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1This review may contain spoilers
1. GAY 2.Saint, wtf?!
1.Tf you mean "this is a bromance?"
It's giving BakuDeku level "friendship"
Some BLs I've seen don't have as much chemistry as this does.
Denial is a river in egypt, the two leads are gay and whipped for each other
2.
Bro...
No...
Saint, tf was episode 10?
You can't be stupid enough to make the same mistake again, please
Dont walk away again
3.
Knot, ily. Thank you for having a conscience. Idk what would've happened if you didn't call Shin. He is probably my second favorite after Shin.
4.
This is the first time I'm seeing Autism representation, the second time I've seen it was in Home School. I'm pretty sure it's because of the director
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This review may contain spoilers
You know what? I really tried. Some of you might raise eyebrows that somebody is able to drop something when there's only one episode left, but seriously, I do not even care anymore and I'm going to explain exactly why. Story
Ugly Betty. Which actually made it interesting for the first 10 episodes; also, having worked in this setting before, I was engrossed into the whole editing team problems and how hard is to actually write a successfull magazine. That's till the main characters kept being more focused on their cheesy love story, rather than their overall lives, which almost made them look like a bunch of teenagers that sway at the sight of their other half instead of 30 years old adults, till the last few episodes where the setting was once again picked up, which signed some enjoyable moments overall, but a bit late for me to not feel deeply annoyed about most things at that point; everything was rather unbalanced. But turning back to the romcom part, based on the title, "She was Pretty", I expected a love story about a guy that turned handsome and a girl that turned "ugly" (even though Hye Jin was anything but ugly, more like uncared for). I expected them to fall in love despite their very different priorities and very different styles, to learn to accept eachother for what they are, which they did at one point, but the message was never properly delivered in the end; "She WAS Pretty" had no meaning in the end. As you know, Korea is a society that focuses on looks to the point of obsession, the drama was initially good at showing us that, if you have messy hair and don't apply make up, people are going to look at you almost with disdain, if you're fat, it's even worst, alienation and bullying is going to await you; well, unfortunately, drama didn't manage to keep to its own theme. During the last 6 episodes, it barely even mattered anymore; I felt like I was watching a different show entirely, which was a real pain for me because I really enjoyed it overall up to halfway through. What could have turned out as a memorable fashion-related-setting romcom with the good message of "looks into a superficial world don't necessarily have to matter", fell into the usual troupes of its own genre.
Characters:
Mostly superficial. Bland. Nobody saved itself, besides Shin Hyeok. And let me get this straight. There have been attempts of giving them deepness and character development. I liked Seong Joon's condition, I liked Hye Jin's self sacrificing personality, I liked Ha Ri's inner struggle, but they went nowhere. By episode 15 of the show, Seong Joon turned into a hopeless romantic, Hye Jin turned into an observer, just simply answering and reacting to what was happening (typically romcom heroine), as for Ha Ri, useless tragedy and convenient reason to drag the plot, but I did appreciate her resolve to start doing things on her own, without any help. The rest of the cast? Forgettable, despite being lots of developing potential through the editing team characters as well, but just ignored for the sake of romance. As for, Shin Hyeok, he was the only character that knew and had any shades of "greys". And no, for any one of you that is starting to assume, no, I am not a Siwon fangirl, I didn't even consider his existence till this drama. And no, I did not exactly ship Hye Jin and Shin Hyeok; to be sincere, I did not ship anybody. He was just the character that connected them all and that, in the end, tied them all up and motivated all of them up. If there's a reason why the characters managed to reach that little character development that they had, is exclusively because of Shin Hyeok.
Acting/Cast
Hwang Jung Eum. Oh, Hwang Jung Eum, you are only sweet when you stop overreacting, sweetheart. Comedy doesn't mean overreaction; no, let me rephrase, comedy doesn't mean yelling and hiding under tables, dropping everything in your way and act as if you're on crack 90% of the time. It's the problem that I had with Kill Me, Heal Me comedy as well, when she was involved. For the rest, I must praise Siwon, of course. I don't know if he improoved or not from his last role, but I really liked to witness his famous "derp faces", as well as his funny to bittersweet expression changes. It was very warming. As for Park Seo Joon, I must compliment him when he had to deal with his post-traumatic condition, but besides that, not much else. The rest of the cast was pretty much average, didn't really made me care about their performance.
Music
Forgettable and limited. I can't remember any of the tracks up to now.
