Reviews

Awkward piece of work

This one is clearly supposed to have been a BL series. This is not to say that it isn't BL. I won't even group it together with censored BL series from China in which the romance is turned into bromance or in which there are clever suggestions of romance between the main leads. This series can't be labelled easily and not in a good way.

As I said, it is quite clearly meant to be BL with some vague enemies to lovers trope. Apart from how it recycles songs from other Thai BL series, there are the tropes of Thai BL that by 2022 have mostly either gone out of fashion or become controversial, such as an effeminate side character and a conniving ex-girlfriend. Yes, what is the ex-girlfriend doing if not to break up the lead and his newfound love? I mean, she already seems quite unhinged if we assume that the deliberately causes her her ex's new love interest to be locked up in a sports facility--how much more unhinged would she be if we assume that she merely sees her ex playing basketball with his roommate and gets to jealous that she causes him to be locked up somewhere?

Unfortunately, even though the BL elements are not simply turned into bromance despite the mention of friendship on more than one occasion (at least in the Chinese dubbing and I don't think there is an uncut Thai version something), there aren't enough attempts to cleverly suggest romance. Instead, the emotional intensity of the scenes are lost. For instance, instead of fully exploiting Qin Jun Hao's jealousy when he sees his "roommate" with his arch-rival (or rather old friend-cum-rival) to suggest romantic interest, the portrayal of the jealousy is rather muted. When Yuan Zhi Ming disappears because he is locked up in the sports facility, Qin's panic is obviously not merely that of a friend, but again, there is no attempt to exploit it.

To make matters worse, the scene that best suggests romance is not between Qin and Yuan but between Qin and his friend-cum-arch-rival, Yi Tang. In a haphazardly inserted scene, Qin tries to trick Yuan into going into a room only to end up being locked up together with him there. Filled with a top/bottom joke, the scene ends with tenderness as Qin carries an injured Yi away. No one watching the scene can be blamed for thinking that Qin and Yi are the main ship. The series would have been better if there had been such a scene between Qin and Yuan.

I cannot help but feel that the series could have been so much better even with censorship. Qin, Yuan and Yi all have back stories, but these are not really fleshed out well. The change Qin undergoes after meeting Yuan is not clearly portrayed. Yuan has a guitar he treasures because it's a present from his father--something happened after he gets the present, but we don't know what. Yi has a brother who drowned (a storyline that is reminiscent of Between Us)--Yuan is the spitting image of his brother, but there is no attempt to show whether Yi manages to overcome his trauma and guilt because the subplot lacks development.

It is not clear why what is essentially a Thai BL (the studio, director and many actors are all from the Thai industry) is dubbed in Mandarin. It seems intentional given that even the songs have Chinese versions. I can only speculate that there are Chinese investors involved who wanted to promote the Chinese actors, though this may not explain why what is clearly supposed to be BL is turned into this awkward thing that can't even be qualified as a censored BL. (Perhaps it is meant to be streamed on Chinese platforms?)

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I've never seen a drama like this before! Seriously!
The beginning of this drama was so strange for me, with super powers and weapons, demons and superheroes. I never thought I'll like it as I liked.
For my surprise I feel in love for Wang Cha Li and Xiao Feng, they were so cute together I can't help it. And. I loved the story behind why the K.O bad girl started, each girl has her sad story and in the last episodes the drama we can see them handle with all their difficulties together, this was so cool.
Of course this drama has a lot of nonsense things, but it still catchy and funny.
I loved all members of the group SpeXial in this drama, we have a lot of them! Wang Cha Li, Da Wei, Xiao Ming, Xiao xiong and Gou zhui, they are so handsome and all good acting. The girls are really cool too, but for Ding Dang and Xiao Feng were the best of them.
This drama is a good drama for you smile, this is a really easy to see drama.
I just love it, cause it is really different of the others.

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This is my first asadora, and I was very, very impressed!

First off, this is a very quality drama. I tend to give a drama a higher rating if I enjoyed it, regardless of how well it was made, but this drama was not only a joy to watch, it was clearly very well made! All of the acting was excellent, the music fit the mood and was well-timed and the filming scenery was beautiful.

