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An Academy Award deserving series!
This is the 4th Chinese drama that I’ve watched but it is by far the best. The professionalism and chemistry of all of the actors is hard to beat. Coming from the US, being a writer of fiction myself, I love the amazing character development. The directors and producers absolutely did a fantastic job with casting. I’m one of the few fans out there that do not view WYB and XZ or their characters as a couple though I understand that’s what the novel said. Instead, theirs is a brotherhood and bond rarely seen nowadays and brings memories of the 1940s and comrades in war (and I mean that for both the actors and their characters). The younger generations today aren’t used to this. I do wish there was better continuation within the series as many scenes were a bit out of whack. Thank you for a wonderful series Tencent that I can’t stop rewatching since mid-December! This series deserves an Oscar because it rivals many shows on TV from many countries especially here in the US. I can’t wait for Oath of Love, Legend of Fei, Doulou Continent, and every other production these young and talented young men will do. A million times thank you!Was this review helpful to you?
Left Wanting . . .
A longing that in its infancy couldn't be realized. Brimming over with desire and shame, The Time of Fever captured the curiosity, confusion, and fear that often come with the experience of young love for Queer people. Chosen isolation, violent battles waged alone in your mind, denial, hesitant steps forward before sprinting away, jealousy, and parental abuse/distance.The cinematography and sound design lent themselves to becoming the two MLs' senses, directing our attention to where their attention was. When Dong Hee picks up on Ho Tae's breathing and everything else goes quiet, when in a tension-filled moment, after allowing his gaze to linger, Ho Tae notices Dong Hee's eyes nervously flitting away from his own. The overwhelming grip of Ho Tae's hand on Dong Hee's shoulder, the taste of citrus on Dong Hee's tongue, and the scent of rain surrounding them and soaking both their clothes.
I was beckoned in and captured. Every moment was raw and real enough to make my own breath stop or send a shiver down my spine.
The only reason I considered giving this less than a 10/10 is because it sparked a longing in ME for more.
What are you doing? Go watch it!
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This review may contain spoilers
Major spoiler, read at your own risk.Gosh, I just finish this drama and I got a lot to say. I'm so angry at the writer, I mean is it really the intention to write it this way or is there some kind of accident happen in the middle of writing or maybe its somehow a mistake? Lmao, pardon my rage, I kinda have a huge expectation for this drama but they slapped me with a disappointment instead.
First of all, TOO MANY PLOT TWISTS. I love plot twist, really, I would cheer in happiness for a good plot twist whether its bad or happy ending, but this drama really take it to another level. It really feels like this writer took every plot twist exists in dramaland and crammed it in this one. The first part of the story was fine then they just decided the leads need a new life to show that a mere human act really can't bring down a couple who are match made in heaven, but that's where it all started going wrong.
I wouldn't bother to explain the actors and actresses acting, they were not great but they were not bad either. The female lead acting is pretty good, her character and her acting didn't really have the awkward moment, and especially her facial expression, I kinda impress with her though the male lead is a one dissappointing act but it's kinda acceptable, he is not one who express feeling anyway so I don't really expect great acting from him. And personally I think, there are too many unnecessary characters. Like the evil character who didn't really do his job or a good character who have bad ending or stupid plot twist in the end. So unnecessary.