Tools/Storytelling/Execution (because I consider them important enough to mention now)
For once I didn't feel that spammed by flashbacks as I usually do when I watch Korean dramas, which is good. The filming was also deal with pretty nicely, I guess. I at least have nothing to complain. What I do have to complain about though, is the storytelling and execution. There are lots of points that are ignored from episode 1 of the show, which people tried to assume, but till an official answer, it just stays as that: assuming. For example (jump over this if you don't want to read SPOILERS), we have Hye Jin complaining and saying that she wished she had Ha Ri's face and body, yet, as the best friend and "wife" Ha Ri is supposed to be, did she try to help Hye Jin? No. Did Hye Jin ask for help? No. Explanation? None. Another one, Hye Jin is asked by the director to be more Most-like and she tried to apply make-up, which she fails horribly. Why did that happen? Pride because she had no intention to ask for help? Then what about later? Somebody that has no idea how to even apply eye-shadows, suddenly becomes able to. How? Errr....And there are more but I'm just going to END SPOILERS HERE.
You might say that nobody cares and these are just me picking on unimportant details; well, I must bring to your attention that these "details" makes the "execution". I do not take a story seriously, when the details just don't match or are skipped over. It's a superficial way of storytelling and execution that I will never aproove of, unless its intent IS clear to be superficial to begin with and have a completely different goal than me focusing on the story.
Overall
It was painful. The reason why I dropped it when I only had one episode left, is because it was so painful to think of what it was and what could have become, that I couldn't bear my frustration anymore. I don't usually drop series. I watch even what doesn't particularly interest me; a good show can be good even if I'm not emotionally invested in it or I can't care less about the topic. I even keep watching it, when I find it bad, but at least I can have fun to point out everything wrong with it. In this case, I couldn't even have the pleasure of laughing at it, for how frustrated I became. If it rode on Kill Me, Heal Me's popularity? Maybe, yes. But I don't count that as the only factor why it failed. And I didn't even like Kill Me, Heal Me either.
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Story.
The plot overall is light. There is no real super mystery/silly plot twist/revenge plan as per the usually Korean dramas. There was a few lost plots in the middle. such as any of the characters actually being athletes.
Cast & Characters.
I really struggled with the female lead. As a character, Kim Bok Joo was really disjointed; it's as if the writers tried to fit her into every female mold there is without any consideration. This, as a character, made her really annoying. She was immature, and very self-centred as a character. Even when she was trying to do something for someone else, it was usually for her own agenda. She really didn't deserve Jung Joon Hyeong. Also, the crying scenes. Good lord, I had to fast forward because they were so bad. Lee Sung Kyung's acting left a lot to be desired with the two facial expressions she had.
Also, why did everyone feel the need to shout all the time? I am still trying to find the value in Jung Nan Hee's character as all she did was shout and cry about how hard things were without her friend. I felt like the show was trying to overall the female friendship aspect with such a character.
Although Jung Joon Hyeong's character didn't have too much depth, he was a very enjoyable male lead and overall had a very precious personality.
Music.
There was quite a few nice songs, especially Dream.
Rewatch Value.
Not much to be honest. There was a few good scenes that you could rewatch but not a series as a whole.
Overall: I think the show is highly overrated. I get why people like it but to me it was a massive letdown.
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And it messed up. Nevertheless,
Realistic portrayal, are you kidding me?Anyone curious about why's there a comma after Nevertheless and same with the native title 알고있지만, (I know but,) No, it's not spelling mistakes xD That comma holds its own value in the story... Nabi's story, as of the fact knowing the outcome of her actions she still takes them. Nevertheless,
If I've to sum up the whole thing,
- Unlikable leads with the worst characterization
- Slow Paced with some boring episodes
- Many frustrating, you-wish-to-give-them-long-lecture moments
- Interesting subplots and side couples
- Eye candy with beautiful cinematography
- Wonderful music
- 0 character development.. at some point it feels in -ve
- And-the-main-couple-kinda-sucks, but-their-chemistry-somehow-works
- Having said that it has a realistic portrayal it ends up being like any other drama... Dramatic and unrealistic.
- Toxic relationship.. do I've to mention? it's like the second tag with a 91% score, Edit: Now it's 93% :')
Even though it has many butterflies but don't expect butterflies moments xD
Never got this mixed feeling for any drama. 'Romance' is a genre and almost everyone is wishing that leads shouldn't end up together where the best option is staying single in the end. By that, you can definitely assume how messed up things are. Not gonna comment on what realistic approach this show offers, as I'm inexperienced, so this review is about what I feel about drama not how much realistic portrayal it has,
This is almost a rant, but why is there 5.5 there. Am I being generous? yes lol. Ngl, I enjoyed and was entertained by some parts. It managed to hold me till the end and I adored supporting characters a lot and their stories (Special mention: Yoon Sol loved her). Maybe this explains,
Not a typical or cliche type one, but also story doesn't have much. But writing is messy with the pace... It wasn't even enough just for 10 episodes as some episodes even felt filler with 0 progress in the story. Despite being frustrating and disturbing in some parts, it is intriguing. And honestly, I really liked subplots, the stories of side couples. You won't find any meaningful conversation or pearls of wisdom. But you'll end up getting frustrated at some characters for their stupid decisions.
