Beautiful Fantasy Romcom -A tale entangled with music, love and fate ❣️
**May contain spoilers*"The Theme is unique, Sets and Costumes are beautiful, Plot is smooth and Acting skills are excellent. Each character has his/her own connotations and thoughts and storyline.
The highlight for me is the music and the musical performances 👌❤️
I already enjoy Chinese music a lot but there is a bonanza of musical instruments that accompany here which is a treat to watch for viewers with musical interest! The actors are so good with the instruments that it gives us a very natural , relaxed feel while we watch them play! All songs are beautiful ❤️
ML, YunMu, Young Master and the only Son and potential heir of the ruler of Dongsheng, pretends to be playful on the surface and keeps a low key but is actually quite resourceful, strong in martial arts and has amazing musical knowledge and is extremely handsome! But he has to put up that act due to an undisclosed secret! Only his closest aide Xiaoqi knows this. Miles Wei with his amazing looks, talents (sings, dances, musical instruments, martial arts!!!) and excellent acting skills fits the bill perfectly! He has sung the song "Acquiescence" which is beautiful. It is just that much more impactful when the actors sing the tracks!
FL, Su RuoFei, is an exceptional talent in music and looks forward to establishing her Green Flash Music Workshop and help talented fellow musicians. She is fated (through the green light/Jade) with the ability to help YunMu with his secret and through some comic situations ends up being his private entertainer! Kiki Xu, plays her character well. She has strong dancing ability and I am so looking forward for the "Highlight Clip" of her "dancing on the drums"! She has sung the OST "Living up to the encounter " which is amazing! She probably knows how to play musical instruments too.
Su Ruoshan, FL's sister, owner of Melody Musical workshop, is power hungry to become the Music Minister and uses every means possible to achieve this! Zhang Yue's acting is very good as the evil sister! This actress is so easy on the Harp that it makes me wonder if she can actually play it irl!
Then there is an Uncle, Yun Shang (His Majesty's brother) who eyes the throne and had schemed against his nephew previously. His love interest is the sister of FL.
SML, Jin Shangyu played by Caesar Wu, is a childhood friend of FL and another musical genius! He is hot and amazing as always! He is the calmer and the sensible one of the lot and he is in love with our FL.
Huang Ying, daughter of SML's teacher, whom he cares for (and doesn't love!) only because her parents die in floods, is pursuing him against all odds! Her character is like an obsessed stalker at the beginning but it develops into a nice kind helpful one in the later episodes!
Will these characters come together and become a couple? How will their characters develop? Will Su RuoFei help YunMu with his secret? Will YunMu become the Royal Advisor and successor to the throne? Who becomes the Music Minister? Will there be a redemption arc for the villains?? The rest of the story seems to be about all this!
It's only 24 episodes and nicely paced. The first 14 episodes are light-hearted and entertaining. There is some angst from episode 14-19 as the FL gets framed! There is a bounce back from 19 onwards with some real musical performance challenges, martial arts, romance and enjoyable friendships!
Considering that it's a low budget production, the sets, costumes, music , cast, visual effects are all great!! Remember this was filmed in 2021 and C drama has evolved since and so have the actors!
Overall it's a well made, light-hearted , thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable drama!!
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Neither worse nor great
Its good but not enough to say great , it has a good storyline , their are few episodes totally hooked me and some of them were quite boring , Ig I liked more about the relationship between book and mud , cuz throughout the whole serie Ice was over reacting and also his actions were looking very fake and the character was shy also hesitant so I don't think I am satisfied with the acting skills , in other hand in the gl couple also sea was over reacting , overall I think the story could be more interesting , instead of making Ice a shy lead he can be more flirty also I didn't liked the way he disagrees with Saint and repeated it many times ... but I have to say that I liked the ost , if I have to choose the best episode then it must be episode 12 ....Was this review helpful to you?