And finally, TOO MANY LOOSE ENDS. Like I said, there are some characters that here before gone without any explanation just because the leads got new life. And in the end where the leads can 'finally' be together they just decided it will good for them to start where they 'actually' meet for the first time without even bothering to return their old memories, like how could Rong Zhi know about that place, why he choose to hide there and why Chuyu just decided to visit her house secretly in the end (AND WHY THE HELL THERE ARE NO ONE KNOW RONG ZHI LIVE THERE THAT'S THE PRINCESS'S HOUSE FORGODSAKE). I'm trying to make sense every weird things that happen in this drama, for example that problematic ending. Like, maybe since they're in the middle of the war, so guards wouldn't bother to protect the empty house anyway. Or why the 'caretakers' didn't know about Rong Zhi, well he is Wei's so maybe Song's people don't know about him even though Wei almost take over Song(and the fact he used to live there). But then my logic step in and yelling, WELL PRECISELY ITS BECAUSE THEY'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WAR, IF SONG'S HAVE BEEN TAKEN OVER, SHOULDN'T THE ROYAL HOUSE THAT GOT SECURE FIRST? AND THEY ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WAR, WHY THE HELL CHUYU WOULD RETURN TO HER HOUSE RISKING TO GET CAUGHT EITHER BY SONG'S OR WEI'S PEOPLE? lmao this drama making me crazy I'm sorry.
Not just they didn't return the leads memory, they didn't have many skinship. I mean I don't even expect any kiss, but they are the leads forgodsake, and they are married AND they love each other. If they want to show an innocent love, they should've execute it better than this. I just couldn't feel their innocent love. All I can feel is their love life are so wasted I wish they just never meet again after they forget each other and live their own life.
Good thing about this drama? Maybe OST? I like the opening and the ending songs. When I watch drama I usually skipped the opening and ending, but I actually enjoy the songs that I stopped ff-ing to watch the ending and the opening just to hear the songs.
Rewatch? Not a rewatch material, but if someday I miss them, I'll probably just watch their cute moments together and end with it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Stunning pictures, not thought out story...
"The Secret of Us" is a japanese youtube channel, but only doing chinese BL content. That is one their several short series but a very weak one. While the landscapes are really stunning, the story left so much to be desired. It begins fine - a hurt stranger is found by an to be aspiring veterian - but how they fell in love is not really explained. There is a red flag scene in a tent and then it's like they are together.In the following episodes it's revealed the stranger had his goal to reach the veterian because his dog saved him from a wolf pack. But when you listen to the story, it does not make much sense, because he mentioned there were other people saving him, so they would have rendered first aid, right? And just because he did not tell him first, they break up and the stranger returns home.
The finale is the most confusing. First it's a time jump and second he wants to search for the stranger but gets a call that mr. stranger should have an operation otherwise his life is in danger and then he appears on a horse. WTF?
This is one of the weakest series from them and I have no clue why they thought the story made any sense. They had six episodes to tell a story, but most of it was filler and not needed and it ends. While it's nice he's back, will he die now? Or what was the reason for him coming back? I can't figure it out and I don't care. The actors tried their best, they delivered a decent performance but I did not feel their attraction to each other. The only good thing about this series are the stunning landscapes which is special because most dramas play out in a big city most of the time. Also the rest of the production quality was top notch wasted on such a script. Handsome actors don't make a story. So my quite high rating is only because of the production quality, because the script is really bad.
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Story: The Prince and his two guards/friends form the Three Musketeers. They, along with Park Dal Hyang go around causing havoc by trying to bring peace - it's a very enjoyable ride.
Cast: Park Dal Hyang (Jung Yong Hwa) a country boy who practiced hard enough to become a guard in Hanyang where he soon meets the Three Musketeers and their journey begins. He is a very sincere yet naïve person who I believe matured during the duration of the drama. Prince So Hyeon (Lee Jin Wook) my personal favorite character, he's always joking and laughing but he does have a scar that has prevented his relationship with the Crown Princess Yoon Seo - through the princes friends Heo Seung Po & Ahn Min Seo as well as newcomer Dal Hyang his heart begins to open to his wife <3 Their scenes together were some of my personal favorite scenes to watch^^ These characters are constantly going through ups and downs during this drama (and it's only season 1)! Mi Ryeong/Hyang Sun is basically the antagonist - she's evil any way you look at her. And I swear the King is the stupidest person on this show.
Music: I remember only 1 song and that's the song where the lyrics say one for all all for one lol - I love that song.
