Reviews

Don't fret over the beginning

Before even starting this review, let me tell you: Do not judge this series by its beginning. The start of it is pretty horrific and I admit it does not get better until like episode 8 or 9. Also, this review is especially for people who watched other adaptations of the Daomubiji series of dramas.

Story:
+ the story works well in itself and there are almost no plot-holes
- the story does not work well regarding its continuity to its prequel and sequel
Overall I have to say, I enjoyed the story, especially the later half of the drama. The story pace is quite steady, fast enough to not get bored, slow enough to enjoy scenes. There were some story parts (side story mainly) which I just could not enjoy though.

Some characters were re-casted, while others weren't and it is noticeable. The chemistry in the beginning is way off and you will feel like some of the actors first have to grow into their roles. Will they be your favorite casting of all the adaptations? Probably not. Are they doing a good job? Yes.
This drama also makes it one of its main missions to show you new perspectives to characters you might already know. If you expect your usual main protagonists, forget it. It is interesting though how some relationships are displayed in the drama, some totally new from what we have seen before, some just a new perspective. This goes from Wu Xie and his uncle to how Wu Xie deals with betrayals from his closest friends.

The music is actually really really good and I caught myself enjoying the intro and outro a lot. Regarding the special effects and CGI, I am quite sure all the money went into the last two episodes. You will notice green screen but if you blink your eyes a few times, it is not that bad.

Overall: I will probably end up re-watching some of it over time, as I did really enjoy the new character relationships and some of the scenes are really a small treasure. I will probably avoid re-watching all of it though. I totally recommend watching the show after some time has passed since watching the other adaptations, as what makes this series so hard to watch is mainly the comparison, and less the series itself.

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Breathtaking to Heartbreaking

Acting : 100 %
Plot :100 %
Though the plot may seem controversial, I have high hopes for this!!!!!!!

I totally love the story plot and the actors. I fell in love with Pond❤ . I love his acting, looks and his voice and the way of delivering his lines totally got me😍



edit: Damnnnn!!!!!!
Ep 6 is just a conversation between two persons for the whole episode and I loved it. How can writers
come up with something as intriguing as this!!!!

I reall felt bad for the mother in this episode, until ep 5 it showed the selfish aspects of her. But in ep 6 we can clearly see how lonely she is!!!
As the way I see it, everyone seems to be lonely but she just couldn't bear it

The acting and cast is on top notch💜




Its very frustrating to wait a whole week for next episode🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲

Edit: 02/10/2022

I never cried this hard for an LGBTQ+ show 💔 .
Its heart breaking and I totally understand and accept the climax. Thats how my actual first love ended.. Not because we don't love each other but because our loved ones/society can't accept it💔🥹🥹🥹

Some people won't change no matter what☹️

I am trying to move on, but this gave me heartbreak again💔

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devoured

okay guys this def has spoilers, im just gonna be saying my thoughts after each episode and highlighting my fav contestants and such! if u havent watched the full episode yet please do before u continue reading ><




okie ep 1, JAY GETTING MORE SCREENTIME :000000 oh my gosh you dont know how much ive been praying that jay gets all the attention he deserves and FINALLY mnut- i mean mnet finally decided to do so, him winning the votes from all 6 judges actually surprised the shit out of me too though like i did not expect that i dont think anyone was expecting that tbh, okie nothing else to say other than that i just wanted to congratulate this iconic moment, also seunghun getting that intro part i cheered :3

ep2, the other performances didnt excite me as much as the first eps did but they still did really well! (im sorry i just dont know any other contestants well and wasnt really into the songs :') BUT DITTAURRR omg i was so excited, cos we had wumuti and the other contestants id heard were pretty popular, i was praying so hard wumuti got top tier or atleast recognition, i felt so bad when he got so dismissed when he was trying out for the A part, like he didnt even do so bad compared to the other guy wtf, and during the actual performance i was smiling so hard when it was his part :D HE GOT TOP TIER YALL I SCREAMED, (to the person who messaged me IM SORRY GIRLYPOP WE'LL BURN MNET DOWN TOGETHER) GUYSSSS JAY WUMUTI AND SEUNGHUN ARE IN TOP4 RAHHHHH i did not expect my top picks to be up so high oh my goodness SEKRGHKJFGHQGTQ

ep3, GAWDAMN EVERYONES SO GOOD WTF, my favs were sherlock (gave me goosebumps fr park je up did saur GOOD) and dangerously (had me gagged) i am SLIGHTLY.... i mean A LOT irritated that jay and saeon's team lost, like that means theyre in it for elimination which makes me salty BUT I AM SO HAPPY FOR WUMUTI ESPECIALLY LIKE AJHVGAFLVGHAHGE DESERVED KING

