A Journey of Discovery
Growing up is a process of discovery. You discover what you like and what you don't, who you are, who you love….. A million questions asked. Some answered, some not. Hopefully with the few answered, you’re prepared to face the world. You may still be searching for answers throughout your life. And that’s how life goes. This is a story about three best friends growing up together in the same neighborhood, their friendship through high school, college and working life. This is one of the best youth dramas I have ever watched.The Chinese title Shàng Yóu means upstream, depicting also growing up is not easy, having to face challenges and making the right choices. The story is so well written, directed and acted - funny, cute, nostalgic - with characters elaborated with depth, from the main to the supporting leads. The attention to details is immaculate, capturing all the nuances of the era (Gameboy, concern of Y2K for computer systems, flip phones, huge bulky computers with floppy disks etc). The story has a span of 10 years from 1997 to 2007, starting from the characters’ final year in high school, throughout all 4 years of their life in college, and the final 2 episodes on their adult working life, marriages, relationship, each living a separate life. Nostalgic? This is life.
Xia Xiaoju (Hu Yixuan) has just moved into the neighborhood. She has no friends and hates her new home as she has to share a room and a bed with her little brother. She always feels her mother being unfair and always loves her little brother more (many Chinese families prefer boys to girls). Two boys from the same street quickly become her best friends as they help her adapt to her new environment and catch up with school work. One is gentle and kind, the other is rough and childish. Naturally Xia Xiaoju falls in love with the ‘nice’ boy. Little does she know that the other boy standing behind her, quietly doing everything for her, is the rightful one for her. Xia Xiaoju may be naïve and has overly low self-esteem at times, but she is determined and is always a friend one can count on.
I have liked Hu Yixuan’s acting. I find her very genuine and natural without having to try too hard. Her acting as a teenager in this drama is so impressive. I have always thought Tan Songyun (Seven Tan) the best actor who can look and act like a teenager. Here, Hu Yixuan is equally good if not better. As teenagers, Tan Songyun is tomboyish, whereas Hu Yixuan is a very convincing timid teenage girl who is not confident of herself and fearful of showing her inner feelings. I love her interactions with her friends and her family. Hu Yixuan has absolutely nailed the role.
Lu Shiyi (Richard Zhang), an aspiring doctor who is hemophobic (fear of blood), tall, good looking and intelligent, is playful when it comes to his childhood friends. He doesn’t miss an opportunity in teasing Xia Xiaoju whom he has a penchant in getting his satisfaction out of her misery by pulling her ponytail, palm-turning her head (watch this https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1hP4y1a7Uc), bear-hugging her under his giant armpit, bickering with her and calling her names (like Pig); he simply ‘roughs’ her up all the time like treating a boy and the bickering is non-stop. How Lu Shiyi treats Xia Xiaoju would have been called out in today's cancel culture, but here, his actions are cute, innocent and heart-warming. To me, that's how people, especially good friends, should interact with each other, sincerely and lovingly.
Richard Zhang has a very unique look with almond shaped eyes. He may not even be considered as good looking by many viewers but he embodies youthfulness, energy, mischiefs, rebellion that fit perfectly into the Lu Shiyi character; he brings the character alive.
Cheng Lang (Chen Bo Hao) is the gentle boy with straight ‘A’s in class. He is kind to everyone especially to his best friends to whom he would give up anything for. He always tries to mitigate between Xia Xiaoju and Lu Shiyi when they brawl, and Xia Xiaoju has a crush on him since she first meets him. I have never watched any of Chen Bo Hao’s work, but here, he aces his role making the Cheng Lang character so lovable, a perfect white horse prince for any girls.
Even though the romance is not the focus, the dynamics of the main leads are remarkable. I love how the main leads are smart and caring for each other. Their utmost trust between each other throughout the drama does not falter. Having said that, there are some slight misunderstandings between Xia Xiaoju and Lu Shiyi that lead to their separation for a rather long period of time after college.
Official Soundtracks (OSTs)
Despite this drama produces a number of new soundtracks, none as memorable as the two oldies:
“Do You Know I’m Thinking of You?” (你知道我在想你吗) by Taiwanese singer/composer Chang Hung-Liang (张洪量) in 1997. This song stirs up a lot of memories for many viewers. It also captures our lead characters’ feelings during those growing up years, from teenage to adulthood. It’s fun to watch how our character struggles to learn singing the song so that she can perform it to the one she loves.
“Love You”(喜歡妳) by Hong Kong musician Wong Ka Kui (黄家驹) / Beyond in 1988. Sung in Cantonese throughout, this is another well-loved song that took Asia-Pacific by storm during the era. It appropriately expresses the adoration of our characters for each other and the moments they have together.
The use of harmonica and guitar to play the background music, simple and nostalgic, further captures the mood and conjures up memories of the time by-gone.
My Verdict
Growing up means changes. Things may not always turn out the way we plan, and our plans may not be as perfect as we have hoped them to be. We all need to learn to adapt to changes. Our characters change over time as they begin to understand life better. Not only they become stronger, they also become better for themselves and others.
Everyone can relate to this story one way or another. If you're a youth, you'd love this drama because you can relate to almost all the characters here - they can be your friends, your family, even yourself. Whoever you may be, you'd love this story too because it helps bring back all those memories of youth. Superb acting and captivating writing bring you back to those by-gone years of innocence.
I don’t usually watch youth dramas, but this one is a gem. Everything is so natural. It is so funny that I laugh so hard, and yet, I cry when I see my characters struggle. However, I have to point out that, like in most other Chinese dramas, lazy writing towards the ending spoils the whole otherwise wonderful drama. I wish the writers have been more thoughtful towards this end. It's such a pity because the whole drama has been so good. The last 2 episodes are just not keeping up with the initial momentum and quality. There are so many lost opportunities that the production team could have made this drama so stand out.
