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While school dramas happen to be among my favourites because they are so enjoyable, this is the first time I was fully invested in one from the first episode to the last. I finished it in just a day and a half and had a blast while doing it. It had such spectacular scenes that they will definitely go down as classic Jdrama moments for me. Often quirky at times, it could get hilarious to the point you would just keep laughing. Other times it was either very touching or relatable because of some realistic issues in it.
In its heart it is a tale about friendship, human relations and above all- growing up and trying to be better people. I have to say this is the most consistent drama I have seen till date. Not a single episode, not a single moment ever fell weak or draggy for me. Plus its three-dimensional characters are what make this drama into a masterpiece. None of them ever turn out the way they seem. It reminds us of how we are all humans, in spite of the good and the bad in us. Also that embracing these traits is a must in order to respect yourself. I found this drama having some great quotable dialogues.
Anyway, at first look Hana is just a dork and Daichi is a no-good person. From then on how these characters grow is almost unbelievable. I found the aspect of Hana seeming smart but being a dunce, and Daichi seeming dumb but being bright very funny. I was very impressed by the performances of Naka Riisa and Narimiya Hiroki. They are both fantastic actors and can convey every emotional successfully. The supporting cast was also great.
I like to mention the relationship between Hana and her grandfather and also Daichi and his father were one of the best things about the drama.
Like lots of Jdramas, this one has some great moments of friendship also. If you watch this drama then try to get past the over-enthusiasm of Hana because she is such a likable character. This drama easily avoided lots of cliches but incorporates the most common one in mangas- a cold, rude, arrogant guy and a seemingly clingy and stupid girl. I liked their bickering relationship and the ending was hilarious if not fully satisfying.
I wish there was a season 2 since 10 episodes seems way too short for me. I am giving this drama a high rewatch value because I want to watch it again in its entirety.
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This is a political movie, yes. If you don't like politics and expect an intense fight with Gojira the whole time like those western movie, this movie might not be for you. There are so many political issues they need to handle with. How the government should react when something not written inside the manual happened to the country, what the Prime Minister should do in time of crisis; stay with the people or run away, surrender to pressure or think of other way out. How the ministers should react fast to support the country; find a way out or give up. And probably the most critical point, what Japanese should do for Japan; ask for help from outside to take over or ask for help but still take control of the overall decision. This movie also tackled on sensitive issue for Japanese; the nuclear and radioactive stuffs and the army first big crisis after the post war. Awesome, I tell you.
Non Japanese might find all these stuffs are hard to relate thus tend to focus on the weird side effects, weird Gojira movement. Not to mention the music is so Japanese in so many ways. Try to see this movie in Japanese POV and you will find this movie is an extremely good one. Recommended.
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This review may contain spoilers
One of my favorite dramas of all time
I don't have a lot of talent in writing reviews, and English is not my mother language, so ill try not to be confusing.I was hesitant to start watching this drama, but I'm so glad I gave it a go!
I'm not one to cry when watching dramas, or anything really, but I cried like a baby in this one. The actors are great, and you really get tangled up in the feelings the story is portraying. It's a heartbreaking, beautiful story and I felt every second of it.
The only downside for me was the way they wrapped up the last minutes of the drama. I hoped we would see at least some development, and that the friendship between the goblin and the grim reaper would get through the forgetting past aspect, just like the bride. Another aspect was how they ended the nephew role, it just kind of ended, and we never got any update on him, as he doesn't remember anything from the past. Little bummers, but not major.
It is still a great drama and I definitely recommend it! Every second is worth it.
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Thrilling experience!!
First let me tell you this drama is not for everyone, I mean if you like rom com, sweet, typical dramas you won't like it so those with soft hearted shouldn't watch it.But it was great for me it was a thrilling journey and many unexpected twist and turns. I like that they didn't drag love story in it and only focused on genre action and mystery. Love the plot and acting was good indeed. Some scenes gave me goosebumps.
It's indeed worth watching if you are into thriller suspence dramas. I gave rewatch value less rating because from my opinion mystery dramas are not worth watching because you all know the mystery in it.
Overall it was a good drama!
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This review may contain spoilers
A warm blanket
This dramatisation is like a warm blanket in a cold winternight.It might not be so warm initially but it wraps you and before you know it, you are prisoner by the comfort.
I cant go as far and say it is as aluring to the game, as the anime and manga is, but the end result about the emotional journey is similar. For a Chinese production I was impressed that the sound, fx or the storyline was actually good, compared to many other Chinese productions that gives (me at least) proper headache.