Re-watch Value: 10/10 I would LOVE to re-watch this at some point - but not until all 3 seasons are complete^^
Overall this drama is very enjoyable to watch, you will be laughing, crying, going WTH?! lol - all sorts of emotions and they make the show amazing!
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Huang Xuan and and Japanese actor Shota Sometani star as the leads - but really they are merely tools for the narration of this story, which honestly kind of took me out of the core story at times. I get that the original novel used this element as well, but I do think it felt a little extra at times - that we were sacrificing the meat of the story to give the two stars more screentime. Huang Xuan plays Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, and it was kind of a weird performance from him. I think part of that is the director's fault, but the character was just a bit all over the place. Shota Sometani's Kukai was much better, and he gave a pretty good performance as the somewhat mysterious monk (yes, all the Japanese actors have their voices dubbed - though they do have some lines where they speak Japanese). The two pair up to find out why a demon cat has been haunting the capital.
The real story revolves around the famous (or infamous, depending on who you ask) Yang Guifei, the imperial consort of the Emperor Xuanzong - and the circumstances surrounding her death. This is the part of the story where it becomes purely fictional and speculative - but it was definitely the most interesting part of the film. I don't know where I read this, but apparently in the novel, the author had described her being of mixed blood, so the casting of Sandrine Pinna makes a little bit more sense (as you can imagine, mainland audiences were not impressed by a Taiwanese/French Yang Guifei).
Sandrine is gorgeous in her role (seriously, she looks absolutely stunning in ancient costume) and had a dignity and loneliness to her that suited the character well - the only thing that kind of throws you off is that Yang Guifei has been known historically as having a very voluptuous figure (Sandrine is on the slender side). Yang Guifei is so famous for this in China that it has become part of her characterization - and it was more noticeable because actress Kitty Zhang, who plays another character in the film, does have that kind of figure. I imagine they wanted Sandrine more for her face and overall presence so it's not a huge deal - just an interesting note.
I would have liked to seen more of Zhang Luyi's Emperor Xuanzong and gotten a glimpse of what exactly he was thinking throughout the film, but I guess it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. The love that they had for each other could have also done better - I think I got a pretty good hint of what their relationship looked like, but I do think it could have been explored more since it was such a crucial part of the story. Hiroshi Abe's character was also an interesting foil to the Emperor.
Liu Haoran and Ou Hao are the two youngsters in the cast and let's just say I was quite surprised by their importance to the story, especially Liu Haoran's Bai Long. I've seen the BTS clips of the way they're styled for the film and wasn't sure how I felt about it, but it's pretty stunning once you see them in motion. Liu Haoran famously lost 20 pounds for the role after Chen Kaige looked at him and said he was a little too chubby (which I think is ridiculous because the boy is already built like a stick), but it worked well for the role visually. The two's characters also added a dimension to the story that I wasn't expecting, but welcomed as it actually made the story come alive for me.
I think I've used the word "visually" probably at least six times already - and that kind of goes to show where most of the thought went into for this film. The core storyline was interesting, but screentime was limited - Huang Xuan and Shota Sometani probably had triple the amount of appearances than anyone else. Considering that they aren't directly involved, it just slows the pace down significantly and makes the transitions seem a bit choppy (it also disturbs your emotional attachment to the characters). But if you cast stars, you've got to give them screentime, right?
This was an ambitious attempt by the director, and the film covered a wild variety of themes and motifs, but probably bit off more than they could chew. Still, I enjoyed it for what it was a - a treat for the eyes and an explorative look at a well known story and characters.
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This review may contain spoilers
First off, my rating is based on emotional attachment, and that's just how I am. :P If I were to be completely logical it would most likely be a 9, but my love bumps it up. haha When I first ran into this drama, I had no real interest. The cast members looked cute, but I didn't really have a desire to watch a story about some guy opening a vegetable store with a ragtag group of friends. I need romance, and the synopsis they have for this drama is so horribly lacking that I didn't even expect any. Except, that's half the drama! I was surprised and hooked from episode one until the end!! Normally they don't want you to put a synopsis in your review, but since the one they have is so lacking, I'm going to a little.
