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A Good Watch, but could have been so much better
BL needle score: 6.5 - Moderate but adorable BL-nessI used to look forward to this series with a lot of anticipation...the amazing chemistry and connect between the main leads, good acting, good production values, and the realistic storyline, it had everything going for it...and it successfully created these hooks that made me wait with a lot of anticipation and concern for the the two young boys, Qi Lu and Qin Xiao, who were trying to keep their love alive despite powerful adversaries like that disgusting piece of shit, Qi Lu's Father, and one hurdle after another that came their way....the way they watched out for each other, often quietly, and at the cost of their own selves, the way they were ready to give up everything in their lives just so that the other could go ahead, was heart melting...in other words, I was very invested in the story and the characters.
But with all those positives, one major problem with this show was how it just seemed to focus on the build-up, the challenges and one blow after the other for the leads, till the very last 10-15 minutes of the show...and then it seemed like an underwhelming and abrupt end....like we didn't really get a full closure...as a friend said, it was '12 episodes of pain and build-up, followed by some quick text explaining the next 7 years of their lives, and just 5 minutes of happiness'...leaves you feeling kinda betrayed.
It ended with Qu Li and Qin Xiao being reunited and leading a happy life, but it felt like a lot was left unsaid, particularly in terms of resolving a lot of angst and resentment that the show built for some of the characters like Qu Li's father...there were hardly any payback for that, or even a plausible explanation of how Qi Lu managed to really get past the clutches of his powerful and oppressive father so easily...if he could go on to study Film-making in the US right after he went to Russia, why couldn't he do so even earlier? Also, the storyline of the second couple kinda got diluted towards the end and their scenes started to feel gratuitous to an extent. Maybe they had to censor some scenes out when the series got held up for some months in between (the routine thing that happens to BLs from China I guess)? I would have wanted to rate this as a 'Great Watch', but due to these flaws I'm giving this a 'Good Watch' rating.
Anyway, at least it has a happy ending, and it was comforting to see them be a loving couple, doing everyday nice things that loving couples do ....the lines at the very end were beautiful, when they revealed that Qi Lu and Qin Xiao had wished the exact same thing for each other - 'In the future, you must do what you love'...
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This review may contain spoilers
Sometimes, It's Just Not a Happily Ever After
Well, this is not the “married” you probably were thinking of when you read the synopsis. It is more to me of a woman who finds her place and voice in a marriage that was crushed by her drowning from being controlled by her husband.We are happily introduced to the married couple of Hu Cheng (Feng Shao Feng) and Ning Yue (Elvira Cai) and their beautiful son, Hu Zi Yuan (Andy).
Ning Yu was an award-winning employee on the Wall of Honor, a senior lawyer, a courtroom champion who rarely lost, and a rising star with a bright future in law. Her life was one written for a powerful career woman. But that was four years ago. Her home life was her new battlefield. She now stayed at home and took care of her husband, Hu Cheng, so he could focus on his work – Yaofeng Technology which he established.
Ning Yu gave up her career at the peak for her family. Did she regret. Not in the least. Not at the time. She felt that this was just a temporary retreat. She now felt she was taking her first steps to returning back to work. Over the past six months she had been offered consultation work with her husband’s support, working as a pro bono lawyer at a nonprofit service center. Her income was not that much, and the cases were trivial matters, but helping so many people in need made her realized she was valued.
Hu Cheng with his partner and confidante Zhou Wei (Victor Huang) were best friends who from college had gone through so much with making Yaofeng Technology a fortune 500 company. Zhou Wei knew all of Hu Cheng’s shortcomings and secrets. He always tried to balance him and counsel him to make sure he understood there is a difference between his family life versus his work life. Nothing or no one should come between that, if only he would have listened.
Cracks Being to Show…
Ning Yu loved her husband and was always easy going towards his every need, but somethings were a bit too much. She was not allowed to drink, focus on just getting pregnant again, because he felt Chinese woman looked good in a cheongsam dress that was all that she was pretty much allowed to wear at any event--so much so, when she had gotten her outfit wet when they were camping out, he brought her one of those dresses instead of jeans and lastly stopping at all cost her having a career again.
This was a poignant moment for Ning Yu when she told Hu Cheng that she was going to take a job offer to leave the pro-bono, nonprofit service center. Oh, that did not sit well with him. He tried various ways to convince her not to take the job until he relented. Or did he.
