Despite billing itself as a medical drama which features a savant surgeon, Good Doctor evolved into quite a different animal. While it does feature bloody surgeries and a hospital atmosphere, this drama yearns to be an inspiring slice-of-life. Most patients serve as episodic cases and often provide the backdrop for the hospital staff to interact. Though the medical side was handled relatively well, it often felt gimmicky. Developments between the hospital staff seemed much more important to the writers. To their credit, character interaction is where this drama excels. The exchanges may elicit wide ranges of emotions from viewers, anything between sorrow and anger to warmth and joy.
Certain things did not work as intended. Hospital politics feature in most medical dramas, but they were boring and unnecessary in Good Doctor. A particular romantic red herring exists (as they always do), taking up a large chunk of episodes. When things are finally sorted, the "proper" progression initially feels jagged and too quick -- despite the pairing itself being very nice and even desirable. This phenomenon of sudden forward motion occurs also with the lead character, as he moves from extended developmental purgatory to huge successive change. Even these issues are somewhat forgivable though, due to the power and likability of the actors.
As you might have garnered, Good Doctor features an earnestly talented cast. Joo Won shines at the top as gentle-hearted savant Park Shi On. Everything about his performance, from the way he held his body to his speech, spoke of good research and execution. Prickly Kim Do Han is something of an internet sensation, lovingly dubbed Doctor Wook ("anger") by Korean netizens. Joo Sang Wook brings natural charisma to this role, believably building a man colored by both by hardness and secret warmth. Though she was handed a character with little back story, something about Moon Chae Won just clicks. Her Cha Yoon Seo might dole out less impact, but she serves her purpose well. All three have wonderful chemistry, in any combination. Of the supporting cast, nearly everyone involved with the hospital politic aspect of the plot felt wasted. This is especially true of Kim Min Seo, Na Young Hee, Chun Ho Jin (who always seemed thunderstruck).
Many musical tracks were great, especially instrumental pieces. Various themes adopt an ethereal quality and a nonsense language reminiscent of Yuki Kaijura; these are masterful. Unfortunately, traditional vocal pieces are far more numerous than expected. This led to many forgettable ballads; during a particular episode, they actually stuffed every single into the action -- and topped the final scene off with an entirely new song! Despite this slight overcrowding, most were at least decent. Standouts include "I Am In Love" (2BiC), "How Come You Don't Know?" (Kim Jong Kook), and late game offering "Love Medicine" (Joo Won).
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I just chose it without any thoughts. At the time, I was in "japanese dramas mood" so I watched many japanese dramas without being picky or impatient.
2) Storyline/Plot:
To start with, I am not familiar with the story since I haven't read the manga or even heard about it so this was my first time getting to know the storyline.
Positive points:
*This drama's story made me interested ever since the first 10 minutes and that's really rare to happen since I never care about first episodes because they don't make much difference yet this drama's story made me really invested in its events so waiting for the next episode was a real torture.
*Main Genres:
--->Humor: Yes, this drama was funny because it was hilarious all over, sometimes it felt like anime scenes that was funny and entertaining most of the time.
The comedy concept was present too, we get to see funny characters with funny scenes. I have to point that Nika's inside conversations were really awesome which can bring good laughter.
--->Romance: it wasn't that deep nor that light. The romance in this drama was equilibred in a way that would make you invested in the romantic development and the whole concept. The teenage love story was cool to watch since it was light enough.
--->School: The usual concept that you find in school dramas; friends, enemies, teachers, popularity, nerds and so on. I've seen many school dramas before so this wasn't something special yet Switch Girl was more enjoyable.
Negative points:
*I can't think of any, except that this drama was too damn short! They should've made it longer, it felt rushed sometimes but that didn't ruin the whole concept.
Story: 8.5/10
3) Acting/Cast:
*Nishiuchi Mariya:
I am not familiar with her as an actress, she was introduced to me through this drama and what a great introduction! I liked her acting skills and enjoyed her role in a good way. From now on, I will anticipate her new dramas.