I still fell in love with the changes made, especially between Hikaru (Shi Guang) and Sai (Shu Jing), it really fits. Wont say more than that, apart that I recommend to read/watch the other versions, then you'll understand.
The blast from the past with cellular brands like Nokia and other quirks, really made this so charming.
I imagine it was very tricky to make it all from Chinese Pov but it was done smoothly and I didnt felt disturbed by it, even when I was re-watching HnG(anime version) parallel to this.
Also, I really liked the Fang Xu-character, which felt in all honesty more humble. Actually, come to think of it, almost all characters were a lot more humble here than any other versions.
The only "negative" is that this drama did not have an emotional impact as the other versions. It is not until ep30 and forth one begins to feel the need of tissues and after that, you may need an entire box or two.
Lastly;
I really love the tribute to HnG on the last episode, it made my heart bleed even more. Again, if you read/watch the other versions you'll understand.
And I absolutly salute they kept the lyrics to the OST utterly intact and so the melody.
Its a beautiful song and beautiful text.
I might come back and put in my feed the Japanese and the Chinese lyrics/versions at some point.
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Usually when a movie includes extremely pale children and tall women in desperate need of a haircut, it's the type of movie that will leave you hiding behind your pillow, but not this one! Or well, not this one for about 90% of the time. That 90% delivers your favorite K-drama theme; not so socially acceptable woman meets incredibly handsome man, and soon comedy and cute scenes are to follow.
The comedy relief is, well, an actual relief. Lee Min Ki and Son Ye-jin did an amazing job on portraying the main characters and some of the scenes were very funny. This is a movie for everyone, even for those who aren't quite found of scary movies (but do cover your eyes when there is obvious creepy music or dark scenes around the corner! You have been warned.)
I can't pinpoint what it is, but I feel as if something was missing in the storyline. But as a Lee Min Ki fan, I'm overall satisfied with this movie!
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1Interesting, unique and extremely aesthetic
If I had to describe the drama in one word it would be: Beautiful. Everything about it is just so beautiful! ❤-✿ CHARACTERS
Finally! Finally I got the FL I deserve! Si Teng is a queen and I‘m in love with her. She is strong, confident, intelligent and dominant but she also has a very kind, generous and vulnerable side. And she doesn’t take bullsh*t from anyone.
ML is a total nice guy! I thought he would either struggle or be intimidated by Si Teng as she made him her servant... but somehow.. he did neither. He was very kind and did as told but also talked to her if he thought she was in the wrong. He slowly grow on her and it was very obvious he fell for her. No words needed. I love how they showed how important Si Teng was to him...how much he loved her. It may seem at first like she is protecting him... but actually they are protecting each other. I loved their emotions and expressions.
Yan Fuiru is another strong character. First I didn‘t think so but he was very loyal and funny. A very good friend I‘d say. I even liked Bai Ying at the end. :) Great acting from all of them!
-✿ STORY
The story is very interesting too. Lots of mysteries to discover. They didn‘t reveal anything at all. They just added more and more mysteries until halftime.^^ Sometimes I felt a little lost but it also made me hella curious. At some point I wondered what is actually happening and then I was totally into it again. There were lots of funny scenes but it was also very emotional. Especially later. <3
-✿ AESTETHICS
Another strong point of the drama is the aesthetic. The filming locations and cinematography are stunning. The scenery and places are beautiful to the max. It looked like a more rural older town with forests and historical buildings. And it matched so well. Then there were Si Tengs outfits. Gorgeous! She dressed in more elegant clothes while ML wore typical modern clothes. There were fantasy elements that reminded me of cultivation dramas. And all that made the drama feel totally timeless. A rural beautiful location you wouldn’t know which year it is and the taking turns of modern and historical elements. It felt like I watched a mixture of historical and modern drama and it fit so well together! And then the OST! „Falling Star“ by Mian Zi is sooo beautiful and emotional! Even the opening was magnificent.
-✿ ALL IN ALL
The story was interesting. Lots of mysteries and more or less unpredictable twists. And its fun finding them all out. Very aesthetical pleasing and lovely dynamics between ML and FL. A very strong and confident but definitely not OTT female lead and a unique and kind ML. A very beautiful love story :3
I was very positively surprised. Finally a real woman as FL XD after this drama I will have difficulties going back to the usual naive FL chinese dramas... T_T
I don’t know if its for everyone...but I totally loved it. Give it a try ;) ❤
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More than that, though, Bambino! is about Ban’s journey towards a greater understanding of the work he’s dreaming about and we get to follow him as he learns to understand what it takes to work at an upscale place like Baccanale. It’s frustrating for Ban to realise that as a 21-year-old without any formal instruction, he doesn’t already know everything there is to know about cooking… Ban is very emotional and he sulks and complains a lot, but he’s very determined and enthusiastic, and although people call him spoiled and immature, they learn to like him, and he them.
