Reviews

Not for faint heart

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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What we do for love

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

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

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

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

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

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




8/4/22

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"The  Survival Family" is far from becoming a classic post-apocalyptic  post-war movie disaster, the story takes on the character of a strange  but genial movie at the same time. The family, driven by frustration and internal hostility, decides to  leave the megalopolis to reach the provincial towns, exactly where the  head of the family lives, because it seems that everything works there.
The  Suzuki family, repatriated in the Middle Ages where the exchange law  applies, gets four bicycles and begins the long voyage to Kagoshima by  the sea, with roads populated by refugees who are struggling hard to  walk and survive in chaos uncontrolled by the lack of electricity. "The Survival Family" tells the whole family journey but it is also an  opportunity not only to achieve salvation but also to strengthen weak  family ties.
Undoubtedly,  the point of departure of the narrative is interesting, we think for a  moment that really happens in such a situation anywhere in the world,  and also Yaguchi's choice to impress the movie that relies on comedy  deserves applause. What  frustrates him a little is that he is slow but inexorably back in good  tones of history, leaving aside the irony that would have given more  force and mass to the story. The journey as a rediscovery of oneself and the importance of family  ties that undergo a metamorphosis of the characters that, in the end,  has all the other face to the beginning is, a fundamental aspect of the
of the ecological theme, the return to a life simpler than that of the metropolis.
As  a whole, "Survival Family" is a movie that allows you to watch, it also  has moments of brilliant intelligence in popular jobs that appeal to  the general public, but the most tangible feeling is honest work without  infamy and no compliments but it is very worthwhile.

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BL To Beat

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

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

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

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

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Hidden Gem Drama

I watched this drama since i quite both of the leads and the genre is my cup of tea. If you are into Lupin or Trick, you'll LOVE this drama. Each case not only has suspense but also incorporates fortune telling and feng shui, making the theme feel very fresh. The pacing is incredibly fast and never drags, it's simply not enough and addicting!

The characters were intelligent, and the story structure was clear. There is NO GOOD GUY in this drama and i like it. You'll never know what will they do and it. The romance was quite okay and not overshadow the main theme.

There's no superficial filter, and Jiang Feiyan doesn't exist solely to highlight the male characters. She embodies both the helplessness of being unable to control her own destiny and the struggle and resilience within adversity, creating a well-rounded and multifaceted character arc. It's evident that the screenwriter genuinely focused on the character's essence, which is especially rare, especially considering it's a work by a male screenwriter (*Cough*, this is sole problem for chinese drama). I also particularly enjoyed the episodic characters; they felt incredibly real and relatable. They weren't just characters serving the main plot; they each had their own obsessions, desires, and unfulfilled ambitions. Even with limited screen time, they possessed their own joys and sorrows.

I never questioned Li Xian acting though even he is not my favorite actor. Li Yitong's acting is truly superb, her emotional shifts are so obvious. I am glad she is breaking her sweet funny female persona in here. The "tension" is sparkling even i am not shipping them in drama.

Wont giving the ending spoiler, but there is potential it will be answered in Season 2

The writers previously stated that a second season would only be possible if the show performed well and i will watch the second season. Highly Recommended

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Brilliant- from Ep1 to Ep24 absolute brilliance

The most important thing- an ending done right. This was no open ending, no 5 second glimpse of happiness. THIS was a clear, concrete, loving portrayal of a happy ending. Other cdrama writers/directors- TAKE. NOTES.

The acting was amazing, from leads to support everybody did a good job. The story was good, not too unique but brilliantly showcased. The characterization was consistent, there was development and there were plot twists. Pacing was good, dialogues were realistic.

For once, all the bad guys get what they deserve. I especially loved the King's end- oof chef's kiss karma there. Xue Chuyun you are worthy of being an Empress (be my empress please <3)

The romance? Oh they served plenty. They had tension, they had antics, they had angst, they had love. There was enough shown on screen, enough alluded to and enough implied off screen. The kissing scenes were so good, the chemistry all throughout was delicious.

