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A Refreshing Breath of Air
This drama has a very deep lore for people who are associated with Yaoi fandoms and have been watching asian dramas for long in general. On the surface it is a mere comedy drama but the writing is actually genius. I rarely rate anything a 10/10 actually but I think this one deserves it and let me explain why :1. THE YAOI LORE : This drama took me back to the early japanese Yaoi where crazy good looking characters with extremely unrealistic desirable traits used to be created. This one using the classic 'F4' trope and the various Kabedon situations and the Yaoi tropes employed had me chuckling but also left me impressed. They were parodied well and were really funny but I never felt like they were mocking the genre. Although it was supposed to be caricaturish but they still treated the whole thing with respect and appreciation.
2. THE SIDE CHARACTERS : Each side character has a personality of its own and perfectly capable of existing as an Individual that does not need the main character to have a life of its own. They feel like real people and frankly if this was developed into more episodes they all will have a lot to contribute. This was the most impressive point of this drama. Be it her parents or other students they are all so well written. Although it is just a 16 episodes drama with each episode being half an hour long sp really its like an 8 episode mini-series but I feel like they really took their time to write this.
3. INTERESTING AND REFRESHING PREMISE : I did not skip a single second of this drama. I was not bored for even a moment. I don't even remember when that happened the last time while watching an asian drama. I would not say thats its a masterpiece but it is genuinely the best thing I have seen in last 2 years.
4. INSPIRATIONAL : 'The coming of Age' factor is really heavy in this one. The teacher - student relationship is genuinely heart touching and by the end of the series I felt like picking up back on Writing as a hobby that I left a long time back. This drama left me weirdly emotional on many parts and I was surprised by the depth of it because I did not delve into this expecting that.
ALL I WANNA SAY IS I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS DRAMA AND I WILL DEFINITELY REWATCH THIS MORE THAN ONCE !!!!
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This review may contain spoilers
Candy Eye Male Leads and Dog Trainer Female Lead.
There is 4 Version for this adaptation story and I watched 3 of them including this version (Tian Jiu Luo, Jinzi and Wang Yunyun). For the Stellar Male Cast, This one wins for sure when you can see Lan Bo, Yi Hang, Huang Youtian and Liu Ziheng on the same drama It's like F4 for costume drama in vertical short drama.All of plot are same with same open ending (There is hint for season 2 as the novel still ongoing) so there is nothing to compare between the version. I will make notes for the main cast.
-Wang Yunyun stills play safe like her usual costume drama. Not too bad but also not great either. At least she are not making Female Lead look like bratty princess and still got the 'dog-trainer' literal meaning. For Yun Qi character, I still like Tian Jiao Luo boldness and she still wins over Jin Zi characterization.
-Lan Bo plays as general who was FL ex husband for two days. For the characterization most of all version are same with forceful attitude. I disliked ML characterization even there is season 2 i wont hope FL ends with him. in all the version. Ming Chuan and Zhang Tingrui are losing with slightly difference with Lan Bo.
-Huang Youtian plays as crippled prince for all the version i quite like FL with him despite calculating attitude and he never force FL and just getting along with her antics. He still win over the three version. I am rooting for FL and this ML to end together.
-Yi Hang well i quite like him in here and he plays FL 'adopted' brother aka Yun Jin Chen while actually he just slave for her family. He suits playing dog prince. For this i favored Yi Hang over other previous versions.
-Liu Zi Heng compares to all these male lead here has most weak advantage due his acting skills and the Xie Lin Yu was supposed to be comedic character while he lack the fun part compared to previous version (The Jin Zi one is the funniest followed by Tian Jiao Luo version).
I enjoy FL can kiss all the MLs like the original version even still lacks of seductress feeling. But I like her chemistry with Huang Youtian in here.
Overall, I recommended to watch this first if you haven't watch the Tian Jiu Luo one.
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so unique! i'm pleasantly surprised
since the movie was only 30 mins long the story was very compressed, I think it would've been a lot better as a full-length movie with more detail because it’s such an interesting plot idea. i still enjoyed it and this movie is just a bit of fun isn’t it, not to be taken too seriously and they did a really good job too. I loved how they brought in a different genre (horror) rather than just the classic romance bl. since it was so short I definitely recommend watching it, you’re not going to lose anything and it's hard to get bored mid-way through since it's only 30 mins and things kept happening. I found myself feeling bad for the characters, laughing along and really getting into it too.Was this review helpful to you?