But as she was closing the deal to leave within a month, Ning Yu was given a case for a wife who wanted to divorce her husband. Her son found out and came to the center and blamed Ning Yu for trying to separate his parents. Not listening to anyone, he went to the second floor of the building and jumps.
This was the downfall of Ning Yu’s restart of her career. Hu Cheng took the opportunity to not only pay off the mother, the hospital bills but to also besmirch her name on the intranet to make sure that she would not get any job. He wanted to put her back in her “place” of being at home.
Meanwhile, Hu Cheng meets Tian Qiu Zi (Jia Nai) who becomes his mistress.
Lies…Lies…Caught
After the incident, Hu Cheng decides Ning Yu needs to get pills for depression. Again, another controlling way to keep her at home. Ning Yu believed that she didn't need any medication, but again to appease her husband she did. Still bothered by the incident at the center, Ning Yu went to confront Hu Cheng after seeing Zhu paying the woman at the hospital whose son jumped from the building, she wanted answers. Her answer was in the form of seeing him walking out of the building and putting Tian Qiu Zi in his car. This was a gut-wrenching moment for her. To see the man, she loves putting another woman in his car, her heart sank, and so did her believing him.
She did talk to him at home, but everything she felt was just more twisted way of him lying.
Knowing now that there is more than meets the eye with everything that Hu Cheng was saying she met up with Mu Xiao (Xing Yu Jing) her lawyer friend who now would become the ally she needed to start the process for a divorce. Ning Yu finds out everything with regards to Hu Cheng’s affair with Tian Qiu Zi and begins putting her plan into motion.
Mu Xiao does hire a man who follows Hu Cheng and gets damaging evidence to solidify Ning Yu's case to divorce him. The catalyst for her reconsidering is their son Hu Zi Yuan. They both love their son but at what cost could she leave her son in the environment with a husband who acted as he did. She did not want him to be this way. Divorce was the answer or would she give him another chance.
Trust One More Time...Short-Lived
After two incidences which we have Hu Zi Yuan being in the hospital for suspected leukemia and Hu Cheng being in a car accident. The car accident, I feel was the turning point for Ning Yu. She truly realized how much she still loved Hu Cheng. He in turned saw the look of desperation and anguish so he felt that he too needed to readjust his attitude and ways. So, with a serious talk, Ning Yu and Hu Cheng put everything out. All transgression, doubts, fears, everything to start fresh once again.
This was a good point of love for them both until we had Hu Cheng bring in his parents, as well as his man. he sent to investigate who had been following him. Only to find out that he worked for Mu Xiao who was a divorce lawyer and friend of Ning Yu. All bets were off. Hu Cheng was now out for revenge. He felt everything she said was betrayal and she really did not want to reconcile.
We get an opportunity to see how Hu Cheng was raised and why in some respects he was the way he was. His father treated his wife not like a wife at all. More like a slave to wait on him hand and foot, literally. The man would just hold out his cup to her and she would go and get the tea. Always washing the dishes instead of using the dishwasher. Cooking, I mean, you get to the point where enough already.
But Ning Yu sees what is happening and quickly puts a stop to this. With the help of her mother, they empower Hu Cheng’s mother to being painting and doing things for herself. Ning Yu hires help in the house to which this young woman sets Hu Cheng’s father straight. So much so that you will see the complete turnaround when you see the expression on Hu Cheng’s face when his father literally puts tea in his mother’s cup. This is where you see the perplex look on his face, not once but twice. When his father actually cooks dinner with the help of his mother.
His father talks to him and explains to him his faults and how he needed to let his mother teach him thinks and trust her in knowing that they will grow better as a couple if he would just treat the relationship as equals. Explaining further to him, that there is nothing wrong with a woman working. All this as you will see is a surprise to Hu Cheng.
During the time Hu Cheng's parents are there, you will feel your blood boiling when you see how the father is. It is so unnerving that you just want to cheer for Ning Yu and how she handles the situation to bring this closure about for everyone. I was happy to see it because I was hot to say the least.
Good Friends Lost...Deception Everywhere
Zhou Wei was always in the corner of Hu Cheng. No matter what his misdeeds, he was always there, never wavering in his dedication to him. But things finally took a turn when he just disappeared. This was where you see the true cracks in the armor of Hu Cheng. He is a man that likes to control every situation but, in this case, it was not meant to be. Zhou Wei had gone into the hospital -- liver cancer advanced stage. Finally, going to see his friend he was so apologetic and crushed to see him like this. He felt loss, remorse, anger, and wanted to help him only to have Zhou Wei blame him for everything that befell him. These were his last heartfelt words that he said to him before he finally passed away.
