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Well written script with lovely characters, great music, fun humor and awesome romance!
After rewatching "Her Private Life" multiple times, I finally decided to leave a short review highlighting why it remains one of my favourite dramas to watch over and over again.1) Talented, gorgeous lead actors - not only are Park Min Young and Kim Jae Wook are beautiful to look at, they also have the acting chops to elevate this rom-com to the next level. I cannot wait for their next movies and I wish Kim Jae Wook acted more in rom-coms.
2) Great acting all around - kudos to the casting director since everyone truly delivered!
3) Well-written script - The characters are nicely developed and being adults, actually behaved like adults. None of those childish drama that the writers usually throw in to create conflicts. Without the unnecessary drama, the show is a great stress-less option when you just want to relax and enjoy the sweetness of a non-cringey romance. Perhaps some more emotional scenes or side stories were watered down but the resolution or outcomes were still realistic and nicely played out.
4) Enjoyable music - seriously, the soundtrack is delightful! Each piece was fitting for the scene and added to the mood or emotion appropriately.
Overall, I do recommend this drama. Give it a try!
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The basic story is that Lu Ming is a guy from 1999 and Xiao Jiao is a girl from 2018. They live in the same apt, but in different timelines. Suddenly one day, that same apt from different timelines starts merging together. When XiaoJiao opens their front door, they can enter into 2018, when Lu Ming does, they can both enter into 1999. Then becomes a story of how they navigate having to be together while exploring their different timelines together. There's obviously a little more than that general synopsis, but I feel like I shouldn't spoil the story, it was much more fun and had good serious moments. The trailer does a good job of not spoiling the story, but does set the tone of the comedy of the movie.
The first thing that came to my mind after watching this movie was that it was similar to Your Name, but after sitting down to write this review, they're actually totally different movies. But their use of time travel was similar. As with all time travel movies, there are rules that are set in the movie, and sometimes they don't really make sense if you think about it too deeply. Seeing them try to abuse timetravel was very funny. Yet it doesn't distract from the movie as a whole because the characters and actors were great. They had good chemistry. It was also a lot more hilarious than I thought it would be. It may have helped that I watched it in a theater with other people, since laughter is contagious. All in all, a very solid story that made sense (since time travel movies can be confusing sometimes), and i would recommend it to anyone that likes romantic comedies with a very unique story.
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How social pressure makes you do the wrong things in life...
Wow, this short does not have a review... I reluctantly write reviews for "old" series/movies but in this case I have to.This short is an excellent example how social pressure leads to an unhappy life in Japan where it is expected to follow social conformity. And with this is brings a lot of pain and heartbreak and it's depicted in detail and nuances in everyones face.
"please be happy" and "love someone but me" are the central points in this short. Azusa (speak Az'sa) is selfish, he broke up because he wanted to show his children to his grandma. But even when his Grandma dies and he can*t fullfill her wish he is confined in his personal construct to conform. Yusuke (speak: Yus'ke) is still in love and can't move on. It culmulates when Azusa selfishly asks Yusuke to make wedding photos. And that's where we see that both are not happy.
This short is really depressing but it's also important to show it, especially considering the comments where you read that it is a thing that some people can't escape the social pressure. And it shows, that a lot of people surpress their real selves, which is really really sad. So for me, this is a recommandation. You can watch it on youtube: https://youtu.be/md47vntaqwU
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A Hot Mess
This is a great drama to watch when you're in the mood for a classic cliche, trashy, garbage fire, trainwreck c-drama. Sometimes, after I watch a /really/ good drama, I have to watch a couple trash ones to bring my standards and expectations back down. This was a needed palette cleanser.Here, every character has a room temperature IQ. Logic and reasoning are no where to be found. Not a single attempt was made to incorporate the PPL in a classy or subtle way. The subtitles are in shambles. I spent a significant amount of braincells trying to figure out if Zhang Tian Ai was wearing some sort of wig or not. It's a mess.
But I finished all 24 episodes, so I guess it's my type of mess.
And! Thanks to this drama, I get to say that Qu Chu Xiao has played both my favorite male lead, Zhang Wan Sen :'), and my least favorite male lead, Chen Yan >:(. Wonderful.
