Reviews

I hated this drama so much I had to leave a review to warn innocent people who start to watch this drama in hopes it will be good. It started off great until Young Shin fell for Kyung Soo there is no justification or explanation it is sick even if they are not related he raised her since she was like 8 and all of a sudden she's like 24 and he is in love with her. Also what was the point of the whole Jung Hoon complication why did they spend like a quarter of the show building the relationship and showing us their struggles if she was going to ultimately end up with someone else. I would like to just advice other people going to watch this show don't get attached you would be greatly disappointed . This has to be one of my least favourite daily dramas and I have watched a lot of insane ones.

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Let's face it, we know what we expected, another melodrama with unrealistic scenes, bad dialogues and horrible end. However, this drama was slightly different.

To be honest, I was planning to drop this drama after the first episode because I really wasn't in the mood for a tragical drama. Then, I gave it another chance and I am glad that I did it. With each episode, the drama got better and better and I was almost biting my fingers when I had to wait for the next episode. This drama is addictive for sure. I usually can predict almost every situation in drama and I really appreciate when the drama is unpredictable and it is still surprising and shocking for me to watch and this drama obeyed my needs.

So why didn't I rate this drama as "outstanding"? That is easy. I didn't like the last 3 or 4 episodes. Those episodes were, well, not really good, in my opinion. But I sort of like the ending, even though it wasn't really a dreamed ending.

Another requirement for a good drama is the music and here, the music was outstanding! If you love OSTs as much as I do, you will love the music, both - the instrumental and vocal.

The cast was great as well. Frankly, I started to watch this drama just because of Ji Sung and he didn't disappoint me and I found few actors, who were new faces for me and I am planning to watch something with them afterwards.

So to sum up, if you are looking for a real DRAMA, this series is just the right one for you! Great music, great acting and addictive plot.

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slice of life highschool BL (need a Tanaka/Katori spin off)

Overall: this is a slice of life series that floats on vibes rather than plot. Aired on Gagaoolala/Viki (depends on your country)

Content Warnings: manhandling

What I Liked
- Amagi being honest during the gardening
- the perspective shift in episode 1
- their conversation in episode 3 was wonderful*
- supportive friend, specifically Katori (I need him to be a lead in a BL, nerdy guy with player guy - sign me up)
- that they held hands a few times, cute moments
- the OST
- production value

Room For Improvement
- the multiple time skips back and forth in the first episode made it feel choppy, also in episode 4 and 5
- each episode feels more like a contained story rather than there being an overarching plot
- finally explained in episode 4 why Takara liked Amagi, wish this had been shown sooner
- there were times they were somewhere and suddenly the next scene is elsewhere
- not a fan of the dynamic of a low affect/unusual affect guy and the happy go lucky guy with low self esteem
- *unhappy with the very ending as Amagi gave a clear signal of not wanting to do that
- their haircuts and blurry face/lips (but I didn't take off points for this)

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Say "no" to slowburn romances - there is only an obsessive love from the very beginning!

Some of you, who watched at least 5 minutes of this drama, might be surprised for such a high rating - 8.5/10. Well, the story isn't good. It's very cringy and from the beginning it was a hard ride to watch. I was having a hard resisting to drop it after only a couple of minutes. I was constantly telling myself "This is so bad! Why did they even make this drama? Why?" BUT! There is a way to enjoy watching this drama and even want to rewatch it!

First of all, the story is awful, really. A college student girl falls in love at first sigh with a yakuza boss and he falls for her very fast without any reason - there is only a lust. They don't know their story, their personalities, their likes and dislikes - just two unknown people meeting each other by accident and felt in love in 5 minutes. Awful, right? It was hard to believe that there was some deeper feeling... BUT! Given that the drama is only 9 episodes with duration of around 23 minutes per episode, okay, I understand. Still, they could start the story with already sort of established relationship between the leads and give us some flashbacks to let us know that the feeling didn't come this fast. There is only lust, smut and skinship holding this relationship. I can feel an obsession vibe very strongly. There is also another reason the director gives us - the two leads are very afraid of having no tomorrow - there is always a possibility that Toshiomo won't be coming back. Each day might be his last. So both leads act like there is no tomorrow and just rush the things. And that's one of the reasons that the drama is different from others - no slowburn romance. Only obsessive love from the very beginning.

