Reviews

I will take the honor of writing the first review for this drama (and my first ever! :D). So I picked this up because of Zhao Li Ying, love her since Boss & Me and have watched a lot of her other dramas since then. I just like her acting style a lot which is very naturalistic as if she is the character herself, in here it's the same. In the end I enjoyed watching this drama for what it was and not just for Zhao Li Ying. The story is about a group of graduating college students who struggle to look for jobs and they finally did so by being interns at a big company. Thus they begin their lives as interns working very hard to complete the tasks given to them in the trial period, and it's not an easy path. The situations were dramatic, sometimes really over the top and at times they were funny, in no way do I think they are realistic well since this is a fictional work, but it makes the point that it's not easy working in a job as the youth of this generation. The parents especially, are shown how much they care for their kids and would do anything for them. Though they can cross over the line, ultimately it's because they are doing it for their kids.

There were characters that were annoying and did questionable things, what looked like the antagonists weren't really antagonists because no one in this drama was really a "bad" person. They are just shown as human beings. The characters developed and changed for the better. There were a lot of really heartwarming moments and heartbreaking ones as well, a lot of heart in this drama. There were scenes and dialogues that were quite inspiring. I would say that if you are watching this for the romance then you better not stay for it because the romance wasn't the main focus, but character growth among the casts. And the cast did a great job playing the characters.

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I Felt Cheated, A Waste

The drama started with so much potential. At first I like the female lead coming from the country to the big city. She left her parents because they where forcing her to marry someone she did not liked. I thought WOW this will be a strong women character. I was fool. The lead character became a naïve innocent petty female who everyone's problem was on her shoulder and fell guilty about the wrong doing that everyone did. Even when people betrayed her and stab her in her back she still would take responsibility and trust them. Through all the episode the lead female character to me became pathetic and annoying. She had 3 men in her life that she said she love but showed very emotion. I even laugh that she sleep with the first 2 but with the 3rd, the leading male she had him sleep on the sofa. The friendship between the 3 leading female was also questionable. I really did not consider them friends. The leading male the only one that I fell gave us a good story was "Yang Ting Dong" who realized that the women he was chasing would never care fro him and allow someone else in his heart. The lead male was also annoying. He could not speak up and correct things and preferred for someone else take his love away. Instead he stay with the women he did not like and only wanted her as a friend. That was the 2nd lead female who would say one thing and do another. She never accepted "Yang Ting Dong" because they were friends and she would not want to break that friendship but like the "Xing Tian Ming" who was also her friend. Did she like him better because he had money. I did not feel he treated her that good for her to be in love with him. The worst is that the lead main characters do not get together until the last 2 episodes and then they still throw another problem that get s everything solve in the last 7 minutes. I wasted my time. This drama could have been shorter and a better script. I found episodes 9-35 boring with the same all thing. They leave everything for all the characters to be solve with in the last 5 episodes. The actors try their best for a good performance but the scrip stinks.

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Kiriyama Renn is an enigmatic and super cool assassin named Mirage, in this almost Bond like thriller, with a unit called K13 in Japan who has the license to kill and clean up messy organizations and people. The police system seems corrupt and vile enough as always, and the villains are mysterious. The main antagonist listens to this recurring opera and each time you hear it, you know the villains are gaining an upper hand.
Watch this for the cool music, a very well choreographed set of fight scenes in each episode, and Kiriyama who has little speaking parts but lots of fast action, and a cool car. In fact, the action scenes are short and swift but that is what one looks forward to each episode. They are almost movie quality choreography and design, with each fight scene showing off Mirage's empty hand, or weaponed, or shooting prowess. Mirage is a mysterious killer who dispenses with his missions efficiently, stylishly, and without fail. Even though Kiriyama is not a martial artist, the fight scenes are quite convincing and intricate.
And if you can ever figure out who really are the good and bad guys in the Japanese government/police force, good luck...

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Love story

Warning: This review will contain spoilers!!!

Plot: A woman falls in love with her boss at first sight.
For three years she works at his company, cherishing each moment they casually meet and interact, snapping and collecting pictures of him on the sly. (Not stalkery--just very cute). He, of course, is completely clueless to all of this to the point that...
....three and a half years later, he asks her help to "pursue" her best friend.
FL knows that her bff is in a relationship with someone else. Nonetheless, she seized the opportunity to get closer to the ML, so she agrees to "help" him pursue the bff. Using this excuse, the ML and FL begin spending time together, meeting and talking purportedly about the bff but eventually it reaches a point where they're almost like friends (despite him being her boss). Even after the bff gets married they still meet and interact.
The FL falls deeper and deeper until she decides to confess, whereupon the ML rejects her outright.
In his defence, her confession seems sudden, since he has no idea she'd had feelings for him for years. He just sees someone he knows as an employee and causal friend suddenly confess out of nowhere. When he asks her to explain why she likes him, our FL panics and lies, giving a very shallow response: "You're handsome and rich, of course I like you". The ML, who is the opposite of a playboy, naturally finds her response off-putting and tells her that they are not suitable.

