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Extremely problematic relationships.
I can’t believe this show has such a high rating. Right from the beginning, it’s obvious through their interactions how abusive the male lead is. And some how it is romanticised? His possessiveness and ownership over her, right down to asking her to cut the men out of her life — that’s not romance. The female lead felt like a pushover despite being someone who has led a very interdependent life.Watch this show only if you want to know what red flags in a relationship are. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you want to know what should be avoided!
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Watch Cunning Single Lady, granted, plot-wise, it has all the Kdrama cliches ever except for one (watch to find out ;] ).
I give this a 7 overall because it did drag in the middle but it wasn't horrible; it was bearable and I liked that it had a happy ending for all the characters.
The music was nothing memorable but at least it was coherent; sad music in sad scenes, happy music in happy scenes, etc.
Additionally, to be honest, the best actors in this drama were the leads. The others were so-so. The actor that I applaud and seriously made this drama more appealing in my books is Joo Sang Wook. He really branched out in this drama. I have always seen him play the cold and lonesome persona in other works but here, he plays such a goofball. You can see he had fun playing this character. And his laughter, I absolutely adore. I hope he decides again on more comedic roles because he has the potential to be a versatile actor; not just your typical serious actor.
Lee Min Jung, from my experience watching her on screen, is a good actress and I already know she can play comedic dramas well, so she did a great job as the lead.
This is a drama when you want a break from heavy plotted dramas. You won't regret it and will make you, if you're not already, a bigger fan of Joo Sang Wook.
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Positives:
- The story is fun , exploring identity, friendships, trust and belonging.
- The show does not use excessive filters on the actors skin, leaving it looking natural.
- The couple dynamics are heartwarming and have some moments that are relatable and realistic.
- It has a nice balance between serious scenes and playful moments.
- Winnys character is portrayed realistically, being awkward at first and avoiding his feelings to then becoming protective and allowing his true feelings to be seen. He starts thinking about his lifestyle and choices differently after getting into a long term relationship.
-The Kiss scenes are sweet and believable without being stiff or forced.
Negatives:
- The political story elements were not overly interesting to me, becoming repetitive.
- The story does not go too deep and is best viewed as a light/casual drama.
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opposites attract, enemies to lovers, battle of the geeks, sunshine/tsundere, teasing & pranks
Okay look, I said when I reviewed Light on Me, that Korea was giving us an honest to goodness high school set BL with some classic old school yaoi tropes almost as if they were doing a bit of a, “now that we’ve hit our stride, let’s perfect the vanilla sheet cake BL style.” It was great, of course, but very refined and elegant which some found off putting.I feel like they did it again with Semantic Error. Only maybe even a little better? Okay maybe not better but DIFFERENT.
Everything that Korea always does right, they did right with this show.
* Spot on and pretty pretty casting of mature actors who can handle the content.
* High quality production values with beautiful filming and flawless sound quality.
* Great wardrobe, lighting, staging, editing, and everything else pre and post production being well chosen and executed.
* Great friendship group and support characters.
* Strategic use (but not overuse) of BL and romance tropes.
This was an absolutely pitch perfect university set BL, just very very Korean about it. It had all the hallmarks of old school traditional yaoi, linear filming and framing techniques combined with classic archetypes including a strong seme/uke dynamic. But it was so pleasingly pristine and tailored about its approach.
If Light On Me was a fluffy delicious vanilla sheet cake, Semantic Error is the perfectly baked moist and decadent red velvet cupcake.
A little richer, a little more depth, that creamy cheesy frosting. Maybe not the most innovative, maybe not as complex as we might like, but so well executed it was like classical french cooking... you can’t argue with perfection you can only gobble it down and then be sad you ate so fast.
Yes WATCHA, you have ALL the techniques. Yes, you have all the skills. And you know what, sometimes that’s all we really need in a BL.
We are so grateful.
What elevates Semantic Error is that Korea did things right with this one that they usually mess up.
They got the pacing spot on for the shorter length. It never felt rushed.
They managed a tight *complete* story with nothing confusing about intent, purpose, or character motivation.
And we got actual amazingly good chemistry and kisses.
They left us with a smile and a chuckle and a pair of the cutest boys ever to grace the screen.
This is probubly going to be my favorite BL of 2022. And yes, for all the reasons stated above but also THE CHARACTERS.
Jaeyoung + Sangwoo FOREVER
Emotional seme versus logical uke is a favorite of mine, plus it goes way back to some Gilgamesh shit of ego versus id. I also love “the only one who can bully him is me” trope. Also I adore it when an agro seme (bratty fucker) develops a big o’ crush, commences pining, and goes all over whipped for his boy. Jaeyoung pined like a master. Like Park Seo Ham took lessons from Sam Lin (We Best Love).
And it wasn’t just him, For those of us who waited patiently for Sangwoo to soften, boy did he ever. What a marshmallow moment! Poor baby went into deep crush and had NO IDEA what to do about it.
