Reviews

Overrated work of art?

I guess it was my high expectations because of the praise that this show has got so far but when I watched it I couldn't really connect with it the way I wished to...
First of all the editing was weird in some cases, I was just left confused on the overall pacing of the story and the decisions made on continuation of it. Even if it was intentional it just didn't help what felt like a very lackluster story.
By the end I expected to learn more specially about Jae Won to really know his back story and the way he acted, and while I did understand his actions it felt overall lacking and like they could've explored more but decided to leave it vague, which just by the end made me not connect with him as I would've liked to.
A great portion of the characters (specially the ones in the club) were unlikeable, and were mostly forgiven or left without consequence in the end, which just made it harder to keep watching.
The music was alright and story could've been better, just the execution felt weird and even if experimental or different to what's out there in terms of BL it felt too cliche and weirdly paced in a lot of the cases, like if it wanted to focus more on the psyche of the characters why not show more of the therapy sessions of Jae Won for example instead of only snippets in some episodes for example.
I've been enjoying the last K-BL releases but this one just isn't up there for me, which makes me disappointed and makes it feel overrated in the end.

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Best Thai Drama

For me hands down this is the best version of hana yori dango(Boys over flowers) !
The casting is so on point really impressed with all the cast their acting is commendable and to know for ren and gorya it was their first project…they really did a good job
Bright as Thyme is perfection he delivered what was required as a F4 leader and also a little kid madly in love
Win as kavin is just adorable he acting completely different from his last project shows his versatility
In conclusion to miss out on this drama would be a very big loss for all drama lovers !

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A little Ray of Light Got Through

This is not for the weak of heart. This will shatter you. This series is a beautiful porcelain teapot with millions of cracks in it. It has lost its shine and now its disgusting, seeming almost worthless. Whatever it lets out is dark, vile, broken, hard to stomach and hurts to comprehend. But every once in a while, a little ray of sunshine manages to get through the cracks, and although what comes out is a mess, chaotic, dysfunctional and unhealthy, it's also bright, happy, full of life, hopes, dreams, and above all else, it's beautiful. It's a beautiful mess that comes with facing a storm and coming out a winner. The rainbow after the storm,

This drama made me cry. Made me question the love of a parent and humanity. I'm not going to write a long review, cuz I am sure everyone felt how I did when I watched this, so no more words are needed. We all know, Haoren and Chihiro's story would stay with us for a long time.

Applauds to everyone who worked on this one, they all did well bringing this to life in a way that touched the viewers.

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I hated this drama so much I had to leave a review to warn innocent people who start to watch this drama in hopes it will be good. It started off great until Young Shin fell for Kyung Soo there is no justification or explanation it is sick even if they are not related he raised her since she was like 8 and all of a sudden she's like 24 and he is in love with her. Also what was the point of the whole Jung Hoon complication why did they spend like a quarter of the show building the relationship and showing us their struggles if she was going to ultimately end up with someone else. I would like to just advice other people going to watch this show don't get attached you would be greatly disappointed . This has to be one of my least favourite daily dramas and I have watched a lot of insane ones.

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Let's face it, we know what we expected, another melodrama with unrealistic scenes, bad dialogues and horrible end. However, this drama was slightly different.

To be honest, I was planning to drop this drama after the first episode because I really wasn't in the mood for a tragical drama. Then, I gave it another chance and I am glad that I did it. With each episode, the drama got better and better and I was almost biting my fingers when I had to wait for the next episode. This drama is addictive for sure. I usually can predict almost every situation in drama and I really appreciate when the drama is unpredictable and it is still surprising and shocking for me to watch and this drama obeyed my needs.

So why didn't I rate this drama as "outstanding"? That is easy. I didn't like the last 3 or 4 episodes. Those episodes were, well, not really good, in my opinion. But I sort of like the ending, even though it wasn't really a dreamed ending.

Another requirement for a good drama is the music and here, the music was outstanding! If you love OSTs as much as I do, you will love the music, both - the instrumental and vocal.