Despite from the "less than perfect" writing for the last 2 episodes, I still love this drama nonetheless. All the scenes are tastefully shot. I particularly love the scenes when Lu Shiyi rides a creaky bike taking Xia Xiaoju at the backseat. That beautiful screen shot encapsulates the whole story, Shàng Yóu.
Must watch! TWO THUMBS UP! BRAVO!
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The listener and the speaker
Republican era, around 1930.Rain is pouring down that fateful night in Jingcheng City. As we watch the good-natured Dr. Chen Yuzhi cycle his way home, seeking shelter under the eaves, we're diving headfirst into a plot full of viscious crimes and interhuman relations.
-It's the moment Chu Ran and Chen Yuzhi step into Jiang Yuelou's life and decide to stay, that we realize that Jiang Yuelou is the unspoken center of the story. -
It didn't take me long to light ten stars, as I got so attached that I might be devoting my first written preview to this drama.
Background music
One of the reasons to call this a classy drama is beautifully drawn tapestry of sound. The show decided upon subtle background music, the original soundtrack composed of very decent melodic ballads and only a couple instrumentals that are very well timed, accompanying sequences quietly, giving more importance to emotions and spoken dialogue. This gives it a pleasant, mature vibe.
Production
Omnium-gatherum summary of everything that caught my eye from episode one.
•Killer and Healer is free from overdrawn sequences and cheesy-slowmotions.
•The cinematography brings in gorgeous shots, developing into beautifully framed sequences here and there.
•As we're situated in the republican era, we get to see tailored suits and beautiful attire. Women are wearing gorgeous dresses and every single citizen that we see roaming the streets of Jingcheng has their own, beautiful outfit of the day. Even upon close proximity, the costumes look thoroughly authentic and high in quality.
•The drama leads us through a collection of sets that are very well thought through (however wow, it is cold!).
Plot & Characters
The plot itself is relatively solid. Various other points make up for the ones lost to a common storyline. The plot isn't particularly new, yet unravels a beautiful story of faith. It's told by steadfast characters, and also introduces a brave and clever female lead, Chu Ran, that wonderfully concludes the trio alongside Police-Chief Jiang Yuelou and Doctor Chen Yuzhi.
Every other character that gets introduced throughout the story isn't any less holistic and just as vital.
While the storyline itself contains alot of criminal action, it pays special attention to interhuman relations.
With a strong focus on the steadying relationship between Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi, it opens up on more then just bringing peace to Jingcheng City. We follow Jiang Yuelou, as he learns to regain his trust in the people around him and finds his safe-place within Chen Yuzhi, who meets him with unconditional faith. With every episode, the picture grows bigger, as we slowly get to know Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi as a person and start to sympathize with the characters introduced to us.
The ending: The ending comes around very unexpected. Yes, initially, it is bad and very tragic. This might be a spoiler. However, the ending lies in your power. For a happy ending, hop out from ep 37 at timestamp 29:15 and click here for a seperately uploaded end
https://youtu.be/FC696_RYeEw
Acting
Completing this with the strongest asset.
It's the actor itself that eventually shapes the character, forms it and introduces it to the audience. The characters I see are consistent and compelling, each drawn with their own unique features. The acting is impressive, the whole cast stunning. Every single actor within Killer&Healer convinces with performance. The chemistry between the leads grows extremely palpable as they enter each others lives and naturally learn to trust. Eventhough, due to censorship, scenes got shortened (not harming the plot), emotions are portrayed beautifully through micro-expression, faces full of emotions and long lasting glances. So much so that more isn't needed and it lies in the perception of the audience to view their relationship.
This drama is and was a very, very pleasant watch. I would rewatch it all over again. The biggest joy lies within the unfolding, unspoken emotions between the leads and the quirky supporting characters.
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1Finally something decent (even more) for our hungry brain after Crows Zero era.
HIGH & LOW: The STORY OF S.W.O.R.D is a comprehensive entertainment project by EXILE TRIBE that encompasses various forms of content media. Aside from the members of EXILE TRIBE, there are a lot of high quality cast for this drama, not only actor & actress but also other musician & models. So visually, you will be pampered with a lot of candy eyes with great acting too.
As written in the synopsis, it’s all about fighting between organization in a certain town. But the core story in this first season is about friendship and brotherhood, and more like a prologue to introduce each organization and the story base. Later, there will be HIGH&LOW Season 2 and HIGH&LOW The Movie. Let me summarize all the organization first:
=Organizations Before SWORD=
1) MUGEN
In this story, MUGEN was told start from the second generation, led by Kohaku. Other main members: Tsukumo, Cobra & Yamato. The strongest organization.
2) AMAMIYA BROTHERS
Only consist two members, Amamiya Masaki (Kyaaa Takahirooo! *oops please excuse my fangirling) & Amamiya Hiroto. They’re fighting against Mugen.
3) HYUGA GROUP
Hyuga Group is a part of GURYU GROUP (I think Guryu Group is kind of strong group but in outside of Mugen’s domain) & they’re not that popular. Hyuga Group fought against Mugen in order to make their names well known, but Hyuga Group lost and abandoned by Guryu Group.
=S.W.O.R.D=
1) SANOOH ASSOCIATION
Or Hoodlum Squad, led by Cobra (ex Mugen). Other members are Yamato (ex Mugen), Noboru, Dan, Tetsu and Chiharu. Cobra, Yamato & Noboru are childhood friends. Sanooh doesn’t have specialty or aiming any particular thing, the association just made naturally by the members who are good in fighting.
2) WHITE RASCAL
Their specialty is always white (as white as their name XD). Led by Rocky, his main subordinates are Golden Bomber* members (Bito, Aizawa, Shimura & Enari). Despite being famous with their madness, White Rascal also known for always protecting woman who have been hurt by men.