Moot pining, yes!
There were even moments that made me hoot with laughter (the lettuce incident).
This is it.
Semantic Error has put the sugar rose on top of Korea’s intent to dominate BL. After the flop ending of Kissable Lips and the lingering trauma of Peach of Time, we all thought we were back on shaky ground with KBL, but nope Korea’s taking the gold.
So yeah, maybe this is a little tame and calm of a review from me. But their ducks were all in a row on this one, and I kinda expected them to stick the landing. (Ooo, mixed metaphors. Now I’m imagining s duck doing gymnastics.) How do I really feel?
Shaken & stirred, thank you very much.
I love this show so hard. And it is going into hard rotation. Completely rewatchable from start to finish. We have been blessed. Thank you Korea.
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This drama is about Jotaro, who struggles in Tokyo because of job and unsteady life. He then decides to take a job in local revitalization team in Shimanto, small town in Kyushu. It really sounds boring. But the true is, that this drama is really nice, relaxing and somehow touching. It's not forced and the storyline is progressing in good pace. We can see the beautiful nature of Shimanto, the river and the bridge. We can see local elderly people and local problems. Somehow it is nearer to common people's hearts. It's not a flashy story about Tokyo, that's why I liked it a lot.
So we have Jotaro, who can't find his way of life. Kahori, the doctor who has another dream. The mysterious Morishita, nurse with a dark past. Hiroki, whose past is always chasing him. Junichi, who never stepped outsite of his beloved town and Sayori, who is not really living a happy married life. This drama is simple, but great. Not to mention the greatest opening song in the universe sung by main cast :)
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Some people might disagree, but I also had a serious case of Second Lead Syndrome all throughout.
*Main Lead:* Treating her like unwanted trash and always telling her to get lost, that she's not even attractive, and she should wash her hair
*Second Lead:* Tells her to call out for him if she gets scared and actually follows her around just so he can be ready if she does call out. When he says that she never did, that actually broke me.
I wonder if there are any dramas out there where the female lead subverts expectations and says, "You know what? I'm done taking crap. I'm going to go with the nice guy that looks like Seo In Guk and actually cares for me." This ain't it.
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Master's sun was the first horror-drama I've watched and I thought that it was pretty cool (although the horror decreased in the further episodes a lot).
One of the most important things for me to like a drama are the supporting characters and I have to say that hey were really awesome in this drama. I mean, how could one dislike Secretary Kim or Kang Woo? Even Tae Yi-Ryung was adorable.
And about the main couple .. I honestly don't know what to say. I liked them big time! Gong Sil was such a cute person and it really surprised me that I liked her character. I tend to dislike such simple-minded characters, but there was no way I would dislike Gong Sil (thumbs up, Gong Hyo Jin!). And Joong Won, our little master was also a great character. I couldn't help but fall in love with him, despite his somehow rotten character. He made me laugh everytime he told Gong Sil to "get lost" with his epic characteristic gesticulation. Although it was really mean I couldn't help but laugh my ass off. Haha.
All in all it was a really great drama. With probably on of the best endings ever. You must know that I'm pretty much hooked on happy endings. And I say it was great. Although I hoped so much that Gong Sil and Joong Won would marry .. but I can't help it. Drama-makers apparently dislike marriages *shrug
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Power to women
This is the second drama I watched because of Cha Hak Yeon (I am a Starlight, what can I say?) and I became hooked. Actually, the main themes aren't that great or interesting, rich people, forbidden love stories, secrets etc. What made this drama a masterpiece is the characters and the plot. Strong but sensitive women with weaknesses and bad moments, real people, are trying to free themselves from a supressing and abusive enviroment like a marriage, the society etc. Everyone, Seo Hi Soo, Jung Seo Hyun, Lee Hye Jin, has their own way to do it and each one has to create their own path to archive their freedom. They are real women in a real world.This drama actually works a lot with the prejudice that follows the women. For example, the patriarchal sterotype is, if a woman wants to be a leader, she must be strict, emotionless with a "proper" family. Or if she is sensitive and sweet, she is naive or weak. I really, really, really loved how Seo Hyun and Hi Soo broke these stereotypes and became what they wanted to be.
The only thing which was a bit off is the wealth. We speak about a crazy rich family who lives away and without the real problems of the majority of the society. I think it would better if we talked about everyday women. But, OK, I understand that is a drama in a major korean channel and cannot be everything...
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STORY: The story may be flawed (just tiny flaws but still you have to call a spade a spade), however it so bright and fresh that you cannot NOT be touched by it. The story is simple, I dare say even childish, but in the end it gives you this warm feeling that life is life, you can't change the past but it doesn't mean you can't enjoy the future. In short, the story is simple, full of life, a bit different from your lambda movie and with a sweet moral. I really think this movie has for goal to make people go forward in life and it kinda does.