ep4, the songs were pretty mid, i mean i could feel theyre emotions and desparation(?) but they remind me so much of those chinese sad(?) love songs my parents play in the car so im pretty tired of these sounds ngl. kick it team was pretty dissapointing like i love that song but it felt like they were singing late??? was that just me?? and kang seokhwa's voice didn't fit the song, it was like he wasn't doing enough, and jeon woong felt like he was tryna do TOO much (especially with the growl attempt), plus the voice crack babes i felt so sorry for them, same with 'a letter' i felt like mnet def left the less exciting performances in this ep, but i LOVED river so much, u could tell both of them were FEELING it like bain suits these songs SO well he was so sassy oml. his voice preview with maria had me in a chokehold, but the pre-4 mission didn't really do much justice for him, but this really opened my eyes to him, so yeah might start voting for him!

ep5.... bro i was so confused at first cos were we doing the same mission or the new mission? but duh ofc if i looked at the name but the editting threw me off. damn this round was long as hell ☠︎︎ performances wise, none of them stood out to me, mnet even ahd to skip past the really bad ones lord ☠︎︎☠︎︎ so ill just talk about the next round! first round, bro i was so scared cos seunghun and bain are competing with each other and that means one of thems gonna get eliminated so i didnt know who to root for, but i will say 'ill be ur man' team DID SO WELL OH MY, like u can REALLY tell the difference between good and bad peformances and thats when i realised it, also they looked so good in the suits gksdsghnrg I ALSO MY JAW DROPPED WHEN I HEARD THE PREVIEW FOR THE NEXT PERFORMANCE, KISS OF LIFEEEEE WHATTT I JUST KNOW ITS GONNA BE GOOD

ep6, i absolutely live for these performances, first of all before they announced the elimantions, i was DEF hoping for bain's team to win, he just impressed me so much BUT THEY LOST WHAT THE ACTUAL IM SOBBING, the next teams i didnt even know most of the people even existed im sorry ☠︎︎☠︎︎ guys the boring ballads need to go, THERE I SAID IT FIGHT ME IF U WANT i just cant with these sounds anymore, theyre voices just didnt harmonize well, and tae woo's voice was so scratchy and not in a good way, next teams... no comment, they were all decent, AND OFC jays team is in the next ep cry

ep7, HREGHEGERGRARARRR FEVER IS THAT GIRL, possible one of my fav performances in the show, anyways nothing much to say! go vote hunminjaybit team!

ep8, jay's team was great but i do think some members shined more than others so i do agree, but the highest being 90 was kinda sad, okay PURRR GUILTY TEAM i was NOT ready for that wtf and DRAMAAAA OH MY GOD I LOVE THAT SONG i literally was drooling before the performance (not literally i swear) cos i was so excited but i did feel like it was a bit empty compared to the original (cos im so used to the heavy backtrack) but it wasnt bad but didnt live up to my expectations omg uptown funk was SAURR FUNN, next team why is yeoone lowkey flopping i feel so bad for him, DAMMMN I did not expect milky up to win omg and i kinda expected the elimination to go how it did it TT

ep9, hmm... tell me why the performances arent as exciting as before.... obviously flower was really good but none of the other ones were that impactful, if im being honest even flower wasnt the most impactful but they did great nonetheless!

ep10.... oh lord here it is, the final okay the performances! omg waterfire the stage WAS SO PRETTY IT FELT SO ETHEREAL AND THE VOICES WHATT THE HARMONIES THE COSTUMES THE LIGHTING my jaw was on the floor the song is actually so good its kind of like the definition of beautiful , next performance was pretty good, not much to say if im being honest. okay... hunminjaybit RAHHH it was honestly really good like theyre voices are so good omg im sob

GUYS IM WRITING THIS AS IM WAITING FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT HUNMINJAYBIT BETTER WIN OTHERWISE ALL THIS FOR NOTHING the freaking music is getting on my nerves HUH WATERFIRE IS THIRD bro that means wumuti didnt debut NOOOO GUYS PLEASEEEEE nah lee da hee's commentary is getting on my nerves NAHHH THE AD BREAK shes literally said 'the winning team is...' like 5 times. OH MY GOODNESSS RAHHkrhfregEG there snO WAYYY OH MY GOODNE WHAT TEH ACUAL YAYAY IM SO HHAPPY IM SO FEKING EITED RIGHT NW NAHHHHHH

hey guys btw the name bdu is kinda goofy ngl but i feel like itll grow on me (i hope)

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First of all I strongly recommend this movie because it's beautiful and sad at the same time. I can't believe no one made a nice review of it.
The history seems a little messed up in the beginning but it becomes very clear as it explains the pretty well done critical base behind it. It's one of those situations where you don't know what you would do.

