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The story itself, although seemingly cliche, was done very realistically setting it apart from other dramas with similar concepts. You won't find this drama to be a repeat of things you've seen before (I would know I've watched over 130 lol .-.) The story flowed smoothly and until the last 3 episodes, I had absolutely no complaints. Although the ending was a bit iffy for me, it still produced lots of feels so no worries there.
The characters were so refreshing. The wit in this drama is just AMAZING. The main female lead is so strong and although may seem bitchy at first, you'll definitely warm up to her. The dialogue between the characters are extremely intriguing, and their relationship develops very smoothly. There is sooooo much chemistry, I can't believe they're just acting. It's that good.
The music is really great, maybe because I've liked Yoga Lin songs for a while, but the other songs are really good as well.
Overall, I loved it. It was one of the best Taiwanese dramas I've seen in a while. It'll literally take you on a roller coaster of emotions (that's a good thing). I highly highly highly recommend this show!
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This review may contain spoilers
-Note: contains minor spoilers, read at your own discretion.-I was a little disappointed with this drama mainly because it started out very promising. The beginning episodes were perfect in every aspect possible, but unfortunately, the story just dragged on. We had the same premise for 12 episodes: boy and girl have been best friends for years, boy is secretly in love with girl, girl is in a relationship with someone else... nothing more. While I was ok with this premise, I did not expect it to be the ONLY aspect of the entire story, which is how it turned out to be. But this is my biggest complaint about this drama (granted it is a very large issue).
The three things I look for in a drama are story, acting and directing. I have discussed my issues with the story, but there are also praises to be given. There were many deep messages and metaphors hidden in this drama were very well though out. I was enjoying these but they started to become scarce as the story progressed.
The acting was exceptional. Ariel Lin never disappoints, and while I have never seen any other work Berlin Chen has done, he was very well suited for the part of Li Da Ren. While Ariel and Berlin had great chemistry when they were just friends, that chemistry didn't extend to when they were a couple. It may have been due to their being friends for nearly 13 episodes, but I just couldn't see them in a romantic relationship.
Now for the directing... The directing in this drama was beyond brilliant for the first 5 or so episodes, and again, it began to get a little lazy, though never bad. I loved the whole clocks appearing everywhere for a woman who is obsessed with time and aging. The dream sequences were also filmed nicely, but my favorite part of the directing was the phone calls. I absolutely adored how the director portrayed Da Ren and You Qing's close relationship by having them appear to be so near each other, when they were actually cities, or even countries, apart.
My final evaluation of In Time With You is that it is a very enjoyable drama. While not perfect, I do not regret watching it nor do I think anyone will. If I were to review this drama based on the first half of the series, this would be a very different review, but due to the laziness of the second half, these were my overall thoughts.
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109 Average Things
Overall, it was pretty average.The story focused on some basic philosophical questions about robots (do they have feelings/free will/whatever?) but didnt really offer any deeper/surprising/more complex thoughts or ideas. It also was about struggle of 90’s kids/millenials who cant find jobs because they studied arts/humanities but again, no realistic outcome came from it.
Main characters were pretty okay but all of the side-characters were extremely annoying. And we still dont know if is Jung Chaeyeon good actress or not because she played basically same character as in Drinking Solo (finding out if Chaeyeon was good/decent actress was main reason i wanted to watch this).
There were some plot holes but at least this webdrama wasnt incredibly stupid. And it certainly had some idea behind it but it could be handled a bit better.
Watch it if: you are a fan of Choi TaeJoon or Jung ChaeYeon (she is incredibly pretty).
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This review may contain spoilers
Kids always pay for adults' mistakes
My review will be all over the place just like this drama.Everyone is trapped in their own prison and they only freed themselves in the very last 30 minutes.
This drama started great. No sugar coating, just the reality of this industry(at least for a few episodes) then it was about revenge for 2-3 episodes and then the story-wrapping time came.
IN ORDER FOR SOMEONE TO FLY, SOMEONE ELSE MUST EMBRACE THEM. Kang Su Hyeon only said this but her actions said otherwise.