Zibo his nephew justified to his uncle, Hu Cheng his attempt to take out Mu Xiao. He thought that is what he wanted him to do.
And lastly, the woman that he deceived in his hometown who he stashed his money and property, took everything from him and fled. The day of Zhou Wei wake, the police came and arrested him for embezzlement.
Breaking Free
Ning Yu created an elaborate way to once and for all to break free from the grasp of Hu Chang. Her friend Qin Can (Xing Zhao Lin) who worked with her previously was an advocate who helped her as well as Luo Ya Ting (Sophia Hu) ex-wife of Hu Cheng. She made a clause in her contract, once she was able to work, for the company to sue her and mortgage her house should she choose to leave before her contract. Hu Cheng made her leave. Once Ning Yu showed him the contract, she knew he would fight her. This caused an all-out fight in the conference room. Knowing how to push his buttons, Ning Yu forced Hu Cheng to shove her putting her through the glass. This caused him to be arrested and put into detention. Allowing Ning Yu to file for divorce.
Freedom
Ning Yu planned well. She had her home established along with her mother. Hu Zi Yuan was becoming adjust to his new surroundings and loss of his father, since he was charged with embezzlement. Ning Yu took over Yaofeng Technology. Rises it from the ashes.
After serving his time, you will see a changed Hu Cheng. No longer is he a driven man for profit but a self-reflecting man on the loss of his family. You feel and see that he is a man that doesn't know which way to go. But you still have Tian Qiu Zu still pushing him to go back to his former self of running Yaofeng Technology. She feels that she has won her battle with Ning Yu only to have Hu Cheng come to the shareholders meeting and give over all his shares to Ning Yu, crushing Tian Qiu Zu. He gives his final blow to separate once and for all for Tian Qiu Zu by giving her all of his savings and breaking free from her,
I have to digress and say Hu Zi Yuan is such an outstanding young talent. His scene when Ning Yu takes him from Hu Cheng is the most heartbreaking moment to hear him cry. Hearing the words to Ning Yu asking why his father doesn't come to see him anymore, will make you feel like you just want to hug this boy. He is amazing throughout this drama.
New Beginnings....
We finally see that Hu Cheng gets his life together and begins working at another company once again. There is a good relationship with his son and Ning Yu. And it looks like there will be a budding relationship between her and Qin Can.
I have to say this was a drama that makes you go through so many emotions and makes you think about marriage. You see how it starts out so well but just falters because of several reasons because there is not just one. Not all marriages are like this, if only...well, one can only hope that all are not this way.
I definitely did enjoy this and the performances by the leads was exceptional as was all the cast.
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This review may contain spoilers
The aura of this series is characterized by the inspiring world of the orchestra and its musicians
Be prepared: "Maestra - Strings of Truth" is impressively led by a highly concentrated Lee Young-ae and set in a refreshingly rare environment for a KDrama. Focusing on one of the very few, but highly talented, globally famous female conductors, the aura of this series is characterized by the inspiring world of the orchestra and its musicians. We also meet management lounges and the luthier´s workshop. Enchantingly, this maestra and her particular orchestral world offer a quite unique and mature flavour of series experience."Maestra - Strings of Truth" lives from the psychological depths and relationship dynamics of the main characters as well as the pathos of the world of classical music. Of course there are also intrigues, love, yearning for revenge and more, but the focus is on the maestra as a person in her struggle with herself, her passion for music and her life challenges.
For the FL, her love for music is at the center of her being and aspirations. As far as the men in her life are concerned, they would rather like things to be different. However, the maestra has a good reason why she has consistently dedicated her time to the orchestral world. And when it comes to her work, she is uncompromising. Above anything else, she is delivering a perfect performance. This is non-negotiable. Some people would prefer that to be different too...
For her role as maestra, Lee Young-ae completed several months of violin and conducting lessons. Her 'first violin', Hwang Bo-reum-byeol, also took eight months of lessons specifically for this purpose. Considering, there's a lot of passion involved in this KDrama, even before filming even started... and you can feel it.
By the way, the idea for the story did not grow on South Korean soil. It is a K-style remake of a French television series that focused on the career struggles of the very few women in this profession. (Only five percent of all conductors worldwide are female...) "Maestra - Strings of Truth" is dramaturgically heated up by a fatal love triangle with collateral damage and an even more fatal family legacy that the maestra would rather do without.
Intensive. Atmospheric. Thrilling, too.