1Finding joy and staying patient while living the mundane life,
as we all learn to find beauty in the tiny moments - a smile from a child, sun coming through the branches of the trees, other people’s happiness.Perfect Days is weirdly relatable in its simplicity. Smiling because of the shadows dancing on the wall is something that happens to me often - little moments that when appreciated, can make your day better. The movie allows you to stop for a minute and take in all the everyday wonders we often miss.
Watching Hirayama enjoy his daily routines and finding things to appreciate when the known pattern is broken made me think that every situation comes with a set of things to welcome with gratitude and things to be patient about. No bad moment lasts forever, no happy moments can exist, if we don’t notice them.
Yakusho Koji’s performance alone could be seen as the 8th wonder of the world. Even with little to no dialogue, he was able to express all the depth and internal complexity. Hirayama truly is a character we could learn from - patient, kind, helpful, giving, perceptive, diligent. Someone who cherishes each and every moment finding time to note the beauty of his surroundings.
Visually speaking I was in awe when watching it in the cinema. The use of light and shadows, well crafted set designs, interesting shots and angles - while I am glad I was able to see it all on the big screen, I also wish I could take screenshot of each and every scene and be able to come back to the pictures representing the beauty of the daily life.
Inspired by the movie, let me name a few things that brought a smile on my face in recent times:
How shadows that added to the beauty of the art I was viewing, creating a unique experience for that specific moment.
A cute drawing kids made with a chalk on the pavement.
The sun making the water flicker as if the waves were carrying little diamonds.
How a dirty window on the bus stop actually made the sunset I saw look even more magical.
How I drew a smile on a mandarin and it smiled at me the whole lecture.
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One of the best short dramas
What's Wrong With My Princess is first a revenge drama then a romance. There is very little traditional "romance" trappings within the short story but it still manages to demonstrate two people learning to trust eachother and growing closer as a married couple.Because we are given a front row seat to exactly what happens in her previous life to have her reincarnated back 5 years in the past, it's very easy to be invested in the revenge that is plotted out slowly over the course of the series. Each time the 7th Princess tricks one of the the antagonists we get reminded that they have it coming and more. Meanwhile watching the 7th Prince is no hard task. Seeing him as he supports his wife in her quest for revenge without ever even being told what they "did" to deserve this treatment was refreshing. He came to know her and her values and as such completely trusted that they must have done something truly awful to be treated in such a manner.
The music used was repetitive but soothing and fit the show. The acting was rather good for a short drama with the 7th Princess keeping mostly a poker face but sometimes slipping to show her utter disgust of the people before her when they weren't watching.
As for the last second ending, anyone who knows anything about these types of stories knew the "it was a dream" was coming. After all, it was between that or "it was a story she was writing/reading". That said they slipped the line in so quickly and then moved on that it's truly skippable and doesn't even really change the story we watched since the only dream part was the original life if understanding the line correctly.
Overall the show is absolutely worth a watch. I could even see myself watching a longer version that gave more detail about the backstop and showed them with perhaps a bit more conflict before 100% trusting each other.
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Rough around the edges
I couldn’t stop giggling from the chemistry in the first 16 episodes. Those two, Gan Yang and Ding Zi Tong, are well matched. The story itself was lacking in parts but the actors and actresses did an astounding job with the script.I've seen people complain about the misunderstandings but I think that the big misunderstanding that lead to the breakup was understandable compared to some other dramas I've seen.
Both characters had their own flaws but at the end of the day, they just wanted to protect the other. I'd say they acted like each others sheild but ended up as each others enemy.
I didn’t really care about the attempt at making up which was almost completely one-sided sadly. Their sad scenes weren't as good as their cute, lovey dovey scenes and then each of their big reveals to each other about everything that happened during and after that breakup was rushed and neither seemed to care rather than to be silent and "feel bad". I wanted some yearning and begging from both sides because they are both stupid😂
That being said this drama is more character driven than plot driven and the drama does a good job with that. Don't take the drama too serious and you won't be disappointed. Also people need to stop the comparison with lighter and princess to this drama. They are not the same even if they are the same genre. Good bye now👋
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The plot. It is interesting, in fact, very interesting enough how they unfold each mysteries at a time. Not reading any spoilers about this show helps peak up my interest in this drama.
Actors. This is the first time that I have watched a Park Bo Gum drama. I am more of a Lee Min Ho person so I haven’t placed any interest in him up until now. And I ask myself, why now? I have added Park Bo Gum to my list of handsome Korean male leads and I am going to watch another of his dramas after this. The chemistry with his female lead Hong Ra On ( Kim Yoo Jung) here is very evident and I really find her acting very profound and her image is so easy in the eyes that I have began loving her and her acting in this drama. Good casting indeed!
