Disappointed
A fan of the novel but now not a fan of the live action. I have read the novel from the start and followed it until it ended but whwn i heard they will make a live action i already know something bad will happen and boom, so disappointing. Not the actors failt though. I juat wish they stick with the original.Was this review helpful to you?
This drama is a lot more powerful than people think the messages that it is passing through are too deep to describe. The political propaganda the interdependence of media, politics, the law, and businesses. It is in some sense reality.
The story could have developed faster I think at some point it dragged on while the finish was a bit too fast- they should have used 2 episodes to develop what happened in the last episode.
As for characters I really liked prosecutor Koo and chief Moon. Yeol Moo was annoying sometimes it felt as if she had no emotions, she cried very well I have to admit but her interest towards Koo was invisible/ non existent. She looked more interested in the kid Kang Soo. I also really liked Kang Soo, he played his character very well, in order to judge him as an actor I will have to see him in different roles, because I don't know if he played this role very well because his personality is as such or because he is such a good actor.
Romance
I preferred the second lead couple it was funnier as I said before yeol moo was so just not into it that it seemed like she was faking that she liked him. They were funnier and I could see chemistry between them ( strange chemistry but existent).
If you like crime DEFINITELY watch it if you re into sappy romance SKIP ! this aint for you :)
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A Real Chinese History Drama
This is the story of Li Chu (Tang Dynasty Emperor Daizong) and it is divided into 2 seasons with 60 and 32 episodes respectively. For this drama, it is during the reign of his grandfather Emperor Xuanzong (712-756 AD) and later the reign of his father Emperor Suzong (756-762 AD). The time was a tumultuous period of Chinese history. There were the An Lushan Rebellion, the loss of Chang’an to the rebels, the escape of the royal family, the capture of Li Chu’s consort by the rebels, power struggle, usurpation, filicides and fratricides. Many of these historical events and important figures are depicted in the drama, and it’s an enthralling watch.The drama romanticizes Li Chu’s and his favorite consort, Shen Zhen Zhu’s love affair and their devotion for each other. Understandably, some of the events may not be true historically but only for dramatic effect. This has been done rather well with few noticeable plot holes. However, there are also many tropes and clichés. Some of the logic seems to be over simplistic and unrealistic. Some historical characters are depicted as villains, cunning and sinister. Li Chu (Ren Jialun) and Shen Zhen Zhu (Sally Jing) are living in a dangerous environment that they both have to tread extremely carefully with every step they move and every word they say. One wrong move or word would immediately lead to their deaths. It is this angst that has captured the viewers attention throughout the drama.
Ren Jialun’s acting is acceptable in this drama. In fact, he’s rather convincing as the character Li Chu, except he may not look his best in armor and helmet (his head looks weird in the helmet). However, I’m not so comfortable with Sally Jing, and not very impressed by the Shen Zhen Zhu character that she plays despite she (Shen Zhen Zhu) is supposed to be very intelligent; time and time again, Shen Zhen Zhu is fooled by her own cleverness and that has created a lot of frustration over the character for viewers. I also find the pairing of Ren Jialun and Sally Jing not ideal as Ren Jialun has a small boyish face whereas Sally Jing (she has a large face) looks very mature with disproportionately large eyes laced with plastic brush-like eye lashes. There’s hardly any chemistry between the duo.
The side couple story is sweet and heart wrenching. Lin Zhi (Jennifer Shu) and Li Tan (Qin Jun Jie) are the saddest couple as Lin Zhi’s experience is very real to many women who have to live through such pain everyday and she is totally relatable. Jennifer Shu’s portrayal is wonderful and very convincing. Qin Jun Jie’s performance portraying Li Tan as an impulsive man is equally laudable. This pair has wonderful chemistry together and their story is painful. Despite Lin Zhi may not have been a real figure historically (Li Tan is real as Li Chu's younger brother), I find the side couple story more compelling.
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The general tone of this drama is somber. Apart from some flaws here and there, there are also some hilarious moments that are really fun to watch. Overall, this is a fine drama based on real events, but the story interjected with too much fantasy may have been a bit overdone. After completing the 60 episodes, I find myself needing a break before continuing on to season 2. I wish the series had not been this long.
This is a good watch for history buff if you don't mind some added fantasy.