The actors playing the main leads, in my opinion, did a good job. I especially liked the subtle little gestures that Furukawa Yuuta made acting as Oa Toshiomo - where he was angry, happy, annoyed, obsessed - each time there was a lot small gestures on his face. It was fascinating to watch. I also felt that all the actors believed in their characters - they did them justice. The acting was one of the thing that made me want to stay watching the drama.

The production quality - guys, I've seen some j-dramas and the poor quality, is the reason I stopped. The production quality is very important to me and it's one of the most important reason I usually skip lot of scenes, fastforward etc. And here the quality was on a very high level, in comparison to other j-dramas. Especially the light effect - omg, it gave me so much laughs, whenever the light was too strong to even let us see the character's face, but all in all, there was a storytelling behind the light choices. A bit of an artistic touch, some fun with good music choices - all these made me feel attracted and fascinated. Whenever there was something on the character's mind they made an interesting choice to picture it - the mind and the inner talk of each chacter - picturing their minds like some other, exotic places. Especially during the smut moments - I didn't understand it at first - how did the main couple ended up in sakura garden? Like WHAT's going on?! Why?! Later I realized - it portraits the blessful feeling they experience, right? And each time after the smutty they ends up in kimono and full make up - is this how they see each other? There are many (not so little) things I can interpret in an artistic way and it's interesting.

This drama was so different from many others. It gave me feels, laughs, confusion. It made me want to watch it thinking: "What the heck is going on? Wait, why? Oh, of course, this is sooo cliche." - all over and all over again. But still a great watch! Truly! I was so sceptical after the first episode, but actually a bit sad after the 9th - is there going to be a 2nd season? Because after some time, that we all need to adjust to the thing that we are watching, I ended up feel addicted to this obsession of the main leads. The chemistry was WOW!

I feel like rewatching it some time in the future, because the drama isn't very long, it's very fast-paced and intense. It gives the vibe... Interesting, sort of.

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1) The reason I watched this:

This film has been in one of my collections for over a year and I really have no idea why it was there. Anyway, I just decided to watch it having no idea what's its theme or main actors. At first, I thought it was a Korean film but when it started I realized that it was a Chinese film. I had second thoughts but I watched it anyway.

2) Storyline/Plot:

It's a multiple stories film; the sort of production that usually sound appealing to me because you would feel diversity and lack of blank moments.

Positive points:

*Three sisters, three love stories and three different places.
*The way all the three stories were combined together was pretty well done.
*Watching the three stories at the same time was fun since you would watching one while anticipating what will happen in the other one, that was sort of cool.
*Even though the three female leads belongs to the same family but there were great differences which was one of the positive points that counts for the storyline.

Negative points:

*It may feel rushed sometimes.
*One of the stories didn't feel as deep as the other ones: there was a little disorder there.
*I still don't agree with the title "love in space" because only one story happened in space while the rest was located on earth: it felt a little unfair.
*This is not a unique storyline so don't expect a lot of depth, just enjoy another typical rom-com.

Story: 6.5/10

3) Acting/Cast:

*Generally speaking the cast was pretty good considering the fact that I am only familiar with two actors here.
The chemistry was enjoyable and captivating.
The second sister was annoying as a character but the general acting was actually cool.

Cast: 7/10
Acting: 8/10

4) The ending:

Two stories were combined at the end; that was kind of cool .
The ending was nice, not intense, a little light.
It was a typical rom-com ending that anyone would love to see on screen.

The ending: 8/10

5) My impression (How did affect me):

*Considering the fact that I am not a fan of Chinese romantic comedies, this was pretty cool.
*It's not one of the best romantic comedies that I've seen but it was a decent way to pass time with since it was exempt from boring moments.

My impression: 7/10

6) Overall:

*If you're rom-com lover then you would like this.
*Don't expect much from the film's title.

Overall 7.5/10.

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Melancholic, contemplative and sublime

RATING: 9.25/10

Lost You Forever was not one of my most highly anticipated shows this year. After all, four men after one woman didn’t sound like a convincing enough reason to watch a show. But thankfully, the trailer of this show really drew me in and I’m glad I went on this ride.