*) A visual kei rock band
3) OYA KOUKOU
School of Yankees!. The leader or they rather call it as Class Rep (lol) is Murayama Yoshiki. Just as other typical Yankee school, the one who rule the school is the strongest one. Murayama Yoshiki played by Yamada Yuki, he can pull his yankee expression but his height sometimes a little bit distracted me. He looks much shorter & smaller than his friends, in contrary he is the the strongest and unbeatable.
4) RUDE BOYS
They dominate and protect a Nameless Street, a town where people who abandoned by their parents lives, hidden and dirty. Led by Rocky played by Kubota Masataka (Kyaaa *oops once again please excuse my fangirling ;-). They declare themselves as a family who protect each other. Their specialty is parkour, this is that makes their fighting skill more artsy. This drama use a lot of camera angle, epic setting and a lot of ikemen with abs XD. Visually, I like this team, maybe because the members are actually athlete and model, whenever they walk together and make a way, it looks like they’re walking in runaway even with rag-like fashion that they wore, they can pull it off nicely. Kubota Masataka looks so charismatic with messy hair, too bad he has a weakness,what is that weakness? Well you better watch and check it by yourself :p.
5) DARUMA IKKA
Led by Hyuga Norihisa, forth son of Hyuga (played by Hayashi Kento). Alongside with Totetsu Brothers (Toutetsu Ukyo & Toutetsu Sakyo, both were kicked out from Mugen in the past) they formed Daruma Ikka to make a way for their revenge towards Guryu Group and the remaining Mugen member. I think this is the most unique organization. As their name, Daruma is their icon with blasting red color. Even when they fight, they’re using Daruma and drums as music accompaniment. Hayashi Kento looks deep but madly and vengeful here, for me it’s such a rare to see him in that kind of character, so it’s cool!.
=Organization Outside SWORD=
1) IEMURA GROUP
Iemura Group is one of the Guryu Group, the main leader is Iemura Tatsumi. With other 8 leads member, they’re called themselves as Nine Dragons. This organization is more like executive people who dominate a lot of field, including black market and greedy, so they own a lot of money. Basically they’re a bunch of rich uncles with suit and necktie.
2) MIGHTY WARRIORS
Led by Ice. This organization hasn’t been told a lot in this season, their main movement will be told in season 2 later. So, more Exile Tribe member are coming, yaaaay!.
2) STRAWBERRY MILK
The one and only girl gang. 4 members, Junko as the leader (she's so cute and funny), Asuko and Twin Towers (member of E-Girls). I love these girl, they're so funny!
There are so much red line right? All SWORD organization make their own world, never touch each other in order to keep peace in the town. The main story is started in Sanooh, Sanooh is the center of the whole story that connects all of the organization. The conflict appeared between childhood friends (Cobra, Yamato and Noburu). Noburu who just released from prison, but rather than go back to Sanooh he joined to Iemura Group. Feel betrayed, Yamato tried to persuaded Noboru to go back to Sanooh. Because he knows that Iemura Group is greedy and merciless. Noboru is trusted by Iemura to take over SWORD authority, but each SWORD organization refuse. This situation raised misunderstanding and betrayal between them. In other story, Chiharu (before he joined to Sanooh), who is actually a student in Oya Koukou, beaten up by his fellows but then he was accidentally helped by Yamato. Chiharu pled to join Sanooh, but this makes a conflict between Oya Koukou with Sanooh.
With 23 minutes average duration, you can enjoy fighting scene around 50% of its duration with great music accompaniment. HIGH&LOW also contains some sentimental, sad and funny part.
The editing, I’m so sensitive when it’s come to this point whenever I watch movie/drama. HIGH&LOW succeed this series with dramatic color correction, point of view and angle for each organization differently which is emphasize each organization’s character.
The fashion, since there are big companies who backing up the casts, they give all out in fashion too. Each organization has their own fashion style. No matter how you look at them, it does look pricey and detail from head to toe. They use a lot of expensive motorcycle and cars. One more thing, all the cast are looks neat and clean, this is one of the reason that I enjoy this drama. Or maybe they‘re just handsome and charismatic :D.
And now about the music. The music itself plays as the biggest part here, it makes this drama looks more appealing and nice. In fact, EXILE TRIBE’s album is also part of this HIGH&LOW project. There is not much I can review here because it so cool and perfectly matched with the drama. It’s EXILE TRIBE you know, what do you expect is what will you get. Each organization has their own special music background. The combination between music, fashion, editing, camera view and the cast themselves makes this drama looks like a MV. I love to re-watch this drama especially in some part like when a certain organization present themselves with powerful soundtrack, or just enjoying the each actors acting, their close up face, their cool movements even their poses. Sometimes I feel like are they doing photo shoot or what??. Seriously, their visual is on high quality level despite this is about delinquent story.
And here the list of the songs that included in this drama, it could be more than this but these are so far that I know:
J SOUL BROTHER - MUGEN ROAD
PKCZ feat EXILE SHOKICHI - WHITEOUT
GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE - RUN THIS TOWN
DJ DARUMA from PKCZ [VOICE OF RED feat.GS] - DARUMA FAMILY
THE SECOND from EXILE - ONE TIME ONE LIFE
DOBERMAN INFINITY - DO OR DIE
DOBERMAN INFINITY-JUMP AROUND 8
E-GIRLS - STRAWBERRY SADISTIC
ACE OF SPADES feat HIROOMI TOSAKA- SIN
Ryuji Imaichi - FOREVER YOUNG AT HEART
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Curtain Call
57 people found this review helpful
2The plot has enormous potential, yet more bite and sting really wouldn't have hurt.
