Reviews

Ditto

Somewhere a screenwriter was watching the movie Ghost for the fifth time and decided it would make a great drama. Just trade out a police officer who can see ghosts for the clairvoyant Whoopi Goldberg and Satoh Takeru for Patrick Swayze. The title I Should Have Told You a Million Times was even reflected in the 1990 movie. If you've seen the movie, nothing in this drama will come as a surprise. Having said that, the characters were all likeable enough to keep my interest throughout the drama.

The story opens with a Sixth Sense beginning, but if you've read the synopsis, the suspense fell flat. Thankfully, they didn't drag it out. Yui and Naoki were childhood friends who reconnected and began dating. On her birthday, he disappears. Along comes Detective Uozumi whose latent spiritual sight evolves just in time to see Naoki. Uozumi works to figure out what happened to Naoki while he's embroiled in another murder investigation. The three become friends as they dig through the past to see how old relationships and old crimes are playing havoc with the present. There were also some Ghost Whisperer moments where they helped a couple of wandering ghosts with their regrets.

Despite some repetitious scenes and obvious borrowing from other sources, I enjoyed the story as it unfolded. The bromance that developed between Naoki and Uozumi helped cover over some of the weaker writing. The suave Satoh Takeru and nerdy Matsuyama Kenichi had a nice chemistry. Inoue Mao showed how hard it is to let go as Yui held on tight to a man she couldn't see. With all the extra time they were given and a translator as well, it was frustrating that Yui and Naoki didn't work through their emotions and regrets. In some ways, their relationship came across as fairly shallow instead of an intimate love---words matter.

The supernatural murder mystery came to its natural ending in episode 9, but then they decided to tack on a wish fulfillment ending for the last episode that almost completely ruined this drama for me. With one little tweak they had the opportunity to showcase the perfect ending for a tearjerker drama but by dragging it out, took all of the emotional punch from the previous episode. In time, I will block out the last episode, grind through the five stages of grief and remember the other episodes and engaging characters fondly.

7/5/23

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What would you do if you were given a chance to change your past?

This is probably one of the most well thought out time travel dramas that I've felt satisfied with. I haven't seen Someday or One Day or any other acclaimed ones, but this made me think and wonder what was about to happen after each episode. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes time travel, romance and a mix of fantasy.

Very rarely do we meet someone who absolutely has no regrets in life. Ye You Ning was no different - he had chosen his path since a young age and followed his heart, until he realizes that his decisions cost him the things that were worth more than words. When a freak thunderstorm has him thrown back into his 2006 younger self, he is forced to make new choices all over again and change his view on life itself… he also discovers that the girl, Xia Wen Xi, whom he had declined to be the deskmate of in the past had the "time machine" - and thus starts his journey to relive his life once again.

This is no simple romantic drama. Although classified under Sweet On Series, this one is far from sweet. It's also one of the most well written time travel dramas I've seen. And be warned - the time travel aspect governs the whole plot. With only 24 episodes, we see Ye You Ning change the past and travel multiple times through various timelines, in varying situations from which he once again attempts to escape. In a way, the time machine gives him a chance to redo his days as a student and cherish the time he'd been given. What makes this drama special is that the cold male lead is literally forced to change and re-experience his life through multiple ways, each time realizing how certain small things in life could change your fate. We experience his varying parallel universes with him, and by the end of the drama, I realized that I had somehow begun to care a lot about him.

I gradually grew attached to the characters. I liked how the young and silly Xia Wen Xi communicated with the adult Ye You Ning. I liked Yang Youchung and Xiaoai; Ting Ting and Jiaqi. I loved how the relationship between the Grandfather and Grandson progressed!
Although the drama shifts to romance as promised by the title, I often wondered about the future of the two fated people. The Universe had laws after all. And this drama managed to make me wrack my brains to find out how it all ended. And it did not disappoint with the ending - the writers for once actually thought for once instead of pulling a cope out.

Both Xia Wen Xi and Ye You Ning start off as 'barely' classmates, yet the time machine forges a strong, unyielding connection that crosses both time and space. The last few episodes solidified this and I couldn't be happier.
Both the lead actors stunningly portrayed their roles with viscious intensity. It was only 24 episodes long, but it seems like I had gone along on an adventure with them. To me, time travel has never been a thing that seemed impossible - It's just that science hasn't yet reached a threshold where it can theoretically be explained. It was absolutely fascinating to watch the drama unfold.

I initially did not find the music appealing, but by the last episode, I was crying with the songs. Time's magic indeed...

One thing I might advice for future viewers is to get a grip on the time jumps and events. Those are the most rushed parts in the drama. It also provides pretty sweet high school and college memories to momentarily save us from all the angst.
I will rate this a solid 9. Despite it's flaws, it stole my attention and is one of the best dramas I've watched this year. It made me look back and think for once - what would've happened if I had done this or chosen that?
All in all, it's 100% worth watching.
I hope that both Xia Wen Xi and Ye You Ning finally get to enjoy themselves together in whichever timeline or universe they are in.

