This review may contain spoilers
I won't condone this type of behavior.
How did a drama that started so strong ended up being a total mess?Let me begin by saying that I'm a gay man and as part of the LGBTQ+ community, I can't support the way this story showcases gay relationships. There were a few things about this show that pulled out the red flags from me, and all of them relate to how toxic, forced, and abusive the relationship between the lead characters and their supports were managed. I'll list my problems with it below:
This review contains SPOILERS, so please be warned if you haven't watch it yet. Actually, you should not watch it for the sake of not giving it more attention.
~ The sexual assault is a big issue in this drama. Originally, I thought that having a traumatized lead character (Type) who suffered of sexual assault when he was younger was a good thing for the plot and his character development; however, things took a weird turn when the writers decided to romanticize Tharn sexually assaulting him as well. What kinda audacity is this? It was not once, it was not twice, but SEVERAL times. Type clearly despised Tharn, but that didn't stop the later from kissing his cheek, kissing his lips and naked torso when he's PASSED OUT DRUNK, forcing himself on top of his body several times (which was not good for Type's mental state at the moment), and blowing him in the bathroom. By the way, NONE OF THIS WAS CONSENTED BY TYPE AT ANY MOMENT.
The character Tar is also one who needs to be called out due to his attempt of sexually assaulting Tharn in the hotel room. It doesn't matter what your situation was, it is UNFORGIVABLE.
~ Type is the most toxic, petty, and unreasonable character. When I began watching the drama I gave him the benefit of the doubt because he was clearly not a mentally stable guy, but I don't think that's the only problem here. Type would constantly bring up the excuse of hating gays to physically and verbally abuse others (Tharn in specific). I do agree Tharn deserved a couple of punches because of what I wrote above, but there were plenty of occasions in which he was unfairly assaulted due to Type's anger problems. Was this unhealthy level of violence categorized as "love" by the writers? It sure was! And it was NOT okay. Even people with mental problems get punished by law because of the consequences of their actions, so I am disappointed that Type was able to do as he pleased with his violence. This felt like Eminem and Rihanna's "Love the Way You Lie" music video.
~ What the hell is going on with Tharn? First of all, he's definitely NOT one of my favorite characters, but seeing him being such a passive man was aggravating. This is a character that also had his own traumas due to love and break ups, but I could not stand him seeing him taking such weak role. Where is that confidence that you showed on the first episodes when you would stand up and defend yourself from Type's aggression? All this violence was not worth it.
~ Possible incest relationship? It is not confirmed in the drama story, but Tum looked like he was having more than just brotherly feels towards Tar. I'm not going to comment too much on this because nothing happened, but it's still kinda sus.
Some of you may not know this, but sexual assault is a very big problem for LGBTQ+ in media. I don't know where the author got inspiration from, but it kinda seems like he or she read a couple yaoi manga before writing this novel. Yaoi and Shounen Ai manga in Japan are know for portraying gay relationships and quite a bit of sexual assault as "romance," so I would not be surprised if this was their inspiration. You guys, it is NOT okay to support these kind of stories in media, because many of you are just straight girls who happen to be obsessed with gays, but for LGBTQ+ and specially gay people, portraying us in sexual assault scenes actually bring us a lot of backlash. You may think is just media, but A LOT of people get influenced by media and use it as an excuse to hate on us. So please do not support these shows.
Lastly, I would like to point out that I have nothing against these actors because, after all, they were just doing their job. I think some of them were actually very good at acting and I enjoyed their performances, but this is just not the right story to work with.
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Rain is just too cute playing the funny and smart Ji Woo. The way he speaks in this drama is charming. I enjoyed his character development from materialistic to a caring depth. Lee Jung Jin is also very charming and has a beautiful smile. I appreciated his down to earth portrayal of Detective Do Soo. Yoon Jin Seo is too cute as Soran when she is chasing her “oppa”. Jin Yi was an obviously deep character that is just wasted by Lee Na Young's horrible acting. She had no chemistry with Ji Woo or with Kai. I'm a Daniel Henney fan, but his portrayal of Kai leaves a lot to be desired. I really didn't connect with his character at all. The rest of the characters were just a waste of time except the "bad guys" who are necessary.
Even if you don't watch the drama, then you should check out MBLAQ's "Running & Running" and Jae's "Poison".
I might rewatch parts of this to see Rain's smile and goofiness.
If you are looking for something that isn't very deep and you need a Rain fix, then I would recommend this drama.