PLOT:
The story is told through Hai Tang's omniscient perspective - she's written a memoir/novel that recounts certain events in her life. Its title is "My Friend Miss Chen Bai Lu" (also this drama's native title). As such a title would suggest, the storyline here mostly focuses on Chen Bai Lu and Chen Yan. She is poor (but was once rich) and hardworking, while he's the rich playboy type. Normal stuff. Hai Tang has little narration monologues here and there, but they aren't subtitled on iQiyi so I'm not sure what kind of context they add.
I can't help but wonder if this was adapted from a webcomic or maybe a webnovel. How the scenes flow and the logic (or lack thereof) of storyline really give me this impression. The happenings in this drama are really quite divorced from reality, in that special kind of ridiculous way that you see in cheap c-webcomics/novels.
The basic "story loop" is like - misunderstanding -> fight and separate -> forgive and get back together OR fight some more -> repeat. It's Chen Yan's misunderstanding 99.9% of the time and neither of them will explain themselves properly. Many things just don't make sense - from the ways the characters react to things, to their general behavior, to every single plotline. The makjang/dog's blood levels are very high, but it gets pretty boring in the last few episodes.
There's plenty of kissing scenes though, if you like those.
The ending is.. open I guess. I suppose it's a sad one (nobody dies though...I think?), but I was kinda happy cause I really disliked Chen Yan by that point ahaha.
As far as characters go, Hai Teng is really your typical naive doormat c-drama heroine. Very kind but no backbone. She has an incredibly unbearable and shrill best friend who is an absolute crazy person and a total Karen.. is that redundant? Yang Ku An exists.
Chen Bai Lu is actually kinda refreshing; compared to Hai Tang, she's on the colder, mellower, and more mature side (relative to everyone else). For the most part, I liked her character, though she is just as dumb as the rest.
Chen Yan is a really...greasy, childish character. He's embarrassing and really pissed me off at some points (the sheer audacity this character has omg). He has some cute moments though, and his bulky old person phone amused me (idk why).
ACTING:
Acting is a solid OK from everyone, nothing too offensive aside from Zhang Tian Ai's dubbing.
I watched this because of Qu Chu Xiao. After being both emotionally victimized and impressed by his acting in Shining For One Thing, I wanted to see him in a lighter role. This was his first drama, so he is a bit green and a little uneven here. Likewise with Chen Ya An. Their acting is overall fine (some scenes are very good even), just a little green.
OST:
Bog-standard BGM stuff. Nothing noteworthy. There's just two OST tracks (I think???) and I don't remember how either of them go.
CONCLUSION:
This was a solid hate-watch. Despite the nonsense plot and the occasionally scuffed editing, this was surprisingly watchable for me (though the last couple episodes drag). I don't know how or why. I struggled to rate this because while it is very lacking on a technical level, I was pretty engaged and did have some fun watching.
Can't help but feel like the director was a bit of a perv though...
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It’s really sloppy writing and directing in my opinion. I mean (you’ll see), just some things are so unrealistic it’s ridiculous. He’s about to look at marriage certificate when phone rings so he doesn’t. I mean you look at it while on phone is probably what ninety nine percent of humans would do. There’s no slow motion in opening a chinese certificate , come on. On and on he gets close to finding out just before something intercepts. I get they’re trying to build the suspense but by the second interruption, it’ll only build your bad vocabulary and brain spasms. Yes, nineteen episodes and she’s still at dodgeball full swing.BUT, it’s not bad. As a commenter said in comments, watch with your smart cells off. It’s a sweet popcorn watch with whole kernels here and there. Leads are eye candy and seriously though, main guy really does have smoldering eyes that are too lovely to skip over. Lots of skinship that some see as aggressive. I know it’s fiction only in my sight so you can say it’s weird that I find it romantic pursuit.
So, don’t be turned off too quickly and give it a try if you’re looking for a fluffy sweet romance. If you’re serious minded and hate overloaded cliches and plot holes, it’s not for you.