Tae Yang (played by Ji Chang Wook) and Jin Shim (played by Wang Ji Hye) were childhood friends, a couple, but because of an event (no spoilers) they split up and years pass. When they meet again, they don't know it's each other because Jin Shim is using a different name. (I hope no one sees this as a spoiler, because honestly any other drama would put that much information up in their synopsis usually) Now Jin Shim is an heiress and her mother has a deep rooted grudge against Tae Yang. Ok, that's where I'll stop with my synopsis because frankly, I'm a little upset that a lot of people are placing the mom in the typical rich wife category. The reason she goes after Tae Yang so much is because of this grudge she has, not just because he's a vegetable owner. As insane as she is, and she is clinically insane, I understand that hatred to a point. She's one of the most terrifying villains I've seen in a drama, and man does her acting just blow me away. I was actually scared of her in many scenes, because she's just a woman who's ready to die for what she wants, and is always just a step away from the edge.
The romance between the two leads was amazing to watch, and even though I think Wang Ji Hye didn't quite match up in acting ability to Ji Chang Wook, she held her own ok. Ji Chang stole my heart right away, and his acting always surprised me. Not matter what scene he was in, he stole it right away. The way the main pair just understood each other, was drawn to each other, and Tae Yang's unyielding love for Jin Shim was heart warming and heart breaking at times. I really fell in love with these characters. On top of the romance that I'm still going back to re-watch, the bromance between the "fresh Men" was so fun to watch!! It was cheesy and cliche, but so satisfying! You also get to know each one of them, their back stories, what they're going through in their own lives, and you get to see them grow into men.
The music is one part where I got annoyed with this drama. There's this one song they play sometimes during the "touching" scenes that just made me want to punch the person who decided on that song selection. XD It wasn't so bad that it turned me away, but they could have done better.
I will be re-watching this drama a lot, because it's fun and warmed my heart. It also taught me a few lessons about how to deal with set backs and just how one tragedy can ripple outwards and utterly destroy someone's mentality, and how that damaged person poisons everyone.
Overall, I'm defensive of this drama because I love it so much, but I do acknowledge that I may just have twisted tastes and not everyone will watch it with my mind frame. I just hope you give it a chance and not start watching it with certain expectations off of the synopsis they have up, because you will find something different from what's there. If you watch it because of my review and don't like it, I'm sorry, but if you love it, you're welcome. haha jk :P
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Very low budget, AI & bad dubbing...
This could have been one of the best CBLs ever, but they botched it. While AI plays a big role in China, it also plays a role in this show. It's not that bad, at least we have real people doing a real series. The biggest complaint is the dubbing, which is really bad and even worse is the singing-dubbing which often has nothing to do with the song you hear. The songs itself are all excellent.It begins like an ordinary BL but that is only half the story. What seems 08/15 is something completely different. The title and the main characters blue lips will make sense further through the story. This is one of the series which will get better with every episode and you will gradually understand what's going on.
I really wish chinese productions would not dub at all. First they are produced for the international market anyways and not shown officially in China and second I will not recognize any chinese dialect anyways. At least I can hear differences between cantonese and mandarin :) The show grew on me the further it went and it's for sure not a bad watch, when you can ignore some of the AI and the dubbing. For a low budget production, they did a good job.
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This review may contain spoilers
Tragically beautifully crafted; emotionally stirring most memorable dream the drama delivered!
It started with arousing curiosity of what the characters' lines and attitudes were heading to. Then, it became light, fun, family themed, filled with comedy, bromance, and romance every chance it can in every epi but gradually geared towards the tragically beautiful ending it was primarily written for.I like how it was well casted, performed, and written and the suspense I got throughout the story.
It is one among the no skinskip, no kiss yet engrossing drama.