The composition of the movie is also very good,it goes neither too fast nor too slow. I had no problems with that. There were just a few things that wasnt explained about the characters but these things didn't make the movie meaningless so it was kind of ignored.

And we can't forget the acting. Those little girls were absolutely amazing and the mentally handicapped father made no clue of his great acting.

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PLOT: Action-driven & engaging
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For a revenge story involving political corruption, Lawless Lawyer is surprisingly optimistic. Although perhaps calling it revenge is misleading. After all, Bong Sang Pil --our charismatic main lead-- makes clear from the start that he's not seeking revenge, but justice. This point is emphasized throughout the series, separating an instinctive reaction (revenge and anger) from an emotional action (ensuring the end of corruption for the greater good).

In that respect, the story is quite simple. The main protagonists are aware of who the antagonists are from the get-go. Therefore, they have a clear goal and the only thing left to discover is how to solve the problem at hand. Fortunately, the plot wasn't drawn out unnecessarily or bogged down with an overload of melodrama. There was just the right amount of action, comedy, intrigue, drama, and romance to keep the series pretty light. This means that this is a series you can easily binge-watch.

MAIN CHARACTERS: Refreshing
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Bong Sang Pil (male lead): his character was one of the biggest surprises, refreshingly so. He proved to be a well rounded and balanced character. On the one hand, he can take care of himself in a fight without breaking a sweat, he's confident and charming. On the other, he's straightforward, honest, emotional and fearful of risking people to achieve his goal. Bong Sang Pil is not perfect. He makes plenty of mistakes and, most importantly, he is held accountable for all of them.

Ha Jae Yi (female lead): her character was also refreshingly consistent. She was introduced with a bang, which set the foundation of her character. But unlike the fates of the female leads in other dramas, she never loses that badass quality. Like Bong Sang Pil, she's a balanced character. Equal amounts capable and emotional; Ha Jae was not only very mature and rational throughout most of the series, but she was also very gentle and nurturing towards Bong Sang Pil (who loved every second of it!). She's also someone who's confident in her knowledge and ability, but who's also humble enough to accept she doesn't have all the answers. When Bong Sang Pil puts her knowledge to the test, she's open-minded enough to tackle every uncomfortable issue head-on, unwilling to compromise the truth for the sake of convenience.

ANTAGONISTS & SUPPORT CHARACTERS: Interesting
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Antagonists and enemies were very fleshed out. I don't want to go into detail so you can meet and discover them yourself (else I end up spoiling something). I'll just add that they were all shades of grey (to a different degree), corrupted by a system that allowed it so. I know some people found some of the acting awkward, but I didn't mind it at all. Sure, some characters were a bit cartoony in their portrayal but that just made it fun! There were also quite a number of support characters, but their involvement didn't detract or took away the focus from the main characters.

PORTRAYAL OF ROMANCE: Healthy, nurturing and balanced
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This is an important point for me when watching dramas with romance in them. In this case, the relationship progressed fast but naturally. The chemistry between the leads was off the chart, which helped weave their romance into the story without it feeling forced or disruptive. Here are some of the highlights:

1) Bong Sang Pil was very sweet towards Ha Jae from the start and there's a good reason for it.
2) The chemistry between the leads was depicted through subtle, yet natural gestures. You could tell how much he valued her with every look and smile he gave her. You could tell how much she valued him whenever she caressed his arm and squeezed his shoulder.
3) The relationship between the leads was nurturing. They were partners in an equal give and take relationship. When Bong Sang Pil was vulnerable, Ha Jae supported him, when she was weak, he was there to keep her whole. It was incredibly balanced and satisfying because they both had something to gain from being together.

OVERALL: Solid 10
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The art direction was great: from the framing to the colors to the music... everything worked. The action scenes were also very good, coordinated and well choreographed. All the characters brought something to the table and I found myself unable to hate anyone. Even the antagonists were interesting to watch because they each followed a clear set of morals and rules. Though the ending was a bit anticlimactic, it still provided all that it set out to accomplish. Though there were some loose ends, I suspect it was done intentionally in the hopes of getting a second season (which I personally wouldn't mind).

Overall I still give it a solid 10 and would definitely watch it again.

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Watch it for Romance/Obsession or Dylan/Peter - But not for Revenge or Palace Politics

Subjective Gut Rating - 7.75

“Unchained Love” has such an interesting and unique general plot that unfortunately the writing and editing did not deliver. The lure of a forbidden love between a eunuch and the emperor’s woman, with revenge in the backdrop, seems to be such an amazing story. I missed the comedy tag, as I thought this would be a serious, heart-wrenching story of love and revenge. The comedy in the first few episodes threw me off a little, and the revenge plot is a disappointment. Having said that, I did have an enjoyable time watching the drama, thus I am rounding this up to an 8.0. If I solely based on the plot disappointment and the sloppy and illogical writing, this would be a 7.0-7.5.