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I am in tears
I can’t elaborate enough on how Good and brilliant this drama is. The story is original and keeps the viewers hooked. The characters!!! There was none I found annoying or intolerable. I loved the characters and the bond and relationships they’ve had with each other. There were moments I’d be laughing out loud and then there were moments where I had tears coming out of my eyes.The soundtrack is too darn good. Brilliant drama. Brilliant cast and acting.
This one is definitely becoming one of my favourites.
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Don't Think Twice, Love's All Right is a good drama dragged down by the limitations of its industry
One only need to look at the comment section to see my commitment to this drama (/Shrug/ Li Yi Tong fan). Obviously, I had and have major incentives to declare this to be the best thing since grilled steaks. Alas!I was minutes away from finding out if the site has a 'zero' rating. Thankfully, Chinese drama writers after their obligatory sacrifices to tragedy managed to guide my 'ship' to port. Now, instead of being angry, I am merely annoyed.
The show is set in a large town where everybody is one acquaintance away from knowing each other. Essentially, there are four stories within:
1. The titular romance between our leads. Call this Pretty Woman with Chinese Characteristics. Contra those who avoided it purely 'cause of the male lead, in its first half, it is by a far the best thing about the show. It is truly heartwarming. Watch to episode 19 and stop!
2. The second romance is between a Legalist (The Chinese political theory of governance) and a broken-hearted romantic. Their romance is the funniest part of the show. Now I would totally watch a time-travel drama where a love-lorn romantic finds themself in Qin China. I didn't quite agree with the ending, but it was not all bad. It is the second-best part of the show.
3. The show starts to get weighed down by the other arcs. The usual drama, typical of C-dramas, involving scorned lovers and orbiters was generally weak and, in my view, unnecessary. But the man who broke our romantic's heart was charismatic enough to be a stand-out.
4. The absolute worst part of the show is the arc between Chinese Chuck Bass (When you see it, you'll see it) and Blair Wenwen. It has to be industry malpractice that allowed it to survive the cutting room.
The show tries to execute a complicated pirouette after episode 19 when it seems that our leads are sailing into a life of domestic bliss. They try to pull back the curtain and show life after the initial romantic glow fades. In my opinion, everything after that ruins the show. Episodes 1-19 were riveting television for me. After, it became a chore. I disagreed with every decision and typical of C-Dramas, they introduced far too many moving parts, dumbed down characters and engaged in aggressive acts of 'filler'--long pans, multiple flashbacks. The works!
This drama has many truly astounding actors. Li Yi Tong puts in the most charismatic turn I've seen on screen all year. I've got no beef with them. The writers, the production crew, the director and needlessly long drama seasons ruined what would have been an excellent drama. What-ifs aside, I cannot in good conscience recommend that you put in 30 hours on this. You won't be bored. That much is true, but I doubt you'd love it.
P.S
1. C-Dramas need to bin the whole 'scorned second woman' trope. Guaranteed cringe every time.
2. If you watch this, then after episode 19, skip to the opening scene of episode 37. Li Yi Tong manages to be both very cute and incredibly beautiful (there should be a word for that) and I don't think that is very fair.
3. Apple and Lenovo seem to have been major sponsors of this show. As far as I'm concerned, they are to be blamed for the post ep-19 clusterfucks.
4. https://kisskh.at/35155-nodoka-no-niwa is the show that many of MDL users thought this would be. I'm tempted to watch it too, but the Japanese dial things up to 11 and I think I need lighter fare now.
5. C-Drama writers, tragedy is overrated. Happy endings and many babies for everybody; it won't kill you, you know.
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This review may contain spoilers
I won't condone this type of behavior.
How did a drama that started so strong ended up being a total mess?Let me begin by saying that I'm a gay man and as part of the LGBTQ+ community, I can't support the way this story showcases gay relationships. There were a few things about this show that pulled out the red flags from me, and all of them relate to how toxic, forced, and abusive the relationship between the lead characters and their supports were managed. I'll list my problems with it below:
This review contains SPOILERS, so please be warned if you haven't watch it yet. Actually, you should not watch it for the sake of not giving it more attention.