The cast was great as well. Frankly, I started to watch this drama just because of Ji Sung and he didn't disappoint me and I found few actors, who were new faces for me and I am planning to watch something with them afterwards.

So to sum up, if you are looking for a real DRAMA, this series is just the right one for you! Great music, great acting and addictive plot.

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slice of life highschool BL (need a Tanaka/Katori spin off)

Overall: this is a slice of life series that floats on vibes rather than plot. Aired on Gagaoolala/Viki (depends on your country)

Content Warnings: manhandling

What I Liked
- Amagi being honest during the gardening
- the perspective shift in episode 1
- their conversation in episode 3 was wonderful*
- supportive friend, specifically Katori (I need him to be a lead in a BL, nerdy guy with player guy - sign me up)
- that they held hands a few times, cute moments
- the OST
- production value

Room For Improvement
- the multiple time skips back and forth in the first episode made it feel choppy, also in episode 4 and 5
- each episode feels more like a contained story rather than there being an overarching plot
- finally explained in episode 4 why Takara liked Amagi, wish this had been shown sooner
- there were times they were somewhere and suddenly the next scene is elsewhere
- not a fan of the dynamic of a low affect/unusual affect guy and the happy go lucky guy with low self esteem
- *unhappy with the very ending as Amagi gave a clear signal of not wanting to do that
- their haircuts and blurry face/lips (but I didn't take off points for this)

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Say "no" to slowburn romances - there is only an obsessive love from the very beginning!

Some of you, who watched at least 5 minutes of this drama, might be surprised for such a high rating - 8.5/10. Well, the story isn't good. It's very cringy and from the beginning it was a hard ride to watch. I was having a hard resisting to drop it after only a couple of minutes. I was constantly telling myself "This is so bad! Why did they even make this drama? Why?" BUT! There is a way to enjoy watching this drama and even want to rewatch it!

First of all, the story is awful, really. A college student girl falls in love at first sigh with a yakuza boss and he falls for her very fast without any reason - there is only a lust. They don't know their story, their personalities, their likes and dislikes - just two unknown people meeting each other by accident and felt in love in 5 minutes. Awful, right? It was hard to believe that there was some deeper feeling... BUT! Given that the drama is only 9 episodes with duration of around 23 minutes per episode, okay, I understand. Still, they could start the story with already sort of established relationship between the leads and give us some flashbacks to let us know that the feeling didn't come this fast. There is only lust, smut and skinship holding this relationship. I can feel an obsession vibe very strongly. There is also another reason the director gives us - the two leads are very afraid of having no tomorrow - there is always a possibility that Toshiomo won't be coming back. Each day might be his last. So both leads act like there is no tomorrow and just rush the things. And that's one of the reasons that the drama is different from others - no slowburn romance. Only obsessive love from the very beginning.

The actors playing the main leads, in my opinion, did a good job. I especially liked the subtle little gestures that Furukawa Yuuta made acting as Oa Toshiomo - where he was angry, happy, annoyed, obsessed - each time there was a lot small gestures on his face. It was fascinating to watch. I also felt that all the actors believed in their characters - they did them justice. The acting was one of the thing that made me want to stay watching the drama.

The production quality - guys, I've seen some j-dramas and the poor quality, is the reason I stopped. The production quality is very important to me and it's one of the most important reason I usually skip lot of scenes, fastforward etc. And here the quality was on a very high level, in comparison to other j-dramas. Especially the light effect - omg, it gave me so much laughs, whenever the light was too strong to even let us see the character's face, but all in all, there was a storytelling behind the light choices. A bit of an artistic touch, some fun with good music choices - all these made me feel attracted and fascinated. Whenever there was something on the character's mind they made an interesting choice to picture it - the mind and the inner talk of each chacter - picturing their minds like some other, exotic places. Especially during the smut moments - I didn't understand it at first - how did the main couple ended up in sakura garden? Like WHAT's going on?! Why?! Later I realized - it portraits the blessful feeling they experience, right? And each time after the smutty they ends up in kimono and full make up - is this how they see each other? There are many (not so little) things I can interpret in an artistic way and it's interesting.

