Reviews

The criminally underrated drama of 2019

REVIEW :
' You remember the thing with your head but cherish memories in your heart. '

This drama starts off so casually, Once that brink of sadness starts, it feels inescapable.
From the synopsis, as you may have read, It starts on the fun part of a divorce.

You'll love this drama when you're in search for something profound, with proper depth, realistic and most above that if you're a mature person.
This drama is strictly for mature people.

The initial plot is a bit messed up but the execution is brilliant.
The transition from a couple struggling to a divorce situation and the comeback years later.
Phenomenal!
There are moments in your life when you feel empty, tired of watching your regular dramas and movies, this is where this drama strikes. It's simply breathtaking!
It's sad but in the most positive way.
That maturity of never giving up, never losing hope!

I didn't have the courage to complete this drama as I found myself stuck, currently on episode 12.
Even the characters are breathtaking, true to themselves.
Especially the leads, Kim Ha Neul's choice of drama speaks for itself.
She never disappoints me.
Controversial and daring topics but she pays off every time.
One of my fav actresses.
A brave decision to play such a part on such a plot.
It isn't easy!
And Kam Woo Sung, this was my first drama of his. What a legendary actor he is!
His voice reflected the toughness required to play the character, the mentality, the transition of an Alzheimer's patient.
There's nothing better than a Slice of Life category.
The warmth and the cold striking you like nothing has ever.
Drama's like this make you feel tender, And since I haven't seen much of such, I find them profound.
I'll complete this when I find my strength back xD

I decided to
A perfect 9 for this one. ^^

HOW ALZHEIMERS AFFECT YOUR LIFE : SOURCE QUORA ( I found this answer on quora and sharing it for the sole purpose of awareness how it affects our lives .)

First, it depends upon the stage of dementia: mild, moderate or severe.

In mild dementia, it seems to be like being a functional alcoholic's day, as far as cognition goes. You're able to do what you need to do, but some little things get missed, such as your T-shirt is on backwards, but you don't notice, or you can't find the sugar bowl so you start taking apart cupboards and end up going without coffee and the kitchen is a mess. Later, you swear you did not do that. You have no memory of doing it, and the more another person argues you did, indeed, make that mess, the angrier you get. You did not. They are lying.

The whole day goes like this- close to normal, but not quite. Routines are easy, anything new is... more difficult. And, if asked about someone or thing from earlier in the day, you may or may not remember the event. By the end of the day, you're tired of thinking, but your brain keeps throwing up odd thoughts and ideas- things like, "I can't find the car keys. Someone must have stolen them! I need the car keys" and you may wander, rummage, pull things out of drawers for a couple hours, at the end of which you may be unable to tell anyone for what it was you were searching. Even more telling, you may not have driven a car for the past five years.

During moderate dementia, each day is more moment to moment, and routine is your friend. Anything which is routine is easier for you to experience. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, that's how your day is scheduled. But something out of the ordinary- like a doctor's appointment- can throw you. You may balk at going, at getting dressed and getting in the car and going; there's so much mental stimulation involved in such a non-routine event, you prefer to stick to what you know: Breakfast, lunch, dinner- and maybe sitting in the sun, watching the world go by.

Activities like taking a shower can become difficult for you; if you think about it, a shower is an event which is very high in stimulation of all sorts: The bathroom is very separate from your normal living space- usually hard-edged and cold-seeming. Then you must take all your clothing off- naked- that's just a lot of stimulation itself, and the memories loosely associated with naked are also fraught with stimulation. The shower makes noise, the temperature difference is apparent, there's soap and shampoo and the scrunchie thing, water in your eyes, your ears, the space is confined, and, by this time, someone is usually in there with you, "helping", which is just weird, no matter how much you understand and accept you need help. It's one sign diagnostic of moderate dementia: You may start to not like to be washed and clean- shower or bath.