~ The sexual assault is a big issue in this drama. Originally, I thought that having a traumatized lead character (Type) who suffered of sexual assault when he was younger was a good thing for the plot and his character development; however, things took a weird turn when the writers decided to romanticize Tharn sexually assaulting him as well. What kinda audacity is this? It was not once, it was not twice, but SEVERAL times. Type clearly despised Tharn, but that didn't stop the later from kissing his cheek, kissing his lips and naked torso when he's PASSED OUT DRUNK, forcing himself on top of his body several times (which was not good for Type's mental state at the moment), and blowing him in the bathroom. By the way, NONE OF THIS WAS CONSENTED BY TYPE AT ANY MOMENT.
The character Tar is also one who needs to be called out due to his attempt of sexually assaulting Tharn in the hotel room. It doesn't matter what your situation was, it is UNFORGIVABLE.
~ Type is the most toxic, petty, and unreasonable character. When I began watching the drama I gave him the benefit of the doubt because he was clearly not a mentally stable guy, but I don't think that's the only problem here. Type would constantly bring up the excuse of hating gays to physically and verbally abuse others (Tharn in specific). I do agree Tharn deserved a couple of punches because of what I wrote above, but there were plenty of occasions in which he was unfairly assaulted due to Type's anger problems. Was this unhealthy level of violence categorized as "love" by the writers? It sure was! And it was NOT okay. Even people with mental problems get punished by law because of the consequences of their actions, so I am disappointed that Type was able to do as he pleased with his violence. This felt like Eminem and Rihanna's "Love the Way You Lie" music video.
~ What the hell is going on with Tharn? First of all, he's definitely NOT one of my favorite characters, but seeing him being such a passive man was aggravating. This is a character that also had his own traumas due to love and break ups, but I could not stand him seeing him taking such weak role. Where is that confidence that you showed on the first episodes when you would stand up and defend yourself from Type's aggression? All this violence was not worth it.
~ Possible incest relationship? It is not confirmed in the drama story, but Tum looked like he was having more than just brotherly feels towards Tar. I'm not going to comment too much on this because nothing happened, but it's still kinda sus.
Some of you may not know this, but sexual assault is a very big problem for LGBTQ+ in media. I don't know where the author got inspiration from, but it kinda seems like he or she read a couple yaoi manga before writing this novel. Yaoi and Shounen Ai manga in Japan are know for portraying gay relationships and quite a bit of sexual assault as "romance," so I would not be surprised if this was their inspiration. You guys, it is NOT okay to support these kind of stories in media, because many of you are just straight girls who happen to be obsessed with gays, but for LGBTQ+ and specially gay people, portraying us in sexual assault scenes actually bring us a lot of backlash. You may think is just media, but A LOT of people get influenced by media and use it as an excuse to hate on us. So please do not support these shows.
Lastly, I would like to point out that I have nothing against these actors because, after all, they were just doing their job. I think some of them were actually very good at acting and I enjoyed their performances, but this is just not the right story to work with.
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Rain is just too cute playing the funny and smart Ji Woo. The way he speaks in this drama is charming. I enjoyed his character development from materialistic to a caring depth. Lee Jung Jin is also very charming and has a beautiful smile. I appreciated his down to earth portrayal of Detective Do Soo. Yoon Jin Seo is too cute as Soran when she is chasing her “oppa”. Jin Yi was an obviously deep character that is just wasted by Lee Na Young's horrible acting. She had no chemistry with Ji Woo or with Kai. I'm a Daniel Henney fan, but his portrayal of Kai leaves a lot to be desired. I really didn't connect with his character at all. The rest of the characters were just a waste of time except the "bad guys" who are necessary.
Even if you don't watch the drama, then you should check out MBLAQ's "Running & Running" and Jae's "Poison".
I might rewatch parts of this to see Rain's smile and goofiness.
If you are looking for something that isn't very deep and you need a Rain fix, then I would recommend this drama.
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Nice face, but the story line is very unreasonable
It's a good movie, really. It's really good, but the execution is so lacking and doesn't make much sense.You will really hate Ahn Hyo Seop here and will frown when you see Jisoo.
If we look back, All Of Us Are Dead is a masterpiece, but when we look at the main characters in All Of Us Are Dead, we will be annoyed in the first episode with their slow and naive characters. That's Ahn Hyo Seop here. He is the one who knows the whole story, yet he moves very stupidly and slowly. I would say Ahn Hyo Seop here, since Dokja is a character who is alert and can read the situation.