The character was great: Nika made us sad sometimes, excited some other times and entertained most of the time.
The ON and OFF modes were really awesome, I couldn't choose since both of them were enjoyable and funny; everyone of us have that hidden side within himself yet here it was exagerated to make it look captivating and hilarious.
*Kiriyama Renn:
I only saw him in "Hana Kimi Remake" but here he was different so I didn't know what to expect yet I surprised myself by accepting his general acting and role.
The character wasn't enjoyable like Nika's but I liked it anyway. Arata's appearance was nice and great sometimes; he may sound stiff at some points but all of that was decided by the storyline so I haven't focused much on that fact.
Another point that I should mention: Arata with or without glasses didn't sound contradictory to me; it was the same character with a different look.
*Other Cast: The supporting roles were cool and well chosen even the school nerds; no complains.
*Relationships:
--->Romance : The chemistry wasn't that great because romance wasn't deep enough.
--->Nika's family: Her mother and sister were always good to look at plus their adventures as a family was always hilarious.
--->Nika's school: Friends were good and the Monkey Boss made events entertaining sometimes.
*In each episode there were new cast and that's exactly what I love about J-dramas because with different cast comes different events, there's no spinning around the same point.
Cast: 8/10
Acting: 9/10
4) The ending:
I appreciated the ending, I was glad because they haven't took it to the usual concept of hiding something yet it wasn't that special, only acceptable and cool to watch: Nice ending overall.
The ending: 8/10
5) My impression (How did it affect me):
*I realy enjoyed this drama, even the waiting for upcoming episodes was fun.
*I haven't skipped any parts and that's really rare since I am an impatient person, believe me if I don't skip parts that means there weren't any chance of getting bored (well, that could be explaned by the fact that the episode's length was only 27 minutes).
*Is this drama memorable: Yes definitely, I enjoyed it so much. Even though, I finished it weeks ago, I still remember each and every event.
My impression: 9/10
6) Overall:
*If you like funny romantic school dramas then you would like this.
*If you like girls dramas you will enjoy this.
*If you're looking for a great female lead you may actually like this.
Overall: 8.5/10.
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If I could summarize this drama in one word it would be this: painful.
This drama is SUPER sad so prepare a box of tissues or you'll end up getting tears everywhere. If you're looking for a drama that is realistic and sad to watch then I wholeheartedly recommend this, but if you don't like watching realistic dramas, this one's not for you. That being said, lets get to the review!Story: This story is very well written even though it does have some typical kdrama elements in it but I really appreciate how there are no plot holes and the pace is quick. A lot of people don't like the love story in this but I think it's refreshing. I don't think I could make it through this drama without some refreshing breaks LOL. I really like the character developments and I don't think In Ha is unnecessary in the drama. It's nice to see the main character have someone to rely on (thats a girl ofc lol). One thing though, the ending could have been tweaked a little better.. well I wanted some magical cure for Alzheimers but its okay I understand lol.
Acting/Cast: Min Young, as always, was great and she did a really good job portraying In Ha as Jin Woo's supporter and noona. Seung Ho as Jin Woo was amazing, I'm in love with his acting. Everytime he cried I cried and everytime he smiled I smiled. His acting is splendid and I'd like to see him as a main role in more dramas :) (happy dramas lol). P.S. he's super handsome so thats a bonus haha. Nam Goong Min as Nam Kyu Man (wow so close... a coincidence I don't think so? haha) was AMAZING as a villain. He really portrayed all sides of the villain. Kyu Man spends his whole life pleasing his father and you can really see that and his anger issues are extreme. I'd have to say he definitely did an awesome job at giving this character dimension. Kyu Man's sister was okay, nothing special about her & lastly Park Dong Ho's character was amazing. His Busan accent and his acting was very good.
Music: what? there was music? lol srry I was too busy crying...