The storyline is well thought out and planned. Except for one or two (mostly subjective) points, there were no plot hiccups or illogical characterizations I could pick on. Despite being so long, the story did not drag. Things moved at a very consistent pace and there was no unnecessary dramatics. Watching Asa grow and change in a time when Japan was also growing and changing added to the depth of the story. It was so fun to watch the technologies, clothing, mannerisms and environment changed as the episodes passed by.

All of the characters were well-developed with their own quirks. I just loved watching new side characters slowly being introduced and how they slowly blended into and influenced the overall story. With such a huge cast, there were basically no "useless" characters. Asa in particular was very well-written and well-acted. She grew and changed as she grew older but her sense of self stayed the same. The same could be said of Hatsu too and I loved the strong bond the sisters carried over their lives.

Another thing that made this dorama very refreshing was that Asa was not a "special snowflake" type of lead. Oftentimes, dramas have this tendency to make sure everyone likes (or follows/agrees with) the main lead and if they don't, they are somehow portrayed as one the bad guys or inherently wrong and never part of the "main circle." There were at least a few very prominent characters that gave me the feeling that although they interacted well with her, they never really warmed up to her. Similarly, the fact the drama acknowledges the people that open the way for Asa to become successful. This is actually a minor point of contention. I am very glad the drama recognizes the strong support system it gave Asa because it's important to give credit where it is due BUT I don't believe the real-life Asako had that kind of support, so it sort of discredits her a little?

Finally, I loved how Asa ga Kita shows what it means to be feminist in the most truest way: it's about being able to choose your own path. It's not what you do, but what you are allowed to do. There were a few times I was irritated as certain character actions/thoughts, but then I realized it was for promoting that central theme-that one path is not better than another, it's the fact that you have the option to go on the path you want. Also, being a "strong female character" is not a one-fits-all description. There are a lot of ways to be a strong female and doing things that are inherently masculine (i.e. being able to handle guns, being physically stronger or outspoken) does not make female character "stronger" or "better" than other females and we should not be too quick to throw words like "doormat" or "pathetic" around.

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Cute drama. I enjoyed how it was centered on friendship over romances.

I have to be honest the acting was probably some of the worst I've ever seen in a kdrama.
You can tell the majority of them are complete rookies and crying scenes especially were hard to watch.

But the the plot is fairly lighthearted so the poor cast doesn't take too much away from it, just the occasional cringe scenes or awkward dialogues. The actresses playing Nari and Yuna show potential so I hope they're able to grow in future works, Mi Rae was passable, Sun Ji was very grating and hard to watch at times, Woo Kyung fell flat and forced at times, Jinhyuk was the only person I'd consider a good actor. and lastly Soobin was surprisingly well developed for a side character.

If you can overlook the inexperienced cast then I would recommend this drama. It's refreshing to see a story about female friendship in a high-school setting. The drama is fun and very binge-able. 12 short episodes left a lot of characters underdeveloped so I'd be interested in watching a season 2.

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Yoshitsune is my all time favorite drama, and God knows I was expecting a lot from it because the actual samurai named Yoshitsune is a historical character that is dear to my heart and I really wanted to see a work that would do him justice. And this show did it amazingly well.

Generally speaking, the backgrounds, clothings and everything meant to immerse us into the late Heian era are awesome, and they even shot some parts of the show in places/temples where no one had ever had the right to record something. The OST is great, though I found there weren't as many tracks as there should be for a 50 episodes long show.

Now if I speak objectively, I'd say it might seem a bit boring and difficult to the people who aren't interested in Japanese history. Mostly because there are MANY characters, and because the story's a bit complex. Personally, Heian is my favourite Japanese era and the Genpei war passionates me so I already knew all the details before even watching the drama. Which also leads me to say that historically, it's pretty accurate. Yoshitsune's story has been modified through the ages so you'll never find anything that is 100% sure to be true anyway, but this drama is definitely based on the Heike Monogatari and the Gikei-ki which are the two main works that tell his story. Some things I find important have been omitted (what happened to Yoritomo's as well as Yoshitsune's daughters...) but the main story's there.

As for the acting, I must say I had no clue about who Takki was before starting the drama so I just thought "let's hope he's good" and honestly, he blew me away. Like I can't even think of anyone who'd play Yoshitsune better than him, he was BORN for this role. And I don't think I'd have been so moved and cried so many times while watching the show if it weren't for him. The rest of the cast I didn't know either, but they did hella good in my opinion.