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since its a remake the story gets 8. but over all this drama would get 11/10 if that was possible. we talk about chemistry but these two main leads ha over heating chemistry. not only with them selves but there ex-lovers as well. yeah their acting was that good. Most k dramas have chemistry but few have passion. this one hit it, the viki commentators kept on asking "is this a k drama??". the acting of sad scenes reminded me of kim soo hyun and his younger version in the moon embraces the sun because you could see and feel the agony and pain they were feeling. and not forget the comedy, sound effects, the music...sigh. apart from a few editing mistakes this drama was SUPERB!!! I WILL RE-WATCH IT WHEN EVER I NEED TO BE REMINDED OF TALENT OR WHEN I NEED A GOOD LAUGH.

Next: the character Do young ha portrayed by park seo joon. is bullet proof as in no flaws what so ever. okay if he was to have a flaw it would be that he is too nice hence hence gals get the wrong idea, yeah thats all i can come up with, even when he yelled u could see over flawing kindness, he was straight forward, mature yet very immature at times who ever wrote him is a good writer.
YOU ALL NEED TO WATCH THIS.

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This is a very dark drama with some major mature themes, but a rollercoaster that is well worth the watch. I started this drama thinking I was watching a romance show and thankfully it was much, much more.

The story is about two sisters, two pair of sisters to be exact: the parent generation and later the kids. The kids generation were all quite a young casting and I was blown away by the acting prowess of Benz, the girl who played Saiparn. Saiparn and Nida are two sisters from the same father but different mothers. The problem lies in the fact that their mothers were both blood sisters, yes, both sisters had the same husband (high ew factor). The father essentially rapes the younger sister (Nida's mother) and this results in the birth of Nida and the death of Saiparns mother on the same day.

This sets the story up for the rest of the show as Saiparn hates the living daylights out of her aunt and half-sister as she believes, and partly rightly so, that they are the cause of her mothers death. Only partly because the full blame actually lies with their father (a disgusting piece of trash) who abused Saiparn and lavished Nida with everything her whole life as he thinks that Saiparn is the product of an adulterous affair her mother had, and is not his child.

Characters:

SAIPARN- Very human female lead who is flawed, but is so perfect because of all her baggage and flaws. Saiparn was abused by her father who hated her, and eventually became an abuser to her own sister as well. She gets raped by Poodit, who is Rida's fiance (due to a scheme she set-up which made Poodit question Rida's love for him and Saiparn humiliates him which leads him to rape her in retaliation---I kid you not, he was apparently the male lead, but more on him later). The rape was the cliff that eventually pushed her over the edge and the trauma from that opened up her self-protective shell which she insulated herself with to push everyone away with previously. She was able to finally see her aunt (whom she blamed for her mothers death) as a good person and put the hatred she always had to rest. She survived hardships and overcame them and I really admire her for it. This is the complete opposite of Nida, who had no hardships until her fiance was taken away from her and the first struggle in her entire life basically unraveled her bubble she had lived in and led to her insanity.

NIDA- Nida had all the love in the world, her father basically gave her her every whim and lavished love and affection on her, to the point where he would deliberately take things that Saiparn dearly loved, even mementoes of her mother, and gave them to Nida. She was the most selfish person in this whole show, who was basically the product of coddling and protection from everyone in this drama. When her mother tried to curb her psychotic tendencies in an early episode, the father intervenes and slaps the mother, yet again feeding the selfish monster and setting her up for doom later on. I felt so satisfied when the father gets knocked out in the later part of the show by the very monster he created, it was sweet poetic justice. Acting wise I think she was weakest of the whole cast. She had this wide-eyed look throughout the show which I hated and later on in the show, her crazy act was so overbearing I generally skipped her scenes unless they involved Saiparn.

POODIT: Read PooSHIT. I hated him throughout the show. He is the type of wishy-washy hero you never want to see as the main lead. He apparently loved Nida, but raped her sister instead. Is forgiven by everyone, meanwhile Saiparn, the victim is made out to be the seducer and has to bear all the repercussions of his horrendous actions. He has a lot of inner battles as he still wants to marry Nida, but also wants to take care of Saiparn- because he is a gentleman (I choked everytime someone on the show mentioned how he was such a perfect model of a human being, YUCK). Only person who wasn't PooSHIT's fan was Saiparn and Nida's older brother, the one sane person in the whole show.

NAPAT: The angel. I seriously shipped him with Saiparn, but this idiot loved Rida too fishin' much (at this point you start to wonder if the main girl is Rida, since every male lead in this show LOVES her to bits, which is reminiscent of any kdrama love triangle). He was a doctor who basically took care of Saiparn after the rape, and later Rida when she goes into batshit crazy mode. I was hoping he falls for Saiparn while he is taking care of her, but alas it was not to be as Rida with her lead halo was too strong a contender.

Overall this was a really intriguing show and I stayed glued to the unfolding crazy drama, mainly for Saiparn as she was one of the most believable heroines I have come across recently in lakorns. She wasn't a goody-two-shoes, she acted mean, got even, and was a very tortured person. Yet, despite all this she learned her lessons and took the high road by the end of the drama.

I highly recommend this drama for anyone who is fed up of watching door-mat heroines, and someone who can stomach issues such as rape and abuse.