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Gorgeous Couple, Interesting Mystery, Cute Ending
This is a short drama (less than 4 hours total) with two gorgeous characters solving an interesting murder mystery in a detective game. The ending is cute and not cliche either (I will spoil it at the end of my review). I wish it would be subbed soon, but it seems like Tencent prioritizes subbing their romance and dynasty costume dramas over non-romance and Republican-era dramas, especially if the leading actor/actress is not popular. It will be subbed eventually, so you can enjoy it.I would've rated it 8.5 if I completely understood the dialogue details (for me, the crime and Republican-era cultural word terminologies are rather difficult to understand).
STORY:
There is no synopsis on MDL at the moment I wrote this review. So here it is:
The Female Lead Nan Yu (Snow Kong) was originally a player in a matchmaking game to match as many couples to win the game. However, one day, because of a game glitch, she found herself in the Republic of China era, and her character is a forensic examiner. Nan Yu learned that she must solve a mysterious murder case to return to her world. Not only that, she also shared one body with the Male Lead Gao Han (Li Ge Yang), a player from another detective game, to solve the case. With different personalities and strengths/weaknesses, at first, they compete with each other to control the body. But then they work together as a team. But in the end, only one of the two can return to his/her own world.
The mystery murder case, although only one, ends up being interesting and quite complicated with several victims and several suspects, it's only solved in the final episode.
CHARACTER:
First, I thought that Nan Yu was a ditzy Female Lead when she played in the matchmaking game. But she was quite calm when seeing a dead body for the first time, lol, while being guided by Gao Han to do the autopsy. Her bickering with Gao Han is cute, too. I can say Nan Yu has a high EQ while Gao Han high IQ. Smart and mature Male Lead and Female Lead.
VISUAL:
With gorgeous Republican-era costumes, Snow Kong and Li Ge Yang really look good-looking together. Their visual is the reason for me to keep watching the drama. The costumes, props, and sets look well done considering this is a short-length series with a lower budget than mainstream dramas.
OST:
The ending theme is nice and catchy titled "Starlight Is In Your Hand" (星光在你手上) by Ye Xuan Qing (叶炫清)
SOME SPOILERS AND THE ENDING (Scroll down below if you're curious)
- The alternative title "Twins Detective" doesn't mean Nan Yu and Gao Han are twin siblings, but two people share one body.
- At first, Nan Yu and Gao Han share one body, but then Gao Han breaks the game system to enter the game with his own body. Thus, they become a detective couple.
- There is a slight romance blossoming between Nan Yu and Gao Han later in the drama. Cute, but doesn't take over the mystery plot.
- There is a SML (Second Male Lead) but he is a nice one. Unlike tropey jealous SMLs common in romance dramas, who are good first and then turn bad.
- Ending (scroll below):
A cute happy ending. In the beginning, since they shared one body, only one can return to his/her own world. Gao Han hacked the game system to enter the game. He also used a lot of his game energy to save Nan Yu's life. The game designer said only Nan Yu could return to her own world. He needed a lot of time to fix the game because Gao Han hacked the system. Since Nan Yu doesn't want to separate from Gao Han, they end up staying in the current Republican-era world while the designer fixes the game, and they open a detective agency together with homophone (same sound different meaning) of their combo names Yugao (that literally means "fish cake") Detective Agency. SML gave them a congratulatory gift, an item similar to the thing that they investigated before, lol!
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I didn't think I'd enjoy this movie as much as I did. I'm not usually a fan of movies with darker themes. This one, though, I really enjoyed. It wasn't too dark, but it certainly wasn't a lighthearted romp. Although comedy is listed under the genres, it's not all THAT funny. It has its moments. Some catch you off guard and may seem out of place while others break up the heaviness of the mood. They're there, but not overly frequent.
This movie isn't for kids. Or, if you're a kid and want to watch it, make sure you wear headphones and your parents don't walk in. There is nudity and there is sex. Each sex scene appropriately conveyed the feelings behind it. Passion and emotions drove one scene while crudeness and vileness drove others.
I would've given the movie a 9 overall, but throughout the movie, the main character annoyed me with the choices he made. I thought he was an idiot. Then again, without his choices there would be no story.
I think it's the mark of a good story when you find yourself, at times, cheering against the good guys, rooting for the bad guys, and having no sympathy for the deceased. The story, overall, isn't mind-blowing. There was also nothing too surprising, but it kept me intrigued.