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Mature romance, yet balanced with the eternal youth residing in the feeling of falling in love.
"Second to Last Love" is processing the topic 'getting old in South Korea' in a playful, sometimes profound, sometimes tender way. 'Old' means having exceeded 40. An 'Ahjumma' can be a swear word for a South Korean woman. Also ´Ahjussi´ for a man. In German it would probably be comparable if the casual 'Du' among around +/- 30 year old people suddenly became a 'Sie' - then you know: now I've fallen out of the '+/- same age'...In South Korea, a large percentage of life revolves around looking good and looking young. Marriage is also a big topic - wedding photos are always placed accordingly large and dominant in the house or apartment. The family ultimately forms the meaning of life, so to speak, if you follow in the footsteps of tradition. In case you stick to this standard - look good, marry well and take care of an honorable family - then everything is fine. Just one step to the right or left of the path creates social turbulence. Women (and men too) must be prepared and able to stand this. The issue will come up more or less confrontationally on every occasion.
This South Korean peculiarity is the starting point for many a KDrama. In "Second to Last Love" as well. However, this story chooses its own fine style and an almost progressive approach to it. Age and age differences in partnership are brought up again and again in several respects. Likewise, married vs. unmarried. Not only the conservative, but also somewhat more free-spirited perspectives and opinions are interspersed in a refreshingly good mood.
While the female protagonist is a career woman and single, the male protagonist lives as the head of a patchwork family. His wife died long ago, as did her fiancé. (Not that they didn't want a partner...) They've both been living their particular single life-style for decades by now and have gotten used to it. They no longer expect anything to change. This is where the KDrama comes in and tweaks a few dramaturgical adjustments in order to shake them both up and question their lives, their life plans, their longings and decisions. They may be 'old' in the eyes of society, but their lives are far from over. And THAT is the key point! There is still time and space for new decisions, for change, even for a second love in the last half of their life. Apart from aging, "Second to Last Love" is also about taking responsibility for one's own life and one's own decisions, including new ones. Despite all the depth, which it doesn't shy away from, the KDrama also has a touch of humor overall.
The protagonists´ 'grown-up' relationship is so delightfully mature and refreshingly grounded. Kim Hee-ae and Ji Jin-hee embody this adult maturity successfully balanced with the magic of eternal youth that resides in the feeling of falling in love. Their rapprochement, their feelings for each other and their attitude towards the other form a pleasant contrast to the more enthusiastic youthful forms that the protagonists are also confronted with...
The story is embedded in a picturesque, idyllic landscape and also allows a look behind the curtains of KDrama industry. The plot and its difficult issues - 'aging' and 'taking responsibility' - are rounded off by a few secondary plots within the patchwork family and work colleagues. A bit of intrigue should not be missing either. Last but not least, and above all, there is the romance, which despite the obstacle-filled terrain unerringly and sensitively paves the way between the two protagonists...
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A well executed, beautifully depicted crime drama sprinkled with romance, humor, humanity
I started this drama based on a comment of a YouTuber when it was first released and am continually looking forward to each new episode release!Superb Storytelling:
This drama has been such a delight to watch as it is very well detailed and thought out. I truly feel like I am immersed in this faraway ancient time and learning with them the clues to every case as they unfold. It also draws out so many emotions of the human heart! Most of the characters are just not black and white one dimensional cookie cutters.
The director did a fine jobs taking us through each case, leaving little crumbs, weaving details from previous cases to current cases. Creating whole characters with backstories. We are left empathizing with characters and seeing that there is no black and white when it comes to the human heart. And while doing so, we also share in the FL’s own personal journey - it’s not just a game of winners versus losers.
**Please note that this drama is more of a "real" vs "fairytale" feel. There is a disturbing scene involving children even though nothing is scene that some viewers may want to avoid**
Scenery, set, costuming, and music:
How can I put it it? It’s been such a delight to see, to smell, to hear and experience the atmospheres and moods created. The costumes are exquisite and feel realistic as if they were of the time. For example, a very wealthy character (the most wealthy in the city) wore bright luxurious sheen purple outfits - not a color easily obtained in ancient times. The poorer common wore more muted colors with coarser, looser woven materials with hand sewn patches, hair dos are more realistic looking as well.