A Wonderfully Crafted Love Story
This is a wonderfully crafted love story that takes a unique spin on the time travel genre. I've seen many time travel dramas, but this one is undoubtedly the most intriguing. In this drama, the first time our male lead, Shen Bu Yan, travels back in time and meets our female lead, Lu Yuan, is actually the last time she sees him. He first meets the older Lu Yuan - and each time he time travels, he meets a younger Lu Yuan. So it's like a reverse timeline story which makes it even more depressing imo.It is a low-budget drama, but I think they've used the budget very well. I can tell there's been a lot of care put into this. The cinematography actually looks really good and has some memorable shots.
I have to say, Zhang Ya Qin [Lu Yuan] carried this drama! She absolutely nailed the character. She perfectly showed the different personalities of each Lu Yuan, from a carefree Lu Yuan to an empress. She's also so beautiful I can't- On the other hand, Guo Jia Nan [Shen Bu Yan] honestly delivered a very mid performance imo... He was definitely outshined by Zhang Ya Qin.
Overall, I highly recommend this gem. It's a short one, so it should be very easy to get through. Plus, the story makes you wanna watch the next episode right away lol.
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Visually stunning with a truly poetic story. Insights into the early 16th century art included
"Saimdang, Memoir of Colors" is an excellent KDrama with historically impressive dimensions. The focus here is on the legendary artist Shin Saimdang, whose head is also depicted on the 50,000 won note today. The KDrama pays tribute to the great artist and also pays tribute to her roles as a devoted mother and virtuous, yet uncompromisingly progressive woman. The focus is on a time and space transcending, tragic love story - fictitious... or at least not historically documented. (But why should´t it have happened in this way or another? ... :-)----------------- SIDE NOTE --- Shin Saimdang (1504 -1551) ---
... was a painter, calligrapher and poet who was valued in her time and far beyond. Since her father had no son, he gave her (rather unorthodox for a girl) an education and training in literature, poetry, calligraphy, embroidery and painting. Her works as a painter are characterized by their particularly sensitive view of nature and its subtle, sensitive representation. Today only about 40 paintings in Indian ink and mineral colors can be directly assigned to Saimdang. However, it is suspected that many more works of art have survived, although they are not clearly signed as her works. Shin Saimdang has also gone down in history as the ideal of the good mother. She had five sons and three daughters, some of whom also inherited their mother's talent. One of her sons is the even more famous Neo-Confucian scholar and politician Yul-gok Yi I.
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In addition, as far as the perspective of traditional art is concerned, the special focus of this KDrama is the nature of the world of animals, plants and mountains. Actually, it could be mentioned here, that South Korea is characterized by several mountains and 21 national parks on more than two thirds of the country's surface. This KDrama aesthetically focuses on the spiritually legendary mountain region around the Geumgangsand - The Diamond Mountain. It probably got its name in connection with the Diamond Sutra of Buddhism. It was a center of Korean Buddhism, traces of which can be dated back to the 1st century. At the beginning of the 20th century there were still more than 40 active monasteries in the region. In any case, the mountain world plays in several respects an important role in this gripping historical drama.
Special dynamics arise through the play with intertwining time and space. There are two plots. One is set in 2017, the other in the early 16th century during the Joseon era. One follows a young art historian writing her PhD thesis on artist An Gyeon's work 'Geumgangsando'. The other follows historical Shin Saimdang through the first 3-4 decades of her passionate yet virtuous life. Parallel to the art historian's research and struggle with it, that is at the same time enhanced and endangered by Saimdang´s diary, insights on the artist´s eventful life are revealed. Both storylines are quite exciting in their own way. Particularly charming: people from Saimdang's time-line seem to have reincarnated in Seoul in 2016 and are once more somehow connected to each other... Surprisingly, the fulcrum where the timelines converge is Tuscany in Italy.
This extraordinary and visually stunning KDrama offers a truly poetic, heart-rending story, added with interesting insights into the special aesthetics and sensitivity of contemporary Korean art of the early 16th century, as well as the paper production craftmanship of that time. It is rounded by an atmospheric soundtrack and, last but not least, actors who are as if absorbed in their roles. At last, there is plenty of makjang, too.