In short, a must must MUST WATCH. We need to show more love and support to such shows so they know what we want more of.

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Lower Your Expectations and Raise the Speed

“The most frustrating is the lack of proper consequences.”

This phrase from one of the only other reviews of the completed Drama brought back many memories.

I don’t know how many other Dramas that user has seen, but the angry rant (their words) about the way ALL the villains, and especially the worst of them, get off scot-free in this Drama reminded me of my own reactions the first 50 or so times I saw that happen in a K Drama. Then I learned to expect it, as an integral part of this sort of Drama. Rather than punishing the wicked, or even having them experience any sort of meaningful redemption arc, fully a quarter to a third of the episodes in Dramas like this are all about them getting away with it while their victims suffer more and more. I expected that in this Drama, and got it, in spades. As soon as the truly VILE people started showing their true character, I 100% expected them to face zero consequences for being human garbage, and so I was not upset or disappointed when my expectations were met. That’s the “Lower Your Expectations” bit.

The Raise Your Speed bit is simple – watch on FF. Knowing what to expect from a Drama of this sort, I watched most of it on 3XFF, only watching scenes at normal speed that were about developing relationships, whether romantic or familial. All the plotting and scheming and horrid people being horrid scenes I just zipped through. And there was enough of the sweet, the warm and the touching to make this Drama an acceptable watch, under those circumstances. I started this Drama for Bona, having enjoyed her other acting roles a lot (I’m not a K-Pop stan), and she and her arc did not disappoint. The Drama gave me what I wanted because I treated it like a buffet, skipping past all the dishes that didn’t interest me.

If you can’t or won’t watch a Drama with heavy use of FF, or if your blood boils at the thought of nasty people escaping effectively ALL consequences for their nastiness, then don’t watch this. But if you CAN watch on FF, can tolerate the bizarre insistence these Dramas have on letting evil go unpunished, and want some sweet stories along the way, then do check it out.

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Finishing this drama is like saying goodbye to your good friend…

And all you have left are warm memories. As I watched, I started to feel like part of the community - I truly knew these characters, I understood their struggles, hopes and motivations and I wanted them to succeed and find happiness.

Healing is the best way to describe it. There are no exciting plots and crazy twists. It’s all daily struggles, small talks, forming friendships, moments of compassion, reminiscing of the past, dealing with the present, planning for the future. The magic of mundane existence in the beautiful surroundings.

Meet Yourself is a story filled with diverse and unique characters - each presenting a different perspective and ways of dealing with their traumas, mistakes, shortcomings and fears. This is a drama that holds many life lessons and precious moments that warm your heart and soul and leave a smile on your face. One of the aspects I appreciated the most was it did not solely focused on the younger cast. Older people were not just a background to showcase the passage of time, to show the future struggles the youngsters might face. They were their own people with vibrant personalities - sometimes far more energetic and driven than their kids and grandkids. I love how the drama took its time to establish well written and developed elderly characters.

It also presents a beautiful variety of relationships - be it romantic or platonic. Family, friends, partners, acquaintances - clearing showing how other people have a big impact on our life, but that we also leave some traces even after what seemed like meaningless interactions. Some people will forever be part of our life, even after they are gone, some were a tiny peace, a passing memory - even if we don’t see it now, all these moments mold us into who we are, and change us into who we are meant to be.

From brilliant and well paced writing to amazing performances, Meet Yourself is truly a whole package. Almost 1000 screenshots I took are a statement of itself - this show is stunning, a visual feast accompanied by a charming soundtrack (Validate being one of my favorites songs).

Honestly, it just feels like this drama was crafted with love and care.

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Good short watch

What I liked about the drama here was that it did not really affect Harumi and Maiko’s relationship - no breaking up or big fights due to misunderstanding, or jealousy when the exes and the pasts appeared. They remained trusting of each other but it was also nice to see their insecurities and jealousies which was a natural reaction but they did not let it influence them in making irrational decisions.

Maiko’s two pasts were such annoying characters - I think the only ones that I didn’t particularly care for in the whole drama. But it was good to watch how Maiko and Harumi handled the situation.

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