The FL takes the rejection hard. But she accepts his decision and immediately begins taking steps to distance herself from the ML. As soon as she does, we can see the ML begin having doubts. From the start, her response ("handsome, money") strikes him as off, and out of character for the woman he's gotten to know over the past six months. But each time he tries approaching her again, she shuts him down hard. The FL is heartbroken and won't give an inch.

Now we enter our cat-and-mouse phase.
He does everything he can to pursue her, using work (offering to produce the movie for the book which the FL authored), proximity (he moves next-door to her), and support (financial and otherwise-putting his reputation and business on the line to ensure the development of her movie).

However, the issue is that he still has no idea that the FL has liked him for so long or how very deep her hurt is.
And she is not able to tell him. She can't open up and trust him.
So we go around in never-ending circles.
Many obstacles are thrown their way during this point, from online dating rumours, to a parent-pushed secondary love interest.

After a long (long, long, long!!) wait, the FL finally accepts that he truly does like her and they get together.
Once they get together it's a smooth walk down the aisle. Both of their families are happy and supportive. They live happily ever after.

My issue: The first half of the show built on chemistry, sexual tension, and heavy emotions. At one point I became annoyed with FL for putting off the ML for too long. But eventually we see her on-screen breakdown when he finds out that she's liked him for so long, and I forgive her. However, once they got together, the entire mood of them changed. She became less mature, more playful, and the sexual tension/chemistry seemed to vanish. We went from a heavy drama to a sweet romance--the transition was too abrupt and the mood shift was so extreme that I couldn't really connect the couple from part one of the show to the couple in part two of the show. This mood lasted up to the final episode. The final episode redeemed it. It was still playful and light, but the chemistry came back at least. Overall, I was satisfied with how it was wrapped up.

The secondary couple is the Director of the FL's movie and the ML's younger sister.
I'll say this: both characters are truly wonderful people.
The younger sister is cute, kind, and hard working.
The Director is dedicated, sweet, and also very kind.
In a sense, the younger sister who, by virtue of her age, always acted much younger and girlish than the FL, actually acted much more mature in her romance with the Director than the FL did in her own romance with the ML.
The chemistry between the younger sister and the director was wonderful.
I truly liked them together.
I loved seeing her gradually grow up and take control of her life. She made zero mistakes in her relationship with the director and I admire her so much for that. Since we'd seen her as a very young and cossetted girl, she'd have had ample opportunity to screw it all up, but she didn't. Truly, truly amazing of her.
As for the director, he admired her from the start, took his time, guided her as she entered his industry, supported her patiently, and confessed at the right time. Kudos to him for a job well done.
This couple was truly amazing to watch.

The music was fantastic!!!! The ost was one of the best I've heard.
The shooting was great.
The cast was wonderful.
I will definitely rewatch this show :)

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..THE STORY OF HALF-YANKEE AND HALF-NORMIE..

..yes, this is a story of delinquent family - but one of them decided to try and live a normal life, decided to go at school and be a member of art club showing his passion on paint and canvas..
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..as always, life is not that easy - problems always enter, a change of uniform and appearance is a must, the conquering of city is a must by means of punching and kicking since his family expecting a lot for him - this will be his life revolves on daily basis..
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..a secret to be kept for a long year - and no secret will be stored forever and the truth will reveal as many people now knows it..
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..well, what I learned on this drama, well, even if I am not a yankee, it teaches us a lie either it is a white lie is still a lie - keeping it for a long time, only keeping us to hurt for a long time too - not only one's self but anyone too. . .and yes, truth will always set us free and continue to have a happy life with our loved ones..
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..I love the casting plus the talking dog dubbed by the legend VA (TsudaKen), the music, the pinch of love story and the overall lesson we can learn how important our family and friends as they teaches us how to live the way we want too..

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After thoroughly enjoying Death Bell I had slightly lower expectations for Death Bell 2 simply from previous experiences with sequels (especially horror sequels). However I needn't have worried because this film is just as good as the first one.