The unique bond of gods, goddesses, demons, half-gods, half-demons, and mortals living together as a "family" fighting for the greater good of and protecting all living beings
The have destinies they couldn't avoid, the promises they could either break or fulfill
I also like how it showed various types of love and bond formed. The nemesis to besties, strangers to brothers and sisters, re-strengthened sibling bond, father and child relationships, and the romantic love.
These are the varied forms of warmth I felt from the story that were strengthened but could either last long or short lived.
On the other hand, there is also the wrong way of loving others, causing them grief and sorrow which happened to the villain and to what and how he turned out to be. But his hate turned obsession doesn't validate his sins
I like the bromance and the bickering of my 'brople' Zhao Yuanzhou and Zhuo Yichen and the romance of my beautifully paired couple Zhao Yuanzhou and Wen Xiao, the great demon and baize goddess as well as the always screaming and funny little doctor Bai Jiu, the wannabe-mortal-chef mountain god Ying Lei, and the badass mortal relying on her well-trained combat skills and signature weapon bow and arrow (hello Katniss Everdeen)
I like how their own stories, their entanglements, connections, and wishes were gradually unfolded
The friendship and brotherhood, the strong male lead vibe was very well shown throughout the story
The writer however appears to be more male centric. The story had strong brotherhood theme that I think overshadowed a bit the romantic theme.
Nonetheless, the injection of comedy and bickering in the epis even after some much dramatic plots made this ride an unforgettable experience.
The parallels in the story enriched the overall plot too.
I like the backstory of Ying Long and Bing Yi, the dragon god and the dragon slayer and its connection with ZYZ and ZYC but hated what was coming.
I like how the story of Zhao Yuanzhou changed after his death and was recognized for what he's sacrificed for: his wide understanding and love for all beings, his love for his besties, most strikingly his love for Wen Xiao that in all places he would return to, was his 'home' with her
The most heartbreaking is when the prophecy couldn't be stopped. One last sacrifice is needed and it had to be ZYZ, he chose to be the one. It was the freedom he had long wished for; however, at that very moment, he struggled, reluctant and unable to leave
I hated how the malicious energy and the BG divine power has to do with the couple
It was tormenting hearing and seeing him wanting to be consciously delusional for a moment with WX by his side in the dream of indulgence which was similar to when he endured the pain in his heart due to breaking the contract of staying with her a s a colleague, only to enjoy his imagination of a future with his beloved.
I give credit to the inserted comedy and bickering because it helped balance my emotions in a way, acting as the pain killer or anesthesia
Most of which were from ZYZ and ZYC interactions: E.g. When WX didn't inform ZYC of her plan and he took it seriously firmly standing up for ZYZ; he couldn't move on from the embarrassment and was pouty all over; ZYC making ZYZ not look like the great demon, the most powerful, him seeing though his acts; ZYZ fake acts, his responses, and many more
ZYZ and WX: 'The sound of jealousy' scene which was both sweet and hilarious ; the beg epi with his fake act being caught by WX and affected by her little tricks and ZYC rushing to the scene and slightly misjudging the situation as WX was in danger; the eavesdropping scenes for WX and ZYZ's words of love and ZYZ holding her hands act, dying act, and more; WX's with other's reactions to the funny scenes such as ZYZ kissing the previous BG's puppet act to provoke the thousand-year-old demon Cheng Huang (Ryan Cheng's guest role)
The story wasn't all perfect, I had my own complaints
Some instances:
Ying Lei (Xu Xhen Xuan) endured Li Lun's attack to wake Jiu was being possessed by LL; Bai Jiu (Lester Lin), the youngest, gave his best to destroy ever burning wood to cut the villain's immortality; women power moment such as Pei Sijing (Cheng Xiao) defeating her most feared enemy that became a more fearful demonized human through her own 'mortal trained combat skills' whilst Wen Xiao was often put to a situation where she'd be subject to criticisms. Others made important sacrifices, given enough screen time for the dramatic effect but she wasn't given enough moment to showcase her being Baize Goddess and its divine power, didn't have her own shining moment except for 2 scenarios but with someone else's help and had less impact. I think it was better she was interrupted while giving her all as Baize Goddess to save the human race and had flashback memories of her and ZYZ to add to the heaviness and impact of the scene. The difference prolly will add to the character's growth. There were also some prolly minor inconsistencies that may be overlooked by their editing crew that in my perspective could add to her character's emphasis