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The best one

I'm pretty sure everyone already knows this story but for me whether you know it or you don't this series is a must watch.
I've watched all the different versions ( the Korean was the first I've ever watched ) and up until now the Japanese one was my favourite. After watching F4 Thailand I have to admit I changed my mind. This one was amazing.
The series stayed true to the story but with a more modern twist. The cast and the acting was on another level, not cringy or over the top, but just enough to make you feel so invested in their story.
I can understand than many people will not enjoy it. This is a plot we've seen many times before but, for me at least, this is a classic. I totally think you should watch this. Even if it isn't your cup of tea I truly believe that this series will steal your heart. But even if it doesn't it will be something funny for you to watch and enjoy.

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There's something about this series that bugs the hell out of me

[15/09/2022 UPDATE]: that freaking cover.... I thought I would address it because I saw a few people asking if it was a BL. The answer? No. It's such a random cover to me. The first thing you see is three guys laughing. Two of them aren't even relevant, and the other one (the ML) is a jerk to the other two at times. But they're pretty much nobody. And then you have two pretty editorial shots at the top of two other characters (one being the FL), that means absolutely nothing to me. At the end of this review, I added what I think the cover should have looked like, and how I would change the plot. I did not like this drama so I do have a lot to nit-pick about

──── ✧《✩ STORY ✩》✧ ────
It has an interesting premise, it really does. But the execution felt disjointed. Going from a story about a summer first love to a dating reality show about teenagers was slightly odd. The storytelling was just awful in my opinion. Like, actually bad. And the screenwriter just wasn't great at using plot devices

The whole reality show arc was weird to me. It was like none of characters (the ones actually participating and the ones watching) had ever watched reality TV. Like, YES, it's sometimes scripted. It's not exactly a big secret. Yet some of the characters had the biggest attitude when things didn't go their way. And the ending just made me question the point of everything.

This also gives me Victorious vibes (yep, that's right, that Nick show). Because, you have a bunch of characters that are all supposed to "shine", but really, it's just the main two that are relevant. Like, the side characters were specifically created to revolve around the main two. They're just there to serve the plot, but don't contribute anything to their own character. In fact, even Victorious gave some personality to their side/minor characters at least. This was just bad.

──── ✧《✩ ACTING/CAST✩》✧ ────
I didn't really like the characters at all. I did my best to try and understand the characters and why they made the choices they did, but in the end, I kept coming back to one thing: they're teenagers who haven't experienced much and I JUST DON'T CARE about them or what was happening to them. Yagi Yusei's character was the only one I really liked (which might be my bias for him showing since I like FANTA's music), but he never got much of a backstory. But he was the nicest character and he was just really understanding and sweet.

The other characters all just annoying and selfish. Like, they (the screenwriter irl and the reality show's director) really milked a story that happened over the span of probably a month. The FL basically stirred shit over something that happened years before despite her terrible confrontation skills. And I swear it was the most PICK ME GIRL BS EVER!!!! Come on!!! She started shit for no reason and tried to hide and ignore it.

There's a scene in episode 4 (~19:38) of Itagaki Mizuki's character walking up the stairs and it's the most bizarre scene. his shoulders are hunched and he looks slightly scary. Out of context, the scene is giving me low-budget horror vibes... I just had to mention it because it's so weird. Also, the scene itself was weird to me because I felt like what he was doing was for the wrong reasons, and he also went after the wrong person

I also wonder why so many of these actors were casted. This feels like something that was written by a rookie (even though it wasn't), and should have starred rookie actors, but a lot of these actors have been around for a while and have acted in things A LOT better.

──── ✧《✩ SCREENWRITING/DIRECTING ✩》✧ ────
The cinematography was really great. It was filmed in a small seaside town and was really pretty. There were a lot of great shots. The writing was a bit off, and the characters didn't always feel like teenagers, or even people.

All the problems I mentioned above could have been resolved easily - with more episodes. It felt so restricted in every way possible. As if the actors didn't have enough time to get into the role of their characters before they finished filming. The small plot points came and went so fast so I never really felt like I could have known any of the characters as people. Which is why I found it hard to connect. For example, one of the characters was going through something in their home life, but then it just stopped being relevant and I really think they could have kept coming back to it throughout to see how it still affects the character. But there was nothing!! It was only there to turn the ML into a jerk.

──── ✧《✩ MUSIC ✩》✧ ────
They played a song that was actually decent. It had a summer feel that matched the drama. But it was also slightly forgetful.

──── ✧《✩ REWATCH VALUE ✩》✧ ────
I'll honestly never watch this again. There's no need to. I only heard about this because of Yagi Yusei, and then happened to recognise other cast members.

tl;dr: good plot, bad execution; good acting, bad characterisation. Not terrible, but not good - i.e. very mediocre

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[15/09/2022 UPDATE - MY VERISON ]
I came up with this before falling asleep last night but I'll try my best to remember everything.