It took quite a long time for the killing spree to start but no second leading up to it was wasted. This film had a brilliant story behind the horror and whilst most horror films are more sadism than substance, Death Bell 2 had a great balance of both. In fact, the deaths were so imaginative and disturbing I hope never to meet the writers behind the script!

I was interested in seeing Ji Yeon in a horror role after only seeing her as catty Rian in Dream High 2. I expected her to be ok but she surpassed my expectations. She had the same shy, slightly twitchy yet 'tower of strength' personality I loved in Nam Gyu Ri's character from Death Bell 1 whilst being completely different, and most of the boys were easy on the eyes (the ones who managed to stay alive long enough to get a good look at anyhow).

The music's hard to comment on as the film was so intense I barely noticed it and the most effective scenes were the killing ones where silence or indescribable music boosted the scary atmosphere. The music I did notice at the beginning though was great for setting the scene.

Overall the film isn't too gory (although there's a lot of blood) and not that scary so if you're a human jelly, like me, then you won't need to find anything to hide behind before you watch. I've given Death Bell 2 a rewatch value of 8 just because I feel once you've worked out who's behind the killings and who's going to be killed, the element of surprise might be lost and make rewatching less enjoyable (but am going to rewatch anyway!)

A great film!

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*For the story I've got to start it by saying that there were Medical mistakes and the Med. part wasn't that strong but what I really like about the story is how complex the characters are and how interesting their psychological struggle...there's also 3 men in this drama who are the same person but in different ages (Sang Chul - Kang Hun - Seong Man) those 3 may betray each other, hate each other...make each other struggle but in time of need they stand for each other and protect each other because at the end they are the same person...I thought that to write those characters & keep them balanced you need to be a great writer...add to that...the supporting characters were really interesting...I found myself cheering for them and waiting for their relationships to grow.

*When it comes to acting I really don't know what to say...it's Shin Ha Kyun the most talented actor ever...the short guy who's not so good looking but yet his smile makes me fly of happiness & his tears destroy me...his acting is real for me...once I watch him on screen I feel like I'm there with him in his world...
I thought at 1st that this drama will be showing us how wrong Dr. Lee Kang Hun was in his methods & in seeking success...It's the thing I hate most in K-drama the perfect humans they portray (Like in King Of Baking) but this drama is not about that...it shows an imperfect man who's cold, arrogant and selfish...someone wasted the time he had with his mother and followed a stupid revenge - that was eventually against himself...yet this drama glorifies his unlimited ambitions...that's what i love about this drama...that at the end they didn't let him sacrifice his Ego but respected and protected him.

*The OST was really good and fitting with the drama...the song Solitude makes me cry while listening to it even without understanding the lyrics...really good I also read that Kim Hyun Joong recommended the song Closer.

*The reason I enjoyed this drama a lot was the characters and the acting...so I'll definitely re-watch it.

*There's only a few kisses in this drama but they are good & the romantic scenes were touching...also the weakness of most Korean actors is crying scenes but it's a strong part of this drama...the way Shin Ha Kyun cries was destroying me...it was so good and so real that I wanted to hug Dr. Lee. :')

*Hope this review was helpful...I'm really grateful I watched this drama...it's not that popular...but it was one of the best I've ever seen...just give it a shot...you might get hooked from the 1st ep like me ^.^

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The first time I saw this I was sorry that I did. The subject matter--the premature death of a middle-aged man of no account--left me depressingly devastated. Still, I gave the film a second chance, partly due to my puzzlement as to why the film made me feel the way it did and partly due to the respected opinions of two anonymous souls who begged to differ.

My verdict? It won't be long before I see it for a third time, which might make you wonder why I gave it pathetic music rating. I gave it a pathetic music rating because there is no music to speak of, none, zilch, nada, not unlike_No Country for Old Men_. Alas, unlike _No Country for Old Men_, _Christmas in August_ has nothing to commend itself in terms of a suspenseful plot, cinematography-rich settings,or a villain so compelling as to make your skin crawl.

What it does have is a reality which you would not have known could ever have existed and conveyed with such subtlety and nuance that you're reaction upon viewing would probably be along the lines of "What?!" To be sure, it's a thinking man's film,one if you could ever get your head wrapped around, you might experience what I did the second time around: an ineffable sorrow which shedding tears for would be vulgar in the extreme.

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I wasn't really looking forward to watching Can You Hear My Heart just because the summary made it sound like it was going to be really weird/boring. But I love Hwang Jung Eum & Nam Goong Min and read positive reviews for it so decided I would try the first episode out...