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How to Date a Celebrity
I have never thought I would have enjoyed a youth drama such as this one, but this drama proves me wrong. I have really enjoyed it. The acting is natural, the characters are lovable and the sweet internet romance is very real and cute. This is my go-to drama after a hard day of work. It is really relaxing and funny that makes you warm and laugh out loud. There are no annoying characters and no bad love triangles. The story is simple sweet and heart-warming and the main actors are beautiful and lovely.He's an all-rounder straight A’s college student and a gamer, and she's an alumnus and a popular singer. He's her secret admirer and, she barely knows him. Then they meet playing online game and their romance begins, without knowing who each other is; they just fall in love.
Dating a celebrity is hard work, and a celebrity’s dating is also a hard work. Both cannot do things that normal lovers do. But both are willing to sacrifice for the other.
Playing the character Liang Chen, Xu Lu is very convincing. As a true singer herself in real life, Xu Lu pockets her role perfectly and effortlessly. She is immaculate and natural as if Liang Chen is her. She absolutely nails it and more. Xu Lu is beautiful, fashionable, and so adorable that anyone can fall in love with. No wonder Lu Jing (Lin Yi) falls head-over-toe in love and cannot have enough of her.
Lin Yi has also nailed his character. Long legged with slender long fingers, Lin Yi is so good looking with a boyish face. After all, he is 4 years younger than Xu Lu in real life and as in the story. But their chemistry is amazing. They are so convincing as two lovers. Their kisses (a lot of them) are real and passionate. They really love each other so much and cannot have enough of each other. And they are explicit about their feelings for each other; they don’t hide their love in front of their friends and relatives. It is really sweet and beautiful when two young people fall in love. Being so tall, Lin Yi looks exquisite in his large wardrobe of trench coats.
The OSTs
As Liang Chen is a singer, various songs are sung constantly throughout the drama. These songs are beautiful and the lyrics are touching. I particularly love it when Lu Jing plays the Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto which is one of my favorites, and it is being done rather extensively. Though not perfect acting playing the violin, Lin Yi’s tall figure, long legs and slender fingers make up the imperfections.
My verdict
This drama raises an interesting question:
Should a woman choose a successful and mature man or a young impulsive big boy to be her future partner? For Liang Chen, she has no doubt that Lu Jing is the one. So the answer is, it all depends on what one wants in life and what one's values are. For me, I would have chosen Lu Jing too. Who would you have chosen?
This is the best big sister/little brother rom-com I've ever watched. Bravo!
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Nice face, but the story line is very unreasonable
It's a good movie, really. It's really good, but the execution is so lacking and doesn't make much sense.You will really hate Ahn Hyo Seop here and will frown when you see Jisoo.
If we look back, All Of Us Are Dead is a masterpiece, but when we look at the main characters in All Of Us Are Dead, we will be annoyed in the first episode with their slow and naive characters. That's Ahn Hyo Seop here. He is the one who knows the whole story, yet he moves very stupidly and slowly. I would say Ahn Hyo Seop here, since Dokja is a character who is alert and can read the situation.
Here we can get the greatness of Nana and Lee Minho, surprisingly. I think Lee Minho is the only character who can adapt to his acting.
I would say the most bizarre and unreasonable character is Jisoo. Because he's a schoolboy, he adapts too quickly to situations. I even noticed that without any explanation of his skills or how to use them.
I won't lie if the movie is good, but it doesn't deserve a score higher than 5. Because instead of being cool, all the characters are very burdensome except for Nana and Lee Minho. Rather than a very lovable character, Ahn Hyo Seop here is a character worth hating. Especially after he brought Lee Minho to life in a very unreasonable way.
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This review may contain spoilers
fantasy drama
I was really enjoying it through episodes 14. Then it seemed to get off track then back on track. I have just finished watching the whole series. It was good but a little disappointing. I loved most episodes although it did seem to stutter and start it. It was interesting to see where the story went. Although this is promoted as a time travel story I wondered if it was a ghost story or reincarnation story? It's wasn't clear until episode 30. Although they were talking about black holes so in my mind it was probably time travel however: there were 4 occurrences that left a person wondering. 1. Xiang Qin Yu arrives in the future having been shot then later at the hospital the blood and the wound disappears. 2. The newspaper article about Xiang Qin Yu disappears on the bus. 3. Xiang Qin Yu goes back to the past and can only observe events happening before he's whisked back to the present. (Maybe in the end if it winds up being a ghost story the writers will say that it was his energy that was transported. It could be similar to what happened to the ghost in Chicago Typewriter where he lost cohesion and had to go live in the story until he could regain his essence because he used up too much of his essence helping the ML and Fl of the TV show). 4. Xiang Qin Yu 's hand fades out in the dressing room and then comes back? Hmm what is going on there? I know the answer but I won't spoil it for others who haven't finished the series. I will just say it's complicated.The FL and ML have good chemistry. I love historical fiction and time travel.