What I Like:

1. Smart Lead Characters - I really enjoy the first third of the drama when the leads are trying to outsmart each other and then form an unlikely and unwilling alliance. I am a fan of smart female leads who can hold their own and be on the same intelligence level as the male leads. I found Bu Yin Lou (FL) has some similar characteristics to Cheng Shao Shang in “Love like the Galaxy”. They are both smart but have to hide their true self due to their upbringing. Similarly, Xiao Duo (ML) is similar to Ling Bu Yi in “Love like the Galaxy” as well. They both appear to be ruthless and cunning and are out to seek revenge, but love their women tremendously, in very different ways. Maybe that’s why I like “Unchained Love” because of these strong characters and similarities. I cannot stand a dumb female lead anymore, or one that is innocent and naive. But the similarities of both dramas end there. “Love like the Galaxy” is a much more well-written drama.

2. Acting - Well, Chen Yu Qi might have overacted a little in the beginning during her comedy parts when portraying Bu Yin Lou’s outgoing personality. But for the most part and especially after the first third of the drama, I do find her convincing. I was never a big critic of hers and found her acting decent. I am actually glad to see this funnier side of her acting, since her other roles I’ve seen are more serious or standoffish. Most of us probably watch this drama because of Dylan Wang. And yes, he plays the ruthless Xiao Duo very well. Though I am not a fan of how his character becomes a love sick puppy, that’s not his fault. He acted well. But the actors that shine in this acting category are the veterans Peter Ho (as Murong Gao Gong/Emperor) and Zeng Li (as Empress Rong An). Many have sung praises for Peter Ho in this drama and he indeed is excellent. It’s an amazing journey to follow his character’s change in this drama. Zeng Li is the only main character that uses her own voice, and I think that is why I like her acting. Coming off her other memorable performance in “Love like the Galaxy” (oh, another reference to LLTG), her acting here is more manic but also nuanced. The rest of the supporting cast did a fine job but no one stands out against the main four.

3. Production value - I don’t think this is a S+ production, but everything looks nice. It has good solid sets in the palace and also in all the houses. The props, fixtures, and furniture look good and sturdy; and nothing looks cheap. The costumes are beautiful and women’s hair accessories are tasteful without feeling overdone. The men also look good and handsome in their costumes. Dylan Wang really looks good in all his attire. Oh, except for the bad makeup for the women - too white and cakey.


What I have Mixed Feelings:

1. Dubbing - I am disappointed that 3 out of 4 main characters are dubbed. I recently saw Chen Yu Qi in “Hi Venus” and “Story of Fox Valiant” and she wasn’t dubbed. I still remember her voice and when she speaks in this drama, I couldn’t place her face with the voice. Peter Ho is probably dubbed because of his Taiwanese accent, but for such an experienced actor, it would feel so much better if I can hear his voice when he’s going all crazy. I think all Dylan Wang’s historical dramas are dubbed, so I wasn’t surprised. At least I heard his real voice in “The Rational Life”. But when you look at the major supporting cast, it seems like most of them are using their own voices. Then, why dubbed the leads???

2. Action scenes - This is not a wuxia drama, so I won’t judge the action scenes too harshly. There are some fun scenes and they definitely make Dylan Wang look good. However, I do feel that they are somewhat overexaggerated and theatrical. The flips and jumps were overdramatic and the wire work wasn’t done well. There are a few scenes especially in the last 5 episodes that it was too unrealistic to have someone standing there, everything in slow motion, and the killing just stopped. Well, I think a certain character should have been dead a long time after being pulled by 5 horses. Instead he’s just suspended in the air for a long time. This is also why I criticize the writing of this drama.

3. Main Romance - I think the chemistry between Chen Yu Qi and Dylan Wang isn’t bad. But because I was expecting more angst, a more tortured romance that I feel something is missing. I was hoping for more longing looks and loving gazes but I ended up getting some pretty open looks and hang outs together. They spend so much time together that it doesn’t seem like a forbidden romance anymore. How can no one out of their small circle see that something fishy is happening? How can the suspicious emperor not suspect something sooner? Of course, for many romance lovers, all these happy and cute scenes are a plus. I was just expecting something different.