Talking about casting, I like it! not really impressed by Song Kang's acting but improvement for sure. So Hee, I just checked her profile and realized I've seen her 2 dramas with supporting roles... but I don't even remember seeing her :') well, this time she sure left an impression on me, I'll remember her. And this is the opposite for Jong Hyeop.. even after seeing him for a very short time in his previous work, he was memorable, and I think he's good as Do Hyuk.
I couldn't picturise leads before, but when I saw them on-screen together. I felt the chemistry between them,... and ah definitely a lot of tension. The heck everyone is good-looking even if some roles are just for 1-2 episodes, a perfect drama if you are finding something just for looks.
Na Bi.. sorry I'm sick of your monologues, even some support roles have fewer dialogues than her monologues. She isn't stupid she knows what she is doing, from the start just she couldn't resist herself, it is called a lack of decision power and shrewdness, not stupidity. AND why everything about her should revolve around boys (the start of her story is with her first love being pure trash) or whom she ends up with, doesn't she have her own career, future? girl get a life! other than that love triangle I would prefer some development in her.. as of the fact she said a lot of times her work is just mediocre, well if you can't believe in yourself how you're gonna put your best work out there. After getting out of the friends with benefits scenario she said No every time whenever Jae Won approached her so even if I don't like her as a character but I appreciated it but then... you know ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯
Jae Eon is a manipulative jerk he's is kinda guy no one wants to encounter in rl (Please don't bring looks here, I'm talking about the character), from his first introduction his personality is clear. Now you might expect a drastic change in him, right? true-love-changing-life thing? sorry to disappoint you, you get nothing. In fact, gradually you encounter his obsession toward Nabi (and I won't call it 'love' lol). Few good qualities about him... mmhm he is handsome, anything more? oops sorry, um maybe another one he's good at his work. If you count flirting in good things? It was cringy :')
Do Hyuk aka Potato boy. He's typical ideal second lead whom everyone loves and roots for him. Kinda too perfect for Nabi to the point I felt she doesn't deserve him. Well, he's cute, caring, he knows how to cook, um what girl wants more? Though why he was so head over heels for Nabi is confusing, just because she's pretty and his first love? oh yes, dramas love to glamorize first love.
The production value is high what to expect from jTBC and Netflix, so top-notch cinematography, aesthetics, color grading, and styling. I found the intro interesting it's short but those slide with music give is an artistic vibe. I absolutely adore OSTs, Loved how the soundtrack is used, it balances everything.
We're Already - KIMMUSEUM
Nevertheless - Night Off
Whisper - PARK JI WOO
Butterfly - J.UNA
Love Me Like That - Sam Kim
So Tender - Say Sue Me
don't-let-anyone-stay-single-in-the-end well, of course, it's drama, where everyone should get their partner, so many side couples for sure... but the fact was I wasn't bothered by it, I was happy and much more interested in their stories and development between them. Ah though the crappy editing of Kim Min Gwi's scenes in some last episodes annoyed me a lot, it was uncomfortable to hearing his dialogues when the camera focus is on different faces.
I liked some starting episodes, the pacing, and execution but then it losses the momentum and becomes repetitive.. and dramatic losing the realistic touch, I mean wasn't that the key point of it before?
In the end.. we've left with nothing, ah maybe a new slang,
Do you wanna see butterflies?
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I must protect this world because when the Three Realms remain, you remain
When he understood how disguisable the whole world was, he was lack of strength and collapsed. But your love had always been beside you, protecting you during all ups and downs; Promises are going to be broken. Laws are going to be broken. It's restricted love, no one should fall in love but Love is born within our hearts, no one can escape it.Immortal Samsara/Agarwood like Crumbs is your classic xianxia drama with all the elements you're used to seeing in this genre. Nevertheless, these are executed in such a way that makes it a compelling and heart-wrenching journey filled with all kinds of emotions.
Sovereign Lord Ying Yuan has been ruling the Nine Heavens for over ten thousand years under the guidance of the Supreme Majesty, who has forbidden love for all Heaven's immortals, and the company of the other three sovereign lords. Since the very day Ying Yuan was born, he hasn't lived one day for himself but for the well-being of the six realms and all their living creatures, sticking to and not doubting once Heaven's rules. However, one day he runs into the witty and naturally talented immortal attendant, Yan Dan. He takes her under his wing to help her improve her cultivation, they start as a bickering couple with hilarious interactions, but as time passes by, and they spent more time together, they fall deeply in love with each other.
Yan Dan gives her all to protect and look after Ying Yuan during his lowest time. She gives him hope, shows him that he can also live for himself, and hands him one of the happiest moments of his life. At that time, the agarwood (their love) was already burning, but Heaven's rules and Ying Yuan's responsibilities wouldn't let them be together, so they entered a Samsara (The eternal cycle of birth, suffering, death, and rebirth).
