rate actors get too much exposure.

If you are die hard fans, watch about the first twelve episodes and the last one or two. All the rest can be skipped but my overall recommendation is to save some brain cells and not watch this at all. This is my shortest review ever to avoid wasting any more time on this abomination. Rating 3.5/10.0.

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Completed
Something about 1 Percent
109 people found this review helpful
Nov 15, 2016
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.5
Sometimes a simple love story is just entertaining and endearing to watch. Something about 1 percent doesnt have much that stood out from the rest. But its also the very same thing you can love about it. It reminds me of the first time i love korean dramas cliches and all. Although the first episode seems a bit too contrived i found it improves immensely the next few episodes. Jae In and Dada's relationship is sweet. Theres no immense personality transplant from Jae In but you see the effort he puts to keeping their dating relationship afloat despite his busy schedule, demands at work and his lack of care for people feelings. What is refreshing is most times they are honest with each other even though its a contractual relationship. Jae in from start wanted a no cheating no seeing other people. Dada was honest that she needs to keep herself in check from falling for him. Which we know its too late the ship has sailed. What makes this an enjoyable watch is how comfortable Jae in and Dada are with each other on the screen. Their dates, expression and kisses brings back the feels of first love. And dont you love a man who can keep calling to get tje answers even though hes too busy to sleep or eat. The gruff and sometimes grumpy man can be a stealer too. Just like how Dada's friend's word rings true sometimes all it takes is just 1positive thing that you love from that person - you can call it his charm- that you discover and fall for. And just the same ive discovered quite a few charming things of this drama which i love and fall for.


Just to the add. The leads remain true to themselves and just like their love it has always been honest and sincere. The heart to heart talk and mature discussion before the made up and even the proposal was so fitting. I love the balance of sweet romance and a couple who is honest and mature to face the reality and their background differences, together.

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Completed
Mr. Queen
109 people found this review helpful
Feb 14, 2021
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 7.5

What a fun ride!

I never enjoyed any drama as I enjoyed this from the very first episode till the last episode. It was a roller coaster ride for me filled with so much laughter. I don't think so that any drama can be this hilarious with perfect execution, script, cast, and everything, I loved every aspect of it and surely Mr. Queen has become one of my most favorites.

I was hooked from the first episode. It didn't leave its track even for one episode. It was consistently good and hilarious until the very end. It was a beautiful journey which I enjoyed very much. I guess it had set up pretty much high standards for Korean historical for me.

Hat's of for the Shin Hye Sun I don't think that anyone could have done a better job than her. She was perfect for this role she nailed it. The whole cast was amazing everyone did a great job portraying every character, the acting was excellent and top-notch. It couldn't be this better without this cast. All dynamics of every character were great and three-dimensional even the villains did a great job as I hated them with whole my heart. The King's character was really great though it was a bit confusing in the start things got clear later The changes we did see in Queen in every episode her journey was phenomenal. The chemistry between leads was amazing it was the perfect pairing. I also loved side characters and their interactions as well.

The story was indeed well written and executed. The soundtrack and ost were perfect and the cinematography was brilliant.

Overall it was wonderful drama though it's not everyone's cup of tea if you like historical and comedy then definitely give it a try. It was a wonderful experience.

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Completed
Long Time No See
83 people found this review helpful
Jan 11, 2018
5 of 5 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 10
What can I say other than I adored this? How often do you find LGBT media with functional, real relationships that don’t end in tragedy? Long Time, No See absolutely blew away all my expectations. Absolutely a long-time favorite movie.

Story: The story was cliche, but I live for cliches, especially mob-related so basically I adored it. Due to the length, certain very small scenes were a tad confusing if only because the cut into them seemed random, but they soon became clear. By the end of each chapter (which are usually ~15 min. segments), I had a very clear understanding of what was going on, so the confusion wasn’t long-lasting.

Acting/Cast: I’m not gonna lie, for a small studio film, I wasn’t expecting much re: the acting, but I was absolutely blown away. The actors are incredible and create such dynamic characters through facial expressions alone. They were an amazing cast that I would love to see in future dramas.