This drama was so different from many others. It gave me feels, laughs, confusion. It made me want to watch it thinking: "What the heck is going on? Wait, why? Oh, of course, this is sooo cliche." - all over and all over again. But still a great watch! Truly! I was so sceptical after the first episode, but actually a bit sad after the 9th - is there going to be a 2nd season? Because after some time, that we all need to adjust to the thing that we are watching, I ended up feel addicted to this obsession of the main leads. The chemistry was WOW!

I feel like rewatching it some time in the future, because the drama isn't very long, it's very fast-paced and intense. It gives the vibe... Interesting, sort of.

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Great 1st half, disappointing 2nd half and confusing/complicated ending episodes

Completed - 1/23/2022
First Half - 8.5
Second Half - 7.0
Overall - Very Generous 8.0

When I first read the synopsis of this drama, I was expecting a mature romance centered around a contract marriage (my favorite trope). But I was pleasantly surprised that there's so much more to this drama than just about our main leads' romance. It's a drama about friendships (bromance & sismance), business, recovering from tragic pasts and revenge. This is no t like the usual rom-com contract marriage. Imagine my delight! But the ratings of this drama tanked after the last episode is aired. I think many watchers are just as disappointed as me.

It took me a couple episodes to get used to the personality of our leads. Our FL lead is mean and cold to our ML, and the ML is a little too over-the-top childish and carefree. But once I am used to it, I believe they complement each other and I am enjoying this very slow-burn romance. There's plenty of comedic moments, thanks to our ML, and also bickering between the couple. I would not call Zhu Ya Wen (ML) handsome at all, but he fits this role so well. Yang Zi Shan (FL) is really pretty in this drama and she got a great wardrobe of clothes for her business and evening attire. They are both mature adults and handle crisis and misunderstanding (and secrets) in a sensible way. I would have loved to see more cute scenes as a couple but I am satisfied. Our secondary romance develops a little more organically than our main romance. Li Yuan (2FL) really looks like someone who can box and run a gym. It's hard to find an actress who acts the part as someone who is so strong physically (thought she's quite skinny). Mike He (2ML) looks handsome and dashing. He's probably the best-looking guy in the whole drama. Both couples have great chemistry.

I quite enjoy the plot in the first half. We started with the contract marriage, and then we got to see how our ML supports and solves problems for FL behind-the-scene. I also enjoy the business talk and crisis (though I am still not quite sure that FL's company really does). When the big bad wolf pulls strings to get the three former soldiers back together, and the revenge plot officially starts, that was fun and entertaining. With the three friends back together, we also learn of ML's tragic past and how it continues to affect him to this date. The bromance is strong and they are fun together.

However, I feel that the story went downhill once they went to Thailand. It feels like a completely different drama. The trip is an overly complicated to find out who the big bad wolf is - the battle to takeover the orphanage, sex trafficking, drugs dealing, etc. Whatever happened to the lost document of the orphanage? That was such a big deal to steal it, and then what? It seems like everything happened in Thailand is for them to suspect Li Mo as being alive when he killed the big bad wolf.

Speaking of Li Mo, I am still not sure if he was trying to seek revenge or not. Was all that happened his way of just using ML's hand to kill the one who's controlling him? Or was he really mad at ML for leaving him behind, and actually wanted him and his other comrades to suffer? In the end, was it revenge to involve him in the arms dealing, or just really needs the help? Was he really still the same person at heart, who would sacrifice himself to save his friends? I am not quite sure.

Other Observations:
1. It is quite mean for FL and her friends to use fake kidnapping to force ML to confess his feelings. He has PTSD!
2. Too many secrets hidden from FL by ML and their friends for the sake of protecting her.
3. In the second half, I guess no one has to go to work anymore.
4. Really enjoy the bromance and sismance in this drama.
5. English dubbing is poor and inconsistent and it has nothing to do with the nationality of the characters.
6. It's implied that FL knows that she's the girl in ML's picture, but I can't find a logical way for her to find out.
7. In the end, FL still doesn't know she had a childhood connection with ML. Poor ML.
8. I like the songs in this drama.