Story:
Yan Dan and Ying Yuan's relationship complexity, building, and depth of their feelings are one of the aspects that I appreciate the most about this drama. If they want their love to blossom, they need to find the middle ground between their love and their responsibilities and start to understand each other's personalities, feelings, and burdens. The different experiences and hardships they go through in the drama, from the Heaven Realm to the Mortal realm, it's for them to grow as a couple and also individuals. Their character growth will surely don't disappoint, in fact, both of them are some of the most well-developed characters I've ever seen.
Throughout their engaging journey, they'll meet fantastic and memorable supporting characters with their own compelling story to tell. Here I have to highlight the SML, Yu Mo, the bond he builds not only with Yan Dan but also with Ying Yuan is the epitome of how the human or maybe immortal relationships in this drama are filled with love, friendship, and support. He's the greenest SML ever, and one of my favorite supporting characters.
I went through divergent emotions, from sadness, frustration, disbelief, and pain to excitement, nostalgia, satisfaction, and pure happiness. Furthermore, the unfolding of the story comes with many unexpected turns and valuable life lessons for us as viewers about the meaning of true love, giving to others but also receiving, the real value of power and life, and much more which make this drama a treat to watch.
Acting/cast:
I have to praise all the cast for conveying in such a beautiful and touching way their character's feelings.
Cheng Yi played three different roles here, Ying Yuan, Tang Zhou, and Xuan Ye, and he showcased how fantastic and talented he is. Even from his body language, expressions, posture, eyes, and way of talking, you can differentiate them and feel their pain. One of my favorite scenes is two of these characters having a heartfelt talk, he interacting with himself had me crying. Undoubtedly, an astonishing performance.
Yang Zi's performance as Yan Dan and Bai Piaoliang was outstanding. I've seen many of her dramas, and though I loved many of them, Yan Dan is the first character of hers who has thoroughly grown on me. The shift from a worry-free, witty and young fairy who wanted to slack off and depend on her big sister to a mature and intelligent character with heavy burdens was perfectly displayed by Yang Zi's acting.
Yang Zi and Cheng Yi's chemistry is also remarkable, even their slightest interactions were especially memorable and heart-fluttering moments. Yan Dan and Ying Yuan, as stand-alone characters and as a couple have become my absolute favorites.
Looking forward to both Cheng Yi's and Yang Zi's dramas in the future. Likewise, I highly recommend watching Immortal Samsara's hilarious BTS for seeing these two comedians sharing one brain cell and having a great time filming this drama.
The supporting characters' acting was also touching and memorable. Praise for Ray Chang as Yu Mo, Fu Fang Jun as Xuan Xiang, Meng Zi Yi as Zhi Xi, Li Xin Ze as Hua Qin, Zhu Li Lan as Zhao Lan, and many more, I'm also looking forward to their growth as actors and future projects.
Music.
The OST was utterly good. Sometimes, I'd play some of the songs and cry. They played in the right moments, conveying and making deeper the characters' feelings. Some of my personal favorites:
- 无忘 (Never Forget) - 张磊 (Zhang Lei). "I once borrowed your eyes to warm up the coldest moment"
- 忘川 (Forget the River) - 成毅 (Cheng Yi). "Gently cover up all manner of the human world, and you will be dustless"
- 望辰 (Watch the Day) - 杨紫 (Yang Zi) "There is the person who broke into my heart and my dreams"
Rewatch value:
I don't usually rewatch any drama, but this is an exception. I rewatched the first ten episodes already, repeated many scenes countless times, and planned to binge-watch all this drama again in the upcoming days.
Reminders/random thoughts:
- The title of this drama, Immortal Samsara, as I commented, means the eternal cycle of life, suffering, death, and rebirth, which leads me to warn you that this is a very slow burnt, and heavy angst drama. Opinions on this were pretty divided. I felt the angst was very well-done and balanced since the main leads' decisions make sense and are not led by dumb misunderstandings or noble idiocy, but with the growth, they need to function together. However, other viewers may find it overwhelming. So know what you're getting yourself into XD.
- Rumours say that due to Chinese government episode length regulations, some parts of this drama were deleted. So some episodes' editing may come as choppy, I remember about two or three that were like this.
- If you take the time to think about the reasons behind the characters' actions, expressions, and decisions, I believe it'll enhance your watching as it did with mine.
- Drama-wise, they extended the mortal realm arc more than they should, but I still found it very enjoyable to watch.
- Keep in mind that the SFL here serves the purpose to catalyze YY and YD's story.
- This show has tons of parallels for the main leads, especially between Heaven and the Mortal realm, so it's fascinating catching on to them.
- Some of the supporting characters' stories also serve as "What if" narratives for the main leads' relationship struggle.
- If you have already watched this drama and you're just randomly reading reviews, I created an explanation of the ending for the viewers to check out: https://kisskh.at/discussions/immortal-samsara-special/81271-summary-and-explanation-of-immortal-samsara-ending
Note:
This drama is 59 episodes plus two special episodes of eight minutes each. I recommend watching with some time gap between the ending and the two specials, as people who watched this drama while airing did, since the change of feelings and emotions may come as abrupt otherwise. That's why these two specials are not actual full-length episodes and were released days later of the actual ending.