Rewatch Value: yes. definitely. a gem. but I won't watch this when I'm depressed LOL
Overall: overall I definitely wholeheartedly recommend this drama to anyone who wants a sad, realistic drama. This drama is very realistic because in reality the rich really do overpower the poor. I watched this drama for the cast and I was not disappointed. Awesome cast and great storyline.
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ITSAY = PERFECTION
ITSAY is that precious feeling that no one can ever steal from you. Never ever. I'm writing it to you.This drama, which has stirred all our emotions, is what you call EXCELLENT. The vibes it gives off are so deep & beautiful that it makes you feel nostalgic. The kind of storytelling done in the series is something that leaves no heart unprevailed. It is indeed the rarest of the rare Thai BL drama you'll ever witness.
Fabulous direction & screenplay, heart-warming dialogues, stimulating plot devices, awesome acting by the cast and most importantly, 'astounding' cinematography, oof.
Another fact that makes it unique is how incredibly they've introduced props like hibiscus, coconut, etc and utilized them well.
SPECIAL mentions to Bilkin and PP for offering their natural, simple and outstanding acting skills to this already precious story. Their dialogue delivery, accurate expressions, smiles, cries and everything made us smile & cry as if we were a part of their beautiful love story. Thank you so much you two. You guys have won over our heart and you along with the series will always be in our thoughts and dreams.
I really really hope THAI writers continue writing such beautiful stories and then the makers adapt them into series. How amazing that will be than watching the same cliché highschool/uni stories with romance and intimacy!
I swear "I TOLD SUNSET ABOUT YOU" is such a delightful thing to witness, I feel blessed. My life somehow feels complete. Eagerly waiting for I PROMISE YOU THE MOON- IPYTM (ITSAY part2).
THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE!
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Surprisingly Good Historical Mini Drama
I am very glad I came across this and decided to give it a try. I didn't have any expectations. After reading the description and summary and some of the discussion postings on mydramalist, the storyline intrigued me enough to give it a go. This is NOT a fluffy youth drama and it seems like there was a decent budget and thought spent on its production for a short web series. Its not a high budget drama like some of the hyped up full fledged CDramas; for a short web series, it was decent and above par compared to its peers. While it is a VERY different drama from Goodbye My Princess, it's similar in the sense its a web series with a unique take and a decent production feel to it that makes it stand out.The costumes and settings are beautiful and do not look cheap. It is not a fluffy youth drama but it has comedic elements and liked how there really aren't any draggy parts since each episode is pretty compact. I do wish it was made into a full featured drama as there are plenty other CDramas that are bad but given so much more production time than this. I wasn't familiar with any of the actors and actresses which is a bonus since sometimes it gets tiring seeing the same popular actors and actresses over and over again. Glad there are others who are given a chance to provide a refreshing take on characters. I thought the actors and actresses did a pretty good job and they were engaging and believable in their roles. I was skeptical with how they would pull off the love story of the ML and FL characters in the midst of mystery and political intrigue and with each episode being pretty short, they pulled it off.
As a warning, the english subs are limited and aren't great; it was good enough series that I overlooked it and replayed some parts again to get a better understanding.
Whoever penned the web series, original story and the director should be given more projects in the future. Good Job. Its so refreshing to find this after a few disappointing CDramas
Finally finished this, the ending didn't quite hit the mark but overall it is still a very good short web series.
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Honey as Lube, GO WATCH IT
THIS IS SO GOOD. Like actually GOOD good, not “I watch for the pretty faces” good (although yes, the faces are stunning). But I mean well-written, emotionally intelligent, gorgeously acted good. The chemistry between the leads is off the charts and Im pretty sure they are not acting, they are in a whole relationship and forgot to tell us. (I am in fact delulu)Anyway the chemistry between jin and akin is ridiculous. These two accidentally invented a new form of communication via eye contact because GOD DAMN, the way they orbit each other?? the tension?? the softness?? it’s so natural it makes other shows look like staged table reads. (Ya I am shading some bl's so what) THE POINT IS...it’s warm. it’s intense. it’s addictive.