Story- the first few episodes told the child stories. Normally I’ll fast forward through these because I don’t have the patience but I found the story compelling already. By the time the time the adult characters come on you are already immersed into the story and wanting to see how these damaged characters grew up and how they come together. This drama made me laugh and cry. The ending was just perfect=)

Acting/Cast- The acting was perfect by everyone. I am a new fan of Kim Jae Won! He portrayed his deaf character so well. Really spectacular acting by NGM. His character had so many layers and he was able to portray his complex character so well that I was able to feel Maru’s pain.

Music- Lovely score.

Rewatch- I’d watch this again in 2 years. That will give me enough time to forget a lot that happened. I loved the cast so i would want to see this again sooner than later.

Overall for a drama that is 30 eps, it is worth the watch because it’s so well written and acted.

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The gift which, unknowingly, keeps on giving!

Firstly, this is a love story spanning age, obstacles and standards set by some people. The story perfectly describes how “Li Wu” which may also mean gift became a special gift which unexpectedly became part of Cen Jin’s life. When she allowed him to be part of her life yes it was a mess but the little did she know that she had a gift placed into her life transforming it forever!

Ohh my Sniper butterfly, how can l even perfectly talk about you!? I first came across this drama months back while it was still upcoming, the poster caught my attention first before the synopsis had me hooked thought l thought twice on whether to watch it not as l had never been a fan of older woman younger man romances before. I clicked plan to watch and moved on with my life, come 28th November, l saw the official announcement of its release on 4th of December and l quickly took it as a final sign to watch it!

Once the first 4 episodes were released, l quickly hopped onto the ride which l do not regret embarking. Dear reader, if you are reading this wondering whether to watch Sniper butterfly or not, take this as a your final call to quickly watch the gem!!!!

I like how they made it clear that Li Wu’s love for Cen Jin was purely love not an entanglement of love and gratitude. Many a times, people may mistake gratitude for love or they may feel the need to love people they are indebted to but this drama made sure to show the clear line!

Though many people may have felt that the frequent flashbacks were unnecessary, l perceived that it was necessary for viewers to see how, why and when either of their feelings for each other grew and developed without getting facts mixed up! Ohh the innocence and cuteness Li Wu carried deserves to be applauded. Despite that, he still served some manliness, having that sense of responsibility as a boyfriend which made their love story admirable. How can l even fully describe the way that man felt whenever anything involved Cen Jin!?

Li Wu knew exactly what he wanted he definitely did not allow anything to stop him from standing by that regardless of age, people, distance or background!

Chun Chang & YI Yang’s story was a good one though the ups and downs were 🫠 considering how the main leads were already keeping us on our feet! However worry not, it’s just enough for you to turn a blind eye to or even enjoy as it’s not boring🤭

I like how the drama gave us a clear view of the type of woman Jin was which made it understandable for every step and decision she made! Despite their age gap being big, the drama managed to bring out a great love story without making Jin seem more of a mother than a girlfriend to Li Wu!

The drama had so many powerful characters! A father who always stood, loved and supported his daughter! He wasn’t the type of parent to try and force his beliefs on his child, but he sat down, let her talk, listened to her, let her express how she felt, gave honest advice yet leaving her with room to make her own final judgement and decision.

A friend like Cheng Rui!!🥹 I always knew he was THAT friend but when he said, “I told you we are friends, whatever happens, we handle it together. If the sky falls, l will hold it up even if l have to tiptoe.” my love and respect for him as Li Wu’s friend skyrocketed!!!

My girl Michelle had to wear wedged shoes most of the time to lessen the height difference! 😂🥹🤭 Despite their real life age gap, they still delivered the story in an amazing manner!

I did wish they gave us wedding but l will still gladly settle for the happy ending they gave us! It has its flaws but that won’t stop me from recommending anyone to watch it! Hope you enjoy it as much as l did!

Maybe just maybe after this l might consider going for a younger man now!😂😏 Dynamites do come in small packages after all!

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A special BL that deserves your time

I think I've made it my mission to get everyone I know to watch this show lol. I absolutely LOVED this series. Music, acting, storyline, cinematography, EVERYTHING was done so well.