Conclusion:
I consider Immortal Samsara as one of the best dramas I've ever watched. It has all the elements I seek in a drama, it was an exciting and thoroughly emotional journey, and I cannot put into enough words how much I love this show. I highly recommend to everyone to give it a try.
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Top level of entertainment. Can’t say the same about the quality of writing.
I want to start by saying - I did enjoy the show a lot, almost till the end. I watched the episodes as soon as they dropped. That said, I’m not gonna pretend like it’s some writing masterpiece - it’s not. It often hits the “teen’s first fanfic” level. Did I mind? Not really. I went into it for the Dear Daddy Devil and Bai Lu’s acting, and these two aspects were easily 10/10.What did the drama do great? Tantai Jin’s arc. The questions of predestined path, freedom and choice, the importance of having the supportive community and people that trust and love. How much of where we end is on us, and how much can be explained by how others treat us? At which point we should take responsibility? Is revenge and justice the same? What’s more important - trust or perceived truth? Surprisingly a lot of depth in his story. Sadly, the writers had some issues with keeping Tantai Jin's wits and cunning nature and also progressing the plot - which led to quite a few moments when his brain must have been turned off to make such dumb choices.
Luo Yun Xi in the role? Pure perfection. The emo angst fits him so well, I was in awe. Whatever you ask from him - he will deliver it and more, in the most beautiful and heartbreaking way. I never knew an actor who presents suffering in such a stunning way.
Then we have Li Su Su played by Bai Lu. What a performance. She did great as a more idealistic and naive Su Su, desperate and driven Xi Wu, and the duality of Sang Jiu. Each character/persona was easily distinguishable with the portrayal. The angst and pain Bai Lu can deliver - be it extreme or subtle - was just phenomenal and truly breaking one’s heart. I don’t think the character herself has much to offer though. Any weaker performance than the perfection Bai Lu presented, would make Li Su Su either boring or insufferable. I just feel bad for the girl, because the writers obviously did not give a fuck about this character… She was this great thanks to the actress and the chemistry she had with Luo Yun Xi.
And that chemistry should be illegal. How can such a questionable and build on a toxic fundamentals relationship still seem so amazing, beautiful and perfect? Love, hate, hope, trust, doubt, protection, resentment, fear - what a mix of conflicting emotions and motivations. And that complexity was what made this duo so entertaining and such a blast to watch.
Beside the main characters, I want to give big props to Chen Du Ling who played Ye Bing Chang. How much I hated this character, how much I loved the performance. It’s also impossible not to appreciate Pian Ran - stunning arc as a side plot, amazing conclusion fitting the plot, great performance by Sun Zhen Ni.
Talking about the characters, it’s time to talk about the biggest sin this show and the writer committed - they made everyone so dumb, I did not even care who will win and who will lose, because I did not see a bright future no matter which side gets the victory.
So many things did not make any sense, but you cannot really call them plot holes, because they kind of had an explanation - lack of working brain cells. At first I found it amusing, but at some point it just frustrated me on a whole new level. You don’t know how to write a proper conflict and the origin of it, so you just make your character dumb for a few scenes to set it up.
That also led to repetitive scenes and arcs - just rewriting the same moments we have seen a few episodes ago, with small changes here and there. Refusing to give your characters’ proper character development can only lead to them making the same mistakes over and over and over again. This is one man show, and all the other characters are just a background for his story.
I have to say though, I’m quite impressed with the directing and editing taking into consideration how much of the plot and scenes had to be cut down to fit the 40 episodes format. Yes, there were many moments that the pacing seemed like a car chase, but the overall story was still relatively easy to follow and understand. On the other hand, the make-up artists need to change their careers, because the thing these actors had on their faces should be illegal to present to the public. Loved the costumes, liked the set and magical objects designs. Loved how they Sailor Moon changed their clothes when they reached new powers.
The soundtrack had some good moments, but there were also “oops” bits like them playing a pop royalty free facebook ads like music in the background in the last episode.
Overall, I had a lot of fun, later I had less fun, by the end I had a lot of fun ranting. One could say it’s a full on personal journey I had with this drama, and they would not be wrong.
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Best drama of the year :3
So, I saw that everyone was criticising this drama for a lot of stupid things. I finally watched the last episode and I wanted to write a review for this one. ꧁ The story : yeah I agree it was a really complicated story, but with a little more patience and with some more reading about it, maybe, it was became a really good one. It was a really complex, unique story unlike other hit dramas of 2020.꧂ ꧁ The cast : all of the cast were really good actors and the characters were as complex as the story. 10/10 for the cast .꧂ ꧁ The OST : one of the best ones of the dramas in 2020. Hands down to everyone who composed and sang it, they have my respect.꧂ ꧁The ending was really good and cleared all the confusing things that may have happened in the show. I'm really glad that this show had a happy ending. ꧂ °Now about the thing that I disliked ( I won't say something like " oh the product placement it's just too much " cause they're dumb). What I actually didn't like about it was maybe the complexity of the story at certain points. I admit that sometimes I was kinda confused about what was going on, but again this confusion was ended in the next episodes and the end. So, to wrap this up, I highly recommend watching it. ( ˘ ³˘)♥︎Was this review helpful to you?