Taking everything into account, the story is effortlessly captivating over 28 episodes.
At the end I was left in bewilderment, yet to some extend somehow surprisingly satisfied, too.
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"Sometimes, it's better to choose your own family."
(I deleted my previous review because it was too verbose)Understated yet touching, fantastic performances especially in the last half hour, perfect casting, great direction, a close look at economic disparity within a modern and developed nation, doesn't glamorise poverty, balances both hope and bleakness, fully deserving of Palme D'Or IMO. A testament to love transcending biological relations, proof that a complete puzzle of family can be formed out of leftover pieces.
You should watch this one twice.
10/10
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Definitely recommended!
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This review may contain spoilers
The smoothest series, watchable- not bad but not exactly amazing.First a quick recap. The cutest motorcycle driver (Mork) was dumped by his girlfriend for being poor. The (probably rich) doctor (Tawan) was heartbroken by a cheating lover. Together, they formed a friendship, and becasue the doctor, who brings his own protection(i mean the helmet), keeps riding the cute guy, I mean getting his services, I mean as a driver (SPOILER ALERT) they fell in love. And lived happily ever after. The end.
But seriously, who wouldnt fall for those dimples. Those sweet smile can make one wet and flood the dryest of the Saharan desert. The real question is why it took Tawan approximately 9 episodes to finally admit his feelings for Mork, still puzzles me.
There are so many things to love about the series. First, its a breath of fresh air that the series is not school or university themed, because god knows we have way too much of that already. Second, the main couple, their chemistry is not exactly electric but its hard to hate them. Did i mention how cute Fluke is? Everytime i think the show is too boring, this guy hooks me back in. Third, i love Mork's uncles specially since it is rare to see long-term same sex couple in a series. Fourth, the motorcycle ride in episode 7, when Tawan fell asleep behind Mork is BL gold.
On the other hand, these are some of the things they could have improved. First, Mork's friends were ok, but the riot act during the festival was totally unbelievable and could have been played better. Next, the second couple Toy and Boss. I loved seeing Yoon but Best could use some acting workshop, i just cant believe their chemistry. Third, I also hate to say this but Nadia and Mayom couple didnt make much impact, if only they gave them better arc. Fourth, and i dont know why, has something to do with the pacing, sometimes, it can feel a little too boring.
So, in overall, would i recommend? Yes, like i said, the dimples alone deserves the screen time. Would i rewatch? Hard to tell, but maybe not anytime soon.
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This review may contain spoilers
An intense, powerful and emotional thriller.
„If you’d have all the money and power in the world, what would you want next? To live forever.”I didn’t expect much when I started this drama. Sure, I finished the first episode and thought „ugh, another 16 hour show about serial killers.” I was so glad I was wrong. Oh boy, It is MUCH deeper than that.
To be honest, it is extremely hard to express how dark and emotional this drama really is. As we arrive to the second half of the show we realize that our beloved ML is not only fighting against the antagonists, but also his own darkness.
The cinematography and music was on point. The combination of the dark atmosphere and the sometimes suspenseful, other times overly emotional music just came together perfectly, making a drama that feels like a punch in the gut – in the best way possible.
While some characters could have been a little bit more interesting, and some things did feel a tiiiny bit convenient and exaggerated, I have to say: everything connects BEAUTIFULLY. The writing is actually so good that even when you see a twist coming, you're still going to feel the things you’re supposed to.
That is a word I would use to describe this drama: FEELINGS. All kinds of feelings and maybe too much of them, because I swear to GOD it ripped my soul apart.
The plot is really well done and there are many twists throughout it, constantly keeping us on the edge of our seat and eager to see what happens next or just simply feeling hopeless.
The three main leads are phenomenal and the side characters are great. The old man was my favourite. The acting is incredible. Seol Hyun's acting was just too good. At times I could feel what her character was feeling. I wanted to cry with her.
