Reviews

Dead men walking.

This year 2020 must be the year of detective stories, there are so many that we are spoiled for choice. This one set in the Republican era (1911) hooked me with its dark, eerie prologue that immediately invokes a hint of the supernatural and the presence of evil. Twenty years ago in Fuyuan County, twelve beheaded escorts are brought back to life via an ancient ritual. But the mystery of these dead men walking's murder and the whereabouts of their missing cargo is never solved. Fuyuan County remains a remote suburb of Tianjin that is steeped in dark magic and witchcraft.

Tan Bodun is a rising young detective in with the Tianjin Police with a secret - he has a dark side that he struggles to suppress. Accompanied by his side kick Da Pan and his Westernized fiancée Luo Jiazhen, he is sent to the ominous Fuyuan County to solve another spooky and inexplicable murder that takes place in plain sight of the town's elite. On the way they stumble upon another case and encounter Song Chengmin, one of the scions of the affluent Song family. Aided by the local police inspector Zheng Jiewu, they pull at what appear to be disparate threads, more sinister murders occur and threads end up being linked and lead eventually to the unraveling of the twenty year old cold case.

What I really like about this drama is that the overarching mystery is well written and there are enough clues and suggestions along the way that when all is revealed, everything fits together and intuitively makes sense. Unfortunately I cannot say the same about the many sub-mysteries. As often is the problem with this genre, the writers tend to give in to the urge to write twists upon twists upon twists. After one or two times, this becomes confusing, tiresome and in some cases, the final solution is not the best, most convincing one. All of the main characters appear to have their own agendas and behave suspiciously enough to make viable suspects in the crimes. The problem is if they are not guilty these hidden motives are never fully explained, it is really done to create an illusion of probable cause.

Gao Zhiting is a really talented and likable young actor. I really enjoy his portrayal of Tan Bodun and his wickedly brilliant alter ego. In fact I much better like his alter ego but I don't really like that they went down the Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde route with the character. It would have been cleaner and more interesting if they just wrote him as a truth seeker with unconventional or occasionally morally ambiguous methods. The rapport and team work between the main characters is very enjoyable and feels very natural; I find Da Pan in particular to be hilarious. However, I am not convinced by any of the romances and I really dislike how Jiazhen turns into a spoiled, willful and immature brat somewhere in the middle to just create some romantic angst.

Although the ending clearly paves the way for another season, as far as the overall conspiracy is concerned it is very satisfyingly resolved so I won't call it an open ending. I wouldn't mind watching this team work together again, in particular if the overall case is as well written as this one was. The only thing I don't like about the ending is that one of the key villains for Season 2 is already revealed as a hook. That was unnecessary and will take a bit of fun out of Season 2 but not so much so that to dissuade me from watching.

Overall, this is a very entertaining watch even though not all of the sub-mysteries are interesting. I really love the spooky, supernatural undertones and rate this an 7.5 for that.

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Nodame Cantabile The Final Score II is really a continuation of the first movie. I wrote a review for The Final Score I and my thoughts there are very much the same here.

The continuation and deepening of both Chiaki's and Nodame's talents and relationship are the focus. And they both have to decide what they want and what is important. The story is told in the same funny, silly and charming way the whole series has been told. This movie is the best of them and usually with sequels, you can't say that.

More of my thoughts are expressed in the other review and I'd only be repeating myself too much.

The music is a 10. I can't give it any lower. I think I am more of a classical fan now.

I give the re-watch a 10 because I just got done watching a 2nd time.

I recommend the whole series highly.

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From a person who only watching this, not the original not the novel

I was scrolling on my Twitter when this pop up on my tl and a decided to give a try, I didn't expect much and didn't know nothing about it, just started because the actors look cute. But for me It was a pleasant surprise, the actors are very young and I believe this is the first series for the majority of them, but that doesn't mean they lack any acting skill, the series is very light, the acting feels fresh, the comedy it's on point. The two main leads have extremely good chemistry and make me very happy seem them together, the soundtrack is also really good. When I righting this it's only two episodes out and to be honest I can't wait to see the rest of the series, they had me sit for the first episode. I didn't watch the original or read the novel to compare, but what I can say is that this one really deserves a chance, it's a really sweet story until now.

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A high quality political historical drama

Grandeur in nature; this was a highly political historical drama of 48 episodes length based on real events (maybe not entirely but that’s up for discussion!) that occurred during the five dynasties and ten kingdoms. It focused mainly on the kingdom of Wuyue up until it surrendered peacefully to the Song Dynasty in 978 to spare its people from war.