I thought the acting was really good. I've never been a fan of Park Si Yeon, but her character was my favorite in this movie. Gi-Poong was a delightful addition to the movie. He provided some of the humor. Plus, I'm just a fan of Lee Kwang Soo. And, although the main character annoyed me, I was still rooting for him.
I don't remember music which is why I gave it a 5. I'm sure it was there somewhere, I just can't recall it.
I gave the re-watch value a six because I think I may eventually re-watch, but I'm not sure at the moment.
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Trotting Me into Boredom (Major spoilers ahead!)
I. The UglyThis drama is all about Lin Ze Hui's sexy clavicles and nothing else. It successfully took a bunch of good-looking people, a plot with some potential, and an expensive set, and set the whole lot on fire and watched as it razed all my expectations to the ground. I was so bored, and my boredom was not alleviated despite the ridiculously good-looking men: Lin Ze Hui as the ML seventh prince, Zhu Min Xin as the villain crown prince, and Zhang Zhexu as the FL's younger brother. Despite being linguistically challenged, I could use my limited Chinese skills to fill in the comprehension gaps and follow 95% of the drama. That tells you how cliched the script was.
In episode 1, we find out that the FL was originally meant to marry the villain crown prince, but he kills her father and brother on their wedding, supposedly because they were treasonous. Episode 1 opens with the FL unsuccessful in assassinating the villain. She then holds the ML seventh prince hostage before her vampiric disease is triggered by the scent of musk incense and she latches onto his clavicle like a baby calf to a cow's teats. The FL then poisons the ML to threaten him into helping her to investigate the allegations against her father. Their investigation leads them into many cringeworthy situations between episodes 2 and 5 which somehow ignites the sparks of attraction between them, and by the end of episode 6, the FL gives the antidote to the ML as she realises the poison is no longer necessary to secure his assistance and the ML confesses he is in love with the FL. At the end of episode 9, the FL meets her (supposedly dead) brother's doppelgänger but he tries to assassinate the FL and ML at the end of episode 10, and the duo only survive because the FL activates her violent martial artist vampire side with a sniff of her portable musk incense (they've basically written her as a crack whore). In episode 11, they find out that the villain crown prince had colluded with ministers to counterfeit currency, and he had likely murdered the FL's father and brother because they had discovered his crimes. By episode 14, the villain is determined to murder his own brother, the ML.
Here comes the absolute clanker: The assassination attempt in episode 14 fails, but the ML has been poisoned. So in episode 15, the FL confronts the villain. After she feeds the antidote to the ML, the FL is knocked out by the villain's subordinate and fed a memory-altering substance. The FL forgets her own identity and her family's deaths, but remembers that she is to marry the crown prince in a few days. The ML desperately tries to shock her memory back in episode 16, by bringing her to her abandoned childhood home (the scene of her father's and brother's murders). This fails but lo' and behold, in episode 17, the FL's brother returns healthy and whole, only this time he has his memory but she does not have hers. She regains her memory by episode 18, but continues to feign memory loss. The end of episode 18 and beginning of episode 19 spotted random comedy, and we get to see two beautiful men and one beautiful woman all squeeze into one bed. As it turns out, the villain is aware that the FL has regained her memory and they were plotting to find evidence against him in his palace. They are finally able to present evidence of the villain's misdeeds to the emperor in episode 21, with the (random) assistance of the villain's subordinate. The villain makes a last ditch effort to escape, fatally injuring the FL in the process. Hua Chanjuan's sister, Hua Mengchu (both portrayed by Zhu Xinyuan) is able to save the FL, on the condition that the ML marries her, to which the ML agrees. The FL is saved and Hua Mengchu insists that the ML marries her, but in episode 23, while the ML is ranting about how much he loves the FL, he discovers that his bride is the FL. Finally, in episode 24, they are able to confront the villain who goes on a lunatic's spiel and the FL gives him a less than tight slap. They ultimately discover that the ML was in the running for the crown prince position and was originally meant to be the one the FL marries, and they live happily ever after.
I have just summarised all 240 minutes in these two paragraphs. You no longer need to watch the drama.