I remember a gentleman in the Facility I worked in in Washington State; he was new, and hadn't been showered at the hospital, so on his first full day, the aides gave him a shower. He spent the rest of the afternoon in tears because, "They threw me in the corner and pelted me with rocks like a piece of trash!" That's what he felt like. Another woman would walk, up and down the corridors, but stay far away from windows, saying "There's Indians out there! They're going to attack!" It took a long time to figure this one out; she would pace and pace, and could not sit still, always talking about Indians shooting arrows at us. Finally a nurse asked her if she had been hit by an arrow? Yes. Where'd they get you? Right here, and she clutched her low back, arrggghhhh! It hurt so much! Going through her medical history a bit closer, we discovered she had been in a car accident years before and suffered a low back injury. She'd been telling us for weeks what was happening to her, but not in a way which made sense to us; to her, it made perfect sense: It felt like an arrow in her back. And who used arrows? Indians!

You are losing words, but it doesn't matter much since those around you ignore that loss and fill in the blanks. Sometimes, you cannot understand what someone else said, like they are speaking a foreign language, and this can make you automatically refuse whatever is being spoken about- that, too, makes a certain amount of sense. Someone babbling to you in a foreign language and making "Come with me" motions is someone to view with suspicion, don't you think? Moderate dementia is the longest part of the disease, usually, which is why I'm spending so much time on it.

The slow slide into severe dementia is sometimes difficult to spot as far as an actual line of demarcation, but one sign is sleeping more and more often. Even during formerly pleasurable activities, such as familiar and enjoyed music, the damage to your brain is so profound, the stimulation is not enough to keep you awake. You sleep, perchance to dream, but we don't know; what we know is damage to the areas which are usually lit up like a Christmas tree during dreaming is profound, but, since we don't really understand sleep or dreaming, and it seems rather cruel to take someone who doesn't do well in new situations into a sleep lab and wire their brains for sound and colour, stick them in a tube and say, "Don't move", we don't know. But that is one of the things I've always wondered about; it seems to me by the time you are in severe dementia, the difference between awake and dreaming is invisible.

Speech is limited, you may have a full thought in your head, but only one or two words come out, if any. Caregivers learn to listen for the first two or so words and try to discern what the thought is from there, because that's usually all we get. Eyesight is odd; you don't know what it is you are seeing. My current "farthest along in Alzheimer's" Resident today did not recognize a puppy. She saw it, she gazed at it, I placed her hand on it, but she looked then at her hand, not the puppy, and there was absolutely no engagement between her and the stimulation provided. She no longer hears music, which is a shame, because she loved music her whole life long, We still play it for her, we still put on her favorite musicals, but there's no engagement anymore. She does not hear or see any of it other than perhaps a fleeting spark of memory, now gone.

In severe dementia, everything is moment to moment, routine means nothing anymore, because there is no past or future, only now.

And then you start your last slide into end-stage dementia; you sleep 20.5 hours out of 24, and when you are awake, you may as well be dreaming. You do not meet anyone's eyes, you do not react in any manner to much beyond very painful stimulation, you are almost gone. We try to feed you, but you don't seem to know what to do with the food in your mouth, and you may choke, which could result in aspiration pneumonia- never a good thing. Your urine output drops, peristalsis decreases, your body temperature may rise. And as your organs start to shut down, you sleep, and sleep, and sleep, and slip away, very peacefully. You're gone.

That's what Alzheimer's type dementia is like.

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Beautiful story about love, hate, understanding and self-sacrifice

For me Fangs of Fortune was highly anticipated drama because I love mythology/folklore based stories. Inspired with "Classic of Mountains and Seas", deep, intense and very philosophical, this drama now has a special place in my heart. I won't analyze everything in detail, I'll just describe what I liked the most.
Fate. Found family. Inner conflicts. Selflessness and righteousness. There's a lot to be said about this drama, but the most important for me is how unique it is in terms of relationships dynamics. Hou Minghao and Tian Jiarui did amazing job portraying their characters whose complex relationship and tragic fate form the heart of the story. For Zhuo Yichen it was long way from hatred to compassion, understanding and deep affection. For Zhao Yuanzhou, it began from "Promise me to kill me" but progressed to "Promise me that we'll protect the Wilderness and mortal world together". From enemies to friends to soulmates... And as a lot of viewers already commented about, Li Lun's role is also remarkable. I loved how his relationship with Zhao Yuanzhou was portrayed, gradually, like a mosaic: their past together, the reason why they separated ways, their painful conflict and affection which remained despite everything. Does any other drama have relationships dynamics like this? I think no. Does such a story need romance? No. I'm not going to join those who complained about "lack of chemistry" between Zhao Yuanzhou and Wen Xiao. Their relationship is healthy, simple and unconflicted, romance is subtle and I'm totally okay with this, because it's just not what this drama is dedicated to. It's friendships-centered and I wish we had more stories like this.
I think it would be fair to say that in addition to impressive plot this drama is a visual feast. Cinematography, costumes, styling and color palette are top-notch. And a lot of original soundtracks firmly settled in my Spotify playlist. So, with its captivating story and characters that you immediately become emotionally attached to Fangs of Fortune became a very precious gift for me.