What I Don’t Like:

1. Writing/Editing - It is probably due to censorship, or just bad writing/editing that the second half of the drama doesn't make as much sense. It was especially bad for me in the last ⅓ of the drama with the romance plot. In one scene, FL was questioning if ML really likes her and she hasn’t realized her feelings yet. In the next scene, they both spend the night together and they are outright in love with each other? The couple's intimate scenes and dialogs were cut out, and this really affected the flow of the romance. We learned of certain conversations/events via a few flashbacks. FL has been portrayed as smart and cautious throughout the drama, but for the sake of convenience, let’s have her make dumb and careless mistakes so that the emperor can finally find out the big secret. What sloppy writing for this big reveal! Our leads have so many opportunities throughout the drama to elope, but they never did. And when that finally happened, it was just that easy to get out and leave the palace without being detected.

2. Pacing - I think this drama has a strong start in the first ⅓. But in the middle, the drama slows down. I would have thought that the last ⅓ would pick up the pace as that’s when all the revenge, reveal and action take place. But unfortunately, I find these episodes slow. It’s a lot of talking in circles, waiting for something to happen but didn’t really happen.

3. Revenge - On the one hand, I understand Xiao Duo’s realization that ‘an eye for an eye’ might not be the way to go. However, after spending 6 years plotting for a revenge (we’re told but we haven’t seen much), the ending to the revenge plot is very anti-climatic. You fall for a woman, and you throw that rage out the door pretty quickly. I really dislike a male lead who was so determined in the beginning and then became a lovesick puppy in the end. Dylan’s character in “Love between Fairy and Devil” was like that, and here in “Love Unchained’ is the same. That’s why Xiao Duo’s revenge can't hold a candle to Ling Bu Yi’s in LLTG.

Do I recommend this drama? I would if you are in it for Dylan Wang or Peter Ho. “Unchained Love” is a drama about forbidden love and obsession in love. Do not watch this for the revenge plot or palace politics. If you are a romance lover and can throw some logic out the window, I think this could be a very enjoyable watch.


Completed: 2/20/23

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What can I say but wow?

Fortuna's eye is the perfect mix between thriller and romance, meshing together to make an incredibly unique and moving movie. The acting was superb, and the script really packed a punch, to the point that'd I'd recommend this to anyone even if they weren't into romance.

A few things stuck to me with this movie that I greatly appreciated. One was how Shinichiro approached his ability, and the struggles he faced with knowing a person's future. The movie does not shy away from the difficulty one would go through if they could see when people were going to die and explores it in quite a bit of detail.

Two, the romance was incredibly well done. I admit that I am not a fan of romance, I find the genre to be full of really unhealthy and/or incredibly unrealistic. However Shinichiro and Aoi's relationship was really well done and added quite a bit to the story. It took an interesting premise and pushes it further, as Shinichiro sees Aoi start to fade.

Third, the ending. Now maybe I haven't watched enough Japanese movies but it caught me by surprise and was really moving. I would have cried my eyes out if I could! (Unfortunately a big earthquake happened during the movie so I was still full of adrenaline when the credits started rolling.)

All of this made for an excellent movie that I highly recommend watching!

The icing on the cake was Jun's acting - while he only plays a side character in the movie, he was absolutely phenomenal and I'm glad to see him get more and more roles.

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Not for faint heart

If you're seeking exceptional acting, a compelling plot, and well-developed characters, this show may not meet your expectations. It's important to set aside your logical thinking while watching because, within the first few minutes of Episode 1, you'll likely develop a strong dislike for the main male lead (ML). This reaction is quite natural. However, be prepared to be captivated by the female lead (FL) and her fearless, devil-may-care attitude. Brace yourself as you're thrown into a whirlwind of various clichés and tropes within the show's universe.

Throughout the series, you'll find yourself questioning everything and contemplating whether to continue watching. If you manage to endure the first 10 episodes, which make up half of the total 20-episode run, I recommend pushing through. This is the kind of show that you'll likely watch once and then forget about it. Personally, I'm only here for FL as I genuinely loved her character and her acting.

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Posing a trite question: Whether invention of new technology is a bliss or a curse of mankind? With the conjecture of an exclusive scientific research work started in 2017, which fortunately or unfortunately followed a trajectory of quandary took a proper shape in 2037. The whole concept of the story is extremely new where the dramatization involved a fraternal twin and all the incomprehensible incidents they were surrounded by. Like a web of mystery the more they were trying to solve it, the more they were getting tangled with mishaps. Gradually facing series of tribulations and by using their own intellect they tried to overcome their problems though not succeeded fully. According to my understanding (I can be wrong), this drama tried to portray that progressive technology is acceptable which should be free of manipulation, deceit and identity theft. In the process of gifting human race with something phenomenal, the human race by themselves subject to self-destruction. They fall prey to their own greed and take a wrong detour to satisfy their own selfishness.