The last fight scene with Li Lun (Yan An) in his redemtion arc joining Zhao Yuanzhou and Zhuo Yichen, the CGI, the winged ZYC, everything, with its drama and all was epic. It goes back to the drama being more male centered in my view. I have no issue with it but even ZYZ's death, the should be most heartbreaking couple moment came out less impressive
Nevertheless, it was harder to let go of this drama with all its potential to be a masterpiece
I was glad there was a hopeful extra epi
The extra individual bts is a plus to the cast specifically Chen Duling (Wen Xiao) acting improved a lot
The main ost auto plays in my head whenever I remember their group dance, their solo parts, their voice, the individual focus of the camera, their group hugs as well as the stage performance of Hou Minghao, Chen Duling, Tian Jiarui, Cheng Xiao, and Yan An where they all wore white, their promotional dance and all clips, Neo and Jiaru funny short singing promo, and their online meetings where funny hardow TJR is always eating
The OSTS, BGMs, the instrumentals (the sound of coming death and insertion of comedy) the ending BTS/Group dance have been part of my unforgettable viewing experience.
Jiarui's make up was very elven, insane face card that equalled Neo's. Bing Yi and his new look as Zhuo Yichen and him riding the horse were fairytale-ish very eye catching (hello Legolas, L.O.T.R.)
Neo's Ying Long to his curly silver haired Zhu Yan, cub days, to his 3 silver striped hair Zhao Yuanzhou look were all flawlessly done and carried by him, very attention grabbing. Not to forget he had a scene showing off his figure, insane body card
Their acting performances were on point, Neo's eye talking, delivering hilarious as well as dramatic scenes, the fight scenes and the cast' trainings for those
I don't want to wake up from this long beautiful dream and await the return of the great "white ape" demon, a reunion with his loved ones and a whole new adventure with them
All actors and actresses in this drama are part of its success.
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This review may contain spoilers
Finally a decent romcom from SK!
It's been ages since I last felt like watching a korean romcom. I'm usually bored by them since the comedy and acting are almost always the same. So when I randomly started Make Me Tingle, I didn't expect much – But to my surprise I got hooked immediately. So what exactly makes this drama different?The Male Lead is basically straight out of the kdrama-textbook. A handsome and rich CEO with a past trauma and issues that made him not believe in true love. Aww lol. Of course he is also afraid of the dark and suffers from insomnia. At this point you might still wonder which drama I'm talking about since many MLs match that description. 😆
But his company is not just any company. It's a company that designs and sells sex-toys. First time I've seen that in a kdrama. So while he seems arrogant at first, he is actually pretty troubled and hurt by the backlash and judgement he is getting from random people as well as from his family. I like how he still stands his ground and is proud of what he achieved tho.
What I loved the most about him, is the overworldly handsomeness and the acting of Kim Jae Yeong 😉🔥 Like daaamn hahaha. The way he looked at the FL gave me butterflies. If I were to interpret, his eyes looked like he was helplessly in love. I saw some fascination for the FL, but maybe also about the feelings he developed for her. And I saw hope - that she also likes him. I'm swooning 😫💖. Their kisses were also really nice. But despite MLs profession, things didn’t get spicy – just so you know.
The FL grew up in a conservative family and didn't have sex yet. An emotional connection and real love has always been most important to her. She starts working as a marketing manager at MLs company and is confronted with the physical part of a relationship. Compared to lots of other dramas, the FL is not weak at all. I love how realistic the sibling-relationship is with her brother, how competent she is at her job, and how she stands her ground in the bickers with the ML. There were only 2 scenes in which she acted a bit cutesy and pouty (which I absolutely hate) so I was able to overlook that this time.