II. The Bad
This is not Xu Zhenzhen's first collaboration with Lin Ze Hui, and yet there was absolutely zero chemistry. It felt more like a jiějiě 姐姐 appeasing her dìdì 弟弟. XZZ's acting also left a lot to be desired here. It was like she was playing a watered-down version of her role in Palace Shadows: Between Two Princes.
There were multiple inconsistencies and unexplained plot points. For example, in some scenes, the ML is quite skilled in fighting, but in other scenes, he requires the FL to rescue him. Another example, why would the villain want to force the FL to forget his misdeeds and try to marry her again, when the marriage would not benefit him anymore (her father being dead and all) and he was not in love with her? Also, why does the villain's subordinate have a sudden change of heart?
III. The Good
LZH is a beautiful man who also makes a beautiful woman in episode 7. The only reason I continued watching the drama was because he is truly good-looking and not a bad actor. You get to appreciate some sexy clavicles throughout this drama, sexy abs in episode 7, and some man-on-man action in episode 19.
IV. Verdict
Painfully boring. Skip unless you have nothing else to watch.
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I'm a big fan of Family Dramas, and I have to said that I really like this drama. Even though this drama is not one of the best family drama I had watched, I highly recommended. For me, I feel like the drama was a bit slow in the beginning and rush toward the end, but to even it out, the story line was really good in my point view. Yes, the story line is simple/light and not that dramatic like how other "korean dramas", but there are some funny, cute, and sad moments that I love. SPOILER: The only downside I have for this drama is there was no (romance*) between Moon Sik and Park Hyun Ha :(((
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There were loopholes, like how some supporting characters were just pushed off the screen without much of a excuse. But without paying too much attention to these small details and just focus on the big picture, the story can be romantically heart-wrenching. It's almost like an adaptation of "A Wedding Invitation", which stars Bai Bai He and Eddie Peng. The story lines are very similar. The cast are both just as wonderful. Joseph Chang challenges the role of a man who very much loves his wife (ex-wife, etc) and tries to yield to her every demand. I can never get bored of Bai Bai He because she is simply amazing with her roles, always challenging the opposite sex with her prowess. This was a well directed film.
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Great plot, average execution
What I like.This drama has a great and convincing plot. I was not expecting the plotwist and it was a great surprise. Initially, I thought it was a cliche story about enemies turned lover however there is more to this story than that. It would be a great opportunity if the plot also evolved more around this but the drama focuses more on the romance so it kind-a fell flat.
What I don't like.
The acting and storyline does not live up to expectation. There are so many ways they can approach this movie but they choose to drag the romancy stuff. The banter couple plot was overused and it seemed redundant. If you need a good laugh on how cringy a drama can get, you can start with this one.
Verdict,
Its good entertainment if you have 90 minutes to spare.
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violent underworld
Overall: appreciate that this was a grittier/less frequently told story, felt a bit Romeo and Juliet with warring families/factions. 12 episodes about 55 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala worldwide (except Thailand) https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/5273/the-bangkok-boy-2025-e01 and WeTV - uncut https://wetv.vip/en/play/4ckwvmilrazmpan/w410108n8as-EP01%3A_The_Bangkok_boy_Series_(Uncut_Ver.) and cut version (free to watch) https://wetv.vip/en/play/eu6iplbsnlhyh0u/d4101iaz1gu-EP01A%3A_The_Bangkok_boy_Series Later aired on Munwork Mediafilm YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0Sl68FYmlrNeeUVKcRnJtZ8MUWFRMb1W&si=UwDa3MCYpQyx2jBUContent Warnings: past and current murders/death, gang rape, sexual assault, suicidal thoughts/near suicide attempt, blood, violence, beaten up, torture, child abuse, police brutality, drugging, kidnapping/held against will, con con picture taking/sharing, manipulation, blackmail, non con kissing turned consensual
Watch Suggestions (to remove most content warnings and focus on romance but you will miss a lot of plot, uncut timings)
- episode 3 watch 22-24:45
- episode 4 24:45-28:15, 47:45-53:45
- episode 5 watch 43:30-45 (start of GL)
- episode 6 watch 14:40-22:20, 43:15-44:30
- episode 7 watch 6:40-7:15 and 40:50-44:05
- episode 8 watch 14-15:15, 16-17:50, 24:30-25:45, 25:20-34:20 GL, 39-45, 48:50-54:10