The share of Makjang in South Korea's series productions seems to decrease noticeably. After 3 seasons of "The Penthouse" in 2021, taking the evil within the "´War of Life´ to the extreme, it might have been somewhat exhausted? Thus, "Curtain Call" may be a noticeably 'softened' Makjang series (if at all). In this manner however, the KDrama represents a social zeitgeist that should not be underestimated: the desire for reconciliation. Reconciliation with the North. Reconciliation between generations, between the past and today. Reconciliation between duty and dream. The search, the longing, the need for South Korean society to balance itself on a new level - finding peace. To me, that's what "Curtain Call" stands for.As so often, the focus is on the rich and beautiful. In this family clan, too, the third generation could disassemble itself in the fight for the golden spoon. But somehow things are a bit different here than otherwise in KDrama Orbit.
The head of the family is (quite progressively) a woman. Matriarchy instead of patriarchy, that makes a difference. While she probably represents business acumen and a strong leadership style, for all the respect she receives, she has NOT sacrificed her heart for her grandchildren and employees on the track. Also: For once, she (at least she) does NOT embody the incarnation of disparaging arrogance. She is NOT someone who mercilessly pursues her own interests without regard for human losses. In the contrary, there is a healthy dose of humility, because even in old age she is still close to the very simple roots of her origins. This is also because her homeland is in what is now North Korea. She remains aware of the painful separation throughout her successful life. No amount of money can turn back time or realign the political structures. Like that, she embodies a vicarious pain shared by many family histories across the country. And so an emotional bridge is practically built to the audience - ´halmoni´ gets some sympathy.
The plot has actually enormous potential: the grandson from North Korea, for whom the now old and terminally ill chair(wo)man longs in her last remaining weeks and months, was actually found. However, his personality seemingly doesn't lend itself to a peaceful happy ending - and so an actor who is versed in the North Korean dialect is introduced into the family as a fake grandson instead. He does his job so well that he ends up doubting his own identity...
"Curtain Call" manages to play out some of its punchlines in an emotional sensitive way. Nevertheless, the story remains more harmless than necessary and the potential isn´t realized. The KDrama doesn't take its chances, instead prefers to choose warm colors and soft images. All in all, "Curtain Call" might find its own pitch in the KDrama orbit, yet it keeps a low profile along the way and unfortunately does not take the next step. It rather remains kind-hearted and thus gambles away a dramaturgical chance. In my opinion, more STING really wouldn't have hurt. Too bad.
Nevertheless: "Curtain Call" is nice to watch. The cast is top notch. In places razor-sharp and at the same time pointedly funny, the KDrama also operates (especially against the background of the North-South dynamic) in a good mood with small socio-critical side swipes here, there and over there as well. The dialogues exploit this potential with relish. The bottom line is that "Curtain Call" is probably worth seeing if you DON´T feel like too much excitement, revenge, action, thriller, legal affairs or romance.
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The plot for the story was very tightly written so there are no huge holes or what the heck moments to deal with. It was also a great romance as well as providing the viewer with great historical context. If you are looking for a historical drama to watch this would be my #1 suggested drama.
Also the episodes are short so the 108 episode count is misleading. It is not at all a hard drama to get through.
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Well I'm just glad to be watching a show in which REDACTED doesn't die by the end!
I really loved watching this show. In fact, I couldn't stop watching it! It's possibly (probably) one of the best shows of the year. With a raw storyline, amazingly complex characters, and competent production, this show is a good option for a mature and gut-wrenching experience.Throughout the watching experience of this show, I noticed a lot of viewers were upset by characters not being easily categorized as good or bad, or judging characters too harshly, or just being upset that the romances were not cute. So just upfront, let me tell you. This is not your next Love is Sweet or Begin Again, or even Go Ahead (though that show is pretty close, content-wise). This show is raw. It's like an open wound. It goes for realism and it exposes the characters' faults on purpose. Actions have consequences in this show and everyone is a bit more complicated than meets the eye. I could write pages on character studies alone but this is a show review, so I'll stop!
You should watch this show if you like:
1. Mature stories. No black and white morality to be found here or cutesy characters whose bad decisions only lead to quirky shenanigans. Nope. You make a bad mistake here, you go DOWN!
2. Good acting
3. Later 20th-century history
4. Family dramas
5. Generational stories
Summary: The show follows the Qiao children as they struggle to survive in their father's home after their mother dies in childbirth. Yi Cheng, the eldest, makes a silent vow to never lose his dignity no matter what he faces in life. He struggles to raise his neglected siblings, keep them fed and in school while also following his own ambitions of raising himself out of his bad situation through education, all while maintaining his pride. As the story progresses and their lives get complicated by mistakes and tragedies, the siblings stay close together like the threads of a knitted sweater!
Plot: The plot is simple. It's life. It starts in 1977 and ends in 2005 and the show is committed to historical accuracy but other than that it shows the characters, their love life, their triumphs and failures with little judgment. You will hate some decisions and you'll love others. It's chaotic and illogical, the way that real life is. In real life, sometimes people make bad decisions and they commit to them longer than it makes sense to do so. It's the same in this show. I personally found everything in the story tolerable and nothing made me so angry as to make me want to stop watching. Everything flowed naturally. Nothing was dragged out and nothing was wrapped too fast. The pace was great and it helped to keep the viewer interested. Each episode is packed with one event after another to the point that missing one episode might lead to missing entire arcs!
Acting: Perfect. All across the board, everyone was amazing. Special shout out to Liu Jun who played their father. His character was a jerk but he played him so well that I was just so impressed by this veteran actor. Also, the young actors playing the Qiao kids in their childhood, especially the young actor for YiCheng, were amazing. Guo Zi Ming made me tear up more than any other character in the show. Kudos!
Music: I actually loved the music for this show. Especially the song called Wild Bird which I have been listening to on repeat since I watched the first episode. I can sing along now!
Production: It was near perfect. Gorgeous cinematography, meticulous location setting, attention to details, historically accurate objects but also experiences, symbolic lighting (happy homes colored with warm colors and unhappy ones with cold ones), (almost) perfect continuity. Most importantly, I think the production wasn't as expensive as it seemed and that it was just very well-budgeted.