I could go on for hours about how good the fight scenes were and how explosive the chemistry between the leads was, but I’m just going to tell you to watch it. It’s something everyone needs to experience. Go watch it.
So what is Awaken really like?
Addictive. Unforgettable. Emotional. Brilliant.
Also it's great to see more dramas get more than one season, but why not do the same with this one? There is so much potential here for a second season.
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1This review may contain spoilers
Dramas with a moderately dark, controversial, and intense plots addicts me to it a LOT. And, 'Sachi-iro no One Room' is such a drama. The plot is pretty controversial, as you can see how it romanticized a case of kidnapping. But, if you check out the drama, you'd realize that it isn't exactly a case of kidnapping, as the supposedly stalker male-lead simply saved the female-lead from committing suicide and only asked if she wanted to live with him. She agreed, as she had given up on life. It was nothing serious for her to live with a stalker after getting abused by parents, bullied by classmates, and sexually harassed by her teacher. If you simply look into the drama, you'll find out how the story is interesting and how it would pull you into it- and the doubtful thought you had after seeing the summary would go away from your mind.
The actors are pretty good too and the simple-yet-so-satisfying cinematography would surely make you enjoy this short drama as much as I did. Plus, the OST is absolutely amazing. Recommended indeed!
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Where do I even begin with the beautiful movie? I watched this movie in the cinemas without any idea what I was going to be watching, no trailer and no synopsis at all. But the movie captivated me from the beginning. On surface level, it seems like a light-hearted, slice of life type movie revolving around a loving father and his daughter, but little did I know it was so, so, so much more than that.
There’s so much to say about this movie, but I’ll start with entertainment factors. If you enjoy plotlines that are based of real-life stories, tackle the human experience, explore history and how they shaped the world today, all whilst mixed with comedy here and there, then this is for you. If you have no idea whether or not you like any of the just mentioned, then this movie essentially follows the experience of a normal human stuck in a political revolution. Now, some of you might hear politics and cringe instantly, but A Taxi Driver manages to convey the whole plotline and context effortlessly without delving deep into the political history at all, making it a foreigner friendly film if you don’t know much about Korean political history.
A Taxi Driver also really does an amazing job at capturing human emotion. There are parts of the movie that are just so raw, sometimes you hate the main character, sometimes you love him, but despite whatever his actions, we could still understand and sympathise. Of course some of the situations are probably dramatized for effect from the true story, but in terms of the overall context of protests and uprising, it definitely conveys the aspects involved in these parts of history.
I would definitely recommend a packet of tissues and some social justice warrior spirit to watch this. Overall I think it’s a very important film because it really sheds light on some issues that we take for granted today (e.g. a free media!). So if you’re not really into this type of entertainment, I would still suggest you watch this just to learn a little more about things like protests and democracy.
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THE BEST LEGAL COURTROOM DRAMA EVER!
Are you a fan of the American legal thriller TV series HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER? Then, LAW SCHOOL is definitely for you. Not a remake, but the premise of the drama and the primary set-up is inspired by the said English series.Law School had been one of the most anticipated drama of the year 2021, that too a rare legal courtroom thriller drama. And everyone can see how it has paid off to everyone's expectations. Kim Myung Min, Kim Bum and Ryu Hye Young are indeed the reason all of us were damn sure about the quality drama it'll be. What a powerful cast to begin with!
The very first scene of the very first episode of this drama; that one single scene where the writer and the director decided to show the faces of the cast for every major character and proved what the class and standard of their drama will be. That was so lovely of a scene to witness and made me feel woah. The production actually succeeded in dragging us into the drama.
Law School has a straicase plot development which means, it's neither steady storyline or a combination of connecting plots; rather a series of related events where everything is revealed in a step by step manner leading to the main climax in the end. I loved the way every character in it catched up to a new event that they were completely unaware of, resonated it on the individual level utilizing law that they study, gave it a trail for good and finally let it go.