The only downside I see here is I wish that our female lead would be a bit powerful considering what family background she came from. Instead, I see someone who needs a lot of saving. She should have equipped herself with some fighting skills so as not to appear helpless all the time. I was looking for more girl power in the sense. Nevertheless, she has other strengths like her writing prowess and with a good memory, she can be a good strategist in the sense. Good enough to help our King as she stands beside him. After all, behind every king stands people that he trusts and will back him up no matter what.
Sword fight and action scenes. I must say I love the sword fights. Our actors namely Your Highness Crown Prince Hyo, Chief of Rites Kim Yoon Sung and Kim Byung Yeon greatly placed a lot of training and efforts into the fight scenes particularly on how they handle their swords. Simply takes my breath away sometimes.
Although there were scenes that were dull, still this show managed to take us to heightened moments. I like the idealism of the king and what he hoped his ruling of the kingdom might be.
Anyway, I have decided that every time I do a review, I will have to go through my checklist. A have come up with a checklist that every Korean drama has and I must say, Love in the Moonlight almost have it all
- [x] Based on a fairy tale or there is a fairy tale reference ( Little Mermaid)
- [ ] Kissing scenes
- [x] peck on cheeks
- [x] smack or peck on lips
- [ ] forehead
- [ ] 10-15 seconds kisses
- [ ] Hugs or Holding hands
- [x] back hugs
- [ ] usual hugs
- [x] Shopping involved
- [x] Jewelry or giving of jewelry to either male or female and vice versa
- [ ] Marriage at the end
- [ ] Cooking ( apart of course if it is a drama on food or cooking show)
- [ ] Noodles or ramyeon
- [x] Drinking and lots of Soju
- [x] piggy back
- [x] Action scenes. Sword fight or gun fight
- [ ] Product endorsements and presence
- [x] Cheesy lines and dialogues
- [x] Bromance
- [x] Alcohol and jealousy
- [x] Library scene or books involved
“Destiny can never be made nor it can be avoided.” Over-all, this tv series have enough drama, romance and definitely action with its twists and turns. A feel-good series.
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Just a simple romantic fantasy movie
I have been following this movie since it came out and just heard the reviews are unfavorable regionally and internationally. Yet i encourage you to watch this movie without any bias, but based on the fact that you love a good simple romantic film.Plot summary:
Childhood friends who lost each other and found each other again after many years, thanks to fate! However, life happens along the way and their love is tested. Fantasy elements are introduced and the unfortunate couple tries to change their destiny to stay alive, but this time without each other. Yet as the saying goes, what is meant for you will find you no matter what.
Acting:
I saw CFY in Lighter and Princess and i dare say he is improving. he is a young actor and is in the learning process. then again, in this very particular movie, he portrays a very normal youngster who is in love but goes through hardships in life.
Zhou Ye is also quite decent and depicted a very cheerful yet faithful lover. Both had good chemistry together. i just wished we could see more kiss scenes, albeit the ones shown were ok imo.
Writing:
It's a movie so we can't expect to see many details and elaboration of how things are. everything is fast-paced. Also, this movie is a fantasy romance, so many things cannot be explained with logic. it's just how it is. One thing that was a bit questionable to me was that they keep saying their love is tested and that we can't fight destiny. Yet in the end, we see a different scenario. Like are they gonna suffer again? the curse was gone? did they go through the loophole again? but the ending was kinda nice. they got what they deserved.
Production and soundtrack:
The movie is rather simple. It has been filmed in very simple locations as it is in most movies. The soundtrack was kinda nonexistent. I didn't hear anything playing Lol
Overall, it's a beautiful romantic movie. Nothing that extraordinary, but very beautiful if you're into romance. Don't pay attention to the overly negative or overly positive ratings.
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The bad points: The fashion and wardrobe of the characters at times was pretty horrendous, but otherwise there weren't really any.
The acting was one of the best I've ever seen, and I only really didn't care for the chracter of Kiri who was Kaoru's friend. Kiri could be such a B at times, but you couldn't help feeling sorry for her lonliness.
Music was okay, but got a bit repetive hence the lower score.
Will I watch this drama again? Definitely -it has gone to classic status in my drama portfolio. I can almost completely assure you that this drama will leave you with a fuzzy happy feeling at it's end and that you won't regret watching it!
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This review may contain spoilers
A Refreshing, No-Nonsense Mini Cdrama Gem
I’ve watched up to Episode 20 (waiting for the rest to drop), and this is one of the best mini cdramas I’ve seen. Someone compared it to The Double, and after watching, I get it.What I Loved:
The FL’s independence – She chooses to do everything on her own, and I respect that.