Rewatch: I wouldn't say no. It was a very endearing watch and I particularly enjoyed certain parts that I would love to watch again.
Negatives: Characters make bad decisions a lot but I thought they made sense in context. While bad decisions, they still made sense for the characters. It's a bit hard to keep track of the passage of time. It's probably easier for Chinese people to figure them out because the show touches on important historical events but even so, there were certain points where time moved in loops (as it so often does in cdramas!) and it was a bit confusing but it didn't harm the show. It was just surprising to learn how much time had passed, once we did get a date. Some scenes were censored and there is some propaganda in the show. The censored parts do not redact from the quality but they do raise questions of "what if"s. The propaganda is light and harmless for the most part. One or two subplots lead nowhere in particular but given how packed the show is, it's fine. Qiqi gets WAY less screen time than everyone else. Not sure if it was a good thing or not because what we got from him was so sad and upsetting that I wish we hadn't had that either!
Overall: Highly recommended. I don't usually enjoy modern cdramas. This show stands out with its near-perfect everything.
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Acting/Cast: Acting is good enough, including the kid actor who acted as the teenage son. Park Hae Jin's acting is okay though I can tell he needs more experience working on his facial expressions while working with foreign actors & actresses...or it could be his portrayal of the hero who is 'numb' to feelings- a character who was hurt by love and views marriage as a practical arrangement for his career. He's also a brilliant businessman, often able to overcome whatever tricks his mother (the CEO) and her cohorts planned to keep him in line. In the end, the entire board was supporting him and his ideas, which made his mom admire his ingenuity but also frustrated that she could no longer control him. There are parts where you can see the glint of playfulness and genius behind the hero when he plotted to trick our heroine into accepting him. The heroine is well selected - she's cute (not beautiful per se) and has an air of 'common-ness' in her. She is assertive but kind and often would rather avoid conflict than to explain herself to others. To her, the hero is the biggest conflict she wanted to avoid as she knew he would complicate her simple life. Hence, she did all her best to avoid him - switching jobs and place of residence and even went into hiding!...but our hero's tenacity and persistence finally won him the woman! :)
Music: Nothing that stands out.
Rewatch value: Not too bad, considering there are some scenes I would like re-watch. Those are the ones where the hero pulls out every trick in his book to get the heroine. Pure fun.
Overall: To those of you who are used to the 'polished' look of Korean dramas and the brevity of Japanese dramas, you might find this drama (and any melo Chinese dramas) hard to swallow. The Chinese excel in making 'real' dramas, depicting as close to possible, the reality of life and relationships. There will be no fashion show, ridiculously good looking (and heavily make up) actors and actresses here. Even the so-called HD quality is no HD quality. Extremely 'rustic'. Equal weight is given to addressing family relationships and friendships and work life besides the romance story. For a Chinese melodrama, this is not a bad one to be watching. Overall rating: 7.5/10.
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This drama has both its pro's and it's cons. The cons being the loops in the plot, the "unnecessary" drama and dare I say, the acting from the main leads who can sometimes come off as either annoying or "what is that face you're making!?" (Though I have to say I have to give Tseng Pets her cred for rocking that ugly bowlcut and old grandma getup/toe socks throughout the entire series while still acting out Xiao Xi in a way that was realistic and fun.)
The story starts off really well and builds nicely towards the romance. For all the romantic drama lovers, if you are like you me, (a crazy fool for cute romantic skinship and words) you will definitely enjoy the romance that takes off here. While the beginning and the romance makes for the beginnings of a good drama, the downfall comes near the end where you may or may not feel content with the ending.
While this drama doesn't exactly hit right out of the park, it is still a good watch and I'd recommend this show to anyone who is looking for something to watch. There is humor, romance and action all in one. This drama also shows the growth of Ming Xiao Xi as she tries to find her place in a new environment and adjust to the blissfulness and sourness of love. This isn't the type of drama you would take seriously, seeing as there are many similarities here with Boys Over Flowers, however what makes this series stands out is the main heroine Ming Xiao Xi and her great resilience to overcome different obstacles that occurs in her life and through her special relationship with the 3 princes of Gaung Yu.
Overall I give this drama an 8.0 for making me the crazy drama fangirl I am for skipping study sessions just to watch each episode as it was released. The music was excellent here (The Intro is hella addicting and the ending music is my most favorite song from this OST [Sung by Pets Tseng]]) and this is a drama I can say for certain you will want to re-watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
Upon further reflection...
When I finished this, I was satisfied. Just satisfied. It was alright. The body swap thing wasn't cloying and overbearing, the chemistry was there, even the side characters that had the potential to be annoying were okay. The humour from the villagers was fine, and the 2FL wasn't a challenge.But the more I think about it, and look back, this was actually deeply satisfying in the way the story was told and concluded. Usually, when it comes to the body swap thing, I have very little patience but somehow, the way this was done, I found myself just seamlessly falling into the story with the swaps. I was expecting her being the prince to have a greater impact on the palace because of her medical background, and when that didn't happen, I was a little disappointed, but by the end it made more sense.
When it is revealed in the end that the body swap was a mischievous god attempting to help Yeol fulfill his childhood wish of wanting to save the person who saved him, I felt a sense of completion. It wasn't the underlying theory or shadow hanging over the plot, it was just another quirky reveal. It explained why they swapped without invalidating any of the story that came before.
I was also initially angry that they didn't just execute the bad guy. But when you think about it, neither of the leads ever lept into taking lives. They always believed in the ability of people to change and in the idea that if you give someone a chance to reflect, they'll eventually see the error of their ways. It seems wildly naive, but in today's dire world, I think it's a sentiment that's desperately needed. I have come to appreciate the fact that they stayed true to themselves in the end.
Finally, the end. I was glad that she saved herself and Yeol in the final confrontation, and I was also so happy that they didn't get married while he was the king. His logic made sense and it restored stability to the kingdom while he did what needed to be done until he could hand over. Of course, that means they would've had to wait for years before they could finally be together, but we'll just overlook that part.