The cover should be similar to the kdrama The Smile Has Left Your Eyes cover. The FL is either embracing the ML or Yagi Yusei's character, with the other man on the other side with their hand out, failing to grasp the FL. This should also be a thriller (I have a excessive need to turn anything and everything into a thriller). The plot for the most part can stay the same - the friends having hung out together during school and over the summer. But I would also make the FL a childhood friend as well, that always moved around but still kept in touch. There should be a big betrayal or fight and then years later, she appears again on the reality TV show, just like this drama. But there's going to be a plot twist, I just haven't figured it out. Either the ML or Yagi Yusei's character is evil (hence why I couldn't decide who should hug her in the cover). The one holding her is evil. And he's obsessed with her. And the other ML has to try and convince everyone that he's evil, but no one believes him. Ok, I got it. Yagi Yusei's character is evil and joined the reality show after finding out she was in it because he knew her when they were young and he had a crush on her. But now he's straight up obsessed. The ML knows this, but no will believe him because he became a jerk at the end of middle school, so they don't trust him. His friends are more important in my version and are watching most of it together at home until the last few eps where they show up because they realise something is wrong. But, plot twist - the ML is a serial killer. He didn't just become a jerk after middle school, he also started murdering people (ones that resemble his mother). And the FL also resembles his mother. So, they're both evil (to different degrees). And her friends on show have to help the ML's friends figure out what happened and then take down the ML. Oh, and Yagi Yusei's character is killed trying to help the FL. He went out a stalker hero...

A bit dramatic but that's what I came up with last night and just now as I wrote this :) Of course this show could have been better without the thriller plot, just a few other changes. Oh, and if you try to use my plot to create something, I expect royalties. So you better pay up :)

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A story full of humanity in the face + despite blatant inhumanity. An epic about love & compassion

"Eyes of Dawn" marks a quite spectacular milestone for South Korea Television Series as well as the kick off for a new era of TV production – ambitious in terms of time sensitive content as well as an artistically valuable approach. The production dates back to 1991… South Korean life is just cautiously starting to be a bit less suppressed.

"Eyes of Dawn" is the creative script and cinematic processing of a novel, which deals with the tragic relationships of the three protagonists Choi Dae-chi, Yoon Yeo-ok and Jang Ha-rim as well as the bitter history of their time. The story takes place during the Japanese colonial rule, during the last years of the second world war and reaches up to the liberation of Korea and the time of the Korean War.

The KDrama begins its story during the last years of World War II – with Yeo-ok, a comfort woman, who like cattle is being shipped to northern Manchuria, and Ha-rim, who is drafted into the military as a student. Yeo-ok meets and falls in love with soldier Dae-chi, while serving as a comfort woman for his Kwantung Army unit. (With Ha-rim she only meets much later. )The world war and the subsequent struggle in Korea for a new political identity grind the three protagonists mercilessly through somewhat traumatizing mills. Love and passion accompany the three on their dramatically entangled paths, where they sometimes meet, sometimes separate, meet again and separate again within the turbulent swell of their time. Showdown is during the Korean War at Jirisan Mountain – in the ´eyes of dawn´…

For this KDrama MBC spent a lot of money – more than 5 times as much, compared to other TV series. It was shot at original or similarly exotic locations abroad. (If you like, see also the side notes below.) The project feels more like an approx. 36-hours-long movie. With "Eyes of Dawn" MBC celebrated its 30th anniversary with a bang, so to speak. The KDrama was enthusiastically received by the audience. For director Kim Jong-hak, "Eyes of Dawn" was the breakthrough. The former journalist came to MBC in 1977 and worked his way up the ranks with historical dramas in a politically turbulent time full of rapid changes (in series production, too). However, "Eyes of Dawn" is his first truly self-responsible of two innovative, groundbreaking masterpieces (the other being "Sandglass"). Thus, Kim has unsparingly reappraised the latest history of his country and his compatriots with a confident original signature and thorough, artitistic determination. At his side, screenwriter Song Ji-na provided a well-rounded, coherent script with depth and complexity. A team of talented actors and an intensely lingering soundtrack rounded off the ambitious projects with a high entertainment value.
Fantastic actors. The three leads in particular, but not just them. This applies to everyone else – there were an impressive 270 actors as well as around 21.000 supernumeraries involved...

"Eyes of Dawn" and "Sandglass" are actually both (in contrast, for example, to the younger KDrama "Faith or The Great Doctor", which Kim Jong-hak also had directed) reduced to the essentials when it comes to dialogues. Passionate, but also ruthless in the authenticity of sometimes ugly, even brutal details. Gross and austere, yet visually stunning, too. With selected camera angles that often say more than words, and scenes, that burn into your memory. The KDrama wants to show life as it was, back then... 'Nice' is rare. Sincere it is, though. Serious. A great piece of series culture. A dream of a historical drama, aiming at bringing history to consciousness in a memorable, authentic way. Thus, what happened is not forgotten. It is a cinematic monument: Take a look! Feel it! Recognize what happened! Estimate! (Too bad, it's not widely circulated with at least English subtitles... however, apparently there's a musical now... well... let´s hope.)