Song China has been one of the well-known dynasties due to its success but I love how the drama had given spotlight to a smaller but thriving kingdom in Wuyue who’s often overlooked in history. It showed us the rise and the changes within Wuyue, the problems it faced, the things they implemented for its success, and the events that led up to its surrender to Song. On the other hand, we were also given a peak of the chaos in the central plains along with the changing of dynasties that occurred. With only 48 episodes, I think the drama tried its best to cover all the events mentioned above (which was a pretty good feat!).

From the first minute of the first episode, you could tell immediately that this is a top-tier content. This may not be an easy watch with all the characters being thrown to the viewers throughout the drama. YES it was confusing at first, but as the story progresses, you will eventually get familiar with all the characters and the role they play. I believe neither of the characters were good nor bad, but rather they were simply focused on doing what was best for their state. The only characters that I disliked were the young successors who were easily manipulated or were too foolish to rule.

The performance of every single cast is nothing short of remarkable, with seasoned and stellar actors delivering nuanced portrayals of their characters. The delivery of their lines was brilliant, and you could feel the intensity in every word they drop. I came here for Zhu Yawen but ended up loving every cast, most especially Bai Yu. The portrayal of Bai Yu as Qian Chu was phenomenal. He was able to give the youthful energy that the young Hong Chu should have, and at the same time, he was amazing with depicting the older, weary King of Wu Yue. Zhou Yutong may have not a lot of scenes, but her portrayal as Sun Taizhen certainly deserved applause. I remember watching her in the beginning when she barely had any lines and yet her facial expressions were enough to convey the character’s subtext and complex emotions.

The drama also gave a dash of romance between Qian Chu and Sun Taizhen, but I love that it was not distracting to the plot at all! They may probably be my favourite couple despite barely having any scenes together. They met when they were kids, grew up together, went through adventures and challenges together, and built life and family together. Despite minimal physical intimacy, the audience could still feel the characters’ deep mutual understanding and affection.

The production demonstrated exceptional quality and artistry, particularly through its authentic set designs and costumes. The music was no less exquisite with it seamlessly matching each scene. The narrative primarily features ministers and officials engaged in discussions concerning state affairs, with dialogue taking precedence over action. I find these conversations interesting, offering substantial value and insight. The dialogues were well-written that I often find myself repeating a scene just so I could take in what has been said and understand its complexity in its entirety. I thought I would get bored at some point, but that point did not come when watching this. The plot moved rapidly as it involves multiple shifts in power, numerous deaths, and constant changes throughout. The drama started strong and it kept its audience engaged until the end.

Although this drama is well-produced, it may appeal mainly to history enthusiasts familiar with the era or have deep passion in learning history rather than casual viewers. That being said, please still do give this drama a try! This was a heavy watch but so so worth it in the end.

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I really liked the over all plot of this drama. Hou Ming Hao is so adorable, acted pretty well for a youngster. The actor that stood out for me was the one who played Qi Mu. He's the BEST actor in this drama, i just loved the way he acted towards the end.  The actress was hard to watch because of her expressionless face or ...RBF. Her voice was very monotone when she switched "personalities." I understand her expressionless acting when she switched but her voice was equal to her expressions so it was quite hard to watch her. Although, her action scenes were quite fun. I love the CGI effects of the futuristic screens, it felt like a game or a sci-fi anime. I disliked the way they edit some of the scenes and of course the DUB the Chinese dub was so frustrating to listen to. It was worth it though. The intensity and mystery was what got me hooked on  this drama despite my pet peeves towards Chinese dubs. There is no romance  but there were little hints here and there.  I would definitely re-watch it again!

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Honestly, it was so good! I love the story so much that I even cried at some scenes lol. Its a very fun drama to watch because the story is really good. I started watching this because I was finding a nice movie or drama to watch on netflix then this came up and I watched the trailer and somehow got interested. I started watching it at a friday night and finished it sunday night lol. Yeapp its that great thats why I only finished it in a few days, it is worth it thoo, really. The story is nice and meaningful, it is funny and enjoyable. This makes you realize that family is really important. I seriously recommend watching this movie! I love it!!

also, the characters are good looking too so thats really great thooo ;))

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Poor Title But A Great Series!

Perhaps I am in a minority here, but I found this series to be quite good and watched it on a lark. The title was awful and that I think more than anything through people off and stopped the audience from watching. Yes, it is a 'ghost' story (duh) but it is quit good and the ghostly part of it really enhances the romance aspect of the story in a very adult way and not in an intended way. For a fantasy series, it was presented with reasonably expectations and felt 'real' if that makes sense. All the characters, including the 'ghosts' were likeable and relatable and were so ordinary that the scenes seemed so normal. Regrettably, I think this series was overlooked but it should be watched. I found it quite moving.