Some things I liked about the series were:
1.The humor- For the most part the humor was good until it started having forced comedic moments .
2, The mysteries- I liked that there was mysteries to be solved in the past and the present.
3, The romance I liked the romance but I think it could have been better. It had touching moments ,although I have to say a fake wedding night? What were the writers thinking. The wedding night could have been tender and touching instead it turned into a forced comedic moment.
4. The drama- Keep the tissues handy. It had some very touching moments.
5. Past and present story lines- I loved having the story progress in the past and the present. .Alot of times there is a brief time spent in one time period then most of the time is spent in main time period. This was good it went back and forth between the past and the present. It added depth to the story seeing things that happened in past and present beyond the initial setup.
I had great hopes for it. I spent time I should have been sleeping watching it. I generally don't watch tv shows that are more than 20 episodes but the premise looked really good so I started watching it. I loved episodes 1-6 then the story started to bog down with forced humor. But with episode 14 it seemed to be back on track. I think it would have been better as a 20 episode TV show. I will say that it had potential unfulfilled but it was surprising where the story went and how the two time lines were tied together. I have downgraded my rating from a 9.5 to an 7.5. I won't write too much spoilers. But I have to shake my head and say "WHAT THE HECK WERE THEY THINKING " for episodes 29 and 30. A fake wedding night? and the direction it took for ending the series, I probably won't re watch it. If I do I will pick and choose my episodes. To me t it was an unsatisfactory ending but then I like definite happy endings not a vague open ending.
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A reputation for greatness that is fully deserved
After recently having the opportunity to watch this series, I'm happy to say that it fully lives up to its reputation as one of the greatest BL series of all time. If there's ever to be such a thing as a BL classic, this is one for sure. I know that my review will be just one more in a towering stack of raves from others, but I need to express these feelings even if my opinion gets lost in the shuffle. :)Singto and Ohm ... have they ever been better? Or paired with anyone where they had better chemistry?
Ohm's performance in particular strikes me as flawless from start to finish. Nobody, but nobody, could portray this level of sweetness and joy as well as he does -- to the point that it really feels like we're watching the real him. I swear he's so good in this that he can't be acting. I feel that Thun's personality is how Ohm must really be in his daily life, which is a brightly shining light for anyone who knows him.
(Ohm won a 'Best Dramatic Scene' acting award from Line TV for this series and I wonder which scene it would be. My guess is it's either the one that takes place out on the roof deck in the rain or the confrontation with Mes's uncle in Mes's old bedroom. Two very different moods but both delivered like a seasoned pro.)
The Singto we see here is a far cry from the actor who brings such a memorable presence to other series like 'SOTUS' or 'Friend Zone' (either season). Here he has a soft vulnerability which is befitting a person who was ill for much of the time he was alive, and who never had a chance to experience love before he died. As I watched him here I really forgot that he ever played in those other roles. Here he justifies his reputation as one of the all-time greats in Thai drama and BL.
Another big plus: this is a BL that features two leading men who identify as gay -- not simply 'gay for you' or some other dodge.
I like that the mystery aspect is not overdone or drawn out too long, although the guilty party probably should have faced a few legal consequences for what they did.
I'm also not sure about the idea of a ghost who needs to sleep at night or who can touch living people and even get intimate with them ... but this is no time to quibble! :) A fantasy series like this gets to make its own rules, and the ones established here are all for the benefit of driving the story and pleasing viewers. We would have all been very sad if the series had ended without the two leads being able to express their love physically. (And wow, those moments are magic as well.)
Finally, having not been spoiled on the ending before watching the last episode I was delighted beyond words over how everything ultimately turned out.
101 stars out of 10.
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The story is great and it makes this drama amazing. I was taken by the idea from the beginning. I love some romance but it's always good to have little plots to make the drama come alive and this had it all from court to family drama. I appreciated the age gape too because I think it made their relationship more dramatic and I've seen age gapes done greatly in some of my favorite dramas (Dal Ja's Spring and Biscuit Teacher Star Candy). The cases they had were very interesting too and I loved how the writer connected everything down to characters and situations together. It was like a big spider web to me.