The whole story is like a big board of puzzle pieces cut randomly into different shapes without any connection but as the story development progresses bit by bit all the pieces have been fallen into their correct places. It exudes the suspenseful feel of American sci-fi genre series, nonetheless, the writers maintained originality which is beyond interesting.

 From the very beginning till the end it was riveting, breathtaking and fast-paced. No amount of time is wasted on idiosyncratic character development. Each and every characters were necessary and sufficient; none seemed out of place or redundant for the development of the story. The writers tried their best to convincingly elucidate a completely new concept of a non-existent theory on which the pillar of the whole plot was standing. They expressed erudition through their meticulous writing ability. Hats off to the scriptwriters. It may seem frazzling to keep up with the pace since each episode shows two stories of two different years but it is highly engrossing and enjoyable. The ending of every episode left me at the edge of my sit. Thank goodness I binge watched it rather than waiting every week. I would have died out of anxiety and curiosity. The cliffhangers are deadly.

On another note, I never trusted Korean dramas of science fiction genre since never found any solid story so far. Either they make it extremely confusing and superfluous or greatly preposterous. However, Circle is an exception. Every occurrences are given a proper explanation. I feel a strange empathy towards the production team and feel like giving a deep bow for presenting us the show so intriguingly despite having minimal budget. It's perfectly fine of not using extraordinarily top-notch visual graphics as many were complaining, I could feel their urge of showing some CG effect which are common in any sci-fi movies/series but they couldn't and it's beyond ok. At the end of the day I count on story, if the story is good and acting is on par it's intensely satisfying for me.

Acting by the ensemble is praise worthy, especially performances given by Yeo Jin Goo and Kim Kang Woo are commendable as they always are. My words will fall short to describe their charisma. Lee Ki Kwang is also good but sometimes felt like he was forcing too much to draw out his emotions. I appreciate the girls as well. Gong Seung Yeon is one of a kind gorgeous actress, she looks serious with her character display and works hard. She surely has long way to go and I believe she would perform better and better in course of time. That day is not far away when Ahn Woo Yeon & Jung In Sun will be flooded with main roles in dramas/movies. Both of them has utmost potential of rising stars.

Background score is perfectly fitted with the thrilling feel of the drama. OSTs are ear-catching as well.

One thing I have noticed in all these currently airing dramas that female protagonists are given powerful roles rather than being treated as a mere trophy only there to depict love interest of the male protagonist. The roles which were normally given out to male protagonists are now given out to the females which is a very commendable new trend.

I would love to detail out my analysis on every scenes but I’m afraid I’m too conscious on giving out spoilers. Hence, I want to stop and request all the sci-fi/suspense genre lovers out there to watch Circle. You will definitely love it because of - a refreshingly new story, the group of beautiful young and energetic casts and their laudable acting skills.

On the other hand, fingers are crossed this ephemeral drama has left us uninformed ‘bout one thing at the last episode. So we can hope for a second season. ;) ;)

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What a great Anthology of special episodes for each of the most beloved BL dramas in Thailand. An excellent way to fill in some plot holes for each of these couples. The creative team/director were smart in the way they divided the episodes for each couple, ending with Kong/Art (arguably one of the most popular ships in BL sphere).

Rating this by episode will be difficult for me, as I have a special place for three of these couples, but what really surprised me the most was the Tee/Mork Episode which I must admit---I stopped watching their drama at episode 6 because it was a total mess---. However, this special episode showed just how much potential these two have in creating a believable relationship. Their plot was cliche as can be, but it was still so well acted.

I will say that all of the episodes had the right balance of romance, angst, conflict and disagreements. It left me asking for more when it was over. I also enjoyed the little easter eggs (such as Puppy Honey being featured in Kiss me again) and how they mentioned things that these actors had done in real life--such as the Japan trip for Tay/New.

Music was good and the rewatch value is also good. I have repeated Kiss me again and Sotus three times already. I'm sure My tee will also be repeated because I just really enjoyed it. What a nice surprise.

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I LOVED THIS!!! It is definitely a new favorite of mine. I just finished it in 3 days and wanted to re-watch it immediately...but I'm trying to hold off lol. It's the first drama I've given 10's across the board.

Story: It's obviously not the first drama to do the arranged marriage thing but this time it's not just to keep a rich boy away from a poor girl like most I've seen. Mary and Moo Kyul only enter into a fake marriage when her dad wants to marry her to his friend's son, in part to pay his debts and give her a better life. I liked that they didn't start the arranged marriage to rip a couple in love apart. It was a fresh story line for me. Of course, characters do fall in love and parents try everything they can to separate them but the story isn't overly angsty. This drama was really pretty funny too. I think I've laughed more in this drama than others I've seen. The love story was perfect and you get to see a lot of the main couple together. Usually characters who love each other will spend most of the time pushing the other away or denying their feelings so you don't get to see a lot of the really sweet moments, but this drama delivers in that area. There were some episodes that dragged and left you wondering what the hell some of these characters are thinking/doing but that was only a few.