What I hated tho was her family lol. The conservative family theme is so out of time for me. And the views of her grandfather are so annoying, I can't understand how anyone would ever want to live with them. I was so happy when FL got out of there and claimed her life back. I also deeply respect how mature she handled this. She stood up for herself and made her own choices. As it should be.
Her being around 30 years old and having to justify herself for staying at her boyfriend's place... almost gave me acid reflux lol. This and her sexist grandfather. ☠️ I found this so frustrating, I actually had to fast-forward quite some of the family-scenes for my own sanity. I’m not even sure if all this was necessary for the story – at least not to that extent.
Because the most interesting part was the development of the relationship between ML and FL. I found the first misunderstanding about MLs sexuality super funny haha. I enjoyed watching the growing tension and feelings between them. But I also enjoyed their bickering and discussions about their different perspectives regarding sex and love. They didn't just bicker for the comedy, I found their views and opinions genuinely interesting and insightful. 😊 I wish we had more scenes like that and less of the family stuff. For once I also liked the business talk here btw.
The other characters had a very weird amount of screentime: too little to make me care about them. But enough to bother me xD I liked FLs friend tho.
What I disliked very much, on the other hand, was the Second Male Lead. At first I found it cute how ML got jealous because of him. But when he started actually pursuing her, and after the rejection even showed up at her house and chatted with her grandfather… I felt he really crossed some boundaries there. 😌🪓
But despite the annoying parts and this being a simple modern romcom in a business-setting (which usually bores me quickly), this drama was still able to keep me seated from start to finish (minus the family-scenes lol). So I guess they must have done something right. 😁
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A Good Side-Story…
We’ve all been there . The show or production which won our hearts, ignites intensified hope over news of a sequel or spin-off in the making, hype is sparked online and by word of mouth and then when we act will then receive the actual final product, it is often with mixed-results.
‘ Ashin: Kingdom Of The North’ could’ve easily gone in either of these directions. An official spin-off by original director Kim Sung Hoon and screenwriter Kim Eun Hee of the hit zombie period-series ‘ Kingdom’, ‘ Ashin: Kingdom Of The North’ had a lot of excitement and worry by watchers around the delivered result of a whole production focusing on a side character only shown briefly at the end of the second season.
As a character, the special is quick to cut short to the chase about her past without feeling disregarded or predominating screen time. The daughter of a secret spy who is devoted to Joseon in a border village, Ashin’s revenge becomes more prominent as the story plays out and takes her down many wrong paths. It was intriguing to see how the production could balance out between actually developing Ashin as more than a one-dimensional shell, by duelling this onscreen tale with the threat of the zombie outbreak beginning to take root. Yet viewers should not worry as the production balances out the two storylines as two sides of the same coin; different, yet helping to interchangeably motivate the events of one another as the production progresses.
As this was shown from Ashin’s view of the world at times, it was intriguing to wonder whether any original characters from ‘ Kingdom’ would pop up in the storyline. Sure enough, actor Park Byung Eun took a fairly central role again as Min Chi Rok, the heroic inspector general from the main storyline of ‘ Kingdom’. Intriguingly unlike in ‘ Kingdom’ and as prior events to the main storyline it was fairly astounding to see Chi Rok in a more antagonistic light. Whilst ‘ Ashin: Kingdom of North’ was merely the necessary foreground in order to establish the titular character properly before later seasons and there is still a lot of potential with understanding Chi Rok’s motives, it would have been equally interesting to invested a little bit of side time here within understanding Chi Rok’s shift from villainous to righteousness between the two storylines.
Of course any critique of this production would not be complete without mentioning the brilliance of Jun Ji Hyun as Ashin, as well of course younger actress Kim Shi Ah as Ashin’s younger-self. However , Ashin's character in this special episode doesn’t have a lot of dialogue opportunities. It is understandable this is meant to reflect Ashin’s sense of character, and Ji Hyun is really good with the source material ( even without as many speaking opportunities), but this is certainly a more critical point to note.