This is the first Thai BL that I actually followed as it aired and I was hooked from the beginning and I think what originally intrigued me, from the first trailer, was how different it is from other BLs (i.e. the setting to the professions of the main characters), but the differences in details are just the tip of what sets this apart from other BLs. For me, this show is much more mature than the other BLs I've seen in terms of the themes, social commentary, the way the characters conduct themselves emotionally. Maybe I'm just old (lol) but the fact this show, despite being only 10 episodes long, was a slow burn really made me appreciate the journey P'Aof, Eath, and Mix take us on.

EarthMix/PhuphaTian:
Earth and Mix really hit it out of the park. Their acting and chemistry was nothing short of phenomenal. They really put their heart into their characters and it definitely comes off on screen. They really did an amazing job making me feel what they felt—I laughed with them, I cried with them, I got annoyed and angry (here's looking at you Chief in episode 8), I felt giddy (Episode 3!!). I think there's a criticism about all the quiet staring between the two MCs, but for me, this was one of my favorite things about this show. You're watching two characters fall in love with each other, but they're so hesitant for their own reasons (Tian coming to terms with his sexuality and Phu being an awkward 30 year old who hasn't learned how to adequately convey his feelings lol (relatable)). Mix and Earth say so much with their eyes that I feel like you can't adequately express with words and for me, I loved watching them slowly get to the place where they're finally able to say the words out loud. For me, this made all the heartbreaking scenes even more heartbreaking and the ending that much more satisfying.

Story/Music:
Fantastic. There's no other word for it. I'm grateful for Bacteria for creating such amazing source material and words can't describe how much in awe I am of P'Aof and whoever else worked on translating the novel into the script/story. I haven't finished the book yet, but from what I understand there are some differences (as expected), but without knowing what those differences are I trust P'Aof did what he thought was best for the series. You can tell a lot of thought went into the story as just about no stone goes left unturned. Every detail is so meticulous. You can tell this was a labor of love and I, as a fan and a viewer, am so grateful.

The show, while taking on very classic drama tropes, I think does a great job in ramping up the intensity. The way the plot and characters are written allows you to be fully immersed. Specifically in the last few episodes when the drama is at its peak, was yelling at my tv through tears.

I can't talk about the story without talking about the music/scoring. PHENOMENAL. The opening OST is already iconic and now we have three versions (still waiting on GMMTV to give us the EarthMix version), and of course Earth's FIRST OST (proud of him) which is so sweet, but I also love the incorporation of previously released songs as well. The song used in the Karaoke scene in Ep. 3 is dreamy and of course, the most recent song used at the reception in Ep. 10? I cried and then immediately purchased the song on iTunes lol. Aside from the lyrical songs, the scores included in the series are just perfection. We have all the classic silly sounds used to elevate the mood of certain scenes, but for me, it's the romantic scores used throughout the series that just never fails to make my heart flutter. I applaud whoever worked on the score for the series.

Underrated favorite scene of ATOTS:
This is random, but I cry every time I watch this scene (I've seen it at least half a dozen times at this point) so I want to mention it lol. One of my absolute favorite scenes of the series is the campfire scene in Ep. 9. It's so heartbreaking and Earth and Mix did such a phenomenal job. This scene, from the dialogue, the acting, the cinematography was SUPERB.

I know a lot of us were upset with Chief in the last few episodes, as someone who's closer to his age in the show, I can't help but feel empathy for him when he tries to get Tian to go home. Specifically in this scene, when Phu tells Tian "It's impossible" for them to be together, my heart absolutely breaks. The way Earth delivers this line, you can just hear the tired and hurt in his voice. You absolutely know Phu wants nothing more than to be with Tian, but there are so many other factors. Tian is still so young. Not to discredit his feelings or experience, because he's lived so much life for someone who's only 21, but he does have so much else to live for. Tian has his parents, friends, school, a whole other life away from Pha Pun Dao and Chief knowing that Tian would give literally all of that up just to stay with him? I mean what an act of love on Tian's part. It's awe-inspiring (sorry if that's cheesy lol) but at the same time, I feel like 1) Phu is scared Tian will resent him one day after making such a huge sacrifice and 2) he doesn't want to put Tian in the same position his mother was in (flashback to the start of the EP when Phu is talking to Torfun on the cliff about why he doesn't make time for love).

On the opposite end, seeing Tian being so honest and adamant about how he feels for Chief was so amazing to see. Mix is seriously a force."Chief, one word from you and I'll stay." I think about this scene/ dialogue constantly. It was so well done.

Rewatch ability:
I've already rewatched each episode multiple times and I just started my entire series rewatch lol. Knowing what I know now, I'm looking for clues trying to figure out when Chief's duty transformed into love and honestly, I think Chief was smitten from the very beginning.

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