Acting/Cast: I loved all of the cast for this drama! JGS was perfect for Moo Kyul. I just saw him in You're Beautiful and thought this character suited him so much better. He's good at playing everything! He's good at serious but Moo Kyul had a lighter side to him that was really funny/playful and cute that JGS pulled off amazingly! Mary was really great too. At times I didn't feel she was as old as she was supposed to be but then others, she would whip out some words of wisdom and seem really mature. Also, Moo Kyul and Mary had really great chemistry. Whether they were friends or a couple, it was completely believable. Kim Jae Wook was good in this too. I like how his character sort of lightened up throughout the drama and he didn't seem quite so stiff. It didn't flow as well as Moo Kyul but it was there. Of course the 2 fathers were absolutely annoying, but what's new. The ex-girlfriend wasn't too bad in this either. She wasn't excessive in trying to win back Moo Kyul so that was refreshing. And I loved Moo Kyul's band mates and Mary's friends. Always supporting them and lightening the mood.

Music: The OST was awesome! I love every single song and I usually don't pay any attention to the music. But seeing how Moo Kyul was a rocker, it was kind of hard not to. JGS has an amazing voice and did 3 of the songs, I believe.

Re-watch Value: Yes a hundred times!!! Like I said above, I wanted to start re-watching immediately after completing the drama but I'm going to make myself wait a little bit.

Overall: 10,10,10!!! Although parts of the story dragged and you had moments of wanting to jump into the TV to explain some misunderstanding that was causing unnecessary drama, everything else about this drama makes up for it. All in all, great story, memorable music, amazing cast and characters...what more do you need?! Definitely a must see!

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What we do for love

The Wedding Banquet showed what people will do for love--love for lovers, love for tradition, and love for family. The movie's title comes from a raucous and drunken wedding banquet that seemed to signal the beginning of a couple's life together. Problem was, the couple being celebrated were a sham and the real love was between a gay couple trapped in a show for one man's traditional parents from Taiwan.

Wai Tung and Simon had been lovers living together happily for five years in America. Wai Tung lived a busy, upwardly mobile lifestyle by all appearances assimilated into American life. Meanwhile back in Taiwan, his parents were ready for him to be married and producing grandchildren unaware he was gay. So determined were they that they set him up in an expensive matchmaking service. Simon decided Wai Tung should marry Wai's tenant, Wei Wei, a broke artist without a green card, to help her out and get Wai's parents off his back. The ruse worked well enough that Wai Tung's parents decided to come to America for the wedding. Cue the merry marriage high-jinks and misunderstandings.

The Wedding Banquet could have veered off into slapstick comedy or morose melodrama but Ang Lee managed to walk a fine line as Wai Tung confronted his life with Simon and the expectations of his family. The comedy arose more out of character and the situations these people found themselves in rather than random sight gags much to my relief. Wai Tung loved Simon and his parents and didn't want to disappoint either. He also felt responsible for Wei Wei who was obviously in love with him. Simon also felt real as he became the odd man out while the farce took place in his home. And Wei Wei ended up facing the emotional consequences for marrying a man who loved another man. Both she and Simon came to love Wai Tung's parents. Throw in the parents with their own complicated emotions and what could have been a trite story turned meaningful and heartfelt.

The actors were all quite capable, with Gua Ah Lei giving a truly complex performance as a mother wanting her son to be happy, preferably within the confines of their traditions. Winston Chao and Mitchell Lichtenstein brought their characters to life as they bickered, loved, and fought to be together.

1993 was a different time than today. In most states gay couples were not readily accepted and marriage was out of the question. New York, for the most part, was more open-minded. This movie, without resorting to being preachy or patronizing, showed a loving gay couple working through their problems, albeit with some hilarious and heartbreaking moments. The relationship felt real and consequential. It was also a time when cell phones were as big as WWII walkie-talkies and were used for the sole purpose of a phone and to make the occasional call---minutes were expensive!

Made for only $750,000 Ang Lee poured more heart than money into this film. Even with a few rom-com contrivances, I found myself rooting for all of these people. I desperately wanted them to have their happily-ever-afters. The Wedding Banquet wasn't perfect, but it was perfectly funny and heartwarming and romantic. In the end, everyone learned a little more about love and acceptance even when they didn't come in the package that was expected.