The story offers merciless insight into the suffering of the comfort women who, even as teenagers, were often brutally physically abused for the pleasure of the Japanese soldiers – a war crime that has not been adequately investigated and atoned for to this day. In principle, people of Chōsen were systematically oppressed back then. The Chōsen soldiers in the Japanese army, thus also had a particularly hard time, as the KDrama bluntly shows, too. And then there is the turmoil and ruthless brutality of diverse war sites in inhospitable locations around the Pacific Ocean, and later between brothers and sisters as the Korean Peninsula was coldly caught by the increasing Cold War. With the uprising on Jeju-do becoming part of the story, an up until then rarely discussed aspect of the late 1940s comes to mind. As well as another, often suppressed war crime that Japan had committed against its international prisoners in connection with Unit 731: mostly deadly ending medical experiments on several thousand men, women and children in one of the coldest places on earth, in northern Manchuria. (In case you didn´t know, you may see the side note below.)

But "Eyes of Dawn" is also a story full of humanity even in the face and despite all blatant inhumanity. An epic about love, friendship, connection and compassion. There were plenty of awards. I line up there. This KDrama production is particularly valuable…
(...especially from a historical point of view for me as a European. Although I did take history as an advanced course in school, I somehow had never considered a lot of these events and topics really seriously before. But even beyond its historically enlightening ambitions, "Eyes of Dawn" consistently and purposefully tells a powerful story about three (ordinary) people of their time and their tragic fates, complexly woven into an emotionally touching love triangle.

(For the sake of completeness: as this KDrama is from 1991, visual and acoustical quality obviously can´t be compared to recent standards...)





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SIDE NOTE
--- Some background information on the Pacific War and the filming locations at the original historical locations ---

- War sites on the Chinese Mainland – Northern Manchuria
World War II began in Asia with Japan's invasion of China in 1937. The Second Sino-Japanese War was fought almost exclusively on the Chinese mainland until the end of 1941. Only with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on December 7 in 1941 did it spread to the entire Pacific and had the US allies also intervening in the war against the massive Japanese expansionist policy. Thus, in the course of 1942, the balance of power shifted towards the USA. However, the warfare was difficult. The scenes of the battles were often in impassable swampy areas and rain forests, where tanks and heavy artillery could not be used. So there was a lot of fighting in the air and on the water. In November 1943, the Soviet Union also opposed Japan and opened a second front in Manchuria. The air for Japan was getting thinner and thinner. The army motivated their soldiers by employing 'comfort women', practically forcibly recruited from their colonies, who accompanied 'their' troops as sex slaves and had to ensure their good morale. Among them were minors, too (like the fictional Yeo-ok).

- In the jungles of Burma
In its large-scale campaign to conquer all of Southeast Asia, after the effective invasions of the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, Japan was also able to take Burma in the spring of 1942. China was thus cut off from supplies. Starting from Ledo in British-Indian Assam, the USA had an extra supply road built through Burma's jungle – the "Ledo Road". In the meantime, the Japanese troops were pushing the British further and further back into the north of Burma, ultimately driving them out of the country for good and even pushing forward into India in a further offensive. The Japanese army had now themselves fallen victim to the lack of replenishment with supplies. They originally only had food for three weeks. After that they had to see for themselves. (These jungle fights become the operational area of the fictional Dae-chi.) In this context, in 1944 the fierce hand-to-hand combats at Imphal and Kohima south of Ledo marked a turning point in the course of the Second World War as the British reinforcements arrived just in time.

- Saipan: Strategically important Mariana island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean
In mid-June 1944, the US Marines landed on the south-west coast of Saipan in the bitter struggle for the strategically important island chain of the Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean. This also becomes the setting in "Eyes of Dawn", because Ha-rim is stationed in the field hospital here and Yeo-ok was also shipped there as a comfort woman.
Three weeks after the US Marines landed, the heavily fortified island with its three airfields was owned by the Americans. From here, the neighboring island of Tinian could also be taken, from where the atomic bombers in the direction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki actually started about a year later.

- From Liberation of Chōsen to Korean War
The Japanese surrender in 1945 was followed by the liberation of the Chōsen colony. Contrary to the Western view of this 'liberation' of Korea and the role of the USA in supporting/forcing a democratic South, which for me as a German is more Western, in "Eyes of Dawn" you get a non-Western portrayal. The post-colonial struggle of the people of Korean origin for their political sovereignty, previously stolen by Japan, began even before the (rest of the ) world recognized it as the Korean War in 1950. "Eyes of Dawn" portrays the time of the tussle between the USA, Russia and China on the one hand and the search for a new national Korean political identity on the other. The KDrama emphasizes this in a dramaturgically moving way using the example of the fatal triangular relationship between Dae-chi, Ha-rim and Yeo-ok in the back and forth of their pro- and anti-communist agent activities and in the service of the army of the newly installed Republic of Korea on the one hand and those who resist this government on the other partisan army on the other hand.
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SIDE NOTE:
--- Jeju Uprising 1948/49 ---

A notable sequence in connection with the resistance against the US-sponsored Rhee government is the April 1948 to June 1949 uprising on Jeju Island. The KDrama had its scenes shot on location. Just consider, that at the time of the uprising almost every family on the island had probably lost someone, but for decades silence was officially decreed about this mass murder launched by their own (new South Korean) government. Surviving 'activists' were banned from working throughout South Korea. "Eyes of Dawn" is one of the first public confessions and the cautious approach to coming to terms with the past with regard to that dark first chapter of this young republic.