The writing is tight, thoughtful and they actually use the characters' personalities and histories to drive the story, not just to sprinkle in backstory when it's convenient. everything connects.
Ok now let’s get into why boom and smart are actual sorcerers.
Boom’s physical acting is a whole experience. like, the man acts from his spine, from his kneecaps, you can tell what his character is feeling from the way he slumps his shoulders or tightens his hands. He uses his body language so so well.
And Smart’s vocal acting is unreal. the way he shifts tone depending on who he’s talking to, what he wants, what he’s scared of...ugh it’s so precise and layered. Sometimes he says something soft and i’m like “oh no... oh NO he means that.” his voice will crack just a little and suddenly I am spiraling.
And their scenes together?? good god, all of it is magnetic. I was locked in. The range is INSANE. like one minute I was laughing because akin is being a lovable menace and the next I am pausing the show to just BREATHE.
And YES. yes. there is a certain infamous scene involving HONEY (I know ya'll came in here for that trending honey scene) which sounds unhinged (because it is) but it’s also deeply emotional and a whole metaphor for love and indulgence and knowing someone so well you can give them exactly what they crave. It’s symbolic and it’s sweet and yes jin knows what akin likes and wants to give him everything and that is beautiful. I was deeply moved and deeply stressed. Peak television. okay, I want to frame it and then power wash it.
I hope boom and smart get everything after this. I hope they win awards. I hope they get roles that challenge them and let them show all the layers they have clearly got stored up. And I hope everyone watches this show so they can scream about it with me.
WATCH IT, fall in love. and text your friends “YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS” every 5 minutes. (Because mine screamed at me after saying I will drop it at episode 1, I picked it up and I love it so give it more than one chance please)
You’re welcome.
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Really sweet fluff!!!
If you want some relatively-short, happy romance fluff, this is for you!It's actually quite rare to see a male-chase-female rom com nowadays without evil/scheming secondary leads, but here is one to satisfy your sugar craving.
Also, if you're into smart leads (with very clever romantic dialogue), you'll enjoy this show.
Yes, people do fight, but they are resolved relatively early and maturely; so get your chocolate ready for a big binge journey that will help you forget the Gu Wei Yi in Put Your Head on my Shoulder LOL
Extra points to the poetic nature of the lines and the cultural references -- I honestly had to look up some of the more sophisticated things they said, but I think the whole "well-educated main characters with great literature background" setting really makes this drama unique -- as in only the Chinese can produce something like this without seeming cringey.
The last few episodes do transition a bit weirdly though -- at one point I thought I was watching Code Blue instead of a rom com, but I guess it was a plot device to help the main characters reaffirm their love for each other so I'll take it.
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-Story
i thoroughly enjoyed this drama. It has a good plot line (i know the synopsis told a lot but when you watch it, it's really not much) that also sets its pacing well.
We're introduced to YunXi, the daughter of the Imperial Doctor and FeiYe, Duke of Qin and the King's younger brother. The King and his mother does not believe him to be his actual brother because of an event. To help the King, the Queen Dowager ends up arranging him to be married to YunXi, who also harbors a secret. Their story then develops from there.
Apart from this, there is also the politic side of it, FeiYe's hidden secret, the secret plans from different Kingdoms, the King's own plots, and also those of his sons.
-Acting
Super well done! They really played out their parts. I especially fell in love with our main girl. For most light hearted historical dramas like this, i find it hard to continue watching the main girl but for this one, i really ended up enjoying all her expressions, her scenes, and her emotions. FeiYe is your typical stone faced male lead at first but quickly ends up warming up. Their little romance is adorable to watch! and honestly, despite the amount of troubles that come between the two, they never really end up having bad blood or angsty scenes (even with that slight betrayal tag).