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Lesson learned

This drama makes me realize there's a lot more time for revenge and injustice than prioritizing what makes them happy. You thought taking revenge would make you happy, but you never realized the cost of it. Everything is in the past, but what is in the present? Don't live in the past because it will destroy what you have in the present.
 
Once you achieve it, you will realize it's not worth fighting for because you have lost what is more important. You need to give up your selfish desires if necessary in order to be happy. You need to lose your loved ones first in order to realize how important they are to you, because you will regret it at the end of the day. Which is true in life.
 
What I like about this drama is that it corrects all the wrong decisions they made and has reconciliation moments between Di Ziyuan and Han Ye. Yes, we make mistakes. History must not repeat itself, and we have learned from our past mistakes. Don't let it keep you from being happy. It's all about improving character, but it has a cost (time).
 
In Han Ye, I don't need a kissing or nudity scene to prove that you like someone; love is different from lust. Lust can't wait to satisfy its selfish desires. Love is an unconditional commitment to loving someone; it's not what you have, but I like the whole of you, even your flaws and scars, thinking what's best for you, even if it costs me much. Promised is a promise. This is the whole motto of Han Ye to Di Ziyuan.
 
The whole scenario of this drama will help us realize what is more important.
 
Everyone has a role to play; it helps to shine who is the main character of this story.

 
I don't like that most viewers jump to conclusions without knowing the ending or understanding the main character's point of view.

How did the drama receive such negative reviews?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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1) The reason I watched this:

This film has been in one of my collections for over a year and I really have no idea why it was there. Anyway, I just decided to watch it having no idea what's its theme or main actors. At first, I thought it was a Korean film but when it started I realized that it was a Chinese film. I had second thoughts but I watched it anyway.

2) Storyline/Plot:

It's a multiple stories film; the sort of production that usually sound appealing to me because you would feel diversity and lack of blank moments.

Positive points:

*Three sisters, three love stories and three different places.
*The way all the three stories were combined together was pretty well done.
*Watching the three stories at the same time was fun since you would watching one while anticipating what will happen in the other one, that was sort of cool.
*Even though the three female leads belongs to the same family but there were great differences which was one of the positive points that counts for the storyline.

Negative points:

*It may feel rushed sometimes.
*One of the stories didn't feel as deep as the other ones: there was a little disorder there.
*I still don't agree with the title "love in space" because only one story happened in space while the rest was located on earth: it felt a little unfair.
*This is not a unique storyline so don't expect a lot of depth, just enjoy another typical rom-com.

Story: 6.5/10

3) Acting/Cast:

*Generally speaking the cast was pretty good considering the fact that I am only familiar with two actors here.
The chemistry was enjoyable and captivating.
The second sister was annoying as a character but the general acting was actually cool.

Cast: 7/10
Acting: 8/10

4) The ending:

Two stories were combined at the end; that was kind of cool .
The ending was nice, not intense, a little light.
It was a typical rom-com ending that anyone would love to see on screen.

The ending: 8/10

5) My impression (How did affect me):

*Considering the fact that I am not a fan of Chinese romantic comedies, this was pretty cool.
*It's not one of the best romantic comedies that I've seen but it was a decent way to pass time with since it was exempt from boring moments.

My impression: 7/10

6) Overall:

*If you're rom-com lover then you would like this.
*Don't expect much from the film's title.

Overall 7.5/10.

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Melancholic, contemplative and sublime

RATING: 9.25/10

Lost You Forever was not one of my most highly anticipated shows this year. After all, four men after one woman didn’t sound like a convincing enough reason to watch a show. But thankfully, the trailer of this show really drew me in and I’m glad I went on this ride.

I have to admit - this is one of the best shows released so far this year. The first episode had me in tears, and logically there’s no reason to cry during the first episode of any show - because you don’t know characters well enough to care for them so much. But it was touching and mournful and it immediately felt like a special show.