Lead chemistry – Their dynamic is lovely, with calm, wordless scenes that speak volumes. You just know they’re in love.
No unnecessary misunderstandings (from what I remember). A rare gem in a sea of cdramas filled with filler episodes and miscommunication tropes.
The costumes were great for the budget—no complaints there.
The oldest princess – Her backstory about being limited by her gender ("a woman’s role is to birth children") added depth, even if it doesn’t excuse her actions. Also, the actress is gorgeous!
What I Had Issues With:
The 2ML – I feel bad for him if he actually has feelings because the FL clearly doesn’t see him that way. His care for the child and offering her money showed his kindness, but I almost wish he’d been written as a female character instead.
The father & brother – I wish them worse. Did they die?(i don't remember) Probably not.
The FL’s decision in Ep 16 – Why did she go to the ML while he was tied up? The only reason he survived was plot armor. If he had died, it would’ve been entirely her fault. The princess seemed hurt, but… she caused it, so?
The white makeup – I couldn’t stop noticing how much paler the actors’ faces were compared to their necks. I know they’re supposed to be "pale," but the contrast was too obvious, especially on the oldest princess and FL. (It made me laugh, but still.)
Who was the princess referring to when she said the ML resembled "him"? Did we ever find out?(did i miss this?")
Final Thoughts:
The FL’s choice to leave the ML (because everyone acted like they were doing her a favor) made sense, but… five years? That’s a long time. I expected the ML to at least try to change her mind. Now, with only four episodes left, I guess she’ll finally reconsider?
The communication between the leads is chef’s kiss—no stupid misunderstandings, just two people who actually talk. What more could I ask for?
The FL’s acting was impressive, especially since this is her first main role. She’s only been in about four dramas so far, but she did a great job.
One of the rare cdramas I’d actually rewatch. Highly recommended!
After watching ep 21, I feel bad for the ML! His sister revealing he’s been depressed all these years? Oof. That final scene was so cute though—give me more of these soft moments!
Okay, I forgot about the series for a bit, but I'm back! Just watched episode 22.
What really stood out to me was the female lead's realization: the male lead doesn't need anyone else's connections or status to succeed in court. He can do it entirely on his own strength.
SPOILER FROM EP.22 (fl's Monologue):
"Did I make a wrong choice five years ago?
I thought he could marry someone of equal standing, someone who could help him gain a foothold in court.
But I never expected he would be so stubborn.
I should have known this is how he is.
He doesn't need to rely on anyone to break through and establish himself.
Perhaps the true coward here is me..."
That last line? Absolutely loved it. It's such a powerful moment of self-awareness for her.
Final Thoughts on the ending and overall:
Heading into the last episode, I appreciate that the core message seems to be: love isn't just about passion; it's built on trust, loyalty... (and so on).
While I loved it, I do understand the 7.4/10 rating a bit more now. The low budget showed, especially in the ML's hair in the final episode, it just looked unnatural and weird to me.
(what i mean is don't trust ratings)
Love the messages!
I genuinely wish both lead actors the best of luck and hope to see them in bigger projects! More than anything, I wish we could get more dramas like this with mature communication instead of annoying miscommunication plots but with bigger budgets!
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But I think I have a cavity.
Story (6.5):
This show was pretty much perfect for quite a ways. There was a great premise and set up, plenty of romantic drama and potential sabotages, media frenzies, fan greets, drama, romance, will they won't they... And then stuff calmed down.
And then the story went bonkers. I don't want to offend anyone, because the story is actually emotional and moving and it's not stupid or like I hate it, but it did change the tone of the drama. In my eyes, it broke up with most of the realism and down to earth maturity of the drama I'd felt to that point and got a new girlfriend called all the k-drama cliches you can think of.
I'm not going to lie, we saw some of this stuff coming from miles away and there are sooo soo many coincidences riddled throughout this drama, but as that ending kept going and oh wait another secret thing and okay that's convenient now that I think about it that's super coincidental... it's great but kicked me a bit out of starry eyed love into dispassionate appreciation mode. :)
I think if it had fewer episodes it would have been great. Either that or they need to change up their drama. Some of that stuff I was okay with but eventually I stopped caring all that much.
By far my favorite part of the plot was her undercover fangirling which also suffered a hit when the end drew near. I felt that particular storyline lacked full conclusion compared to other aspects. The last two episodes were twiddle my fingers candy. :D
Okay, enough criticism, now everything else is perfect.