The cast/acting is really the best part of this. I like Ban and the way he grows as a person, and Matsumoto Jun’s performance is very believable. Watching this makes me realize that I actually do like him as an actor.
The supporting actors really are a great support: Most of them are very well-developed, with their unique personalities and quirks, even some of the very minor roles. Kitamura Kazuki as the dining hall manager Yonamine is worth a special mention. It’s not like we’re told the back story of each and every one of the characters (it’s not at all a “one character per episode” kind of drama), but even so they’re people that you learn to like and care about. I like their interaction with each other and with Ban, and that’s what makes the drama very enjoyable even if there are no exciting plot twists, sudden developments, huge conflicts backstabbing crazy people, etc. They’re all very professional while they’re working, but they’re working as a team where everyone is supporting of each other, and it’s nice watching Ban gradually become a part of that.
As for the music, there’s not a lot to say about it. The opening theme, by Arashi, is a nice and catchy song that captures the mood of the drama. The other music is also nice, but it’s not there to be noticed (this is not a bad thing), just to add atmosphere.
Visually, too, this drama is a pleasure. You know, all the food we get to see! And it’s bright and colourful, with a few comedic moments, but I think the overall impression is that it leaves you smiling, with warm and fuzzy feelings.
Bambino! may not be the most amazing drama of all times or anything like that, but it’s very enjoyable – it even had me write my first MDL review! – and I can definitely see myself rewatching this sometime. I haven't re-watched any j-dramas at the time of writing this review, because there are just so many out there that I haven’t seen yet... Out of everything that I've watched so far, I can easily put Bambino! on my list of favorites.
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Great acting + Story
I don't tend to leave reviews for movies but this one hit me hard. It's a unique story about a woman struggling hard to prepare for civil services exam out of pressure. One day she comes across a beautiful, fit lady running. She becomes friends with her and gets really close. She grows to love running as well and tries to destress her daily problems with running. From the surface the plot is as explained but its much more that. It's a story about self love, self growth and how she uses running as a tool to find herselfWas this review helpful to you?
"The rose walker"
This is surely one of my favorites to rewatch aftet some time. Actually it had been a very long time since i had found something this satisfying. The plot ,storyline nd the acting is amazing. Even the time period is kept in early 20s (2009) to male it seem more realistic. Actually i like mixed genres show. So this has action ,crime,thriller with a combo of romance so , it makes it more fun to watch. Tbe little girl in the drama is really adorable. Zhang ye chen is reallly very handsome. Tge romance between the leads is soo good. Their chemistry is top notch. And there are times when i cried, as i put my self in the characters place, which makea it more indulging and interesting to see.Was this review helpful to you?
Unique cinematography and setting for a cdrama
**this is my first time writing a review so sorry if it is really badly explained**Cinematography/Directing
The way this drama was shot and directed was such a breath of fresh air to cdramas! It's hard for me to explain but the way the drama was filmed gives off a bit of an indie vibe/more mysterious than your regular romcom cdrama with a bit of mystery. The combination of the architecture and interior design of Monster Vintage plus the costume styling of the characters really helped set the tone for this drama as well. The trailer shown for this drama on MDL focuses more on the drama's romantic aspect, making it seem lighter than it really is. One of the best parts of this drama would be the Monster Notebook segments at the end of each episode. These clips are shot like old films and give more insight into the characters in a fun way. Even if you dislike the romance in this drama, I think the cinematography itself is worth staying for!
Music
Other than the cinematography, the music is the best part of this drama. Every single OST is amazing! I would rewatch this just for the music.
Romance and Mystery
The ratio between romance and mystery in this drama is 50/50 in my opinion. Some episodes are romance heavy while others are focused on solving the cases the two MLs receive or uncovering secrets hidden by each main character. Some of the cases are really dark but a few are a bit more light. The romance aspect is nothing special but the mystery behind each character is what makes this drama stand out more.
Acting
*I have a bit of a Robin fan filter but I'm trying to write this as unbiased as possible*
The main cast are all relatively new so the acting is not bad but not good. Characterwise they all play their roles quite well. Overall the acting is good enough to get through the drama (no extremely awkward acting) but would not rewatch for acting. Also, Robin's character is hilarious. ( I feel like he's most people's favorite character)
Pacing
It's 36 episodes so it can seem a bit slow but it isn't that bad.