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What an incredible performance

I'll start this off by saying I am a big Jackson Yee fan, so there may be some bias, but he performed so well, especially given how new he is to acting. This is also my first review, but I had to for my fave.

The silent strength of both the leads never fails to impress me. The topic is very serious, and really quite heartbreaking at times. This shows some of the people who are outsiders in their social circles, but find each other and power through. The ending could be a bit confusing, but the emotions throughout the film really make it worth the entire watch. It's pretty sad, but still worth rewatching to see how well everyone does and see the happier moments.

I'm utterly impressed by how well the leads perform in this movie. Zhou Dongyu has incredible films, and this is no exception. I want to note that Jackson was not even 18 yet when he filmed this movie, and his mature aura is really incredible. It's totally different than his regular personality and its incredible to see how well he does.

Overall, this is an amazing movie, that makes me tear up even when I am watching the trailer. "You protect the world, I'll protect you".

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Insight With Stimulus To New Perspectives On "BL" shows

Y this series surprised me: bravery in displaying what many want to be left unseen.

While the portrayal of real issues isn´t something I´d necessarily "enjoy" watching, because it stirs guilt and doubts in me, the entire show should be considered a gift of insight to us. By making me question the industries, I also focus more on what I want to support in my feature, which is definitely not this type of working environment, hence, I will inform myself more of what I support with my views as a consumer. It is also nothing that should be left unspoken that is why I give the ...
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Story >> 8.5
... however, I still have some trouble looking past some coincidences and plot twists. Do they make sense? Definitely. Are they too much sometimes? Yes, but just a little. Portraying fates, that are close to what must have been happening behind the scenes of some shows, is a real challenge and I´m honest with you when I say they did an outstanding job. The excellency would have been if they kept their feet of realism firmly on the ground but they slipped into a more melodramatic direction, which is perfectly fine because it's a drama and not a documentary, I am just being a bit picky about that.

New Ship >> 9.0
The tragedy and dilemma of this story are not easy to bear but it´s definitely worth watching. It gives different POVs into the controversy behind the scenes of some Thai "BL" shows. And the truth hurts. A LOT.

The War of Manager>> 8.0
Similar to the first story, obviously because of the same environment, but also different in the base of the main characters and their significant differences in personality and behaviour compared to "New Ship". At some point, I was in denial that those kinds of greedy people exist in our world, but unfortunately for some actors/humans, they do.
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Acting / Cast >> 9.0
I really hope that Seng gets the credits he deserves for his acting, which was one of the best performances I have ever seen in my time as an Asian drama geek. His portrayal of Pan really hit me on many levels and I really can´t think of anything to criticise. Billy´s performance was also praiseworthy and I won´t forget about those two for some time. It´s just that all actor's performances combined I found some things I found somewhat irritating, thus giving Acting a 9.0.
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Music >> 7.0
I´ll leave it like this for now, because I am not really tempted by the music yet but I also don't find it disturbing or incorrectly matched/selected.
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Rewatch Value >> 4.5
This may not be easy to follow up after I highlighted how good I find the actors and most parts of the plot but because it is tough, me rewatching it will be unlikely. HOWEVER, this doesn´t change the fact that it is an incredibly executed series that I didn´t expect from a Y series, to be very honest.
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Overall >> 8.0

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This movie is quite short, especially when comparing it to movie's these days that run for at least 2 hours. I was contemplating watching this movie because of it only being 44 minutes long, but i'm glad i didn't make that stop me from watching it. I'm a big fan of thai romcoms and this one will be added to my must watch list. The movie is really a jem, and since it's only 44 minutes long, there wasn't a single second where i was bored. The movie is simple yet quite complicated at the same time. The movie is also very cleanly filmed and doesn't rush through anything.

it's a heartwarming movie that centres around a girl in her 20's and a child that she is forced to take care of while her sister(the mother of the child) goes on a business trip. I liked this movie because it centers around these two characters and their growth together, rather than wasting screen time on unnecessary love lines, although there still is a minor one. Their relationship builds throughout the film and you could really feel the chemistry with the two. the child is also extremely cute so beware of that. The movie builds the viewers emotions towards the two characters throughout the film, so you may need a tissue box. Overall, there is definitely a really great message that is sent with this movie that will touch anybody's hearts.

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