Another reason i stayed till the end of this drama was because of Qishao ;_; developed major second lead sydrome thanks to him. He played his part out sooooo well, i absolutely loved all his scenes!
and the side characters in this did not lose out too, they were well focused and planned out.
Opening and ending theme song for this was great and the music that played during sad scenes matched well.
Rewatch? i'll come back to this when i miss the second lead and the chemistry between all the characters here.
One thing- THE ENDING- its a really open ending (Eps49/50 are both different endings). I love this drama, not intense love but happy love. I'm really sensitive and it was only at the last episode that i cried my heart out.
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I guess I just couldn't drop it. This is the most beautifully shot drama at Netflix this year (and I watched "The end of the fucking World"). The color palette is lovely, and there are some truly inspiring scenes. All of them related to the sea, some of them part of a mini film inputted in the drama. Besides, a 12 episodes drama with ~25min each seems like a pretty tight story - and it was!
The story flows in unexpected ways, and it carries you seamlessly. There are many things going on with this drama, and not superficially. You will wonder how it was able to show so much, to affect so much, and be so short.
It's less than 6hours in total, but I couldn't binge watch it because I kept stopping to ~think~ about what was happening. It's not tragic, it's not violent (in the strict sense of the word), but it is a very ~heavy~ drama that makes you question your morals, society, pressure in women in particular, infidelity, and also how naive teenagers really are. Not light themes, eh?
Although the drama doesn't shy of showing the main character sexual relationship, never for once the drama will try to normalize it. Sometimes it can even be uncomfortable. And not only between her and the teenager but between her and the man as well.
In the end, I felt like I was following the life of a lost woman, a naive woman, maybe a good woman (?), who is passing through the single most important months of her life. Independent of agreeing or not with her, everything will be affected by the choices that she makes here - and she has just started to realize that. You don't find much stuff as interesting as it is going on here.
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please tell me this was a social experiment
you know those shows that you just never want to end? this was the complete opposite of that. I spent every single second watching this hoping, wishing, praying it would just end already. I put it on 2x speed and still felt myself growing older by the second, wasting away my precious minutes on this earth watching this trainwreck of a show.now you may ask, why did you finish it if you hated it this much? I have no answer for you. I myself am astonished by my own perseverance. I told myself I would see this show through to the bitter end and I can proudly say I DID IT! I withstood it all. the bad acting, horrible writing, boring cinematography, outrageous advertisement, obnoxious background music and I came out alive. I stand victorious against this show! It hasn’t broken me, but oh boy it certainly tried.
sometimes when I close my eyes I can still see it… the logo “Lodestar Productions” looming in front of me, mocking me. I wake up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat after having found myself trapped in a nightmare where I, too, am sitting in that office. unable to escape the melodramatics of daonuea and nine. unable to even scream. someone hands me phone and asks me to book a flight using the AirAsia SuperApp™ I take it, my fingers numb, only able to wait for death to put an end to my suffering.
anyways this show was shit. and considering how many people it takes for the production of a drama I cannot believe that this was anything other than a social experiment. there is just no way that many people earnestly signed off on this idea thinking it was going to be a hit. I will not believe it. watch it if you’re looking for something to bore you death and haunt you in your nightmares.
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This review may contain spoilers
Nonchalant, sassy, intelligent - a solid enrichment among law&order dramas
"May it Please the Court" is one of my favorite series amid the flood of Law & Order series 2022. I appreciate its witty and grounded touch. I also appreciate the playful, sassy and natural at ease dynamic between the two leads. You get wit without silliness and on top of that an exciting story. In addition, the question (which is obviously burning at the moment in South Korea) about the solid handling of the rule of law in the face of apparently overpowering forces that control politics, the executive and the judiciary, is intelligently incorporated into the network of relationships and case processing.The story is based on a book with real cases, written by public defender Jeong Hye-jin ("Let Me Start the Argument"). This makes the Disney production a solid enrichment for current courtroom dramas. In addition, this KDrama doesn´t try to downplay its KDrama roots in favour of international streaming market standards. The KDrama remains true to itself and doesn't rely on more violence or sex than usual It rather builds on proven emotional storytelling with an excellent cast and a loving eye for the nuances.