Law School has the typical urban thriller editing but they keep the intense mood up all the time by running the screenplay at the apt speed, hence making it interesting and not boring.
To be honest, the first 2 episodes felt a bit dull and confusing. They keep going forward and backward in time, multiple times which didn't allow me to catch up to what exactly was happening. But it caught momentum from the 3rd episode and got better since then. And from the 6th episode, it actually became very interesting and I enjoyed watching.
Character development is a thing that's been shown for only limited characters among a huge number of cast but that's fruitful given how they changed from facile and one dimensional beings to stronger individuals with the drama's progression. Notably, the screentime distribution is even for all the characters, the lead trio being the ones to get slightly more duration; one of the handful dramas where both male and female characters are equally emphasised and well balanced. A major credit to the writer for that.
Kim Myung Min being the arrogant and most lawful man (in the entire world), might make your blood boil to the point that you might wanna smash him down but before you realize, he shall capture your heart with his badguy charisma (I've actually fallen for him :P). DO NOT expect to see much romance between Kim Bum and Hye Young because the drama ain't about that though Kim Bum sometimes love to flirt with Hye Young as he kind of admires her a lot. On the other side, Hye Young who is unaware of her fluttering heart for Kim Bum, is always annoyed by Kim Bum and herself is so annoying, haha. Her character development is notable for she grows to being a righteous law person from a girl, not good at studies.
Let's talk about the legal aspects. I have always felt that not many people watch pure legal dramas unless it has a major part of romance and melodrama but if we are talking about a courtroom drama or movie, it has to be like Law School. Some people might wanna give up because they keep blabbering about the criminal codes, constitutional laws, articles and sections at a rate that you have to pause many times to understand and channelise the things but trust me, that's what happenes in a real courtroom. They have included and discussed a lot of clauses but they also made sure to make us understand them with examples and elaborations even during the trials. They've also wisely introduced the shortcomings in the existing law & order, thus implying a need of change in them. This work is hence highly commendable.
It's done pretty well even if you judge it as a thriller. They kept increasing our urge & curiosity to know who the actual culprit is. Unlike many thrillers, you might hesitate to predict and make theories about this drama because everything is simultaneous and transparent and which is why I thought the revelation of the culprit will come as a huge shock, but not gonna lie, it was disappointing. It turned out to be an already very bad guy so I wasn't like woah. But I doesn't matter because it's primarily a courtroom drama and evem after the revelation, it didn't become boring or anything rather more cases were added on the same episide as compensation which never felt like getting dragged at all.
The background sound editing and screenplay is nice. The direction is amazing as well that kept people going, especially for viewers like me who are into binging. But I think this drama is a huge disadvantage for those who watch ongoing. It's not frustrating as there's nothing to predict or think about and honestly you won't have to wait for a week eagerly to watch the next episode.
Law School is indeed one of the best thrillers of 2021 and overally among all the thrillers too and let me call it the BEST LEGAL COURTROOM KDRAMA EVER PRODUCED.
P. S. I sometimes got the DEAD POETS SOCIETY vibes because of the way Prof. Yang gathered his students and they even had a hideout in the copy room. HAHAHA
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Sweet Home ended me
Sweet Home ending is insane. The special effects, plot, cast and production is well planned. The ending was way different from the webtoon and there is now more room for season 2. Every single monsters is so detailed and so insane. I loved how they didn't show many things which the webtoon had, now they show it in the season 2. Amazing acting from Song Kang, Lee Shi Young, Lee Do Hyun and everyone. Everything single scene was a slay. One of the best Korean drama of 2020. Must watch! They way I panicked in every episode is very scary.Was this review helpful to you?
Seriously though, I'm re-watching this show for the 3rd time now and enjoying it immensely! Even though I know what's going to happen I still have nail biting moments and I've noticed very small details that I believe I missed the first two times. It speaks of the universal search for your person or people. The ones who when they're around you, no matter where you are it becomes home. If you watch it you won't regret it.
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