A lot of extra details help create the mood (visual language - borrowed from a fellow watcher). For example, there is a scene where people are preparing and celebrating the new year. Not only are the streets decked out for our eyes to see, but we can also feel and smell, and even taste the vibrant atmosphere. We see the skills in candy making and get a bit of a taste of it through our actors. Also displayed are noodle pulling, deep frying pulled dough, puppetry, dragons, drums, lanterns, performers doing some amazing shows. Children captivated by the shadow puppet show. Bustling crowds. At the Qi family household, we see a plethora of dishes served and the joy and warmth of a family gathering followed by an opera show. They didn’t need to go into such details but they chose to and it elevated the drama watching experience.
Music -
Oh my goodness, I didn’t pay attention at the beginning because it was so subtle I didn’t notice. However, as I continued to watch I discover how well the music and sound effects merged in with the story and enhanced the necessary moods. The fading in and out of the sounds and music were perfectly executed and timed even to specific words spoken and needed attention paid. The instruments used sounded wonderful. I can tell someone carefully and lovingly paid attention to every detail.
Acting -
Most of the actors, except the ML, are new faces to me but I’m sure they’ve been around for a while because their performances were superb. Subtle expressions, postures, actions, motions, gestures created interesting characters and interactions.
The Main Lead (Qi Meng Li) is the youngest son (2 very capable elder brothers) of a wealthy and powerful governor. He is like a naive foolish kid, raised with a silver spoon in a warm and loving family, without a care in the world, and sheltered all his life. He sets out to explore and experience the romanticized world that he’s been reading in his novels. The actor does a fine job portraying his character (even to our and the FL’s annoyance). However, we also see him grow and slowly mature as he interacts with the world and our FL and those around her.
The female lead - she is a very resolute and determined person with a very painful background that oppresses her but she works very hard to overcome it on her terms with her wits and smarts. Although she is a very upright person, she is also realistic, level minded, humble but not a doormat, smart but not condescending, no pretense. She’s a character admired by many and the actress is just great and conveying all this. The makeup is just right and not over the top ridiculous. Her determination sis admirable yet I don’t feel like a modern day female centric view is shoved in my face. It would be out of place like some other costume dramas I’ve watched. Also, the actress looks more mature which I thinks suits the character since she has faced so much hardships, suffering, and oppression.
I’ll spend some time mentioning the actor of the second male lead (He Peng) because his acting is just amazing. He plays a smart, gentle, educated scholar who earns his position as a magistrate of Linfen (a smaller town) purely on his own merits. His heart is to serve the country and the people and he stands his course even when it doesn’t benefit his career. However, he also has to tread carefully because his one backer is powerful not does not share his view of justice and compassion for the commoners . He is also under a LOT a lot of pressure from others and is a cautious character not always certain what to do when it comes to actions for his own future because he’s constantly considering all the factors. So he holds back a lot. This actor is amazing at portraying this character. I actually fell in love with his character and even wished he could be with our FL.
I appreciate story doesn’t dwell on milking unnecessary emotions from us. Yes, we feel for the different characters but in no way does it drag on and on.
Ok, if you’ve kept up this far, just go and watch it already. I don’t tend to write a review, especially while airing, unless it really left a strong positive impression on me.
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Overall, it felt that the whole story was kind of stretched-out, some scenes were so empty and slow-paced, I even thought about skipping the drama. I had the impression that the producers struggled to find a clear storyline, the series was like a long debate what the story is about than actually something happening. Moreover, I think the production quality is rather inconsistent. For example, sometimes fighting scenes were top notch (e.g. Zhanfeng vs. Daowuxia), whereas other scenes looked like they wanted to do more than they were actually able to (e.g. the Chinese boxing scene between Zhanfeng and Liemingjing and especially the flying scenes).
Digging into the story, I don't really see the connection between Yinxue's story and the story around Liehuoshan. The only real connection is the character of Ruge. Ruge is some kind of a reincarnation of Yinxue's former love, but you hardly get any info about their past relationship. The circumstance that this reincarnation is exactly Anyeming's daughter who happens to grow up in Liehuoshan for protection seems to be rather random. Thus, I feel like these two storylines are somehow seperate and do not really go together in the drama. Another thing about the story which bothers me is the overly self-destructive and self-sacrificing attitude of Yinxue and Yuzihan. I think at some point it's not credible anymore and the characters become too predictable.
Getting to the characters, Ruge is the main girl who holds the whole story together. She is described as "lively and passionate", but I cannot really see this in the drama. To me, "lively" is not the same as being childishly overenthusiastic which I saw instead. In addition, I rather see the opposite of "passionate" - her expressions seem rather stiff and forced. The fire element doesn't suit her at all. Anyways, Ruge is supposed to undergo a change from a rather lighthearted girl to a strong woman, which I can see to some extent. Yet, it is not pronounced enough. She seems too dependent on Yinxue to actually get to that state of being strong on her own.