Acting/Cast (10.0):
Park Min Young is (and has been) one of my favorite actresses (perhaps even my #1) and Kim Jae Wook is great in this drama. I was hesitant about the pairing at first and it's still not my favorite pairing (I much prefer Ji Chang Wook), but combined with their chemistry and Jae Wook's brilliant portrayal of a perfect boyfriend, you can't hate on this lead couple.
All of the other cast is very well done (yes even crazy director), but I think one of my favorites was the actress Kim Bo Ra who played Cindy. After watching this show, I realized I've seen her in a handful of other shows, most recently Ghostderella. I would honestly love to see a spin off show of her and that potential romantic interest at the end (not gonna spoil it guys). That would be such a fun show :D
Music (9.0):
That main opening song kept getting stuck in my head! I'd be going around thinking "All I want is you, all I want is you!" lol. There wasn't a whole lot else that stuck out, but there are other good songs throughout this show even down to the background music playing in the Cafe.
Rewatch Value (9.0):
There's such an assortment of fun and cute moments in this show, it's highly rewatchable. I'll admit, I'll probably stick to the first half, but don't put down the rest so easily.
Overall (8.5):
So overall, some mixed feelings; well over halfway, this completely topped What's Wrong With Secretary Kim (WWWSK), but as it kept going so much felt thrown on to keep the show going and also made the show lose some of it's credibility that it'd done so well holding to for awhile. We could see some of it coming for awhile, and I'd groaned a bit, but expected it... and then they just kept adding on... But if I'm really bored of a show I have trouble watching it, and that was not the case here. I watched every episode the day it came out... so yeah.
Compared to WWWSK they come up about even in my recollection, though this has the lead in the first half.
Recommend to all rom-com fans especially if you're sick of people who don't communicate and stop talking over minor mis-understandings and act like teenagers when they're in their 30s. This show is for you!
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good start, lackluster ending
Overall: I liked it overall but will add a half point to this review if they do a season 2 as there were several plot threads hanging. 8 episodes about 7 minutes each. Aired on Sukfilm's YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYfaogVGCvwR6JKy1hl4Jq93_HjCqSLgc&si=dKNaW9aTzGwFqFUg - SUKFILM made these BLs: Seoul Blues, Blue Boys and Bad GuyContent Warnings: dub/non con kiss, unwanted outing
What I Liked
- a character's actions show that he's romantically interested without an exposition dump or voice over
- visuals
- cheeky with the drink
- good kissing
Room For Improvement
- they needed to focus on the main leads and get rid of the queer panic if it was going to be resolved in a second
- the music with lyrics needs to be quieter when the characters are speaking
- in episode 4, one character's reactions
- in episode 4 if he had said that with the wallet privately then it would have been fine but I think in front of the line it went into mean/cruel territory
- one character gave me whiplash with hot & cold
- the dub/non con kiss (when someone is sleeping)
- episode 8 was not a good way to end a series
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This review may contain spoilers
Refreshingly different revenge drama
I was getting so bored of the same revenge storyline dramas so I was not too optimistic when I started this one. But I’m glad I did. This was a revenge drama done right. There was nothing overly excessive about it.... it was just done right. I loved the fact that the female lead was such a strong one. I loved that they finally showed a ML who didn’t shy away from his feelings... who was portrayed as being sensitive, caring from the get go. Bank played his role beautifully...he was a natural. I’m so glad it want the usual slap/kiss revenge dramas with a lot of hate and mistrust. Even the crazy female villains were toned down. There are lots of sweet moments between the leads... again a rare thing. I highly recommend this drama ...loved itWas this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
There are a LOT of gender-bender/girls in pants titles in Dramaland, and I love just about all of them, but if I had to pick my favorite it is definitely Coffee Prince. Aside from the obvious awesome set up and favorite tropes this drama plays to, what cemented my love for this thing is the fact that the series wasn’t afraid to actively utilize the subject of homosexuality for the plot. Most of the time this trend makes me feel a bit uncomfortable because it’s often handled in a very badly done way, or for the purposes of comedy that falls flat. Not the case for Coffee Prince. Why? Well, the answer might be considered a spoiler, but the fact is the script writers don’t just toy with making the hero briefly question his sexuality, but that this is a huge point of conflict for the plot that resolves itself in one of the most beautiful scenes I have ever frackin’ witnessed. I also adore the fact that heroine opens the drama as a tomboy AND closes the drama as a tomboy, that she doesn’t magically get femininized just because she’s got a guy. The script handles the issue of homosexuality and gender roles in a very respectful manner. Add in the glorious sexual tension between the two characters (notice that’s becoming a recurring theme in my recommendations) and this ranks really high in my favorite dramas, no question! Was this review helpful to you?