To conclude, this isn't a drama I'd recommend to everyone but to me, it's a 10/10.

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Watch and judge for yourself!!

I actually thought about not watching this series due to the bad reviews but I got curious as there are so many JoongDunk contents passing my social media, so I did! And honestly? The bad reviews are just too harsh, and here is why.

1. People should stop expecting BLs to have super mega complicated plots, some of them are just classic fluff, and that is okay too.
I think Star in My Mind is that easy to eat cookie BL that you can snack lightly. It didn't have a plot that is too intense, a bit patchy but still enjoyable. Totally recommended if you're searching for BLs with simple stories. Also, for a cutesy feel-good classic fluff BL, this is good. Better than few that I know (Fish in the Sky, for example, cough). The characters are pretty basic, but Kluen is just a dumbass, not an asshole (except for that one time when he kiss Nuea in his sleep), and Nuea is not as self-centered as people mentioned. They are freshmen, for god's sake, their love story started when they are just high schoolers. It was a puppy love, it IS still on its puppy love stage tbh. Hence why they need to work on their communications. Freshmen men that they're only 18-19 y.o, and what do you even know about love at that age? Not to mention that Kluen is so bad at expressing his feelings to the point that his mom knows, which means that it's not something you can just work on overnight. And (SPOILERS) they've been in love for years, secretly, never had the chance to sit and talk it out, now that they meet each other again it's understandable that misunderstandings happen. Nuea did been trying to forget about Kluen for a year, so it is highly understandable that the unnecessary push and pull puts him to stress. Not to mention that all he did all this time was just admire Kluen from afar without making any move so imagine the hope and regret and longing that he went through. Just imagine your long-time crush is finally within your reach, one day it seems like you had a chance but the other day he wants you to move on? Ugh, imagine the stress. I think that is why his reaction towards Gia's sudden call is really bad it makes him look like an asshole. But hey, Nuea didn't know the real situation of Gia and Kluen's relationship, and here he is vulnerable. His over-reaction is just him breaking down, desperate, we are talking about years of longing here, so yeah, he had the right to be heartbroken. Though I think it could be better if the story could highlight more about Nuea's character's good qualities. Like why did so many people like him? Because he's smart and kind and hot right? Only mentioning the fact that he studied in German didn't do him justice tbh, there should be scenes that emphasize that for him. If he had three people seriously chasing after him, the story should've elaborated more on the reason why he is so likable.

2. Contrary to other negative reviews, the side characters actually have some presence.
I have watched BLs that have side characters that didn't have any presence as if they're made to just fill in the dialogues so it's not just between the MCs. But Star in My Mind actually put some screen time to the side characters. I especially like the female characters! Often times the 'girl friend' characters in BL are often portrayed as the ones who ruined the MCs relationship and just overall a pick me girl. But here Paphang and Gia are actually decent. Gia, especially, is way more chill than I thought she would be. I also love how there is a scene where Gia and Nuea had a proper talk. Same with Phoon! Although it annoys me that this boy is pushing too hard to make Nuea notice him, I still salute him for being mature and accepting his defeat. Sean is like Fong from 2gether the series, he is that one sane friend that slaps some sense to his friends. There are BLs who had 'close friends' group as the support role for the MC but never did anything to actually 'support' the MC, here Sean steps in when needed, intervenes when needed, and I think it's great! Everyone need a friend like Sean. While at first I sees Fah as that cheesy very kind brother, he is actually a good brother figure for Nuea and he did give Nuea solid advice. They have great chemistry too! And I like how they meet and talk often, it really puts how close and dependent Nuea to Fah is into perspective.

3. The chemistry between the MCs?
I actually expect Joong's acting to be plainer than Dunk, because most BLs usually made the 'seme' didn't do much action, just staring with that lovestruck expression and sitting calm being all handsome. Here Joong actually served more than Dunk, his skinship is natural and his kisses! Didn't seems awkward at all. He is also better at expressing tiny details in his expression. Kluen suits him so much, so big kudos to Joong Archen for delivering Kluen so well. While for Dunk, although he did okay in most of his scenes, there are times when his expression is awkward. The only thing I'm agreeing with the negative reviews is that, yes, Dunk's crying scene is pretty awkward to watch. But hey! This is only his first series! Now that Joong and Dunk had built their chemistry off-camera, I think GMM should totally give them another series in the future that could showcase their talents and chemistry, and of course, with a better-written story too!