Here we can get the greatness of Nana and Lee Minho, surprisingly. I think Lee Minho is the only character who can adapt to his acting.
I would say the most bizarre and unreasonable character is Jisoo. Because he's a schoolboy, he adapts too quickly to situations. I even noticed that without any explanation of his skills or how to use them.
I won't lie if the movie is good, but it doesn't deserve a score higher than 5. Because instead of being cool, all the characters are very burdensome except for Nana and Lee Minho. Rather than a very lovable character, Ahn Hyo Seop here is a character worth hating. Especially after he brought Lee Minho to life in a very unreasonable way.
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This review may contain spoilers
fantasy drama
I was really enjoying it through episodes 14. Then it seemed to get off track then back on track. I have just finished watching the whole series. It was good but a little disappointing. I loved most episodes although it did seem to stutter and start it. It was interesting to see where the story went. Although this is promoted as a time travel story I wondered if it was a ghost story or reincarnation story? It's wasn't clear until episode 30. Although they were talking about black holes so in my mind it was probably time travel however: there were 4 occurrences that left a person wondering. 1. Xiang Qin Yu arrives in the future having been shot then later at the hospital the blood and the wound disappears. 2. The newspaper article about Xiang Qin Yu disappears on the bus. 3. Xiang Qin Yu goes back to the past and can only observe events happening before he's whisked back to the present. (Maybe in the end if it winds up being a ghost story the writers will say that it was his energy that was transported. It could be similar to what happened to the ghost in Chicago Typewriter where he lost cohesion and had to go live in the story until he could regain his essence because he used up too much of his essence helping the ML and Fl of the TV show). 4. Xiang Qin Yu 's hand fades out in the dressing room and then comes back? Hmm what is going on there? I know the answer but I won't spoil it for others who haven't finished the series. I will just say it's complicated.The FL and ML have good chemistry. I love historical fiction and time travel.
Some things I liked about the series were:
1.The humor- For the most part the humor was good until it started having forced comedic moments .
2, The mysteries- I liked that there was mysteries to be solved in the past and the present.
3, The romance I liked the romance but I think it could have been better. It had touching moments ,although I have to say a fake wedding night? What were the writers thinking. The wedding night could have been tender and touching instead it turned into a forced comedic moment.
4. The drama- Keep the tissues handy. It had some very touching moments.
5. Past and present story lines- I loved having the story progress in the past and the present. .Alot of times there is a brief time spent in one time period then most of the time is spent in main time period. This was good it went back and forth between the past and the present. It added depth to the story seeing things that happened in past and present beyond the initial setup.
I had great hopes for it. I spent time I should have been sleeping watching it. I generally don't watch tv shows that are more than 20 episodes but the premise looked really good so I started watching it. I loved episodes 1-6 then the story started to bog down with forced humor. But with episode 14 it seemed to be back on track. I think it would have been better as a 20 episode TV show. I will say that it had potential unfulfilled but it was surprising where the story went and how the two time lines were tied together. I have downgraded my rating from a 9.5 to an 7.5. I won't write too much spoilers. But I have to shake my head and say "WHAT THE HECK WERE THEY THINKING " for episodes 29 and 30. A fake wedding night? and the direction it took for ending the series, I probably won't re watch it. If I do I will pick and choose my episodes. To me t it was an unsatisfactory ending but then I like definite happy endings not a vague open ending.
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This review may contain spoilers
i haven't seen the Chinese version
I haven't seen the Chinese version, so I can't compare it. I look at the Korean version separately. It was beautiful, she showed her friendship very, very beautifully, but there were some problems. For me, there were places where it should have made an impression. It didn't make an impression. I don't understand the reason why the girl was wearing the boy's necklace. In some places, Kim Damie's character was too full, while she should be ashamed in front of her friend. . In some places, I did not understand the decisions of the characters, what was the reason, how did they feel when they made this decision. I didn't understand the reason why Kim Dami didn't tell the truth to the boy, but overall, I think it was a work worth seeing onceWas this review helpful to you?
A reputation for greatness that is fully deserved
After recently having the opportunity to watch this series, I'm happy to say that it fully lives up to its reputation as one of the greatest BL series of all time. If there's ever to be such a thing as a BL classic, this is one for sure. I know that my review will be just one more in a towering stack of raves from others, but I need to express these feelings even if my opinion gets lost in the shuffle. :)Singto and Ohm ... have they ever been better? Or paired with anyone where they had better chemistry?