The USA categorically rejecting any kind of communist orientation regarding a political future as South Korea or all of Korea, were faced with plenty of riots and guerrilla actions in the course of the national resistance against an (yet again) unwanted paternalism. The uprising on Jeju Island is arguably one of the most shocking examples. After expressions of dissatisfaction with the planned elections for the US-sponsored government and resistance to renewed foreign rule, the population was ruthlessly massacred by the Korean army and the help of the US-Army´s occupying forces. The people fled to Hallasan mountain area while their coastal villages (270 out of 400) were destroyed. There is disagreement about the number of actual casualty – the numbers vary between 27.000 and 140.000.

In 1991, when "Eyes of Dawn" was broadcast, this topic had not yet been officially dealt with – but with this KDrama the uprising got an unmistakable voice and recognition for the first time. It was not until 1999 that the government convened a thorough investigation. In 2006, the government officially apologized. However, police and the Department of Defense only came up with an apology recently, in 2019.
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SIDE NOTE:
--- Region of Harbin in northern Manchuria and Unit 731 of the Japanese Kwantung Army, which experimented with biological and chemical weapons on humans and then used those on civilians as well ---

Japan had already secured influence in northern Manchuria during the course of the first Sino-Japanese War by building the South Manchurian Railway. The valuable raw materials mined here were transported to Chōsen and shipped from there to Japan. The railway was under the protection of the Japanese Kwantung Army. Between the first two world wars, Russia, Japan and China fought for supremacy in Manchuria. Eventually, with the Japanese occupation of this economically viable region in 1932, they established the puppet state of Manchukuo, with Harbin being its largest city. Here was the stronghold where Unit 731, led by Ishii Shirō, began their spooky experiments. At last, after the end of war, between 1945 and 1948, the Communist People's Liberation Army, strengthened by its anti-Japanese resistance concentrated its forces in Manchuria.

Surgeon General Ishii Shirō and his Unit 731 were busy starting 1932 in and around Harbin with experiments on living people. Around 3.000 mostly bacteriologists worked for Unit 731. An estimated 3.500 mostly Korean and Chinese civilians as well as Soviet prisoners of war were victims of their cruel human experiments.

The experiments of the Imperial Japanese Army's secret Kwantung Army Unit 731, disguised as the "Department of Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply Department" laid the groundwork for a wide variety of horrific war crimes during World War II. Among this ´research´, for example, were investigations concerning varying effects of grenades on the human body depending on distance and position, investigations into the effects of bombs filled with a variation of bacterial powders, of pest bacteria or anthrax bacteria, or bombs filled with fleas being contained by such bacteria. It has been proven that Chinese prisoners of war were given food that was deliberately contaminated with typhoid pathogens. During the final years of the war, around 130 kg of anthrax warfare produced by Unit 731 was used to contaminate lakes, rivers and wells on enemy soil. Finally US prisoners of war were 1943ff used for experiments of Unit 731, too. E.g., for research about the susceptibility of 'white' people to epidemics. During the course of the war, another tens of thousands of mostly civilians died from rat induced epidemics of plague, of anthrax and of typhoid pathogens as a result of ´field research´ and by the use of thus produced biological weapons, based on the 'medical research' in Harbin.

And for further information:
Unit 731 always had the full support of later Japanese prime ministers, and the Japanese imperial family was aware of it, too.
The main perpetrators of Unit 731, including Ishii Shirō himself, ultimately remained unpunished after the war crimes trials – in exchange for the research results that they handed over to the USA.
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Wow, where to begin?

I stumbled across this drama by accident when I wanted to watch more shows with Kudo Ayano. I read the synopsis for this and it looked like it was going to be another decently entertaining but cliché school drama. So I started it. After about three episodes in I realized that what I had thought to be a rock was in fact a sparkling diamond. This show is a masterpiece.

Since seeing my last favorite drama which was awhile ago I've felt that I wouldn't really have an easy time finding another drama I'd love enough to rate it 10/10. Well, I finally did. The thing is the grade for this show is different even. Most of the dramas I rate ten is because I think they are amazing shows and pretty much appeal to my own special taste. This one is different in that I think any fan of asian dramas could love this. It's hard to explain why this is a special case but after I'm done mabye I've made myself clear enough. In my eyes it should belong with one of the classics, but I know why it won't at the moment. Anyways, forgive me for being long-winded but I've got alot to tell you about this drama and it's going to take some time to describe why it's so great.

Many dramas have this episodic layout which I'm not a big fan of. They have an ensemble cast and in episodes they single out one person at a time to work on his/her problem and in the next they pick another one. All this while keeping an overarching storyline that they focus on in the first episode and then abit later towards the end. The problem with this for me is I have a hard time connecting with the characters and getting invested in the bigger storyline because all the small different stories that happen in each episode take away time from a coherent narrative. Suzuki Sensei looks like one of these shows at first, only it isn't. They do indeed take up a few persons problem each episode, but everything is connected pretty much. Everything is relevant to the overarching story and important things happen all the time and not just in the end. The characters doesn't just have their scenario told and then their done, not at all. They continue to develop and their stories are brought up and not just forgotten plus relevant to where the story eventually ends up going.