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Not a BL

The most positive thing I can say is, it does speak about LBGQT issues but only very superficial without much depth. The show was not a BL nor does it include much of any romance. While the struggling of Idol trainees included some entertainment, overall it was very bland.

This show only makes the point that excessive alcohol abuse is a bad thing, but nobody needs a show to know this. And maybe that friends do things for their friends even if they don't like to? I am a bit confused about that. If someone is forced to do something he doesn't want and has an emotinal outbreak about it, but then decides to do it anyways because of his friends, I don't get it. Yes friends are important, but to self-sacrifice himself for his friends is not a good solution either and does not lead to his happyness overall.

As a BL fan u can skip this show for sure and for anyone else it does not offer much besides light entertaiment, but you won't miss a thing if you have skipped it.

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Not as good as season 1 but it’s worth the watch

How much you like this drama will largely depend on whether or not you watched season one. If you watched Go Go Squid season one then you probably won’t like this season as much as you did the first one. The storyline is identical so it’s a bit too predictable. But if you never saw the first season then you will probably fall in love with this drama since it will all be new to you. Let me explain.

This is not a continuation of season one nor is it a spinoff of the original drama. It follows the same exact storyline as season one except it comes from the viewpoint of different characters. Everything is seen through DT and Appledog’s eyes this time. We see what they experienced professionally and personally during season one which mainly focused on Gun and Tong Nian’s experiences. On paper it sounds good, but in reality it ends up lacking the originality and uniqueness that set the original Go Go Squid apart from the rest. It’s hard to stay focused and interested when you already know what’s going to happen.

When it started out with flashbacks alluding to what happened to the original team Solo I thought we were just being given a brief bit of background info on what happened in the original drama so we would know what was going on in this one. But the team Solo flashbacks kept going on. Then lots of scenes of Solo arguing with his ex over custody of their child pops up. Then Appledog shows an interest in being an announcer. Then Xiao Mi starts having trouble at SP and decides to retire. So by the time Xiao Mi gets hired on at K&K I finally realized that season two would not have its own original storyline. It shows a bit of what happened both before and after season one, but the majority of the drama focuses on all of the events in season one. It basically re-enacts a lot of the scenes from season one but with different actors and from a different perspective. The storyline became a bit too predictable for me. I felt like I was watching season one all over again except a lot of familiar faces were missing. Be prepared to watch over 30 episodes before the storyline picks up where season one left off and they go to the world championships.

What saved this drama was the romance between DT and Appledog. They have great chemistry and a sweet romance. Their relationship was both realistic and touching. If you like romcoms with real kisses and skinship then you’ll love seeing them together. It’s worth watching just to see their romance.

Even though I was a bit disappointed with the storyline, there were some things I really liked. Like when they explained why the club was named K&K. The reason the club was given that name is so sweet. And they also explained why Wubai chose the name DT. When you find out his reasons for his nickname you’re going to melt. I also loved seeing the Grandpa again. He’s just too cute in this drama. Seeing the story behind Appledog’s decision to be a commentator was nice. I also loved the multiple appearances by Gun and Tong Nian. It was nice to see them again. I really appreciate being able to see the end of their story too. And finally getting to see them compete in the world championships was so exciting!

I deducted 3 stars for three reasons. First, because a lot of the storyline is the same as season one. It’s not unique and lacks originality. Second, because the switch from CTF to robots took away from the story. Each guy on the CTF team had a specific role they personally played in each match. Watching them fight together as a team at the competitions was so touching. But with robots only 1 or 2 players can compete in a match. So it lacked the warmth and camaraderie that the CTF matches had when they competed together. Third, The inconsistencies in the two storylines bothered me. If you’re going to have the exact same storyline but have it seen from someone else’s perspective, then keep the storyline the same. Don’t change it. In season 1 Gun personally managed and lead the team to victory. But in season 2 they had DT do it. In season 1 Solo had been living in the original teams training facility for quite a few years. But in season 2 he buys the empty training facility hoping it will help him get back with Appledog. And in season 2 Xiao Mi’s adorable girlfriend (&Tong Nian’s best friend) doesn’t exist. In season one grandpa lives in Norway and occasionally visits them in China. In this one he lives full time in China. I really dislike inconsistencies and plot holes.