I have to admit - this is one of the best shows released so far this year. The first episode had me in tears, and logically there’s no reason to cry during the first episode of any show - because you don’t know characters well enough to care for them so much. But it was touching and mournful and it immediately felt like a special show.

What makes LYF really stand out is its contemplative approach. It is extremely slow, but never draggy. It builds a convincing world with interesting characters, all with their own stories and traumas. Our four leads have rich histories and have lived for hundreds of years. I like how this aspect is not brushed aside, but is actually fleshed out. For one, they feel mature and world-wise. In the case of Xiaoyao, the abandonment she experienced multiple times in life makes her hesitant to hope for things. Cang Xuan losing his parents tragically at such an early age forces him to grow up fast and pushes him to want to protect those he loves. Tushan Jing is the embodiment of forgiveness and kindness that in spite of suffering so much, he never seeks revenge. Xiang Liu is bound to his benefactor and has his own tragic backstory, but always cares for Xiaoyao secretly and from afar, without seeking rewards. Although it may seem like LYF is a romance show, it is not. Every character exists for things other than love, but love definitely connects everyone. This show has all forms of love present in it, which at many times transcend romantic and physical love.

These are some of the things I love on this show:

CASTING: I have to say that all actors are exceptionally talented and perfect for their roles. This was my first time watching Yang Zi in a full production (I’d only seen her for a short while on another show), but also my first time watching Zhang Wan Yi. I’ve seen both Deng Wei and Tan Jianci before (albeit in minor roles). Everyone has done a stellar job, including supporting actors. There’s no fault I can pick here and I look forward to watching all these actors in their future projects. It is because of their amazing performances here that it has been so easy to cry. I also need to mention the child actors who played Cang Xuan and Xiaoyao in the first episode - they were so amazing!

MUSIC: I have to give a special mention to the music in the series. The songs are beautiful and inserted at the right moments. I also did not expect Tan Jianci to sing so well, so that was a pleasant surprise. Other than that, the instrumental score is phenomenal and elevates the show and the emotional core of the show. I’ve been listening to the soundtrack on loop and it immediately transports me back to the show.

THE WORLD BUILDING: Because the show takes a very slow approach to storytelling, the world feels very well-fleshed out. It feels like an alternate universe with its own unique rules. At the same time, it feels lived-in and realistic. This is hard to achieve for many shows and I commend LYF for doing this so well. Can I also mention the cute fictional animals like feifei (poor thing), as well as Chubby and TSJ’s white fox - they’re all so adorable.

EMOTIONAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL DEPTH: I have lost count of how many tears I have shed watching this show. I think there are some very small, seemingly insignificant moments that are given so much emotional depth. Also, because characters are so well developed, it is easy to see the bonds between them and be emotionally invested. One of the aspects I appreciate most about the show is how the seemingly unimportant interactions between characters reveal so much about the characters themselves. It is quite difficult to achieve such a balance, but LYF nails this wonderfully. Furthermore, the show asks a lot of philosophical questions about life and the nature of existence. I really appreciate that approach.

All in all, I don’t have anything bad to say as such. I think seeing Xiaoliu/Xiaoyao being tortured many times during the first several episodes made the show very difficult to watch. Not my favourite bits. Similarly, Jing being trapped with Yiying because of a long-winded plan hatched by his grandmother, Yiying and Hou is not my favourite story arc. Jing’s grandmother, Yiying and Hou truly suck.

Now I’m waiting impatiently for Season 2 like everyone else.

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Not Good Enough

Korean Drama '' Pandora : Beneath the Paradise '' is a sci fi melodrama.

The drama is messy, using too many genres, but failing to deliver in any of the fronts it opens. From a boring melodrama, to an eye-rolling spy thriller, the drama didn't handle its twists well, and so the story ended up being hard to keep up and hard to believe, even for a makjang. It seemed like the drama wanted to explain things that got out of hand by using unbelievable technological achievements without explaining anything further. Also, there were a lot of plotlines that were left half baked or unfinished.

Finally, the performances were good enough, even though the script didn't aid them.

So, overall, three out of ten.

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Cuteness can't save everything!

This one had the hallmark fake dating trope and it got off to a pretty good start, but it lost its footing in the middle and it was only partly redeemable in the end. 