What makes LYF really stand out is its contemplative approach. It is extremely slow, but never draggy. It builds a convincing world with interesting characters, all with their own stories and traumas. Our four leads have rich histories and have lived for hundreds of years. I like how this aspect is not brushed aside, but is actually fleshed out. For one, they feel mature and world-wise. In the case of Xiaoyao, the abandonment she experienced multiple times in life makes her hesitant to hope for things. Cang Xuan losing his parents tragically at such an early age forces him to grow up fast and pushes him to want to protect those he loves. Tushan Jing is the embodiment of forgiveness and kindness that in spite of suffering so much, he never seeks revenge. Xiang Liu is bound to his benefactor and has his own tragic backstory, but always cares for Xiaoyao secretly and from afar, without seeking rewards. Although it may seem like LYF is a romance show, it is not. Every character exists for things other than love, but love definitely connects everyone. This show has all forms of love present in it, which at many times transcend romantic and physical love.

These are some of the things I love on this show:

CASTING: I have to say that all actors are exceptionally talented and perfect for their roles. This was my first time watching Yang Zi in a full production (I’d only seen her for a short while on another show), but also my first time watching Zhang Wan Yi. I’ve seen both Deng Wei and Tan Jianci before (albeit in minor roles). Everyone has done a stellar job, including supporting actors. There’s no fault I can pick here and I look forward to watching all these actors in their future projects. It is because of their amazing performances here that it has been so easy to cry. I also need to mention the child actors who played Cang Xuan and Xiaoyao in the first episode - they were so amazing!

MUSIC: I have to give a special mention to the music in the series. The songs are beautiful and inserted at the right moments. I also did not expect Tan Jianci to sing so well, so that was a pleasant surprise. Other than that, the instrumental score is phenomenal and elevates the show and the emotional core of the show. I’ve been listening to the soundtrack on loop and it immediately transports me back to the show.

THE WORLD BUILDING: Because the show takes a very slow approach to storytelling, the world feels very well-fleshed out. It feels like an alternate universe with its own unique rules. At the same time, it feels lived-in and realistic. This is hard to achieve for many shows and I commend LYF for doing this so well. Can I also mention the cute fictional animals like feifei (poor thing), as well as Chubby and TSJ’s white fox - they’re all so adorable.

EMOTIONAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL DEPTH: I have lost count of how many tears I have shed watching this show. I think there are some very small, seemingly insignificant moments that are given so much emotional depth. Also, because characters are so well developed, it is easy to see the bonds between them and be emotionally invested. One of the aspects I appreciate most about the show is how the seemingly unimportant interactions between characters reveal so much about the characters themselves. It is quite difficult to achieve such a balance, but LYF nails this wonderfully. Furthermore, the show asks a lot of philosophical questions about life and the nature of existence. I really appreciate that approach.

All in all, I don’t have anything bad to say as such. I think seeing Xiaoliu/Xiaoyao being tortured many times during the first several episodes made the show very difficult to watch. Not my favourite bits. Similarly, Jing being trapped with Yiying because of a long-winded plan hatched by his grandmother, Yiying and Hou is not my favourite story arc. Jing’s grandmother, Yiying and Hou truly suck.

Now I’m waiting impatiently for Season 2 like everyone else.

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Not Good Enough

Korean Drama '' Pandora : Beneath the Paradise '' is a sci fi melodrama.

The drama is messy, using too many genres, but failing to deliver in any of the fronts it opens. From a boring melodrama, to an eye-rolling spy thriller, the drama didn't handle its twists well, and so the story ended up being hard to keep up and hard to believe, even for a makjang. It seemed like the drama wanted to explain things that got out of hand by using unbelievable technological achievements without explaining anything further. Also, there were a lot of plotlines that were left half baked or unfinished.

Finally, the performances were good enough, even though the script didn't aid them.

So, overall, three out of ten.

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Kim Ji suk at his best!! LOVED the ending!!

Never thought this cliche drama will grow on me after every episode I would watch.