Even though I originally planned on deducting 3 stars, I added back half a star because of the ending. The ending just takes everything and wraps it up in a big bow. It was very touching to see everyone together again. It was one of the more satisfying endings to a drama.

Overall, this isn’t near as good as season one. Be prepared to be bored at times as you have to watch the same exact storyline be re-enacted. And the inconsistencies between the two seasons may bother you as they did me. But the great acting and amazing romance saves this drama. That along with a touching reunion with some of season one’s characters makes it worth the watch.

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The story pacing is very well planned out and logical for a melodrama. The transition from youth to adult stage is nicely distinguished making 52 episodes not repetitive at all, bringing a new element of excitement till the last episode. The dialogue is witty and very humane, also appropriate flashbacks are inserted throughout the main story. The characters' experience is very relatable and easily sympathized with great development. The insert songs and music are colorful, at times light-hearted, other times tear bringer.
Lastly, the acting is very natural, even gets better in later episodes. I will definitely rewatch this drama in the future for its romance.
I cried on the last couple of episodes. Overall I recommend this true hidden gem till the last episodes.

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Life, love, relationships, and how we handle it.

Again, warning, spoilers.

There are spoilers because it is what this show is about.

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Final warning. Spoilers.

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As the title says, “Strangers Again”, so you shouldn't be surprised what the story is about: break-up.

This is a very rare topic in TV series, after all, who wants to be reminded of their painful memories? Thus, I applaud the entire team for taking on this project even though there is risk it may, or may not, become a success, maybe forgotten after a few months.

However, it is important to note that there are lessons in this story, and here are some of it:

1. Love is not as simple as we assume it to be.

2. People are unique.

3. Relationships are not easy to handle.

4. Yes, break-ups are painful, but how you handle it defines if you are a mature adult.

5. Moving on is not about hating each other, not wanting to see each other's shadows, rather it is about if you can become “Strangers Again”.

Another winning aspect of this show. It is rare to see the Second Leads end up happy and the Main Leads go on their separate ways. In many stories, not only K-dramas but in other countries as well, the title points to one thing then still end up with “they happily live ever after”.

This show? The title is what it is about, “Strangers Again”. Huge plus for me.

If you want to learn something about life, love, relationships, breaking-up, and moving on, then put this show in your list. However, if you are looking for a fantasy, this is not it.

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Arthur Chen Feiyu and Zhang Jingyi’s perfect chemistry

Lighter and Princess is one of the best C dramas ever. From the Actors to the production team to the storyline to the plot, OST, every single aspect of this drama is a top notch.The way all the actors gave their all in making this drama exceptional is also a special aspect of this drama . And when it comes to the original soundtrack of this drama geez it’s the best Thea original soundtrack of the drama is Falling You by Arthur Chen Feiyu and Zhang Jingyi I can listen to this song for thousands of times because it makes the movie nice and finally the main leads did a great job

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Slow but wholesome

I am not the one to wait for something eventful to happen in a drama. if it gets boring, i drop it instantly. But for some reason the liberation notes made me stick to it till the end. Not gonna lie, it was too slow yet i could relate to it. All three siblings and their problems were too realistic. I was rooting for them and secretly hoped to find my way through them. Perhaps some words of motivation or a hope that it gets better.

In a way things did change for them at the end but not soo much as one would expect. That’s why the story is too realistic and bit bitter at times, it’s not those big drastic changes but tiny ones at a time that keeps them going. The portrayal of the family and their bond was soo organic.
Mi jeong wanted to liberate herself from her toxic workplace and her situation.She did stood up for herself at the end and gathered the courage to move to a new workplace. It might not seem like a big deal for some people but for a person who is a doormat, it’s a huge deal to stand up for themselves and it takes a lot. In the end Mr. Gu also returned to her. It wasn’t that grand happy ending but i guess it was a new start for her.
The older sister, ji jeong, wanted love, a partner and got one, even though, he had a complex background and all was not well in their relationship yet it was also a new beginning for her. Change always comes with a price.