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Romantic, passionate and mind blowing
All I'm going to say is this movie had me in an emotional wreck. Lord this movie was amazing. I’m still crying. The end when they made love was the most romantic thing I have ever seen. It was like both of their souls left their bodies. The amount of passion they put into that was incredible. It was as if they would never see each other again. The acting in this was mind-blowing. I was about ready to fight Gav aunt, I’m talking about being ready to go to war. She was so homophobic it pissed me off. Then basic told them the love they had was nothing. And I’m so glad Gav drug her to filth . You husband cheating on you so worried about somebody else happiness .Was this review helpful to you?
Real, intimate, at times devistating, Yumi's Cells is an adult romance take on Pixar's Inside Out.
That isn't to say that the Pixar animated tale wasn't adult in its own right, it very much was, but the story there focused on an adolescent and was the most adult when dealing with the drivers inside of her mind. Here, Yumi is at its most adult when we are dealing with the real world or the grown-up protagonist and, unfortunately, is at its most childish, and disappointing, when dealing with cells and their functionality within her.If I was honestly going to choose my largest complaint about the series, it is by far the animated portions. The animation itself is subpar, the characters all act like children, and how they handle, respond, and decide to go about things inside of Yumi, and at times Woong (Our Male Lead), is as if it is the first time any of these cells have had to make an adult decision in their existence. The cells are, well, a plot device to try and say this isn't just another romance but something different and basically serve as the comic relief of an otherwise very honest and real tale. I could have easily done without them and at times wish they weren't a part of the story.
That isn't to say they don't add a great way to see some of the inner turmoil of our characters, and is a refreshing narrative approach to keep from having to watch the characters constantly look off to the side while speaking to no one about their desires and feelings as most Kdrama's tend to do. ( This is probably in my top 3 overall complaints of Kdrama's as a medium.) It was nice to just see the actors ACT with their faces and bodies instead of their mouths, as the cartoons took the burden of letting us know their dilemmas.
However, when the story stays in the real world of Yumi it becomes a harrowing journey to behold. So strong, so emotional, so earnest in its take on love and life that it MORE than overshadows any faults that can be found elsewhere. Yumi is as real as a person can be and just as broken. As we watch her navigate her blossoming feelings, and simultaneously come to understand her past and all the baggage that was created getting to this point in her life, we very easily see ourselves, our friends, or our family members.
Kim Go Eun shines in her role. She is beautiful, but still common. Strong, but still unsturdy. Detached, but still warm. The subtleties she brings to our protagonist Yumi is raw, unguarded, and relatable. While you will find yourself frustrated with Yumi as a character at times, especially in the latter few episodes before we reach the end of the series, Go Eun will keep you firmly on her side, and make you understand almost every action she takes.
Ahn Bo Hyun is also winning in his role of Woong. He is equal parts sexy and adorable, kind and selfish, caring and cold. He is arguably the MOST broken of the two leads, and his flaws affect the story and their romance more than hers. That you still like him, care for him, and yes root for him, when there are times he is clearly in the wrong, shows how effective both Woong is as a character and Bo Hyun is in his delivery of him.
All the other characters are very much side dishes. Every single one of them come off just as authentic as our leads, but really only exist to keep the world Yumi and Woong alive and feeling full. The character of Sae Yi has the most impact on our tale outside of our couple. Park Ji Hyun plays her effectively as someone who isn't a villain as much as a person with their own agenda and motives. Sae Yi is almost a female Iago here, her influence on Woong directing his actions more than her outright doing dastardly deeds. She is still a real person and not a cartoon. While you may not find her the nicest individual, you will still find parts of you inside her, and see her as a real person. Something that more often than not is not the case for the enemies in Kdramas.
The series is steady in its delivery and pacing. It doesn't rush to get to plot points and doesn't lag never going anywhere. There is never a time, when watching, you wish that we could just move on. This is taking too long. Or, this is just filler and there could have been less. In fact, in one of the few times watching, I was disheartened there was only 14 episodes instead of the normal 16-20. I would have loved to spend more time here.
Season 2 is already confirmed, and shooting, and yes there are characters you meet in season 1 that seem designed to be dealt with later on in other seasons. Here we meet them, understand their beginnings, and get whiffs of what is to come, but they still remain mostly innocuous for the story of these 14 episodes. This is fine, since season 2 is happening, but would have been a detraction, and a waste of actors and time, if this story was all that ended up being made.