Music: So cute! The reoccurring song that played every time Gitae and Chisoo had a moment was sweet, gentle, and just downright adorable. It encapsulated that fuzzy feeling of butterflies in your stomach. The music for the action scenes were perfect for creating a high intensity environment, as well.

Rewatch Value: The only reason I am not immediately rewatching this movie is because I have to go to class in the morning. Needless to say, I will be watching this movie many more times in the future.

TL;DR: If you’re looking for a good LGBT movie with great acting, a fun plot, and a happy ending, then Long Time, No See is the choice for you. Please support this movie and the studio STRONGBERRY by buying the chapters ($12) so we can hopefully see more wonderful content like this in the future!

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Completed
Hotel King
83 people found this review helpful
Oct 29, 2014
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
If I could only use 2 words to review Hotel King those words would be EPIC DAEBAK! (yes, in all caps!) I honestly loved this drama. If you are looking for a romantic story about an ambitious hotel manager who falls in love with an heiress, you've picked the wrong show. If you are looking for an over the top, borderline campy, drama filled with secrets, betrayals, tragedy, passion, murder, revenge, star-crossed lovers, super villains, and some witty banter for balance, that just happens to take place in a hotel, then this drama is perfect for you!

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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Completed
Nour
83 people found this review helpful
by Ppriyo Finger Heart Award1 Flower Award2 Drama Bestie Award1 Hidden Gem Recommender1 Drama Therapist Award1 Tomato of Chaos1
Aug 26, 2026
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 8
Overall 8.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

NOUR is especially made for me. It passed my standards as soon as I watched the teasers.

I'm so fascinated by Nour already, looking forward to the new releases every week.

August is proving to be a golden era for BL fans around the globe. Top-notch series are dropping one after another, It easily stands out among the flood of incredible new Thai and Japanese releases. This massive wave of content keeps screens packed with diverse storylines and exciting new actor pairings every single day, the newly paired actors like the couple in The Edge Of Horizon, Match Point, Love Destiny or This onee, Nour, it's their first time actually acting together as partners, still so premium acting.

Among this incredible lineup, the newly released series Nour stands out for its highly creative premise. The series has a high-quality production, stunning visual effects, and a unique, creative concept. Moving away from typical vampire tropes, it introduces an entirely new, imaginary immortal entity called a "Nour."

A High-Quality Cinematic Experience ::

The initial pilot and teasers for Nour set an exceptionally high bar for me and the fandom.
The first two episodes have completely blown past those expectations of mine. The show boasts Hollywood-level visual effects that look incredibly realistic on screen. Combined with stunning production design and beautiful settings, the series delivers a premium cinematic experience that kept me completely glued to the screen.

Fresh Casting and Unmatched Screen Presence :::

The casting choices bring an entirely fresh, magnetic energy to this supernatural thriller. Boss Patthakarn delivers a flawless performance for his first-ever BL role. He acts with the absolute confidence and depth of a seasoned veteran. Standing right alongside him is Tongtong Kitsakorn, who finally steps into a well-deserved main lead role. Both actors carry a gorgeous screen presence that naturally elevates the gravity of every single scene.

Redemption for Tongtong Kitsakorn :
He previously stole hearts as Jet in The Wicked Game, honestly I deeply shipped him with his bodyguard Phum, played by Inn Jakkrasin. That storyline ended in heartbreak when Phum tragically died, leaving their mutual feelings unresolved.
While Inn Jakkrasin moved on to play Phob in The Edge Of Horizon, I'm extremely thrilled to finally see Tongtong as a powerful main lead here.

A Crime Investigation in Krung Thep Mahanakorn -At its core, the drama hooked me with an intense and dark crime mystery set in Krung Thep, Thailand.
A brilliant and exceptionally brave detective, Inspector James, is brought in as a wildcard entry to solve a horrific string of serial killings. The victims are left in completely inhuman conditions. This makes the local population terrified that a supernatural force is walking among them.
*Inspector James possesses the ability to see the "colors" of people's souls. Whenever someone is lying or is an evil person, James sees them as red.
*The ultimate irony of the show is that his partner, Captain Ken (played by Tongtong Kitsakorn), is colorblind and cannot see the color red—the exact color that exposes lies.