And the brother, Chang hee, found a new purpose for his life after working hard for years to get a promotion or to own a store. Yet one thing i didn’t understand was why he and hyun ah broke up?? And why was there relationship toxic?? Also, It was soo sad that the siblings got to move to Seoul after their mother passed.

The only thing that bugged me was that ending could’ve been better. Ending wasn’t a perfectly happy one, it was bit unsettling yet it made a point that in order to get what you want, you need to get out of your comfort zone. And change comes with a price.

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Absolutely adorable! ❤️

Okay, Im going to say it. Please dont hate me! Im one of those who didn’t fall in love with Put Your Head on my Shoulder. It didn’t even register a blip on my cdrama love radar. I was bored and had to drop it. Im sure it was a lovely drama but it wasnt for me!
Then I heard that the FL and the 2nd ML of PYHOMS was going to do a drama as leads. I was intrigued because the 2nd ML (Fu Pei) of PYHOMS did not make an impression to me at all. I didn’t find him attractive nor compelling. But I saw him in ToGetHer and decided to watch him here because, after all, its a Fair Xing drama. First episode in and that was it for me, I was a goner.

I LOVE THIS DRAMA SO FREAKING MUCH!

Story:
There are a lot of haters saying that Wen Shaoqing fell too fast and it wasn’t realistic, blah blah blah. Well that’s drama land peeps. I mean c’mon, I dont watch cdramas to raise my IQ points nor because I need a dose of reality. I watch because of the feels and for an escape from the mundane. And it more than delivered, I loved everything about the storyline and how healthy their relationship is. No annoying 3rd parties and if there were, they were smart and gracious too. Oh and when talking about the drama, you have to mention the kisses. I mean whoa! The kisses are so passionate and realistic that you feel like you’re a voyeur and are intruding on their private moments. I need more dramas with kisses like these

Acting/Cast
Why didn’t I notice before that Daddi Tang is so unbelievably gorgeous?! I mean seriously, this role was made for him. He was absolutely perfect as the tall, intelligent, beautiful and affluent Wen Shaoqing! Perfect boyfriend material. Fair Xing was adorable as always and their height difference is just perfect. I have never wished that a couple was dating in real life as much as these two! Their chemistry is off and way beyond the charts. Their flirting on and off screen makes me ship them even more.

The 2nd couple, Im not so crazy about but the love I have for the OTP is enough for me to give a 10!

Music
Just perfect

Rewatch Value
Well Ive rewatched it 3 times already, so enough said

Overall
10/10 Its already in my top fave dramas and believe me I’ve watched a lot! I strongly recommend this if you are in the mood for an unrelenting ML who chases the FL and is very determined. I also suggest watching this if you want a feel good drama with low angst and sweetness overload!

Let’s talk about that ending too! It was one of the most perfect endings I’ve ever watched in a drama. All loose ends tied in a perfect and beautiful bow! ❤️

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ABSOLUTELY SPLENDID!

Seldom do I give a perfect score to a drama or rewatch it, but this was an incredible watch from start to end, and it deserves to be recognized as such. Like a Flowing River by its excellence single-handedly raises the bar of the quality of small-screen productions coming out of China. I highly recommend it.

Every single character from this drama has remained with me, and I felt as though I were part of the story, as though I were from Xiaoleijia. You get to live through that post cultural revolution period in Chinese history, and see, feel the impact of the progressive and socialist reforms implemented, the angst of a people at the end of a terrible era, and their excitement at the dawn of China's current economic revolution. Absolutely fascinating!

There has not been a day since the completion of this drama (about a month ago) that I have not thought about Xiaolejia or one of its characters in some way, shape or form.

Yang Shuo, Wang Kai, Tong Yao, and Dong Zijian delivered extraordinary performances; so did the rest of the cast, and they are commendable for it. The cinematography and directing were of sheer brilliance. Don't even get me started with the writing! Tang Yao penned the script (based on Ah Nai's novel River of Time) impeccably.

I cannot wait for Season 2, which is slated to air in December 2019 (11 long months away). I will rewatch the entire Season 1 then, prior to seeing Season 2.
What a kicker it would be if they can air it even earlier than the previously scheduled date!