Yumi's Cells will stick with you. It will jolt your emotions, light your anger, spark your desires, and cause you to swoon at its stars and their romance. But it never sugar coats the world and life. People are subjected to societal standards so ingrained in them that they cannot move past the insecurities it causes. People have their own issues brought on by a lifetimes journey and all the pitfalls they have already worked against. People hurt and cause pain and this story runs through the gamut of it all. Undoubtedly one of the most honest tales I've had the pleasure of watching from South Korea. 9.0/A/4.5 Stars, shouldn't be missed by anyone who enjoys journeys of the heart.
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Leung Chiu Wai never compromises on his acting quality. He is unrelenting as the indomitable Mr. He. He exudes total professionalism. When you see his name in the cast, you can be assured of stellar performances.
Wang Yibo, where do I even begin? Acting opposite a veteran, gold standard actor like Leung Chiu Wai can intimidate some young actors but not Wang Yibo. He more than held his own, he is the king of micro expressions but I never had a doubt about him since I first discovered him in The Untamed. His Mr. Ye is a force to be reckoned with, he is steel yet shows his completely vulnerable side. Every single expression is not wasted, translating his thoughts and channeling his intentions, present or future. Wang Yibo’s future is now, he never stops improving even when he’s already so good. He shone so brightly in this movie and I am so looking forward to his other upcoming movies this year. May I also say his multi-lingualism is so satisfying.
The fight scene between the two leads was breathtaking and just A+! Brilliantly sequenced, nicely done.
The ladies are just phenomenal, Zhou Xun as Ms. Chen is queen, she’s grace and beauty. Zhang Jingyi as Ms. Fang had small but impactful scenes, already loved her acting since Lighter and Princess. Jiang Shuying is gorgeousness herself.
I feel like director, Cheng Er didn’t waste any scene, everything has meaning or impact. The food scenes gave a lot of insight into the overall plot. The non-linear narrative was not confusing at all. The end tied everything up nicely. Lastly, if you haven’t heard the theme song sung by Wang Yibo, please do check it out, it totally suits the movie’s noir vibes.
Am already planning to watch it again, truly time well-spent the first time around!
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This review may contain spoilers
Beautiful love story with a fascinating underlying storyline
This drama has everything. A beautiful love story, a great underlying plot, extremely smart and well written, so well that there is no unnecessary secondary plot, just one… the production and, ost are perfect too.It is relatively short (36 ep of 40mn makes it 24 ep regular)…
You just need to go beyond the first 2 ep, set à the middle of the story, before going back to the past, for the main part of the drama. You just need to know that the ending is absolutely perfect…
And what a great cast…
As stated by others, the chemistry between the leads is over the top, with a lot of sweetness and cuddling, as expected from a loving couple, and as we seldom get to this level in any drama, whether Chinese or Korean.
The way their journey unfolds, how they meet and fall in love, gradually, feels just right. You understand what attracts them to each other, the unique bonding they develop over time. They are very supportive and bring the best out of each other, which I don’t recall having even seen in another drama. (
Big spoiler: Even their parting at some point can be understood. Having lost his sister, his only family left, bc of a mean rival, he knows that the revenge he wants to exact, not using his brain this time, could affect her, and that anyway her family will never accept him, so he forces her out of his life, trying to make her hate him… so that she can move forward… youth mistake, lack of foresight and understanding of what really matters in life, not applying his principles of self preservation….and the short solace brought by revenge and the heavy price to pay…
But the power of true love will bring redemption and second chances for the better…
Everything in this story makes sense.
And is extremely interesting….
This story is mesmerising, from beginning to end.
Now a bit more about our heroes:
The character of the male lead - awesome Arthur Chen Feiyu - makes perfect sense, brilliant, driven, charismatic, unforgiving for displays of stupidity and mean behaviors, abrasive in the way he may speak, hiding a pure heart behind protective fences… which the FL understands so well…
Demanding of others as he is for himself, totally justified by a gifted intelligence placing him above others, yet willing to share with his friends, provided they are not stupid enough not to assess themSelves correctly, blinded by weak egos…
Thé FL is bright and shining… what a perfect match
And what a journey… with a perfect ending.
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Nothing Is What It Seems To Be
Assassin Academy is a short web drama directed by Wu Cheng Feng (who is also the director of the more widely known drama Queen of Attack).The strongest points of the drama are its unusual (for a wuxia drama) plot and the main characters.
Despite the short format, the story contains many twists and turns which don't feel very rushed. There are layers upon layers of mysteries which the protagonists are trying to uncover. As written in the headline, and as one of the main characters says in the first episode - nothing and nobody is as simple as they seem to be on the surface. Despite including light and comedic scenes, it really is an action thriller which evokes different kinds of emotions, especially towards the end.