The intro offers an impressive, brilliantly cool stylization of the KDrama orbit, in which the one percent of society is always involved: the fircely quarreling, shaken by internal intrigues and secrets, outrageously rich family clan, in which everything is about the best law firm, the greatest impact on the prosecutor's office or the fat contract. Here you have to be clean, untouched, respectable (which you rarely are). The profession of choice is a lawyer and/or sooner or later assemblyman and ideally a presidential candidate.
So far, so good... we´ve seen it many times. Now, however, the story is driven by a new powerful perspective: the world of public defenders who handle legal cases from the world of ordinary, often destitute people at the bottom of society. Worlds clash - worlds both with people involved. The interface is incorporated by No Chak-hee, who has lived in either. As the number 1 in the law firm, in which she has just been promoted to the youngest partner, she is being transferred to the mandatory public defense. What she doesn't know: this is mere political calculation of her very esteemed superior. What she also doesn't know: the encounter with her new colleague and the world of public defense will unhinge her worldview and give her work new direction and grounding.
Suspense has the central characters fatefully under control. A series of murders occur. Crimes emerge behind old, long solved and forgotten cases. No Chak-hee realizes that even she can no longer wash her hands in innocence. Guilt. Innocence. Right. Wrong. Culprit. Victim. Justice. Injustice. The perspectives get a bit out of the sounding line.
KDrama at its finest. Good entertainment, while also being socially critical and up to date. Pithy. Nonchalant. Intelligent. Exciting. Romantic vibes included.
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A Fresh Breath of Air (no more c-drama cliches)
Rattan introduces not only a new type of genre (science fiction/fantasy) but completely new character dynamics. We truly have a strong female lead here, someone whose backstory and motive drives the whole plot. In fact, the male lead is more a side character who simply accompanies her on her journey after her revival. Some people might be put off by the foreignness of the drama, the fact that there are no old tropes, and I implore those people to spend a couple more episodes watching before coming to a conclusion. At least make it to the halfway point before giving a critical rating.For those who are confused about what the plot is, or feel there is no plot, the drama is also of the mystery genre. Over half of the 30-episodes are focused around discovering who the female lead is and why she does what she does. When the audience finally does discover all the information, the second half of the drama leads the audience to a much faster paced plot where Si Teng meets her goal and deals with the obstacles (or rather people) that arise as well as her budding feelings for Qin Fang.
Even if you're not here for the mystery plot, there's still much to savor from the drama: the beautiful scenery, Si Teng's stunning wardrobe, and the adorable slow-burn romance. A lot of the scenery is very uncommon in Chinese dramas, where instead of the old traditional architecture or modern skyscrapers, they filmed in Xinjiang and remote places like Shangri-la City.
ACTING/PRODUCTION:
The main actors, Jing Tian (role Si Teng), Zhang Binbin (role Qin Fang) and Zhang Yichi (role Yan Furui) are all great at their craft and the interactions all feel very natural. Even the child actors for Wa Fang and young Si Teng act very well. If there are complaints about acting from second leads, I do want to remind that the production team for Rattan doesn't have the extensive budget of other dramas like Eternal Love or Ashes of Love, so please be more lenient. In fact, Bai Jin is even acted by the director himself. Even so, the team went through a lot to get good scenes i.e. for the first scene when Qin Fang revives Si Teng, they filmed at a very high altitude, where it's very cold and they had to bring oxygen tanks.
Not to mention, the two leads have great chemistry. Their off-screen interactions are absolutely adorable. When they first appeared in public together to promote the drama, they looked so happy together that the search Jing Tian and Zhang Binbin acting like newly-wed couple was one of the top 5 searches on Weibo that week. There's also a Happy Camp episode coming out soon if you want to see more of them together!