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Colorful Love is everything it needs to be and more

I started watching this because I was looking for more josei manga to read and it was easier to find information about the show than the manga - which was because it was actively airing at the time. I didn't expect much and was blown away by how this show succeeds at every single thing it sets out to do!

MINI REVIEW: Colorful Love is a light-hearted, fun-loving celebration of differences. The 'hook' is that the main male lead dresses and acts without regard for typical gender roles; stylist Meguru enjoys wearing frills and dresses and bright nail-art and makeup, while model Kira prefers long sleek skirts, see-through blouses and an occasional harness. This is not the only area in which the show feels fresh and progressive, and it handles much more than simple romance, without ever keeping you on your toes too much - it mostly remains upbeat and harmless. Besides that, the actors are all skilled and/or charismatic, the characters are all likeable (flaws included!), and the directing, lighting, styling and even the editing are all incredibly well-done and perfectly tailored to the tone of the show.

FULL REVIEW (some spoilers here, but nothing big):

Our main couple is Wako and Meguru. They were two high school besties who have always liked each other but never really said anything. Meguru endured a lot of bullying due to his "feminine" appearance and interests, while Wako thought he was just the cutest thing ever and stood up for him - helping him to become confident in these aspects of himself as an adult. They accidentally reunite at a photoshoot - Wako works as a member of a josei manga magazine editorial team and Meguru is, among other things, a stylist for absurdly self-absorbed model Kira. Kira is half of our secondary couple; Wako's more serious but not unkind boss and editor-in-chief Asahi is the other half. The show revolves around these couples, their trials and tribulations in their blossoming relationships (some sooner than others) and the struggles they face personally and at work.

STORY
The story is clear, set up very well through fun, brief flashbacks and there's nothing wrong with the pacing. One or two episodes may be spent elsewhere, outside of our main storyline (mostly surrounding the characters' jobs and the developments that occur professionally affecting them personally and vice versa), but as they tend to further develop relationships between characters (including platonic ones!), I find it hard to deduct points for that.

It was an incredibly smart decision to add a secondary pairing that was essentially invented for the show (scroll down for some notes on the source material). Firstly, because a fair share of romance drama viewers prefer to see the pre-relationship will-they-won't-they development, and Wako and Meguru's mutual enthusiasm for each other was never going to let them stay apart for more than a few episodes. Asahi and Kira's relationship fills this void, slowly and convincingly developing over the course of 9/10 episodes. Secondly, because this is where this drama, the script, and the performances really truly shine. Kira-"sama" is turned into this confusingly charming clown of a man, so self-absorbed he can't tell he is absolutely 100% embarrassing himself, to the point where you can't even question it and find yourself unironically enjoying everything about this man, even as he winks at the camera and throws his jacket onto an assistant's head to invite more pictures of his chest. Then, having established this bizarre figure, we introduce realistic, older boss lady Asahi who won't allow him to get away with shit-talking staff or trying to flirt with/intimidate her, so she punches him in the stomach and he is immediately struck by cupid's bow. He's not the brightest though, so it takes him a bit to catch up.

CHARACTERS/CAST
- From what I can tell, Yoshikawa Ai (Wako) is the most talented and emotional, giving a very accurate performance of a young working woman who escapes into entertainment media the second she's done with work, without allowing herself to become completely engulfed by it (her apartment, however, is mostly merchandise). Besides that, her comedic chops are amazing, from drooling over cute boys to hissing at Meguru's bullies. I wish every #relatable jdrama protagonist could be like this, instead of the fumbling embarrassing mess they're usually made into.
- Itagaki Rihito (Meguru) is perfect for the role, definitely the standout in terms of how he seems to have jumped right out of the manga.
- Mizuno Miki (Asahi) was perfect for her role too, a very convincing and occasionally conflicted straight man to Kira and a mentor figure for almost everyone else. I just love her. I love cool 40+ year old main female characters in romance dramas. Someone quick rope her into another role like this! Except she's the main character this time!
- Kira's over the top antics stealing almost the entire drama makes it a crime to forget about Kiriyama Ren (Kira) - I have no clue how he kept a straight face during any of that. The comedy alone would have sufficed, but the more genuine moments were completely believable too.
- Oda Oideyasu (Sakai-san) is hilarious and he constantly corrects everyone on language, without being particularly mean-spirited (except towards one character LOL). He gets a special mention for not only being hilarious, but displaying such an earnest sensitive side surrounding his single fatherhood and his daughter. That got to me.
- Nagato Takato (Yuu-tan) is the perfect children's TV show host - his switch into someone who was poisoned by the bullying during his upbringing, who was desperate to see Meguru fail, super believable. I was kind of worried he'd be a gay villain, but he's just gay! A bit of a villain for two episodes, but he joins the gang. I love to see it. Him and Meguru connect over being bullied for being gender non-conforming in different ways! It was handled well imo.