Ultimately, I'm not changing my initial rating (8/10), but I'm leaving this review because after sitting with it for a few more hours, I realise I really appreciate this drama for what it is, and I will definitely miss tuning in every week.
P/S: the supporting villagers and 2FL were all very charming and adorable to watch too. 2FL having a mini bi-crashout over the body swaps was so funny! 😂
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Fifty Shades of Pink
Fifty Shades of Grey, this isn’t. There are parallels to be drawn involving primarily the contractual relationship trope and the BDSM theme, if it isn’t already apparent. That is where the similarities end, however. Despite the R-18 rating, I would consider Love and Leashes to be much less intense and provocative but rather more fun and heartwarming. After all, this film is meant to coincide with this year’s V-Day which takes place in just a couple of days. Hence the more upbeat and romantic vibe, this is definitely a case of love being slowly unleashed.Jung Ji Hoo is your average salaryman working in a 9 to 5 job. Unbeknownst to his co-workers, however, he has another side to him - one that involves a fetish for BDSM. One day, due to a mix-up by the delivery service, a female colleague finds out his secret. What transpires subsequently involves a whole lot of awkwardness and embarrassment as well as the resulting suggestive intimate moments, before eventually leading to something more profound.
Directed by Park Hyun Jin, who also co-wrote the screenplay adaptation with Lee Da Hye, the source material is the Naver webtoon entitled The Moral Sense conceived by Gyeoul aka Winter, which was serialised from 2015 to 2018. The original score was composed by Kim Hong Jip and Lee Jin Hee, with Lee Sun Kyu playing the guitar. Principal photography took place from April to July 2021.
What I Generally Liked
Running at just under 2 hours, I thought the film was rather entertaining and eventful. The concept is refreshing, by Korean or even Asian standards, for a mainstream production distributed globally by Netflix. You don’t often come across BDSM-themed romance as the main feature of the story and in this case, the subject matter was handled in a very tasteful and mature manner.
For me, the main takeaway from the film has more to do with the relationship dynamics in terms of the emotional connection between two individuals rather than purely the explicit nature of the BDSM acts themselves to be manifested as a comedic effect or cheap thrills. I particularly appreciated the nuances drawn from the eventual growth of both leads and the organic evolution of their relationship. Additionally, the film explores elements of office politics and gender discrimination that are very much borne of a deep-rooted patriarchal culture.
Given the involvement from Netflix, the film unsurprisingly delivers reasonably high production values. I’ve enjoyed the overall quality of the visuals presented and the set designs, while the accompanying music score nicely complements the ambience of the scenes.
My first time seeing both Seo Hyun and Lee Jun Young in lead roles and they gave a pretty decent account of themselves in their portrayals of Jung Ji Woo and Jung Ji Hoo respectively. I haven’t read the webtoon but I do think they managed to personify their characterizations the way they were intended to be convincing and relatable to viewers, to a certain extent.
The ML is just adorable, almost like a puppy who loves playing with whips, handcuffs and candle wax. The FL, on the other hand, is like a deer caught in headlights. At first, anyway, as she gradually gets a hang of the whole situation. In fact, her transformation from the down-to-earth girl next door to a dominatrix behind closed doors is quite remarkable.
For the most part, the film comes across as quite lighthearted but things do get a tad serious in the final third, where we get to observe a bit more substance in the portrayals of both leads as they finally deal with the repercussions of their actions. I honestly feel that Seo Hyun generally did more of the heavy lifting in this film.
Final Thoughts
As a feature length film that is meant to be mostly a romance comedy, I think the scope of the storytelling is quite extensive. Perhaps certain aspects could have been fleshed out more, such as the respective backstories of the leads and interactions with the people around them but I honestly think those aren’t particularly major issues. For all intents and purposes, and without giving too much away, I was rather pleased with the final outcome and closure to their story. Suffice to say, all’s well that ends well.
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I enjoyed it
I rate this show highly, not only because the acting is good. Mental health is a difficult area and a taboo subject. We all suffer from mental health issues to varying degrees and at different points in our lives. This show to me brings this issue out in the open and perhaps will enable some of us to appreciate the problem and develop some understanding. I feel that this is what has led to some negative reviews. It was very brave of the writers and producers to run with the story line.Aside from this tricky issue, the show was fun, cute, well thought out and well performed. Admittedly there were a few times when it dragged a bit. I liked that there wasn’t the love triangle and the romance of each couple was heartwarming and at times the antics were hilarious. Of course you had the not so nice people and it was justifying to see good win over bad. Steadfast love and a willingness to stay together, cute scenes and many funny moments. I laughed and cried. To me it was a feel good love story, just what I want when I’m watching romance dramas.
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This review may contain spoilers
Ok so this review is dark and full of spoilers. aand I'm going to vent a lot my frustration so you may hate me if you liked this drama. Then just don't blow your bubble and stop reading now. xDI found this drama on netflix and at first it was our typical, full of cliché (and occasionally cringeness) love story: marriage contract between a poor thing who has a desease and the only donor compatible: the youngest and richest CEO of CEOs history that every woman would like to approach - but for some reasons he doesn't seem to be attracted by anyone, and rumors have him being in a triangle with his secretary male assistant and his male actor friend.
Asians are rather conservative about lgbt so none of them is actually gay, or at least bi. Bi would be a nice plot twist.
But instead we had a really shitty plot twist that will make your jaw drop underground.
Well the signals were there and some bells happened to ring for me, but I know that dramas are often a bit extra, so I wouldn't imagine what was going to happen.
First of all: she had to beg him several times because even tho he was on the donor's list (it means he signed himself in) he didn't want to agree to save her life. That's quite nasty for a premise even for the tsundere archetype to be honest.