Yoo Jin Woo-
I think they mostly focused on Yoo Jin Woo’s past. I wanted to see more of his career. Character development and how he overcame from harming himself to loving himself. Starting was bang on and the plot was so good. This drama could’ve been on my top list but after episode 5 it lost its charm. The writing was all over the place. When he said CEO please don’t abandon me, my heart cried. It broke into a million pieces. It was like he barely came in episodes after entering TA Entertainment.
Kang Su Hyeon- I did understand this character a little bit in the beginning. She was doing everything because she felt guilty towards her son. Then she gave hope to Yoo Jin Woo and used him and sold him. She knew his past. She knew what he could do to himself. She was selfish till the end. Did she think her son would be proud of her after knowing that she sold his friend for that factory?
Chris- I wanted to see more of this character. Why did Kang Su Hyeon let him leave the company? At first, I thought he was only keeping Yoo Jin Woo by his side to remind himself that it is okay to give up on your dream but then it was all to protect him from this industry. But making an underage work in a nightclub was also wrong.
This drama is about the music industry but the OST was mediocre. It could’ve been so much better.
I still don’t know what message they wanted to give and what was the conclusion of this series. Revenge? Yoo Jin Woo’s singing? Shim Jin Woo’s dream? Where is it?
They started everything but they didn’t know how to wrap every character’s story.
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1This movie was so gripping and real adrenaline rush the whole imprisonment aspect (for angst lovers this movie is a must watch) especially how dark they got at times it was all excellent, even the hallucinations.
I liked the premise, a bunch of gamers, of different ages and genders band together to fight for the main lead, who is wrongfully accused of a murder. But the thing is the first part feels different from the second half almost. I feel like they were trying to get the feel of shows like Gotham because the villain was clearly Penguin inspired but it wasn't executed as well.
And it's not exactly realistic because the hero will frequently do insane action after getting the kind of injuries that should have got him completely unable to do anything. But Shim Eun Kyeong looks hot!!! But MOST action thrillers movies or books, Hollywood or otherwise, do this, they don't do realistic injuries or realistic anything, and this is one of those. My point is I'm not an idiot lol I see plot holes and other issues but for movies like this where they cast my favorite actors, I can easily overlook all that. Every movie is different.
But I have to say that prison part was very messed up, so might not be for everyone.
Anyway, so yes, if you can deal with the darkness, this is an excellent watch.
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Drama Special Season 12: A Moment of Romance
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This review may contain spoilers
Communication is key
The Effect of a Finger Flick on a Breakup (2021)This is a KBS Drama Special about a couple who breaks up after a finger flick game.
I liked the story, I just felt that the story focused too much on the girl's side and not the guy. The entire time we see the girl is lonely and feels that she was taken for granted in the 3 years they were together. It took a finger flick to realize all these and broke up with the guy.
Of course the guy is confused. They were very fine the night before and suddenly she went cold on him and wouldn't explain why. She just kept saying they don't love each other. I felt that the girl was insisting how the guy should feel and we never knew what the guy really felt about her.
Her outburst in the garden finally told the guy what he hasn't been doing. Girl also said it's also her fault but I never heard her say what she didn't do for him. I thought it should be both ways. And she should have said something earlier on, maybe they have saved the relationship.
I loved the rainy scene outside her house, when the guy gave the umbrella back to her. He still wanted to try again but it was too late. The girl didn't want to anymore.
Mixed feelings with the ending. I still wanted them to get back together coz it looked like the guy has chanhed. But i also liked the PE teacher who looks like he will treasure her more.
Rating: 8.5/10
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JoongDunk ate
Style will forever be an icon. This series really made me fall in love with the 2nd couple; JoongDunk - their chemistry is off the charts and they are effortlessly funny. The music is really good - Khao should definitely get more rock songs in the future! I also liked the mix of comedy and action in this one.Was this review helpful to you?
There is a care to the staging of each shot that I miss in many dramas, but most especially historical ones with their sumptuous costumes and often heightened palace drama and I am glad to have found it here. For once you can tell that someone took great care to tell a story not only through dialogue but also through the power of the visual medium.