The MUSIC is cute. Does what it needs to. The OST did not change my life. But I don't think this is very important.

In terms of REWATCH VALUE, I have literally already rewatched several episodes multiple times. By accident! I am already planning to make different friends who don't usually watch jdramas watch this one with me - it's so easy to recommend because it's funny and light-hearted but never in a cheap, vapid way.

SOURCE MATERIAL ('My Androgynous Boyfriend').
- The manga has gorgeous art and pretty much the exact dynamic we see between Wako and Meguru. They've already been together for several years when the manga begins, while the show follows their accidental reunion after going their separate ways as close friends in high school.
- Kira exists in the manga, to be beautiful and vaguely arrogant, but not much more. In the show, Kira steals the spotlight everywhere he goes; he's a bizarrely self-absorbed comic relief character who doesn't really care about anyone at first, but changes and grows into someone you can almost take seriously sometimes, because he's so, so serious about initially-uninterested Asahi.
- Asahi does not exist in the manga. Wako has a boss, but she's quite different. Asahi is the closest the show gets to a true straight man, but she never feels like a buzzkill.
- The show's structure, pacing, and the addition of Kira and Asahi, the creative liberties that were taken to improve the show (as opposed to blindly sticking to the manga), really elevate the show, while Meguru and Wako feel perfectly in-character, making it a faithful adaption in spirit AND an improvement from the source material.

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Story - Very interesting story. At first you may find it boring, but as you go deeper on the story, you will understand it. How much important life to all of us! And don't take it for granted. You may find some scenes very disturbing but you will appreciate the things they want us to learn.
Acting/Cast - I'm very satisfied with the acting, even though there are young kids who portray the roles, they are really great!
Music - Songs were really fit in every scenes.
Rewatch Value - I gave it a perfect score, 'cos definitely this movie will be listed as one of my favorites, so I will watch it all over again. :)
Overall - Perfect! I really like this movie, A must watch!

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All the clichés in one show

MDL woke up and put this show on the page... I watched this a bit over two weeks ago and this was something I did not expect. This series packs every BL cliché into the story imaginable... It start's of with a drunken NC-scene and of course the "perpetrator" is in the "but I'm a man" closet... the one who let it happen is in the "he can't be touched" closet, meaning he was traumatized and does not like to be touched by anyone.

And of course you will find even more clichés like the scheming bad brother with his worse wife, the awful father and of course the standard evil "bitch" as so many BLs portray woman nowadays. And don't forget one of the MLs must be married off to increase the status and influence of his family. The difference is, I did not find myself annoyed with it. It's just a fun experience with so many ridicilous storyplots, but with the vibe that the creators did not take it seriously.

While I'm critical of most clichés because they are not executed well, this series is a persiflage of all the BLs imaginable and that makes it fun to watch. The actors did a good job, there is real kissing and even the nc-scenes are tastefully executed. The production quality was quite high for such a vertical drama. The only downside for me is, that it could have been a tad better, if they would have released it in the normal format too because it was not filmed with a smartphone. If you want something fluffy, something fun, this is for you!

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Actingwise TOP, but storywise.... meh

I understand why there are so many people who really love the goblin. The reason are the really awesome looking actors and their great performance! You cannot help to fall for them, I fully understand that!If you only want to swoon for the actors, just go on, they are great! But honestly, the ending isn't satisfying at all. It just feels as if the sad ending is only delayed for an unknown amount of time. And the religious beliefs in this story are a great mess. A very strange mix of catholic and buddhistic elements called fantasy. Come on, there are reincarnations AND heaven and hell at the same time, to mention just one example... There were many funny moments, it is really moving because of the good acting, but the wishy-washy ending killed it for me.

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