Then as they start to "fake" their marriage (he asked her to marry him in exchange of her life, basically. She tought he was gay and needed a cover up - but that's her assumption, not a deception.) he starts to be a bit too controlling: he stated she - a grown woman - was forbidden to drink alcohol (not getting drunk, just to drink a beer for instance), was forbidden to wear skirts over her knee and things like that.
Actually the very alarm for me went on the moment she was walking at the mall with her friend and some guy stole her wallet, only to come back minutes later scared with that same wallet intact, begging forgiveness. How did her hubby knew? Wasn't he supposed to be at work, doing all that office stuff? (seriously I am always amused to see how much free time heads of conglomerates have to roam around instead of directing thousand people in dramaland. And they just sign stuff or scold people when they're rarely seen at their workplace LOL)
Some time passes and they spend lovely time together, they say cheesy stuff and flirt all the way.
And then the ugly thruth: we get to know that the marriage in fact was the masterpiece of the dick moves to approach a girl you like: he stalked, photographed her, got reports about her FOR TWO FREAKING YEARS and planned ahead the whole marriage thing by bribing doctors and forging documents about her having leukemia, when she was just anemic!! That would be GENIAL if only this drama was tagged under "thriller". But it's a rom com instead. How romantic! Let me spread some rotten flower petals here.
Because asking her for a coffee was too mainstream? We get to see in flashbacks she wasn't a cold, difficult to approach person, the exact opposite!! In fact he fell for her because they met by coincidence and she helped a stranger (him) without asking anything in return.
Even with his turbolent past with a severe father and a uncaring mother (she was a real bitch, let me say it moreover because she seemed a poor victim of the father too when she tried to steal his son's company at first occasion. wtf.) I think that's not logic at all. And also why his loyal assistant didn't warn him about the consequences, about how frong this was?? He planned to deceive her and confess the truth only when she had already fallen for him so she would forgive his actions: yeah sure, feed that to the dogs.
If only that she did exactly as he planned.
She discovered the truth, she got angry, she told him how suffocating is his behavior, HE LOCKED HER UP IN THE HOUSE WITH TWO GUARDS "FOR HER SAKE" when she wanted to leave and after couple of episodes they're back together. No consequences, no therapy.
Not to mention he begged her, telling her he wanted to change and after all that, she discovers he bought her apartment in secret. Psycho much? Hello? You didn't learn anything from all that mess?
But let's being serious for a second here because yes it's a fiction, it's a drama so "over the top or die trying" is our national anthem but I felt rather disturbed to see how lightly all the matter was treated. The friends, from both sides, just said: "oh, that's not cool" and that was it. Leaving aside the fact he didn't yell or hit at her, he, in fact, abused her. This was plain domestic abuse. He said what every perpetrator say in this circumstance "it's for your own good, I did it for you".
For the rest of the drama I kept being disturbed by it, I kept thinking the target of this stories are teens and they are easily influenced by everything around them. (It's not an asian only thing, I can use "after" by Anna Todd as another bad example.)
I just don't think it's a good idea showing manipulative characters justified and forgiven like that, without at least some therapy. Yes, he's a victim of his father too and I am prone to be more comprehensive, but it's not enough for me to excuse him or giving him a second chance right away.
I think it's also disrespectful towards all the people out there who are abused by their partner, trapped in this nightmare.
You may think "yeah but it's just fiction!" and I may agree with you except that seeing often those things as normal and romanticized even is very harmful for young minds. If he wasn't rich and handsome would you be on the same page as now?
Here's a really fitting example of what I'm trying to say: we're all educated that pink is a feminine color. A boy would be ashamed to wear pink (Jia Fei was more convinced that Wen Li was gay because he liked that very color) but isn't it just a pale hue of red? That's how our brain works: we get used to things and finally think they're normality. Ling Yi Zhou himself is a perfect example: he's so used to be manipulated by his father he thinks he's normal to treat his partner as some pet.
I was sad to see people willing to cheer for them at the end, while they were so severe to the second fem lead girl who basically did the same thing to Ling (she ipnotized and drugged him to forget his wife so she could stand a chance. This reminded me of Tom Riddle's mother. She tricked a guy to love her with a potion and when he woke up he left her pregnant with the dark lord. That would be a great lesson for both An Ran and Ling Yi Zhou).
I liked how Xia Lin and Chu Yan's friendship developed and that left me with the infamous second lead syndrome. He started as a bitchy rival, then he learned to respect her as a person and they become friends, they talked about stuff and helped each other: sometimes she rescued him, sometimes he rescued her. The true example of an equal and sane relationship.
For me the perfect ending would have been her escaping with him and the controlling dude being on therapy and then after few time trying again to have a relationship with another woman in the right way (or die, while trying to kill the girl and his friend who "stole" her), I think I will pretend that happened and forget about this whole stuff right away.
if it wasn't clear enough I won't recommend this at all xD I would rather keep watching the same old stuff full of clichés without abuse :/
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This review may contain spoilers
Not a FLATLINE drama. GOOD JOB GMM
This review is a subjective opinion on what I liked and didn't like about this drama. It is in no way meant to sway anyone from watching it.When most of the GMM series that have come out lately have FLATLINED, here comes 1000 Stars to BEAT life in GMM again.
I will admit that 2021 has had some major disappointments when it comes to BLs. Most notably, GMM has left a bad taste in my mouth as of late. However, this drama really proved that THEY DO KNOW how to tell a story without the gimmicks of their preivous projects. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I was worried at first about GMM taking on topics such as death and organ donation without bastardizing it. I was plesantly surprised that they did such a good job marrying the story with these topics. I was really scared that they would go on the "Tian only cares for Phu because of Tofurn" and this would have made it difficult for me as a viewer to feel for any of the characters. I was very very glad they made it clear that Tian's feelings are his and his alone and nothing to do with him getting Tofurn's heart.