This is enhanced by the across the board fantastic acting of every main and side-character. It truly felt like these characters lived the life they were protraying and that each character had their own motivations and goals, completely separate from the titular main character and her goals.
Even, or maybe especially the main antagonists (possibly with the exception of Manniang, I still have to think about how I feel about her) were all intelligent, crafty and worthy foes for our main characters.
It also helps there is a multitude of great female characters in this, so many complicated women who desired power, fought for their place in this world by all kinds of means, some who truly just were good and dependable, some who were weak and easily manipulated, but not evil at heart.
That is one thing I will definitely take away from this drama, an appreciation to all the varied and interesting female characters who had their own journey in this story, who got the opportunity to learn and grow, or return to their roots.
I was very appreciative of the fact that the actors could use their own voices, which is not to disparage the Chinese Voice Actors, but the actors being able to fully use their bodies to act really came across, especially from the Qin Stepmother. She was a tour de fource and a half and I tip my hat to her.
Lastly I would say that this is not a drama that will be for everyone, the pacing ebbs and flows at times and timejumps can be a bit disorienting, sometimes very slow and then suddenly a lot happens and we move on without getting much time to digest, but I think overall this show more than delivered on what it promised to be at the beginning: a sojourn through a young woman's life from her early childhood to her adulthood as she navigates her world around her and all the challenges that come with that.
It's not a great sweeping romance, nor is it a heartpounding thriller, but that doesnt mean it can't deliver on these aspects, they just arent the focus.
If you're looking for something gorgeous, intricate and don't mind a slow pace at times I would heartily recommend this to any drama watcher!
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To be honest, I usually got bored when the main couple finally got together and I would actually fast-forward the drama. But ojakgyo... I did not. Because it's like so pure and innocent love and it will just make you keep watching on without fast-forwarding it.. (At least for me!)
I love the characters, there aren't any for you to hate actually. Except the usual antagonists but oh well our focus are on the ojakgyo family, isn't it? :)
I love ajumma a lot in this drama, she acts just like a child when she's happy! The way she laughs and smiles is just so cute and I can't help to smile along as I watch the drama.
Just watch it if you haven't, what's more there's joowon :3
I might re-watch in the future just to relive all those feelings again, I'm not the type of person who will rewatch drama anyway! But its always nice to watch these kind of family dramas, its just so close to us and heartwarming. :>
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Just go and watch it!!!
I am a sucker for thriller/crime/mystery dramas. I especially enjoy the Taiwanese ones, because they are always creative and graphic (all the props look so realistic!). This drama isn’t an exception. It is visible that the team creating it spared no efforts to provide us with a very high quality production.The acting is amazing, but I expected nothing less from this talented cast. The story is thrilling, I just couldn’t put my laptop down after starting it and I ended up binging the whole thing (never mind that I have exams coming lol).
I kinda knew who was going to be the killer, but this is only because I’ve read too much crime novels.
P.S. I sooooo hope there’s going to be a second season, because I just want to see these actors working together again, but in my heart I know that with this drama it just made sense to end the way it did.
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"Grab Your Love" is a period romance drama done with excellence!
I was waiting until this drama finished airing because i knew after i read all the positive feedback that this would be a hard drama to watch and wait for. I am so glad that i waited because i binge watched all the episodes in one day!So much fun, sensuality, charm and excitement Grab Your Love brought to me. I mean just wow! I haven`t seen a mini drama done this way at all and i am still quite stunned by how amazing it was!
The "Villain" of Shencheng Qin Zhan is a cold-blooded and very ruthless businessman. He is notorious for having no mercy over his enemies, i mean the way he punished them made even me quite scared of him! But we see his warmth and soft spot for his nephew who he frequently bickers with and the way he falls irrevocably in love with his nephew`s tutor Min Jiang Xi who has a lot of sass and bravery. I love how she has both Qin Zhan and his nephew on their knees for her. Her step-brother was such a fun character as well! The chemistry people is out of this FREEKIN WORLD! So many memorable scenes between Qin Zhan & Min Jiang! I found the OST beautiful as well, i literally danced to the ending OST everytime,LOL!