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The Palace Season 2: The Lock Pearl Screen
14 people found this review helpful
Story: Same old same old. There are evil and overly ambitious people in the palace that make the love triangle a tug of war for the entire 36 episodes. Honestly, by the time I was on the last few episodes the niceness of Lian Er was just frustrating and the bad endings for the evil characters weren't as satisfying as I would have hoped. Maybe if there were fewer episodes that kept drilling into our heads just how bad the palace people were and just how much they could torment our heroes it wouldn't have bothered me so much. Also,I did not like the amount of time that some side stories had towards the end. FYI writers: I DIDNT CARE! I found myself fast forwarding through most of that.:-)
Acting/Cast: Good. It annoyed me that some characters from the first series played different character's in this one. The main one I spotted was the old emperor in series 1 played 17th Prince's teacher in this one. Other than that, I will say that the cameos by 8th Prince and Qing Chuan were adorable and was a nice nod to series 1.
Music:Laughable. Every time a character would ask Lian Er to sing suddenly the music would kick-in over her singing and we're supposed to believe she was the one singing! It made me laugh every time. But the OST was nice and whoever did the actual singing was good.
Overall: Based on my review I know it sounds like I hated this series BUT, I knew what I was getting into from the 1st series. I WANTED to watch something cheesy, with over the top effects and characters I love to hate. And boy did I get it! It was cheesy and cute and the ending salvaged a lot, ALOT of the flaws for me! Glad I finally watched it, but I'm not going to continue with the series. This was a good place to stop for me :)
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This review may contain spoilers
A Flawed but Emotionally Impactful Coming-of-Age Drama
Honestly, I really liked this show. I had so much fun watching it, even though it took a few turns near the end that didn’t sit right with me.Episode Ratings:
Ep. 1–3 & 7: 9.5
Ep. 4–6: 9
Ep. 8–10: 7.5–7
It started off as a strong youth coming-of-age drama… until it occasionally wasn't. The premise is pretty much what the synopsis promises: Lune, the lonely guy who feels invisible, is suddenly seen by White, the popular, charming guy who decides to befriend him. Slowly, Lune becomes part of the popular group. White has feelings for Star and gets rejected, but what happens when Lune and Star secretly start dating in a summer night?
Character Thoughts:
White & Ivy were my absolute highlight. They were so easy to root for, and their dynamic was endlessly compelling. I loved them.
Lune & Star, on the other hand although I like their relationship, did things that didn’t sit well with me, especially how they treated White. I get that they were trying to “save his feelings,” but it often came off as selfish. Lune's loneliness wasn’t just external, it stemmed from how he avoided others when things got uncomfortable. Still, he had noticeable growth, and by the end, he genuinely tried to be better. He’s not a red flag, just flawed and learning.
Star is the "bright star" that shines for everyone, even at the cost of her own feelings. But in the final episodes, she suddenly became controlling and jealous, which felt out of character. This is a great example of how not to write a female character, her shift didn’t feel earned, it felt like a writer’s convenience.
White was probably my favorite. He’s complex. someone who has friends but still feels lonely, convincing himself he’s fine when he really fears being left out. A very relatable character for many.
Ivy was a fantastic addition. She starts off as Star’s protective, loud friend, but you realize she carries so much depth. She’s mature, and her friendship with White is Gold.
The White and Ivy dynamic honestly had my heart. They’re not your typical "friends-to-lovers" or "enemies-to-lovers." They were bickering unlikely friends to friends with deap connection who still bicker. And that kind of bond can be just as powerful as romance. I appreciated how they talked it out and decided to be friends. Their friendship became one of the most meaningful relationships in the show for me. (I’ll always take friendship over romance, personally.)
Jewel & Tan were adorable. Jewel, the rich guy who’s had everything handed to him, meets Tan, this mysterious guy wearing wizard clothes who enters his life and becomes the only one he feels he can be vulnerable with. Their relationship was genuinely cute.
Sera, who initially seemed like the classic ex-girlfriend added just for drama, surprisingly turned out to be a mature and nuanced addition to the group. I ended up liking her a lot.
I think this story might have worked even better in a university setting than a high school one. Still, there were so many fun, emotional, and memorable moments with this friend group that I couldn’t help getting attached. Even though the second half didn’t hold up as well, my love for the characters (especially in the first half) kept me emotionally invested until the end.
Secretly hoping for a university spin-off with Ivy and White. Whether they stay friends or turn into something more, I’d just love to see more of their story.
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