8/4/22

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BL To Beat

Gorgeous scenery and cinematography. Excellent scriptwriting. Acting is outstanding! Nonkul being a season actor is the perfect actor for Jom. Bright is great revelation here! He acts really well too. All the characters get their proper time to develop their story. No one was left behind. The characters are even fleshed out in all it's splendor as if I'm watching real people. My only concern is that I hope we got to see the backstory of the two troublemakers, the foreign master and Dech. It would be nice to see where they came from and the reason of their motive aside from just being greedy. Nonetheless, the series is amazing.

I enjoyed how they show the truth about politics, society, and prejudice during that time. The blunt and unfiltered portrayals gave this piece of art a disturbing feeling but in a good way that will make you question your beliefs and morals.

Every detail and every scene was carefully shot as if I'm watching a high-quality movie every single episode. I'm not sure why some people are salty and tries looking for faults in this show. Frankly speaking, with the caliber of this series, I keep on questioning myself if I'm really watching a BL drama. This is a freakin' masterpiece people!

Without any bias I can say that "I Feel You Linger In The Air" is the BL to beat. THIS IS A MUST WATCH!

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Miraculously, I made it through all 50 episodes (albeit with a lot of skimming.) Let me preface this review with some hopefully helpful info first.

1) If you are a Tiffany Tang/Luo Jin enthusiast, you should note that although Tiffany Tang is listed as the lead role, Director Liu Jiang stated in several interviews that this is NOT a show with a clear female lead, and this is not one of those romances where two female leads fight over some guy. It is also not a show with romance as its key.

2) I've seen people comparing the title of this show to the Taiwanese show "The Way We Were" and the classic film "The Way We Were." Both of these comparisons are wrong, because the show's title is lost in translation. Its Chinese title is a line in a classical poem by Tao Yuanming. The poem talks about the poet's own experience as a government official, and all the corruption and nepotism he witnessed that ended up angering him and leaving him to give up his title and "return" home -- which is the true meaning of this show's title, and the concept this show is based upon.

"To get out of this and go back home! [This line here is the show's title.]
My fields and garden will be overgrown with weeds--I must go back. [Because corruption rots you from the inside.]
It was my own doing that made my mind my body's slave
Why should I go on in melancholy and lonely grief?
I realize that there's no remedying the past
But I know that there's hope in the future.
After all I have not gone far on the wrong road
And I am aware that what I do today is right, yesterday wrong."

Now that I've got that out of the way, let's get on with the review.

The Acting: All right, so, I have never been a fan of Luo Jin or Tiffany Tang (that's not to say I don't like them, I'm just ambivalent and don't go out of my way to watch their shows) and to be honest, I was not floored by their acting in here. On the contrary, I was pleasantly surprised by the acting of Female 2. I think her name is Amelie Xu... a quick search on Baidu tells me that she's a newbie in the ent. circle, this might be her first major TV role. Extremely impressive, imo. In fact, I think it would have been better to name this girl as the female lead, but obviously for marketing reasons they wouldn't have since as a newbie, she wouldn't bring in ratings. The actors of the parental units are all very well-known "old" actors with impressive careers -- I wish I had seen more of them, especially the two corrupt fathers. It would've made the show more bearable for me. Another actor that surprised me was that of Shu Che's father's mistress. Also, obligatory: The English in here sucks. I know it's not their native language, but you'd think these actors would've put more effort into comprehensible English pronunciation considering they're acting as graduate students who are good enough to get into fake-Stanford University. There's a difference between speaking English with an extreme accent and just vocalizing the sounds of English cus you have no idea wtf you're saying and you're just bs'ing your way through your lines.

The Story: It's hard for me to review the story without going into specifics that may or may not be considered spoilers, so I'll just say that the concept of this story could have, and should have, been great. (If I took a shot for every time I thought this about a cdrama, I'd be dead, honestly.) I thought the title was clever, and it even amazed me that they drew from a classical Chinese poem lol. You don't get a lot of cdramas these days where the creators put *that* much thought behind their stories. I could even have handled the extremely slow pace, if only it had used the slow pacing to flesh out important things that contributed to the story somehow. Think about it, this could have been a really deep show using Tao Yuanming's poem as its linchpin, discussing the issues of nepotism and corruption by those in power. I actually think the writers and the director genuinely tried, otherwise they would not have included the poem in the first place, but for lack of skill or whatever reason, they didn't succeed. Ultimately, this is (or rather, is supposed to be) a story about morality and ethics.

Should you watch this?: Listen, if you're a *die-hard* fan of Tiffany or Luo Jin, or both of them, as I am assuming the vast majority of those who have this show on their list are, skim for their scenes. If you're the average c-drama viewer, I'd suggest not wasting your time. Unless you're like me and like to drown in the sorrows of lost potential. However, I do recommend watching Female Lead 2. I see great things in her future and I hope better scripts are coming her way, given the positive attitude Chinese netizens have towards her acting in this show.

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