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This review may contain spoilers
My first review
When i see episode 1 i am just speechless. I came to see this series every friday after episode 3 this series broke my heart mainly when jeo see the couple mug , ming hug joe and say I Love You tong.why you don't chose me tong. That time joe eye full of tear and his (joe ) heart breaks in many pieces.
Then joe accident when joe weak up he see him self in some one body. At last i am happy for thay get their happy ending
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It left me hungry for more of these adorable characters, and made me hungry for mouth watering food while watching. In short, the title says it all.
The pairing food=hunger may seem obvious, but there's much more to it than what meets the eye. I love the food philosophy as it is portrayed here, because almost each character is defined by his or her way to interact with food. For some it is a simple nourishment, for others, a vehicle to express themselves, the means to capture someone's heart, to force out a smile or the way to forget a childhood of privation.
I was more than once reminded of "Ratatuille", the disney animation film, and the moment in which the merciless food critic savours a bite of ratatuille and is immediately catapulted back to his childhood and the memory of his mother's love.
Food really has the power to stir up memories and rouse imagination.
I came to love all the characters and was impressed by the performance of the entire cast. Granted, Takimoto Miori is basically playing Mio from Ikemen desu ne all over again, but as somebody else wrote before me, she's so adorable I'm ready to forgive her for being still an unripe actress. Osamu Mukai is spot on, and I particularly enjoyed him when he would start talking like a dockworker, rolling his "rrr" and using foul language. But my favourite character is without a doubt Taku with his absent-minded ways and his infectious smile. Their friendship and ties are a pleasure to watch: hilarious, sincere, believable.
The music is great. Every piece fits the scene to perfection without ever overpowering it.
There's much more to say about this drama, but I believe it has to be... eaten, instead of read about. Re-watch value is very high because once you've tasted something good, you definitely want to eat it again, sooner or later.
I may just add that this is a further evidence that reviews and recommendations can be truly useful: I watched hungry! because I trust the opinion of other reviewers here and I'm very glad I did.
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Well, in the end, I decided to take a chance and plunge straight into Brother #3 and see if I can somehow find my way and make sense of the situation. And I'm glad I did because I did not get too lost after all and was able to enjoy this show on its own - yippee! So, for those who are thinking of watching this without the benefit of watching the earlier 2 shows of the series, IT IS POSSIBLE. Just do a bit of reading of the synopsis of the first 2 brothers (so that you roughly know their names and their partners), and you'll be all ready to go!
BACKGROUND/ STORY
What I'm going to say here are NOT spoilers at all (because they are background info and also relate to the first 2 brother's stories and so if you've come after watching those, you won't be spoiled in the slightest), but for those jumping into this show without watching the first 2, this will help give some context.
Set in the 1950s, the 'Suparburoot Juthathep' ('Gentlemen of Juthathep') series comprises of 5 separate dramas (each about 10 or 11 episodes long), with each drama focusing on the romance of one out of the 5 brothers of the Juthatep family. Born into the title of 'Mom Ratchawongse', the 5 brothers are not only blue-bloods of their society but they are also blessed with good-looks, success in their individual careers, and an immense reservoir of funds (i.e. very very rich) courtesy of their prestigious lineage.
All 5 brothers lost their parents rather early in their lives and were brought up by their grandmothers. Grandma Aied is the matriarch of the family while Grandma Oon is her younger sister. Before their father had died, he had promised to have one of his sons marry one of the daughters of another noble family - the Taewaproms (3 daughters). Cue massive familial pressure on the 5 brothers! As of timeframe of this show, the first 2 brothers (Chai Yai, the eldest; and Chai Ruj, the second eldest) are already either engaged or married - but none of them to any of the Taewaprom girls. So, here is Khun Chai Puttipat (Chai Pat), son #3, under immense pressure from his grandmothers to fulfil his late father's promise.
This show, of course, showcases Chai Pat's own romance story and it comes as no surprise that it was going to be an interesting ride when his love interest is also not a Taewaprom girl, but actually a girl belonging to a lower class of society. The familial conflicts and class divide issues arising from this is probably already enough to fill the show but there is an added layer of drama because the girl - Krongkaew (aka Kaew) - had won the Miss Thailand beauty contest. This incites the interest of an old and lecherous but wealthy and powerful man who then tries to purchase her as a mistress. So, there is a morass of all sorts of issues and situations which the couple must navigate before they can get their happy ending.