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I know that the story would not be happy end It was a very excellent story and I don't even have words to describe the last episode It was interesting and Sad and perfect .
He lived without memories Kim Soo-hyun was killing his targets and disappearing He want to have a passion from people
This drama has been good so far, I really hope for a good ending that will satisfy all of us who watches this. The plot is actually nice and I very much like the story. I'll definitely watch this again after the drama is completed. I was actually so confused at and I did not expect his father to be killed by his son
first, then I started to understand the whole situation of the story. I really like their acting, especially Chang Ki-Young. I wish him to have more offers like this, being an elite assassin suits him well. It's just so sad

Thanks for an interesting, sweet and sad story.

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It was seriously one of the best dramas I've watched this year. At first I watched it cause I needed something to kill time and suddenly I was craving for more. The series is very well produced, the photography is amazind, filming quality is great and even the funny yet heartbreaking (at times) plot is a must watch.
WARNING: Not BL
STORY: A lone otaku boy that has a huge crush on his classmate. He follows her to Japan intending to declare his feelings for her but ends up finding she's got a boyfriend. That leads him to drink too much and find a place that sells LUV Robots. Too drunk he thinks he's creating a profile to a social network and instead of setting definitions for a female robot he describes himself and chooses male as gender. He'd soon receive Ya-dan at his place. After complaning about it to the store owner he receives a female robot but she ends up bonding to the other robot, making the three of them live into this love triangle. A-zhai loves Eve, Eve Loves Adam, Adam loves A-zhai.
ACTING: Bai Shu(A-zhai) is just amazing. He's young but can convey so many feelings and act in such a natural way. Li Chuan and Cai Wen Jing also work very well. The three of them have great chemistry and complete each other. I have to comment the secondary characters grow up a lot. Wa Fu Gui (A-zhai's best friend) is an amazing add to the whole story and a comic relief most of the time. There's one scene in the series in which he shows true acting potential (driving me to tears with such good acting). The other otakus from the anime club are also well built characters having their own personality and story that is developed the best way possible.
MUSIC: Songs change a lot on this series and you notice that. Even from the ost songs that will make a scene creppy or happy the producers have done a great job on that area.
REWATCH VALUE: I'm totally rewatching both seasons ASAP. I wasn't ready for the ending and already miss them a lot. The series takes its time to reach it's true potential, there's a lot of build up but the creators have done good on reaching the point where you clearly see how much the story and characters have grown up.
OVERALL: I'll be on the watch for more dramas with the lead actors or directed by Mr. Deng Ke. They've worked hard and made this series great.

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I like a lot the overall idea of the story; two characters who don't get along but find love later on. However, the princess drove me insane for the first half of the story. I felt her character was overly brash, unpleasant and rude. The entire first episode I was becoming extremely annoyed by her behavior towards the guy that it ruined most of the series for me. I don't mind strong women in historical dramas, I think they bring something new and I enjoy watching their interactions, but this princess I wouldn't say was strong but close-minded and unwilling to listen. The lead male I wouldn't even describe as being cold, he seemed pretty sweet for the most part; arrogant at times but not cold.

I was very excited for this drama when I saw the trailers for it but after starting the drama I was just disappointed. I ended up skipping through the first 5 episodes because the princesses attitude was pissing me off so much that I couldn't enjoy the story.

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Even though the drama was short, I loved every minute of this drama. I was waiting for this before it aired and I was hyped.

I am glad that I ended up watching this drama. There were math problems that I have never heard of before & the cases kept you interested.

The thing is I love the leads! They so opposite of each other, but they make a great team. I haven't seen the female lead in anything before, but she was great. I think I have seen the male lead before, I don't remember which movie or drama that I have seen him in, but he is a great actor as well. He is also hot. . . I had to say it. . . The only problem with the drama is that we didn't get to learn much of their background at all. They have great chemistry despite the age difference. But don't let that turn you away from watching this drama.

The music fitted in the right spots, theme is catchy, but I don't remember much since it was a long time ago when I watched this drama last year(2013).

I would re-watch this again when I have time.

Overall, I definitely recommend this drama if you like crime genre, math, comedy & cases that keep you guessing, then you will like this one.