This drama was about Tian finding his real self more than it was about him fulfilling Tofurn's dreams. He was a reckless, spoiled and often uncaring individual, who by "fate" or whatever you want to call it, ended up getting sick and needing a heart. As fate would have it, the heart he ends up getting is of Tofurn a young woman who is in love with Chief Phupha. And althoug romance is a part of this drama, it isn't as central to me as Tian's self-descovery of his worth and what he can do for others.
This was obvious is the various ways the director created a parallel flashback with the present. Tian finding joy in flying kites as opposed to him gambling, Tian wearing traditional clothes and the flashback of how he could easily get expinsive clothing but could just as easily get rid of it. The way Tian felt proud to wear that traditional shirt because he felt welcomed into the village.
Cinematography was amazing. Music lovely, and characters were all central and important to the story. From the smallest (villager) to Tian's parents, everyone's role was not wasted.
The only caveat for me is that Ep 8 and a bit of Ep 9 had some unnecessary plot points, but overall this is a must watch.
9.5/10 Excellent.
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"In this vast universe, all mortals' lives move in parallel lines, alone and ahead.
When somehow the lines meet, the moment of encounter, even if it was fleeting, is a miracle."TLDR: A Balloon's Landing was both beautifully written and beautifully executed. Definitely worth a watch, hell a rewatch even. Also, Guava is the best gps in the history of humanity.
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This movie is about a novel writer, Tianyu, going on a journey to locate the Bay of Vanishing Whales where he believes, and has been told in a letter years ago, that he can find a paradise. Does it sound slightly odd to go looking for a paradise and put your whole faith into a letter? Probably, but once you discover the reason behind this, it no longer sounds as odd. Many of us have moments in our lives where we feel completely lost and emotionally detached from everything (and in what he was suffering from, depersonalisation is common), not so much different from a balloon drifting aimlessly and looking for a place to land, yearning to call something home. And all I can say without giving away any spoilers is that, Tianyu is the same and have been feeling this way for quite a long, long time due to his past. Both that letter and the 'paradise' is what tugs at him, becoming his sole focus and (although a bit flimsy) connection to the ground and life itself.
He meets A Xiang in this same journey, perhaps exactly when he needed someone the most. A Xiang who initially started out as the seemingly not-so-reliable tour guide he never asked for, ends up becoming the person who helps him find his landing and feel like he belongs somewhere. These two are opposite in nature yet fit together like puzzle pieces, as differently shaped as these pieces might be (as in different pasts, goals, personalities and perspectives) they still belong to the same jigsaw puzzle; once they meet, they're bound to click in place. Perfectly. Because some people are just meant to be and they're definitely one of them.
Storytelling-wise, it was an experience for sure! almost made me feel as if I'm on a journey with Tianyu rather than just watching this. One of the things I absolutely adore about this movie is that it shows, not just tells. The characters won't grab the camera, look you dead in the eye and say, "I currently feel [insert] emotion, I am [insert] type of person, we are doing [insert] thing." They let their actions speak, their expressions speak, even the shared glances and comforting silences between them speak for itself. All of that makes each scene feel so alive because they actually seem like real people going through real situations, and the entire cast portrayed their characters so naturally which only made it even more believable. Plus, the seamless integration of weighty themes with a touch of humor felt perfectly balanced, it didn't undermine the very sensitive topics it dealt with imo.
It also played gently with the old-time romantic idea of destiny, but without making it the focal point or trying to convince everyone that their entire lives are predetermined, instead it showed that change is possible, that relationships evolve, and that love doesn't need grand declarations to be profound. Honestly, what I saw and felt in this movie was simply love that felt like home, it wasn't the steamy kind, it was simple, quiet, but undeniable love and it goes without saying that both types of love can be beautiful on the screen. Love comes in many shades, there's too many people in this world to expect everyone to love and express their love the exact same way. I wouldn't call the relationship in this movie 'subtle romance' either when it mainly just didn't have any breathless make-out scenes or bed-breaking bedroom encounters that'll make their neighbours think there's an earthquake, since it doesn't really fit my definition of subtle when it had enough intimacy that didn't make it even slightest bit of ambiguous to me. They are 'only friends' the same way historical gay couples are friendship goals to historians and they are about as 'straight' as Sappho’s poems about women. There was no love triangle, no unrequited love, just mutual love for life and for each other with the best gps dog (Guava) in the world making a cameo.
Along with that, the cinematography was gorgeous. The beauty of this film lies not only in the characters and their journey but also in how it's all wrapped in the atmosphere of the movie. I especially loved how there wasn't constant background music, sometimes it can be an overkill and there's some scenes that require silence or at least a quieter background so the characters' expressions and dialogues can do all the work. The cinematography, colour grading, and musical score was all perfect. Every element of A Balloon’s Landing worked in harmony, watching it felt like curling up in a warm blanket when it's really cold and listening to the soft sound of the fireplace. Just perfect.
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All in all, there's a paradise, but it's not by the Bay of Whales, it’s in this movie.
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1.Wuxia/ Mystery Storyline
As a big fan of Wuxia, I have watched all sorts of Wuxia dramas.But this kind of Wuxia/ Mystery dramas are very rare. The plot is not unpredictable but interestingly executed. It has its twists and turns and a certain amount of cliffhanger at every episode.
2. Superb Chemistry/Acting
I would say the actors are kinda new faces to me. I have never seen the male lead before.Though I have watched Female lead in Eternal love of Dream, her role is only a few episodes.
But both of their actings are top notch, their chemistry is on point. 2nd Male lead and other support’s actings are very impressive as well.
3.Impressive Cinematography
I don’t know it is whether a high budget drama or not but the fighting scenes are beautifully done. The cinematography can give a kind of Jianhu vibe.
4.Overall
Osts are quite well done too.Overall, it is not a perfect drama but I still like it. It is not time consuming and fast paced.
I would recommend it to all wuxia fans
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