- episode 9 watch 5-7:05 and 9:10-14 for GL; watch 20-24:30, 35-37:50 and 41:50-42:40
- episode 10 watch 15-18:20
- episode 11 watch 7:55-22
- episode 12 watch 57:45-1hr 1min
What I Liked
- different plot/aesthetics
- fight scenes seemed well done
- visuals
- showed how things changed in episode 3
- Mei's character felt realistic
- in episode 7 a character quickly resolved a misunderstanding
- twisty*
Room For Improvement
- started in the present and then moved into a flashback which wasn't super clear at first
- what sounded like AI English dubbing in early episodes
- a lot of characters, they could have removed a few/some side plots
- coffee shop guy was smiling while saying it's a shame in episode 3
- two accidental falls in episode 4
- nonsense stuff including the cliche 'you wouldn't understand if I told you', nonsense lighting and zero security cameras
- *though it at times felt too twisty
- in the finale, a character death had zero weight, they didn't show reactions to it at all
- (neutral) wished a character had been out of the hospital before a relationship started
- (neutral) cliffhanger ending, if they end up doing a season 2 I may bump up my rating to a 9
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“Prison is the only place that won’t kick you out no matter how badly you behave.”
“Society today is extremely cruel to people who step off the path. But even those of us who stay on the path aren’t happy. So we’re unforgiving.”How does one find their way back into society when society is doing everything to keep you out of it? What I loved about this movie is the fact that it doesn't just focus on one side. It depicts social issues, such as inequalities, prejudice and how unforgiving society can be. But it also deals with how our protagonist became the person he is now and how your life choices can define who you are.
Mikami is impulsive, easily angered and impatient. He wears his heart on his sleeve, longs to find a place in life and just wants to feel appreciated. I loved him the moment I saw the sadness in his eyes. Mikami might not be in prison anymore, but it would be foolish to call him free.
Directed with emotional depth and empathy, well-acted by the whole cast and refined with a beautiful soundtrack. For some people it might feel slow or even incoherent at times. But for me it was all about those little moments and Yakusho Koji giving the performance of his life.
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There was a few things that bothered me a little, mainly the forcefulness of the lead at times. Though I could understand that he didn't have any intentions, it just prevented me from fully enjoying some of the scenes. With that said, I could accept it more because the female lead stood up to him and didn't stand for it sometimes. The plot was straightforward, the romance was really hot and full of cuteness, and it was all in all an organic development done by a trusted formula of dislike to understanding to acceptance to appreciation and finally to love. One thing I really appreciated about this drama was that there was no misunderstandings. The couple had constant communication and talked things through!
The main leads are new to me but wow their acting is so real like it feels like they're dating, honestly, so props to their acting! Ha Suk Jin does his character so well, transforming between a lovable petulant man-child to a responsible, caring boyfriend. His character growth because of Kim Da Da's influence as a kind teacher and person (Jeon So Min) was a delight to see!
The 'villain' was almost like comedic relief, considering how utterly nonsensical her actions were.
Music was cute and fitting.
I recommend this drama! It's short enough that I want more episodes (~30-45 minutes per episode) At the same time, I feel like this is the perfect length that cut out all the unnecessary angst and filler a longer drama would have. It's short and sweet, literally! A definite watch for rom-com/ romance lovers out there. ?
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I'm a huge fan of So Ji-Sub so that was one of the main reasons I decided to watch this, but I also really loved Son Ye-jin's performance in Something In The Rain, and neither of them disappointed me. They executed their roles perfectly, along with the little boy I was extremely impressed with all of the acting in this movie. The story line was well written, and I definitely didn't expect the plot twist and the end (I guess you will have to go watch the movie to know what the plot twist is). The whole plot was unpredictable but that's what made it so amazing.
In regards to music I don't really remember the sound track, but I really loved the song Some by Bolbbalgan4.
Overall I would highly recommend this movie, I'm going to rewatch it tonight and I don't think anybody should be deprived of the pleasure to watch this, because it was just that amazing.
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