Interestingly, Rattan was a surprise drama, no one expecting the popularity that it currently has. On Douban (the Goodreads of Chinese cinematography), not only does it have a 7.8 rating, it boasts 140k reviewers (most dramas have around 60k and a 6.5 rating; anything over 7.5 is extremely impressive and rare). All of these are testimonies to the greatness Rattan is.
CONS:
Personally, the main issue I have is that the plot can be very confusing, which knocked down the overall rating from 10 stars to 9. The drama is based off of a novel written by Wei Yu and so sometimes knowledge on text doesn't translate well visually without narration. Especially near the end, where it picks up pace, it can get very confusing what is happening and why it has occurred. I feel like more time could've been taken to go over these scenes and the backstory. There are also some unanswered questions like: did Qin Fang ever realize who Shan Zhigang was? Why does Bai Jin hide the fact that he has powers and what exactly is even his role? etc. I didn't mind as much since I could get the general gist, but I can understand how that may be frustrating to others. The drama may have benefited from extra episodes or cutting out whole sections of plot, instead of following the novel religiously (like the last 2 episodes were kinda unnecessary and made me much more confused).
ENDING:
Finally, about the ending, some of you are worried about it having a sad ending. The director actually filmed two endings. The one in episode 30 is more "sad", i.e. Qin Fang and Si Teng don't end up together in the traditional sense (I still don't think its sad though, it has a nice cause and effect circular nature to it), but there's also a special, which provides another ending, which people have enjoyed much more, where Qin Fang and Si Teng do end up together, so no need to have qualms about that if you don't like tragedy.
CONCLUSION:
WATCH THE DRAMA. Whether or not it ends up following your preferences, I believe the freshness of the plot/setting/characters are all worth a try.
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I kissed a girl just to try it.
This crisp, cleverly written coming-of-age movie with a bit of a twist, explores the usual themes of first love, rejection, self-discovery, and accepting your family for who they really are. It is carried by persuasive and heartfelt performances by both Wu Lei and Zhang Zifeng whose restrained, nuanced portrayals convey the confusion of awakening youth and the utter depth of despair of first love and rejection. In this genre, young actors tend to lose my empathy by over-dramatizing and overacting in such angsty moments but these two truly moved me by not doing so. I also appreciate the well-timed light humor that diffuses tense moments and captures the ultimate resilience and optimism of youth.Zheng Yuxing and Chen Chen couldn't be more different - he is a bit of a rebel, the cool kid with a bit of internet following while she is a good student with bright prospects who unexpectedly flunks out. Thrown together by an outrageous lie, a mutual understanding that becomes a touching, unexpected relationship blossom between them. They embark on a most excellent adventure together as Chen Chen convinces Yuxing he must confront Ming, who is breaking his heart. Instead, they end up facing their feelings for each other and what it means for each of them culminates in an "I kissed a girl just to try it" kiss that says all that needs to be said. The chemistry between both leads is incredible and is exactly as it should be. I can't praise enough how these two young actors effortlessly show us rather than tell us the complex multitude of emotions they are experiencing.
Unfortunately for Yuxing and Chen Chen, there are too heavy consequences for their actions. Once again we see that young people are so much better people and I am left hoping these two stay that way on their long journey ahead. The ending is realistic with the right touch of wistfulness and hope.
So now is the time to confess that I only watched this because I wanted to see my favorite Wu Lei of unforgettable Fei Liu fame's first screen kiss. Needless to say, I got much more than I bargained for. While this movie has received backlash for not being upfront about what it is about, I think that criticism reflects a lack of understanding that that is the whole point. Who is Ming? That is the most irrelevant detail because it changes nothing. Yuxing's emotions, Chen Chen's emotions, our emotions, and our experiences are the same regardless of certain aspects of our identity.
The premise of this movie isn't the most original but the way it communicates its simple message is. And the acting deserves a standing ovation. This is an 8.5 for me with a strong recommendation to watch.