The Ultimate Supernatural Irony :
While the incompetent local authorities try to pin the blame on innocent bystanders, the suspects all share an identical, chilling detail. They insist they saw a mysterious, blue-eyed creature known as a Nour.
A Nour is an immortal entity that survives by sucking human and can strike them anywhere at any time.
James is partnered with the cold, brilliant Dr. Ken, an inspector who uniquely doubles as a medical examiner.
The ultimate irony, which I'm already privy to, is that Dr. Ken is actually a centuries-old Nour himself.
He has spent lifetimes trying and failing to end his own immortal life.
While he is a supernatural creature, the unfolding evidence suggests a different, rogue Nour who escaped the police is the true mastermind behind the murders maybe, but we can't trust just our six senses, we needa go along with the flow and discover the truth behind those brutal murders.

High-Voltage Chemistry and Bickering Romance ::

The dynamic between James and Ken perfectly blends a thrilling investigation with an addictive enemies-to-lovers romance. The two share a delightful, chaotic bickering relationship that slowly boils over into intense, high-voltage chemistry.

The ending kiss scene of the 2nd episode delivered pure goosebumps.
Preceded by a spine-chilling moment where Ken licked his finger, the raw and passionate kiss, basically they just hooked their mouths not every couple do thatt, it looked professional. The close up in the 3rd episode makes it look much better..
James's reaction after the kiss, gave me chills I don't know why. Ken was craving for blood reminded me of vampires, they are quite similar The Nours and The Vampires.

The 3rd episode's Dr. Ken didn't even try to avoid, interested kissed back, damn, now they're annoyed that the phone was ringing I understand it was disturbing them, how hilarious -You are the one who set the boundaries and you're the one who crossed itt first. They have such an intense chemistry, I can't believe it. They're going crazy especially James.

We're getting many plot twists till the end of an episode, every episode, The other Nour Tee was already dead, and now I think James is gonna get sus about Ken's actual identity, that is already known to us. I wanna see through James's reaction when he acquires the truth, that he's working with the creature he hates the most..
There are too many Nours in here. I thought Ken was the only one.

The Sweet Contrast of the Second Couple :::
This intense supernatural heat is perfectly balanced by the second couple, Kirat and Chita.
While they didn't stand out much in the initial teasers, their execution in the first two episodes has excited me to continue watching them.
They serve as a sweet, comforting, and gentle contrast to the chaotic main couple. But the main stands in the front for sure.
Their relationship brings a softer, highly addictive romantic arc to the series.

Kirat and Chita display seamless coordination and a deep mutual understanding that makes them incredibly captivating. The affectionate, lingering glances they share make it clear that they are already falling hard for each other, especially Chita.
Chita can't resist and kissed, I understand him, he fell too hard, for the only brightness in his lifee. Who could resist that much closeness, I realised something was going to happen..

Toey Pongsakorn, who previously flew under the radar in Top Form—this duo provides a comforting romantic. How come I never noticed him in Top Form, my badd. Chita's down badd, the both of them have such a great relationship. Kirat is finally not avoiding the feelings he's having, it's all a thanks to James..

With a perfect mix of thriller, investigation, supernatural mystery, and incredible romance, Nour easily surpasses every standard for a top-notch drama. It guarantees something thrilling to look forward to every week!

I'm so damn confused, everyone is turning out as a Nour, at first I thought it was just Dr. Ken who was the Nour, but then Tee and then his girlfriend Pear and now literally the one who looked the weakest and innocent is the one most dangerous and powerful. Ohh godd, it wasn't mee I still can't believe Chita is a Nour the most powerful onee Shiaaa. And now Kirat waohh that's enough.

That scene was so intense between Chita and Kirat at the moment, ofcourse you know which scene I'm taking about.
At first it was the main couple being intense and the second one being sweet and soft, but now it's totally vise versa tbh.

James doesn't really want Ken to die, but Ken has been trying to die from decades, finally found the Nour who could actually give him peace, but y at the time when he found his other one. Huh ?

The ending was not that engaging or satisfying, they skipped some details. But I won't say it was a bad one, an average one tbh. The ending was a bit weird

It's recommended by my side, something new and fresh.

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