The only complaint besides the one I mentioned above, is that it should of been longer.

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The thunder rolls: a work in progress

This is the first of this series that I managed to get this far through. Despite the appeal of supernatural mysteries and tomb raiding adventures, I was never able to get into any of the other ones. That said, while there are flashes of brilliance, the overall effort so far is at best mediocre with much hanging on how the various plot threads end up resolved.

A cryptic message from Wuxie's uncle that sends the Iron Triangle - Wuxie, Pangzi and Zhang Qiling on a quest to decipher the message of the Thunder god and find Wu Sansheng. The story is off to an awesome start with heart stopping action and phenomenal world building. The scenes in the tomb have just the right balance of mystery, suspense, supernatural forces, hordes of foul and undead creatures and death defying moments. My eyes bugged out at Qiling (Huang Jun Jie)'s raw athleticism, fierce speed and fluid grace. Like most viewers, I love the Iron Triangle - their chemistry, hilarious banter and complimentary skills make them seem invincible together. So it is super disappointing to see the three amigos separate and off on their own.

The pacing is jarring - it alternates abruptly between gripping, life threatening action and mind numbingly boring and unnecessary filler episodes and characters. The entire Hei Yanjing/mute girl arc could have been cut by at least 75pct - there is little plot advancement and the romance is pedestrian. It could only have been worse if the girl can actually speak so thank the small mercies. That painful arc ends only to descend further into purgatory with the introduction of (drum roll) Piao Piao. While allegedly due to the heavy hand of censorship, at best she had three brain cells instead of two. Poor Panzi, he deserves so much better. It is offensive to see women written to be so dumb just to facillitate certain plot developments. By comparison, Xiao Bai is an adorable genius; even her lovesick eye batting at Wuxie is totally forgiveable considering how devastating and charismatic Zhu Yilong's Wuxie is. I am sure I will be unable to watch any other actor take on this role after this.

Although I quite like Warehouse 11, the Sea King's tomb is hard to beat and sequencing leaves Season 1 ending with an anti-climatic and unfinished feel to it. The reveals are somewhat predictable and too many plot threads are left open. If too much time passes before Season 2 airs, I will forget many of the important clues and open issues unless I invest in some rewatching. In hindsight, I should have started this after there is an airing date for Season 2 and that would be my advice for those planning to watch this.

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I enjoyed the series. There were many good elements to it. What I liked most is the family dynamic. They are fun, loving, supportive and honestly funny. Though they showed moments when they appeared afraid they were bold in it. The female lead was refreshing. She was smart, talented, brave, a great fighter, leader and funny. Male lead was very cute and supportive. The chemistry was fair and awesome in some moments.

The story was fair overall. The beginning was exciting, engaging and truthfully had me hooked. Once you get to the mid/end of the series; It was nothing to scream about but it was descent. Around ep 30 or so it just kind of ran off on it’s on. It wasn’t terrible but you know when something major happens and is resolved, you feel like it should be the end but in this case it wasn’t. They just kept the camera going.

The ending was good but after such a long awaited ending I would have preferred a bang.

Overall, I’d recommend it. It’s sweet and funny. Downside, the plot disappears in the later half.

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A hidden gem!

This drama hits all the right notes. Folks who trivialize saying 'this is Moneyball version of K-drama' are grossly downplaying the depth of this show. There is so much happening in each episode. The first episode instantly sets-up an intriguing plot and every episode unravels something interesting or tackles a deep rooted issue.

Although its set against a Sports (Baseball) backdrop it isn't simply a Sports story. Please don't turn away thinking its a Sports drama. Infact there is hardly any on-field action through its 16 episodes length. It focuses more on the management side of the team and the problems that pop-up after years of under-performance. Along the way you may even pick up few useful tips on topics such as negotiation, presentation skills and general management.

What I loved:
- Great storyline (unusual and unlike anything I have seen before)
- Fantastic acting (Namkoong Min is a Korean treasure, however he was aptly supported by Eun-bin Park and others)
- Good explanation of important Baseball stats (on Viki) and not dumping lot of numbers on our face (easy to follow for a novice like me)

It's a pity so few people have watched this drama. It deserves much more recognition and love.

Go Dreams!

P.S. There is no romance in this drama. Just so you know ;)
It also won the Baeksang Arts Awards for Best Drama for the year 2020.

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