This show is very radical. In terms of theme and opinions. It is alot about minor sexuality. It's amazing how well written and real it feels and the problems they take up are very important things that doesn't get talked about because people might feel they are taboo. Well, someone has to talk about them and bring them up. This leads into what might be the best thing about this show. The radical opinions and behavior of Suzuki sensei himself. He presents opinions and views on things that surprised me alot, in fact sometimes I didn't agree but that's the beauty of it. Even though you might not agree with him, in fact you might very well dislike him but what he is saying isn't wrong, it just different from what we are normally told to be the right thing while still being very rational and good opinions.

I have to warn you though, this show isn't very flashy or cartoony like Gokusen or GTO and the likes. It focuses alot on discussion but it's done in a very intense way still due to what must be some of the best writing I've seen in any tv-show. I was never bored.

I recommend this show to anyone who claims to love asian drama. To me this is how a show is done right. I actually learned something from watching this, something important. I won't tell you outright what it is, you are just going to have to watch it for yourself. Actually I think what you and me get out of this might even be different depending on your own view on things.

The cast is amazing, especially considering alot of them are very young. The music captures the mood of the show incredibly well.

I do have one complaint against this show and without spoiling anything it has to do with something that kinda sticks out in a drama that is so down-to-earth as this is. It's a minor thing, you might not even notice and in the long run it didn't matter. But I rather wish it wasn't there at all. Anyways, I'm going to wrap up this review, I feel I could go on for ages about small things that makes this show the masterpiece it is but then I'd be here all night.

I recommend it, it's a definite 10/10. It's not very flashy or "over the top", it's pretty radical and you might even get offended by some of it. Frankly, having your opinions and beliefs questioned is something good because at the end of the day you can chose what to think yourself anyways but you'll get a broader view of the subject by hearing other sides. I'm sad to see so few people having actually seen this here, it's got about 8 rating votes.

Also I recommend you to go into this with an open mind and pay attention to the details, some smaller things might not be spelled out for you. I hope you didn't get bored with my wall of text and I hope you like this show alright at least if you decide to watch it.

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what a beautiful show!!! kudos to everyone involved

I made a profile on MDL just to rate and comment about this drama! despite watching a lot of c dramas earlier, only OnO and FaE made me join this platform!!
pretty much said and written about how good it is. but seeing ALLEN REN being criticized for no kissing scenes, i had to write that even without it, the chemistry between leads is phenomenal.

Ren Jialun(ALLEN) does his job perfectly! his eyes, you can see pain, romance, anxiety, shyness in them. towards the end his eyes were quirky while having conversation with Shiyi, indicating that he has become more and more comfortable with her presence.
The last three episodes, Allen Ren stole the show for me! He is too good.. <3

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First of all I need to point out that I have read the manga and know the details inside out as a fan.

Well, considering I approached this movie very accidentaly and since I really like the manga, I decided to give this a go.

Some parts very unexpected - in a bad and good ways. The story was slightly shifted from the original, but still kept the warmth of their meeting. But probably that shift is what made some gaping holes in the storyline, as it felt unfinished, missing something.

The acting was good, there was nothing to complain about just the script that didn't allow to go very deep into the characters to understand their actions (most of it was shuffled, muffled and skiped through very fast).

Overall, it is a good watch, yet I wouldn't rewatch it again as a manga fan.

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Acting : Pretty good, I did not notice any fails. All the characters were good, stuborn and fresh.

Story : The story line is pretty basic. No new side. Competition between 2 guys, on sport and with the woman they like. Sometimes it's kinda boring but it was not. Everything was softly realised so I couldn't get boring of a characters. We can NOTICE other stories in addition of competition, I mean other relationships/ Link such as :

- The guys
-the guys with their parents (father for one and grandpa for another)
-The guys with the girl they like
-The girls
-The girls with the guy they like

Lets talk about the concept : Yuri on ice , sport, olympic games
The timing was perfect for the drama, we all are on it. With a  little touch of fun, very fresh and warm

Lets talk about Camera.
They way that they film the guys racing on ice was so interesting. I was on my bed while watching it, but I feel like flying, I feel so light. I was totally  IMMERSED.

The drama was maybe short, but it was perfect like that, too many eps would waste the drama, make it boring and deja vu.

Even the story was not that original, it was very interesting and fun to watch it ~

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spoilers

this drama start out great till episode 15. then it went down hill fast. i mean like really fast.
like: the only thing keep me from dropping this drama after ep15 is to see the 2 lead whether they will end up together.
dislike: this drama could have been so much better. if the writer didnt make mo wan sleep with the king 2x. i still dont see how mo wan can not tell jun qing so they both can plot to kill the king together.instead the writer make mo wan sleep with the king again. i mean what is the use of ploting to kill the king when all she do is sleep with the king so she can kill all the other beside the king. who kill her?

i dont recommend rewatching this. unless u into a lead who sleep with her enemy.

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The gem of 2022 and a must watch for all wuxia lovers

This is the best wuxia c-drama I have watched in a while, and certainly the best of 2022. I binged watched and completed the first 12 episodes in a day, and after that it was torturous waiting for new episodes to be released. It was everything I had hope for in a wuxia drama, and some. Not a perfect drama though, but certainly top on my enjoyment list as I thoroughly love every bit of this drama and a tad sad after it concluded airing after 40 episodes. There are only a handful of c-dramas that gave me such vibes, and “Blood of Youth” (BOY) is one of them.