‘ Ashin; Kingdom Of The North’ was an outstanding move by the director and screenwriter to establish and bring to life Ashin as an individual in her own right, without straying away from the violent, historical or political undertones of past seasons. Although the storyline sometimes wobbled underneath the problem of with scenes over the long duration time, drawing away from the more thrilling adrenaline-infused rush of action shots, the screenwriter was by no means a mess. The special intensifies the warring troubles of political instability amongst the people, a spine-tingling soundtrack accompanied by beautiful cinematography, historically accurate onscreen costumes and dialogue that is further captivated by the brilliant performances of the main cast. A good watch.
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Some people may have issues with the pacing, since even though it is a murder mystery suspense, the bulk of the drama is kind of slice-of-life office life. However, the show is so fun and well-done that this did not bother me, personally. The only thing that seemed a bit off was the inevitable romance arc, but it certainly wasn't the focus of the show.
If you are looking for an all around wonderful drama that is different from your usual drama fare, this would be the perfect one to add to your list!
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Small town vibe
Likes: Seo Kang Joon's insane visuals. His sweet shyness. Kim Hwan Hee's hilarious cheerful spirit as his younger sister. Lee Jae Wook's comic timingDislikes: I didn't feel the sparks between the OTP nor did I really care for the story. The pace was too slow for me.
I think I'm just not a huge fan of these quiet type dramas like Something in the Rain or One Spring Night where the quietness fills the room. The pace is just too slow and I wind up getting bored. I only hung on because A) quite frankly, there wasn't much else to watch and B) Seo Kang Joon finally picked a role that he was suited for where I can finally indulge in watching his sweet shyness play out.
Unfortunately, I didn't really feel that cracklin chemistry between him and Park Min Young. It felt like acting. I usually only live for the OTP in dramas, but here I found myself more interested in Kim Hwan Hee's lively shenanigans or Lee Jae wook's funny situations. The drama has a small town vibe so if you don't mind things just sort of moseying along, then this might be up your alley.
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good character growth
Overall: I liked seeing two flawed characters (and yes Shin is flawed as well as he pushes and ignores Minato's boundaries multiple times) and Minato's character growth. Watched on Gagaoolala.Content Warnings: non con touching/kissing, manhandling, internalized homophobia, non con photo taking, a high school senior (17 then 18) and a 28 year old (this aspect did not bother me personally)
What I Liked
- cute intro and closing credits/songs (watch the final episode closely as they are different!)
- that they actually communicated with one another, talked about their thoughts and feelings
- the food shirts that Minato wore
- how scenes towards the end of the final episode mirrored scenes in earlier episodes
- acting
- production value (cinematography, music)
Room For Improvement
- the pacing was a bit too slow with the whole teacher near conversation multiple times, that should have happened sooner
- I actually wished Shin had had some character growth and the ending had gone a slightly different direction
- I liked the sister and friend, couldn't care less for that depressing lump and did not enjoy the side couple
- continuity error with sheet placement
- the technique at the very end needed improvement but I'll give them a break as it might have been both of their first times
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The Leads Have Amazing Chemistry
I just have to say that this drama is absolutely amazing. The FL and ML are super sweet. Ive seen so many dramas about an actor dating someone who is a profile status, but this blew me away. First let's talk about storyline. The FL and ML are in an arranged marriage with each other. I hope this isn't a spoiler but the FL lead does chase the ML, but the ML is loving it. One of the episodes was just amazing, full of sweet kisses and hugs. The leads obviously have to keep their relationship a secret from the public because the FL is an actor, but that does not stop the romance. All these things don't just apply to the Main leads but also the second couple. They are absolutely adorable. I don't want to say too much because I might end up spoiling everything . But I highly suggest to watch this.Was this review helpful to you?