ACTING/CAST: The only actor I "knew" was the young version of Tae Hoon -Yu Geon played in Prosecutor Princess- and it was a nice surprise to see him play here (I'm shallow.Sue.Me). He played the nerdy character so well it was hard for me not to forget he was the hottie from PP, which means that his acting was pretty damn good.
I did see the adult version of Tae Hoon play in More Than Blue but honestly MTB was a joke, a blank one at that, so of course it's not surprising that he looks a hundred times more dashing here.
The woman who played Jeong Ju's mother stole my heart. I don't know if it was the way the actress played the mother or the actress's charisma but the character gave me a lot of feelings.
Overall the actors did a very good job with their characters and one should give credits to the people who held the casting since except maybe Tae Hoon, the actors playing the older versions really look like the older versions of the actors playing the younger ones (omg I don't know how to explain it well but I hope you managed to understand anyway).
MUSIC: The music was good, quite catchy in fact but nothing exceptional either.
REWATCH VALUE: It's the kind of movie that you should rewatch when you think your life is a disaster because you didn't make the "right choice" because it gives you hope and strengh to believe in yourself.
OVERALL: If it wasn't clear enough, I really like this movie. It is bound to brighten one's mood. Of course, if you are some kind of old man who hates happiness and hope, you shouldn't watch it...but if you're not you defintely should (watch this movie I mean, not go all grumpy).
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One Legendary C-drama
What a great funny and emotional drama. I am not really the type of person who watch palace dramas but this one broke the wall. Unlike many other palace dramas, there will be throne fighting, concubine fighting concubines, and etc BUT this drama...just dont have these things (which is great).What I Like: Some things I like in this drama is the family bond between the royal family. And the king (Zhu Di's father) and its comrades/old friends. Everyone can jokes but still knowing their limitation, elder brother being the role model and leader taking care of its brothers, and empress personally making dishes in the kitchen are some things I quite like about it.
Storyline: The flow is great as its not draggy and its pretty straight to the point. Only minor problem I had is the age transition. Its like a few episodes in, suddenly everyone changes ( their age and appearance). Less on romance, more on history..so if you are here to see two birds kissing on tree...then well..thats not gonna happen.
Acting wise, everyone nails their role perfectly. Even the most minor character did great as who they are. FSF and CY as Zhudi did superb as the matured and young Zhudi.
Music? Man I Love it. There are 3 songs played throughout the whole series I believe but its the opening theme one I love the most.
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This review may contain spoilers
Cute Feel-Good Comedy
Shall I call this a comedy about four dysfunctional men in a cafe known for its desserts? One is afraid of desserts because of some traumatic childhood event One is afraid of women also because of some traumatic event. One has to start a new life because his boxing career is over thanks to a medical condition. One takes it upon himself to be a bodyguard to protect his "boss" except that he's not cut out to be a bodyguard. As you can expect, there will be plenty of funny situations.But this is not a comedy that just makes you laugh. It can be a touching, if episodic and slight disjointed, story on the friendship between the four people and how the support the give one another help them cope with their personal crises.
There's a lot of cuteness in the story, and the more serious parts are not seamlessly worked in. Besides all the relatively trivial events, there is a series of kidnapping that goes in and out of focus in the storytelling. Children have been killed and the killings are not treated as jokes, but hey don't seem to be taken seriously enough. The scenes of dead children seem a little out of place. Perhaps there is a challenge when it comes to making a live-action adaptation of a manga. There is something cartoonish about the characters that enhances the humor but it may not go down well with everyone especially when it is juxtaposed with the scenes of child murders. (There is probably some unintentional social commentary: the police seem so thoroughly incompetent that they don't even think of what a journalist does: check the cafe's CCTV footage to try to find the kidnapper.)
Unlike previous drama adaptations, this one lets the gay character be all-out gay. He flirts openly with men and there is no attempt to downplay the character's sexual orientation, especially when his ex-boyfriend comes into the story. This is nice in itself, but perhaps we are too often teased with the prospects of a Punn/Weir romance. Since times have changed, why not make an adaptation with an actual BL subplot even if it is not between Punn and Weir. After all, if the adaptation 20 years ago could totally remove the character's sexual orientation, why can't an adaptation in 2021 add in a BL subplot?
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The acting was absolutely outstanding. Kuroki Meisa portrayed Izaki's character perfectly, she actually ended up being my favorite character.
The music... er, I really didn't enjoy having Lady Gaga's 'On the Edge of Glory' being played every few seconds. They played it on the most dramatic moments. -.-
I'd recommend this drama to those who enjoy action and mystery. It's not super great but it's worth watching.
Sorry if this was a pretty bad review, this is my first review. xD
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Anyway, back to my main point this BL is nice and short. It has just enough drama that you don't get tired of it. It's really cute, there isn't any graphic violence. All the couples wrap up together perfectly. I love this BL so much and all the comments about it lacking kinda hurt my fangirl heart. If you're reading reviews and wondering if you should still watch it if it lacks as much as people say, trust me it's good. Please watch it.
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