What makes this series so special is its storylines. This is the adventure of Xiao Se – the fallen sixth prince and his best buddy, Wu Jie in the martial arts world of jiang hu. Along the way they picked up other like-minded swordsmen and fighters, and together they tried to mould the political landscape of Beili Kingdom. The palace politics is portrayed through the battle for the throne and each prince/party is supported by various martial arts sects with their own Swords-Masters and Swords Deities. In this world of martial arts, all these swordsmen fight for the supremacy to be the best in the world. These martial artists are ranked accordingly by the mysterious Baixiao Sect ala Langya List in “Nirvana in Fire 1&2”. Meanwhile, the skills of these swordsmen are categorized to denote expertise, and they gained level as they get more experience just like Dungeon & Dragon games.

While this premise is not unique and has been adopted by various wuxia novelists since time immemorial, BOY is different because each character - be it main protagonists or supporting characters - are unique and entertaining, with their own quirks and idiosyncrasies with their own interesting storyline and character development. This is the real strength of BOY. Xiao Se is the moody and enigmatic sixth prince; Wu Jie and Ma Chunfeng are both naïve and innocent members of distinguished clans; Sikong Qianluo is the haughty and impulsive daughter of a Swords Deity ; Tang Lian is an honest and loyal disciple of Tang Clan and Xueyue City ;Ye Ruoyi is the regal and dignified daughter of a General commanding thousands of armies ; Wu Xin is the playful and charming demon sect’s leader who happens to be the half brother of Prince Chi; Prince Bai is the virtuous and honorable, yet blind second prince eyeing for the throne; Prince Chi is the evil ninth prince jostling for the throne, and practically responsible for all evil things happening in this c-drama ; and myriad other interesting characters like Li Hanyi (Xueyue City Swords Deity), Sikong ChangFeng (Xueyue City Third Lord), Luo Mingxuan, Li Fan Song (Mount Wangcheng disciple), etc.

Blood Of Youth has plenty of light-hearted moments with playful bantering among the characters. It provides relief and brief interruption from the serious undertone concerning the life and death of martial artists and the struggles for throne among the princes. Even the interaction between the Divine Healer, Hua Jin and the third Master of Ma’s Clan, Ma Chunfeng brings smile to my face. There are funny scenes everywhere: from the awkward way Wu Jie tried to strike a conversation with Ruoyi at the Flower Festival, to the way Wu Jie tried to correct Xiao Se’s pronunciation of a cursed word, etc. Wu Jie’s character is a gem because he always becomes a fodder for Xiao Se’s deadpan humor. Even Wujin’s character sometimes acts silly in the presence of these two protagonists. Basically anything involving Wu Jie and Ma Chunfeng is funny, and I think these two characters really steal the show.

This series could have been a huge TV rating bonanza had it featured A-list actors such as Yang Yang, Yang Mi, Dilraba, Zhao Liying, Wang Yi Bo, Xiao Zhan, etc. The producer casts three (3) great looking and up & coming actors as the main male leads. Li Hongyi, Liu Xueyi and Ao Rui Peng play their parts convincingly, may have their loyal coterie of fans but they are not A-grade . The chemistry among this trio, and towards the leading female leads (Flora Dai & Lin Bo Yang) are palpable for viewers to see. Not a single actor/actress hogs the lime-light and the screen time is shared across all cast. I thought the casting of Lin Bo Yang as Sikong Qianlou was the weakest link in the drama, and would have preferred to see either Yuan Binyang or Gulinazha in that role.

I love dramatic fighting scenes and there are plenty of them in any wuxia movie, and BOY is no exception. The fight choreography is at par with the best of Wuxia films/dramas I have watched to date. I am even inclined to compare the work of high-budget Chinese New Year’s blockbuster – Sakra: an adaptation of JinYong’s work – to BOY, and the result was not disappointing. Sakra involved tons of money, a gazillion of stuntmen, machines and props and the fighting choreography may not be much superior to that of BOY. If anything, BOY’s fight scenes are more realistic as the director tries to tone down on the more complicated and back-breaking stunts by not going overboard with the action flicks or wire works. However, at times the choreographed fights become too simple especially the ones involving Sikong Qianlou.

There are however a few post-production “errors” which stand out to me but it does not take away from enjoyment of BOY. For example, Tang Lian disappears from the scene by jumping to a roof and into the horizon. The scene is comical because the fast motion was overdone. Similarly, the same technique was overdone when Sikong Qianluo and Ye Ruoyi are on horsebacks trotting slowly while leading the army to Tianqi City after successfully battling Prince’s Chi surrogate army. The scene is out of sort, because the horses are moving at a snail pace, almost reluctantly, while the post-production tries to simulate the movement of an army marching on. But these “spoofs” are few and far between.

A thoroughly enjoyable wuxia flick. The gem of 2022 and a must watch. 10/10 rating. My only disappointment is that it has only 40 episodes. Off to another Li Hongyi’s drama – Wulin Heroes.

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