I was very impressed with Lee Jong Suk. This is the first drama I've seen him in and I know I'll be watching School 2013 after this. I thought his acting was amazing in this drama. He conveyed a lot of emotions in all of his scenes and I thought he was perfect match for Lee Bo Young. The chemistry between these twos are amazing! I so brought their love for each other. The chemistry between the cast is great as well too. Jang Hye Sung is such an awesome character. She has to be one of my favorite female lead characters now. I love how snotty and witty she was and her attitude about certain situations. I think she is a very relate-able character. I loved all the characters, even secondary characters too. The characters are well fleshed out.
To add on, the best thing about this show is the character development. All the characters are developed towards the end in there own way. Even Min Joon Kook had character development and I loved it.
There is only one TINY problem that I had with the drama and that is the extension. It was very noticeable that the drama was extended when it reached episode 17. There was so many flashbacks scenes in that episode that it took up the first half of it. But it's only tiny so it might not be that noticeable to some. It still didn't take away from how great I think this drama is.
Overall, I think this drama is amazing and definitely will be added on to my favorites list. It's downright hilarious sometimes and has great chemistry between all the leads. You have great secondary characters and you overall have a great story. I definitely see myself watching this drama in a couple of months.
PS, I think I said "loved" a least twenty times in this review so it must count for something :)
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I'm surprised nobody did a review on it, I mean why ? It's such a great movie !
The story kept me on my toes all movie long due to the characters unpredictable actions. This is the kind of story that squeeze your heart and never let go until it is over. It is about a mother that wants to save her daughter and a man that also wants to save his mother. They cross path with each other and this is where madness begins.
But more than that, it is about how far people can go, what they can say, do and become, in order to save the life of their beloved. It is very interesting from a psychological point of view : both main characters are becoming crazy. Crazy.
I wasn't too sure about the others actors as I only knew Kim Yoon Jin (the reason why I watched this movie on the first place) but wow they were good ! Kim Yoon Jin of course once again proved me how talented an actress she was but the surprise came from Park Hae Il : I didn't know him and I wasn't expecting anything from him but he played his role perfectly !
There was only a few times where you could hear music on the background but it is not a bad thing because this movie is already very sad as it is so we didn't need some choking sad song to remind you that you're watching a sad movie. Silent moments were perfect.
Rewatch value ? Of course no need to say I will watch it over and over :) . This movie is like a lesson, I still have a lot to learn from it.
Be sure to watch it !
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It's so different from most dramas that I watched. I feel like most Korean dramas keep it very innocent when it comes to relationships but Que Sera, Sera pushed all the limits when it came to these relationships. The drama is so dramatic in a great way too. It had my emotions all over the place. I wanted to cry, smile, and even pull my hair out in frustration at the situations and characters sometimes but when it ended I couldn't help but feel completely satisfied with the outcome.
The characters are great and very real. I think the cast is great as well too. There is a great chemistry between the male and female leads. Kang Tae Joo is an complete A-hole. We get this male lead character in most dramas but not to this extent. Kang Tae Joo is the boy that you would never want your daughter to meet at all. He's really the definition of a playboy and I love that Que Sera, Sera showed what a real playboy is like. To me Kang Tae Joo is one of the most interesting characters to watch in this show and I loved to watch his character development and growth. I think Eric did an excellent job portraying this character.
I've re-watched this drama plenty of times and it never gets old to me. I still feel all the emotions that I felt before.
I was so scared for the ending but everything overall ended up good. I think ending was actually perfect for a drama like this. I will say this if you're the type of person who's just looking for a regular romance with the piggyback rides and tiny pecks than this isn't the drama for you. But if you're looking for something exciting and an intense romance (when I say intense I mean INTENSE) then this is the drama for you in ever way.
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But I have been bothered more & more by Lee Ha Na - I always did like her but not so much now. This really became obvious as I watched this version - because I MUCH prefer the Thai actress!!!
That said, the story is pretty much the same. I feel some details were left out of this one, but it wasn't terribly noticeable until the last episode, where our killer's back story wasn't filled in as much, nor was the hunt for his lair as exciting. Not sure why since both had the same number of episodes.
Our male lead did a great job of being a crazy obsessed cop, & our killer really outdid himself - neither were quite as good as the Korean leads, but they still managed to put their own unique take on their characters.