The leads Yuha and Min U, had this awkward but cute chemistry that just worked. They weren’t over the top or too intense. Min U is the overthinker, always trying to keep things under control but clearly unsure of what he is doing half the time. Yuha also doesn't fall far from the tree either. He comes off as confident and charming, but he has his own battles to fight. It was fun watching these two emotionally stunted adults fake date their way and try to act unbothered while slowly unraveling.

But somewhere along the way, it got a little messy. Maybe it was the short runtime or just 1 episode per week that made it seem a bit incoherent or the fact that they tried to squeeze in too many tropes and unnecessary drama. Instead of exploring the characters more, the story leaned on tired cliches like throwing in a random female character to cause drama. We really don't need this in 2025 and especially when runtime is already pretty limited.

The second couple, Taeha and Jaemin had potential but didn’t get enough screen time to make their relationship feel believable. They were cute but it all felt rushed and surface level. It was all "blink and you will miss it" romance. I see them more as close friends or even if it was romantic, it was more from Jaemin's side.

On that note, I wasn’t a fan of Taeha’s character. He came off as manipulative and the whole "I did it out of love" excuse didn’t sit right with me at all. In my head if someone is like family to you, you just don’t lie to them and mess with their life in order to protect them, considering that person is an ADULT. The way it was glossed over and hugged out left a sour taste in my mouth.

Also there were too many beauty filters on actors faces. They were already handsome and charming, the plastic doll finish wasn't needed.

Overall, I did enjoy the first half, which makes me a little disappointed. It’s one of those "too many cooks and tropes destroys the soup" situation where everything is in there, but nothing gets enough time to shine.

That said, it’s still a light and a short watch. I would recommend it if you like fake dating tropes and aren’t looking for anything too deep. It’s fine for a one-time watch.

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WARNING: this film is for adults it has a lot of swearing & violence.

OK now to the film itself it came on TV & I decided to record & watch later. I don't think I would have have heard of this movie on MDL etc. & got round to watching it thanks to FilmFour.

The story is about Sang Hoon, a debt collector & thug. On the face of it he is a vicious low life & a thoroughly unlikeable character....that is, until we get to know his back story and see glimpses of his vulnerability behind the tough guy façade. He meets a schoolgirl by a chance violent encounter and they form an unlikely friendship. She too is living a wretched and solitary existence and these two kindred spirits find solace with each other.

This film is an unrelenting, brutal and visceral tour de force. I would not recommend it to the faint hearted. The main actor, Yang Ik June, was simply outstanding in his role. I had seen him in a supporting role in Innocent Man, but in this he was so impressive, no hammy over acting like a lesser actor might have done. He played the role with a calm desperation, its like he became Sang Hoon.

There is very little music/OST in this film and I think that just adds to the gritty realism of this film.

My re-watch score is (as always) low this is not a reflection of the film but the fact that I rarely ever re-watch.

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Do you have regrets from the past? Things left unsaid or sorrys undelivered? This drama is all about that.
I really connected to the drama since I was in an all-girls school and the concept of uniting two schools into co-ed sounded fun to me. And the best part is that they made it fun. All the students were shown struggling with their own battles, and I really loved how they together with the teachers could sought them out. I loved how the teacher was more of a friend to the students. It was really touching to watch him struggle to atone for his mistakes by making sure that he could bring happiness to the school.
I am in love with Nishikido Ryo. He was adorable! I don't really fall for sissy characters but he totally won me over. The way he adapted into the role of an innocent teacher trying his best while carrying the weight of the past was commendable.
Amazing acting and perfectly executed script. Though in the beginning I thought it was slightly perverted, there wasn't a second that I got bored.
It had a lot of good things to learn but what I found best was: Stop carrying the baggage from your past. If you have to say sorry, say it soon. If you want to say i love you, say it soon. Because with time, others might forget your mistakes, but you won't. You will have to live with them every single day. So the sooner you let go, the better, and then you can happily spend the rest of the time making things right. I loved how Hara Sensei turned into this incredibly amazing person with a warm heart in order to make up for his mistakes but through out the series I wished he didn't have to suffer so much.

A must watch! Beautiful story. Beautiful Cast. Beautiful Acting. Beautiful emotions.