Like any typical thai lakorn, this show is peppered with your typical nasty second female lead, vile antagonist and an assortment of over-the-top portrayal of side characters. However, I'm glad to say that despite all the complicated issues arising, the show doesn't really allow those issues to side-track our attention on the main couple too much. There are, in my opinion, a sufficiently good number of scenes of the couple, from their first meeting to their subsequent interactions which build on their budding interest in each other, which then blossom into love.
ACTING/ CAST
As with most Thai lakorns, the second female lead and the main antagonist will probably come across as pretty one-note i.e. hateful, annoying, despicable. You have to get used to it (if you're not), and move swiftly along. Having said that though, I do confess that they are not as overdone as some others which I've seen. Yes, they are pretty over-the-top, but I've seen a lot worse.
The 4 brothers of Chai Pat did have some screen-time, especially the 2 youngest and unmarried ones (Chai Lek and Chai Pee). I really liked the fact that the family dynamic amongst the 5 brothers were not ones full of envy, jealousy or dislike, but was in fact very warm, loving, supportive and even playful at times. So nice to see the brotherly camaraderie and unity on show here.
The 2 grandmothers: Grandma Aied was the epitome of a matriarch of a royal and noble family. She exuded class, poise and authority befitting her status. I liked that while she was keen to advance and fulfil the promise made by her late son, she was also the more reasonable and open-minded of the two. Grandma Oon, on the other hand, is one who is quick to judge, quick to be prejudiced, and quick to disdain, which at times really makes her quite dislikable.
Onto the main leads:-
BELLA RANEE as Krongkaew, daughter of a janitor and a Miss Sri Siam. Good casting choice, in my opinion, because Bella is really believeable in her portrayal as a poor, humble but hard-working and principled person who is also beautiful enough to win a beauty pageant. There is an elegant nobleness in her posture and in her mien which lends much to the personality of her character here. Her smiles come across warm, and her dark doe-eyes are able to convey the feelings of sadness, anxiety, care and love wonderfully. There are quite a few key scenes where Kaew had to express her feelings with her eyes alone, and I thought Bella rose to the occasion incredibly.
JAMES JIRAYU as Khun Chai Puttipat, from the house of Juthatep and a brain surgeon. James looked a little bit too youthful here to be such an established brain surgeon but I suppose his spectacles helped to give him a more serious and professional look. But his youthful look has some advantages - they give him a more friendly and softer look so his scenes as a stern and strict doctor did not come across as too cold or unapproachable (which good doctors should not be). And they also made his loving gazes and warm smiles so much more mesmerising. James' eyes, are, to me, his greatest asset, really, because they are not only large enough that even the viewer feels as though they could drown in them, but they are also able to bring out some of his emotions and feelings onto the screen. For a debut series, I have to admit that I am pretty impressed with James' acting here.
Most importantly for me, James and Bella had good chemistry together which makes this couple come across as compatible and believable. I also felt that their on-screen characters as Chai Pat and Kaew matched each other well, personality and character-wise. They each complete one another in different ways. As a Chai Pat & Kaew couple, they both complement each other by filling a void, or adding colour to each other's lives, or teaching each other to grow and change for the better, through their different personalities. It does come across as a match between equals here - love it!
MUSIC
I love the 'Suparburoot Juthathep' theme song: "Rak Tae Yoo Neua Gaan Wayla". Each brother has a different version of it and I like all 5 different renditions.
Other than that, the theme songs for each of the leads are lovely - well, at least I liked it. I thought it told of the couple's situation and feelings, particularly Chai Pat's, spot on. Lends more depth to some of the scenes. Background music is rather old-school and fitting for the time period in which this series is set, so I thought it very appropriate and sets the mood and style of the show.
RE-WATCH VALUE
Since I like this couple and their interactions and development, this show is naturally re-watchable. But will probably skip on the extraneous scenes where neither are present. Overall, a true Cinderella-style romance with your sprinkling of drama.
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