I found this very watchable, and entertaining - I'd highly recommend it to anyone, in fact.
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Great Cross-Dressing and Beautiful Ending
Recently, there have been quite a few cross-dressing Chinese dramas and The Heiress is one of them. I was hooked to this drama right from episode one because of the amazing cross-dressing, the plot, and the acting. The overall storyline is pretty serious but the dynamics of the characters and their relationship are hilarious and adorable. I was really enchanted by the acting of the female lead and her dynamics with the two male leads.The heir, Han Shi Yi (You Jing Ru aka Una You), is supposedly the son of the General of the Han’s Army which guards the northern border. He is ordered by the Emperor to the capital because the Emperor is weary of the power of the Han’s Army. At the capital, Han Shi Yi is required to attend class in an academy which is meant for princes and nobles. Disguised as a flamboyant playboy, nobody knows he is actually a girl because her identity is switched with her murdered twin brother.
At the academy, Han Shi Yi meets the prince, Chen Ting Yi (Jiang Chao) and the son of the Prime Minister, Wang Zhong Yu (Wang An Yu). At the beginning, both Cheng Ting Yi and Wang Zhong Yu fight for Han Shi Yi’s support as they covet for her family’s powerful army as in palace politics. Han Shi Yi tries to stay neutral as getting on any one side may bring imminent trouble for her family, and she mustn’t expose her disguise as this would be punishable by death. Unbeknownst to themselves, the boys are attracted to her. Everyone thinks they’re cut sleeves. Even they question themselves of their own sexuality. However, very quickly, both discover her real gender and they help cover her secret because they are both in love with her.
You Jing Ru is actually a very beautiful woman. Dressed as a man without much makeup, she is very convincing. Her character as Han Shi Yi is flamboyant, bombastic, crafty and egregious, trying to annoy everyone around her to throw them off. But deep inside, Han Shi Yi is intelligent, kind and wise; she sees what others don’t. You Jing Ru’s portrayal is simply fabulous. I love the way she pretends to talk and fool around, twisting her words and fooling everyone. I love it when she fights with Wang Zhong Yu, naming her tortoise Wang Er (Wang Zhong Yu is also known as Wang Er) in retaliation to him naming his pet piglet Miss Han. The naming is super funny because Wang Ba (8) in Chinese means tortoise, and Wang Er (2) is like her calling him a brother of the tortoise. And Wang Zhong Yu’s use of the piglet to tease Han Shi Yi also has deep symbolism here as in the saying of pretending to be a pig and eating the tiger, calling Han Shi Yi a pretender.
The 5th prince Chen Ting Yi has a cold personality with no smile. Jiang Chao is a perfect choice as he is extremely good looking with a cold-face that is emotionless. Having said that, he does smirk whenever he approves of something, and that smirk usually says a thousand words. It is very funny when a cold face character meets a flamboyant character as in Han Shi Yi. Their interaction is hilarious and endearing. However, I find the chemistry of Han Shi Yi with Wang Zhong Yi much better than she has with Chen Ting Yi.
Despite his father the Prime Minister, an archenemy of the Prince, Wang Zhong Yi doesn’t get involve in his father’s politics and schemes. He is good-looking, artistic and romantic. For Han Shi Yi, he is a good friend that can be trusted and she goes all the way out to protect him for the treachery his father has committed. Wang Zhong Yi is one of the most well written and loved second male leads in dramas and Wang An Yu’s portrayal is closed to perfection.
The story is mostly funny and the dialogues are hilarious until episode 19 when Prince Chen Ting Yi and Han Shi Yi are separated as they go their separate ways to wars. The war scenes are authentic and Han Shi Yi's fighting choreography as a general is very convincing and beautiful. As with all wars, the scenes are sad and heart-wrenching. There has not been any misunderstanding between the two until this point. The whole misunderstanding and the dilemma faced by the Prince cause their rift and doesn’t resolve until the end of the story. Given the final statuses and positions of each side, I find the ending brilliant, beautiful and appropriate. Although without an explicit wedding scene, this is a happy ending.
By the end of the story, there are no loose ends. Everything is reconciled properly, all the characters receive appropriate retribution or rewards. The editing and screen play are good too. If you don’t mind some tropes such as love triangle, underwater kissing scene, falling off cliff and surviving scene, amnesia scene, this drama is a good watch. I have really enjoyed it.
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