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This is a cute drama that could’ve been great if not for making the female lead incredibly smart sometimes, terribly annoying other times, and staggeringly ingenuous for the most part. Rain Lu, as Shi Hua Hua can do cute and innocent very well, but her romantic scenes were not the best. Luo Zheng, as Zhou Zhi Fei, did very well delivering his role, especially when his traumas brought anguish and characters changes to a very smart and seemingly collected CEO of a major corporation. Although there are a few antagonistic characters in the drama, especially related to corporation takeover attempts, the skeleton in the closet was not really Zhou Zhi Fei’s blood trauma but his brother, Zhou Zhi Ran (poorly played by Ye Hao Ran) which turned out to be an evil character with supposedly good intentions that suffered from psychopathic behavior that is difficult to justify. Overall, a nice romantic and lighthearted drama about a mismatched couple finding love was ruined by writers trying too hard to create a mysterious and evil plot line that didn’t fit the overall drama’s tone and atmosphere.

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It had a good start but eventually the drama became boring and nonsense. what a stupid ending, doesn't it mean that the story will repeat itself for ever and they will never be able to do anything against the will of the writer!!! even if they succeed to be together, they will start this suffering all over again once the story is ended!
It feels like a cliche tragedy reincarnation story, don't let the good start fouls you, don't believe that this drama is different because they made fun of other cliche dramas.
Honestly, it should have been a short web series instead of 32 episodes drama.
I'm disappointed :(

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Wuxia show featuring friendships, youth and ethics

I loved this show so much, i was watching it on VIKI and then paid subscription to YOUKU so i could watch the latest episodes! The actors playing the characters did a great job, and I enjoyed all the fight scenes/CGIs. Every episode has been nail biting and i havent felt it has dragged on at all. I usually fast forward drama shows with annoying jealous 3rd parties thankfully theres none of that here. The show focuses on friendships, integrity and forgiveness towards self and others.

I feel the romance between Qianluo and Xiao Se is a bit extra, not feeling any chemistry between them. Ao Ruipeng is the perfect actor to play the gullible but loyal Lei Wujie. Li Hongyi captured Xiao Se's disdainful looks and elegance well. Lie Xueyi gave a moving portrayal of Wuxin, who is plagued with a troubled past. Some scenes really moved me, like when Wuxin saw his master before he departed for good. There seemed to be many lessons on life in this show. All the side characters and stories enriched the show without being too long/complicated either.

Overall a great show which i had stumbled upon and im so glad i started watching it!

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That was one ridiculously fun ride! ?

Another completely biased review from me to you.

The story sounds like your typical wuxia/xianxia drama but trust me this is not! The humor is just spot on. The ML is outstanding, my favorite form of snarky ML who doesn't take himself or anyone else seriously at all. I am absolutely in love with Pan Lu Yu and can't wait to see more from him! And even though it is a short length series with each episode only 10 minutes or less (plus intro/exit music and credits) the story is so well written!

Lots of spoilery bits below:
The story starts out with the ML doing some sort of ascension trial (?) and ends up dying. That scene is when I knew this series was going to push all my buttons in the right way! The ML breaks the 4th wall and deadpans into the camera "I'm doomed.' His expression and delivery made this sweet perfection! 😘

The ML wakes up in the recently deceased body of a guy who was pretty much a lazy waste of space in his life and proceeds to snarkily have fun with this new life, going from a supreme being to a wastrel! 🤣

Along the way we meet his 3 gorgeous fiancés, his adorable maid who thinks he is the best in the world (everyone needs someone like her on their side!), his beautiful martial arts master, a foster brother who hates him and is constantly trying to get rid of him and talks smack to his father about him, and a father who treats him like dirt and definitely favors the foster brother. Not to mention a pair of incredibly badly over-acted villains with hair so bad you just know it's camp, right?🤣 Oh, and an evil prince too.

The quality of this series is way higher than most short dramas. The writing and direction are superior. The job the stylists did was fantastic (except for the villains of course). Even the OST is great. I let the opening credits play each episode cause I love the song!🥰

Oh, and the story ends nicely but then gives us a To Be Continued! I hope this is one that actually gets a second season 🤞

So what are you waiting for? Got watch this now! With only 24 ~10 minutes episodes it won't take up much of your time and is guaranteed to make you laugh!😍

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