Ohm's performance in particular strikes me as flawless from start to finish. Nobody, but nobody, could portray this level of sweetness and joy as well as he does -- to the point that it really feels like we're watching the real him. I swear he's so good in this that he can't be acting. I feel that Thun's personality is how Ohm must really be in his daily life, which is a brightly shining light for anyone who knows him.
(Ohm won a 'Best Dramatic Scene' acting award from Line TV for this series and I wonder which scene it would be. My guess is it's either the one that takes place out on the roof deck in the rain or the confrontation with Mes's uncle in Mes's old bedroom. Two very different moods but both delivered like a seasoned pro.)
The Singto we see here is a far cry from the actor who brings such a memorable presence to other series like 'SOTUS' or 'Friend Zone' (either season). Here he has a soft vulnerability which is befitting a person who was ill for much of the time he was alive, and who never had a chance to experience love before he died. As I watched him here I really forgot that he ever played in those other roles. Here he justifies his reputation as one of the all-time greats in Thai drama and BL.
Another big plus: this is a BL that features two leading men who identify as gay -- not simply 'gay for you' or some other dodge.
I like that the mystery aspect is not overdone or drawn out too long, although the guilty party probably should have faced a few legal consequences for what they did.
I'm also not sure about the idea of a ghost who needs to sleep at night or who can touch living people and even get intimate with them ... but this is no time to quibble! :) A fantasy series like this gets to make its own rules, and the ones established here are all for the benefit of driving the story and pleasing viewers. We would have all been very sad if the series had ended without the two leads being able to express their love physically. (And wow, those moments are magic as well.)
Finally, having not been spoiled on the ending before watching the last episode I was delighted beyond words over how everything ultimately turned out.
101 stars out of 10.
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I'm surprised nobody did a review on it, I mean why ? It's such a great movie !
The story kept me on my toes all movie long due to the characters unpredictable actions. This is the kind of story that squeeze your heart and never let go until it is over. It is about a mother that wants to save her daughter and a man that also wants to save his mother. They cross path with each other and this is where madness begins.
But more than that, it is about how far people can go, what they can say, do and become, in order to save the life of their beloved. It is very interesting from a psychological point of view : both main characters are becoming crazy. Crazy.
I wasn't too sure about the others actors as I only knew Kim Yoon Jin (the reason why I watched this movie on the first place) but wow they were good ! Kim Yoon Jin of course once again proved me how talented an actress she was but the surprise came from Park Hae Il : I didn't know him and I wasn't expecting anything from him but he played his role perfectly !
There was only a few times where you could hear music on the background but it is not a bad thing because this movie is already very sad as it is so we didn't need some choking sad song to remind you that you're watching a sad movie. Silent moments were perfect.
Rewatch value ? Of course no need to say I will watch it over and over :) . This movie is like a lesson, I still have a lot to learn from it.
Be sure to watch it !
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It's so different from most dramas that I watched. I feel like most Korean dramas keep it very innocent when it comes to relationships but Que Sera, Sera pushed all the limits when it came to these relationships. The drama is so dramatic in a great way too. It had my emotions all over the place. I wanted to cry, smile, and even pull my hair out in frustration at the situations and characters sometimes but when it ended I couldn't help but feel completely satisfied with the outcome.
The characters are great and very real. I think the cast is great as well too. There is a great chemistry between the male and female leads. Kang Tae Joo is an complete A-hole. We get this male lead character in most dramas but not to this extent. Kang Tae Joo is the boy that you would never want your daughter to meet at all. He's really the definition of a playboy and I love that Que Sera, Sera showed what a real playboy is like. To me Kang Tae Joo is one of the most interesting characters to watch in this show and I loved to watch his character development and growth. I think Eric did an excellent job portraying this character.
I've re-watched this drama plenty of times and it never gets old to me. I still feel all the emotions that I felt before.
I was so scared for the ending but everything overall ended up good. I think ending was actually perfect for a drama like this. I will say this if you're the type of person who's just looking for a regular romance with the piggyback rides and tiny pecks than this isn't the drama for you. But if you're looking for something exciting and an intense romance (when I say intense I mean INTENSE) then this is the drama for you in ever way.
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