Kim ji suk as Top star! well he really seems like a real top star.
His character as Yoo Baek is wounded soul who is bitter and rude to everyone around him. Yoo baek is send to a remote island when he is involved in a scandal. Without the comfort and amenities of city life, Yoo beak starts to adjust to island life. And then his character slowly learns the values of life because of people on the island. Cold Yoo baek becomes most warm-hearted person you can ever imagine.
What seemed an annoying accent of FL in first episodes, in later episodes, I found myself saying it's cute. Jeon So Min was cute as Oh Kang soon. She really seems like island girl. Oh Kang soon is a diver girl who changes Yoo baek's life through her warm-hearted personality.
The leads delivered awesome chemistry after ep.7. Last 3 eps were Gold.
Ma dol is so cute. I loved how his story ended.
I loved every single character in the series. EVERYONE!

DON'T DROP THIS DRAMA! You can fast forward the parts you won't like, but this show takes grip after ep.6.

Music is AWESOME!! I loved how they reignited old songs.
Last 3-4 eps. are definitely REwatch!

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WARNING: this film is for adults it has a lot of swearing & violence.

OK now to the film itself it came on TV & I decided to record & watch later. I don't think I would have have heard of this movie on MDL etc. & got round to watching it thanks to FilmFour.

The story is about Sang Hoon, a debt collector & thug. On the face of it he is a vicious low life & a thoroughly unlikeable character....that is, until we get to know his back story and see glimpses of his vulnerability behind the tough guy façade. He meets a schoolgirl by a chance violent encounter and they form an unlikely friendship. She too is living a wretched and solitary existence and these two kindred spirits find solace with each other.

This film is an unrelenting, brutal and visceral tour de force. I would not recommend it to the faint hearted. The main actor, Yang Ik June, was simply outstanding in his role. I had seen him in a supporting role in Innocent Man, but in this he was so impressive, no hammy over acting like a lesser actor might have done. He played the role with a calm desperation, its like he became Sang Hoon.

There is very little music/OST in this film and I think that just adds to the gritty realism of this film.

My re-watch score is (as always) low this is not a reflection of the film but the fact that I rarely ever re-watch.

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Zheng Ye Cheng once again proved his acting ability

This drama is made for those who want to take their time and enjoy the content.
Xin Yun Lai, who played Luo Fei, was a good fit. Unlike his true character, he passionately played the role of a calm and taciturn detective with the thorns of a past case in his heart.
The supporting cast, including James Yang as Bai Ya Xing, was also excellent. However, Merxat, who has a reputation as a villain, could have brought more tension and depth to the drama by enhancing Bai Ya Xing's personality.
Today's viewers are more interested in simple, easy-to-understand dramas like New Life Begins, which was a hit last year.
This drama is based on an original story, so it is impossible to make major changes, but to summarize it in 24 episodes, the seven deadly sins are seven cases, and each case is solved every two episodes (two episodes were aired each day), with the main character's hypnotism leading to the resolution of the case in 14 episodes. If the plot had been as simple as a Hollywood drama, with the remaining 10 episodes to reveal the truth of the main character's mother's death, the mastermind's motive, etc., and finally solve the case, it might have been more acceptable to a wider audience. It would have cut down on the depth of this drama...
In this, Zheng Ye Cheng once again proved his acting ability. Even in scenes without dialogue, he is able to express detailed emotional swings.
In Chinese drama productions, the romance category has the largest number of viewers and becomes a blockbuster drama, whereas these dramas are in a minor category and are usually unlikely to become a hit. However, Desire Catcher has become a hit in its own right, with a seeding volume of over 500 million.
Zheng Ye Cheng is, in fact, also good at romcom dramas. Despite its low budget, The Sleepless Princess and My Sassy Princess were near S-class hits.
Although his popularity would have exploded if he continued to appear in romcom dramas, he has chosen not to appear in this category, instead appearing in Enlighten your life, a national policy drama about the pioneering era of nuclear power generation, and Stealth Walker, an undercover investigation drama.
Zheng Ye Cheng belongs to a private agency, so he has not been able to appear in S-class dramas as a leading actor, and his fame is not as high as that of popular young actors (many people have not seen him since loveO2O), but his acting ability is probably one of the best among actors.

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