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The Quintessential Japanese Drama of 2019
First, I want to let you know that in Japanese Drama, THEMES is always more significant than the plot. It's doesn't matter who Nagi would end up with or how the drama would end. What important is how the show will convey its message. This drama is not your typical two-boys-one-girl type of story or other overrated romance crap. You could choose your ship if that entertains you, but just to let you know, this drama was not meant to make your heart flutter, it was meant to speak to your soul.This drama is about the so-called "Hard Reset", not the one you do with your phone but the one you apply with your own life. The important decision you do to make a significant change and start anew. Completely changing your environment is essential, which is what the main protagonist did in this drama, a long vacation. It made her discover more about herself and broaden her perspective of the world, or to make it more precise; it made her have her dream.
Another theme is reading the atmosphere/mood or reading between the lines and I'm sure most of us are familiar with that feeling. When you enter a room full of strangers, most people will remain silent for a while. Judge people's faces, their expressions, their manner of talking etc. "reading the atmosphere" is everywhere, from school, workplace, family and even your relationship. Whether consciously or unconsciously, people do this all the time, this ability is ingrained firmly into us as a species. We as human, always look for a place we can call our own, and we need strong social bonds for that. We always try to "fit in" or wear all the right mask whenever it feels right.
"Stop Trying to Fit In, Aim to Belong Instead"
This drama will teach you fitting in will never get you home because fitting in is trying to adapt to a world that is not your own. Just like Nagi, you have to have your dream and not just live for other people. You have to forget the cool people; you have to find your people. Nagi found these people who help her reboot her life, the film buff grandma, scammer turned best friend Sakamoto, The most level headed mother and daughter (total opposite of Nagi and her mom), the bar owner mama and the most insensitive playboy neighbour. These characters don't only serve up as an exposition for the main character, but their story also conveys the theme of this drama, and the writer did a brilliant job on weaving them in a beautiful pattern.
The Pacing, Setting and Music add so much to the slice of life feels of this drama. Nagi's long vacation is a very well-paced drama; no time is wasted but doesn't felt rushed as well. It is entertaining enough to keep you engaged as you watch it. It also has mundane elements that if you notice would give a smile to your face like shirts worn by Nagi, it seems trivial, but those are valuable shirts you would find in thrift stores. Little details like this make me appreciate the drama more. The location would look very familiar to you after you watched the drama like it seems you also live there along with the characters. The cinematography is terrific in showing the green landscape, clear blue sky and by capturing the calmness and serenity of the laidback way of living. The OST is chill and relax, which complements the slice of life nature of this plot, but it can also get emotional when requires. I also never get tired of hearing the theme song "Reboot" sung by Miwa. It captured the whole theme of this drama.
The acting is ten out of ten, Haru Kuroki never disappoints. She is one of the best actresses in Japan right now and is indeed a national treasure in dramaland. Nagi's portrayal of inner growth is well portrayed, you might get pissed by her actions and decisions, but you always find yourself rooting for her. Haru Kuroki is very skilled as an actress, but it's her sincerity that makes Nagi such a lovable character. The title, Nagi's Long Vacation suggest this is only about Nagi, but this drama can easily be about Shinji as well, the only difference is Nagi only suppress her feelings where Shinji also hurts people around him. Shinji is a character you will despise at the beginning, but you would understand a bit about the character in the end. The writers gave him one of the best character development I've seen in recent years, and the way Takahashi Issei handled it is brilliant, probably his best performance ever. The way he controlled his emotions is masterful like at one moment his character angered you then you will laugh at his comic relief antics then you will feel him as he cries like a baby, what a man child lol.
Nagi's Long Vacation is the quintessential Japanese drama. They are the best when it comes to thought-provoking slice of life genre. You may find the characters caricatures until they slap you with realization quotes that will speak to you on a personal level.
Check my Blog for other reviews & other JDramas stuffs. (｡◕‿‿◕｡)
https://thatjapanesedramaguy.blogspot.com/
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