The narrative is not linear - some scenes seem out of the blue or illogical until we are shown the flashbacks explaining the actions of the characters. It makes the story a little bit more difficult to follow, but it also increases the interest of the viewers. The flashbacks follow rather closely to their subsequent (in terms of the timeline) scenes, so the whole story doesn't seem very disjointed.
I enjoyed the performances of the three main leads: Stephanie Xu (whom you may have seen in Love in Between or Love of Thousand Years) did a good job portraying a skilled and self-confident martial artist/assassin, challenged with confronting her uncertain past and troubling present. Brian Chang brought to life a charismatic and reliable male lead with hidden skills and obscure past. Duan Xing Yu was great in her (double) role of a mischievous student and loyal friend.
It is clearly a low-budget drama, but the sets and the costumes are decent. The camera work feels a bit amateurish, but it didn't hamper my enjoyment of the drama.
In general, I recommend watching it if you are tired of the usual wuxia storylines and tropes and are looking for a compelling mystery and likable characters.
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This review may contain spoilers
A must-watch for angst-lovers and hopeless romantics!
I went into this drama without any expectations, but it ended up blowing a massive hole in my heart.[SPOILER-FREE PART OF THE REVIEW]
At first, it seemed to be a typical high school romance. In many ways, it is -- it has many of the same clichés that we always see in modern c-dramas (namely, the cold/genius ML, programming/compsci, time-skip/separation, the struggle to start a business, etc.)
What makes this drama stand out, though, is the chemistry between the leads.
It's the type of chemistry that truly makes you believe that the actors are in love. In every gesture and every glance, Chen Feiyu and Zhang Jingyi are able to communicate exactly how much the characters care for each other. Often, it's without saying a word. Some might find the ML to be too cold, but in my opinion, as long as you look closely, his feelings are apparent. He's a man of actions, not of words; besides, his coldness becomes very comprehensible once you learn of his tragic backstory. The FL, on the other hand, wears her heart on her sleeve. I found her to be endearing, strong, and intelligent; she's a good example of how you can be a 'clingy' FL without being annoying. She IS independent, but knows how to rely on others. The two complement each other perfectly. Perhaps it's not a 'new' dynamic (it's similar to bad boy/good girl), but it DOES feel special. Also, the transition from high school acting to workplace acting is very well-executed and natural; you can clearly see a jump in the characters' maturity. (Zhuyun's wardrobe change certainly helps with that, too!)
Meanwhile, the plot - though far from perfect - IS a perfect driver for the good kind of heart-tugging angst. There is jealousy involved, but no full-fledged love triangles. There are misunderstandings, but they are mostly cleared quite quickly due to the level of trust and love that Zhuyun and Lixun have for one another. Problems largely stem from external forces, so it's more about how they back each other up. Basically, you won't feel like the leads ever really betray their love for each other (even though there are some very heartbreaking moments.)
Is it perfect? No, definitely not. If I were to give it a 10/10, that would be based purely on my own enjoyment of the show. Realistically, there are some areas that either didn't quite work, or didn't quite make sense. (By this I mean that some of the side plots pertaining to side characters are seriously disjointed and rushed, and the ending, while happy and satisfying enough, doesn't resolve several plot points properly.) But because I'm a hopeless romantic and an absolute sucker for angst, this drama has become one of my all-time favourites.
[SPOILERS BELOW]
I thought I'd just vent about some of plot-related problems here, if anyone else has seen the drama already and is reading this.
I adored Lixun and Zhuyun together. But at the end, after they slept together, did he really just say with a straight face that he would have gotten back together with her if she'd just brought it up? Firstly, that's not very romantic of him. Secondly, it's not even true! He pushed her away so many times and even outright said that the past is the past when she asked if them being a couple was even possible anymore. I'm okay with him being cold and a bit emotionally stunted, but that was a bit ridiculous. We'll forgive him though, because the poor boy is not exactly very good with all of this emotional stuff.
The villains of the story are really well acted, but the writing doesn't do them justice. How does Gao Jianhong just flip like that? We can all see his mounting dissatisfaction, but I feel like a step is missing between him being sick of living in Lixun's shadow and him becoming a sort of comically exaggerated Entity of Evil. His reconciliation with Xu Lina at the end? Also not very convincing.
Then there's the matter with Fang Zhijing. So his eye got gouged out by Lixun, right? Literally can't tell at all. I mean, I know that prosthetic/glass eyes exist, but come on... it feels like the eye thing just got thrown in to extend Lixun's prison sentence.
Also, what on earth was Rendi and her boyfriend's subplot towards the end? It was so rushed, so random, and lowkey just existed so that the producers could pad out the episodes and so that the audience could watch two hot actors making out.
Anyway, what a watch. I haven't rewatched it yet, but I can imagine it has great rewatch value.
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The main character, Akiyama Satomi, is really an interesting character. She comes off as strict, but is a really good person. I find there to be good character development throughout the span of the drama as well.
I find this drama to be really humorous and endearing. I hope to watch it again. ;)
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