Yinxue is a character which I cannot understand at all. First, I cannot see how this character fits into the story except that he has the job of saving everyone (not without a purpose in his mind though). That he has no clear place in the story is supposed to make him mysterious, yet I have the impression that he is "just there" and rather annoying. Yinxue has his darker past behind him and is portrayed as a spiritually and culturally versed character. However, his behavior towards Ruge does not reflect that at all. Starting with Yinxue trying to make a move on her when she just dissolved her engagement with Zhanfeng, he is continuously nagging her to give in to his approaches. His behavior is often over the top - for example, him being pouty because Ruge treats him coldly in the context of Yuzihan almost dying which requires her full attention. Yinxue's rather selfish behavior is quite appalling. Especially him playfully asking for a kiss in exchange for men's lives - exactly, how much is a life worth?! Later, he makes her temporarily lose her memory through his powers, and by this almost got to marry her. Although the underlying reasoning is to protect her from painful memory and to help her recover, that undertaking leaves a rather unpleasant "aftertaste". But I'm even more shocked with Ruge's behavior, because no matter how he behaves, she either seems to be just ok with that or she endures everything obediently. Nothing from which Yinxue had suffered in the past justifies his behavior. In his equation, saving someone for the sake of Ruge means he deserves her love. But love cannot be "earned". Clearly, I cannot see anything sweet in that "love story". It even makes it worse that there is basically no chemistry between the actors at all - even the tacky ending cannot save this.
Yuzihan is probably the most likeable character in this drama. Despite everything he went through, he is not hateful and doesn't even want to become heir to the throne. In later episodes he gives up everything for Ruge and is not greedy for her love. Even a healthy body cannot corrupt him. Is he human at all? Still, his character has the most depth, and his expressions are on point. It's interesting to watch his character developing and see him making use of his cleverness.
Zhanfeng's character gives me the impression that there is something missing, like that the character is not really fleshed out. You can hardly understand why he believes the lie about the death of his parents "just like that". You can see him suffering, but you cannot emphatize with him. The lie about his parents is the basic foundation of the whole story, but it didn't seem to be treated with great care by the producers. Precisely, the way how he was tricked into believing this lie should have gotten more attention. What is missing is basically seeing the exact scene how he got tricked, him trying to make own investigations in which he learns about buried (fake) evidence and finding out other people's lies which slowly feeds into his distrust, something like that. Watching the series gave me the impression that he trusts other people too easily (by the way, how does Yilang know about this "top" secret?). What is even more annoying, is Zhanfeng saying nothing in so many scenes. Although this is intended, it clearly feels that the dialogue part is missing. Weirdly, when Liemingjing and even Ruge learn about Zhanfeng believing that lie, they do not try to talk with him about that. If you see a person close to you suffer that much, in Ruge's case they even dissolved their engagement because of that, why don't you address it? Why doesn't Liemingjing tell Zhanfeng the truth to protect Ruge together but instead just waits until everything is messed up (even if he didn't see the benefit or need to prepare him and work on a plan together, he should have done so at the latest when he learned about Zhanfeng's Anhegong martial art skills)? What if Anyeluo accidentially meets Ruge who looks exactly like her mother, then the whole "masterplan" would be in vain? Furthermore, I don't understand why Zhanfeng humiliates Ruge in the beginning, it feels that this behavior is not really necessary for the story, and it doesn't explain his later actions when he is actually trying to be nice to her. Nevertheless, with regard to the acting, Zhang Binbin's portrayal of emotions is the benchmark for any other actor in the drama.
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A power-struggle between morals.
I started watching 'Extracurricular' on a whim, I didn't think much of it and just wanted to see something that was on Netflix. The simple action of watching one episode turned into a 10 h binge, and I have to tell you it was one hell of a ride. This drama didn't hook me on the first episode, I felt a bit hesitant: Will this be another unrealistic shitty teen thug type of story? But nonetheless I continued.After the second episode I knew, this is something else. The premise seems simple enough, a normal setup for a Korean thriller/action movie but this took it deeper. During the 10 episodes the viewer get to know its main character Oh Jisoo and his contrasting behaviors as well as his partner Bae Gyu Ri. The character work on these two was phenomenal, I loved seeing their facades crack little by little to show what these young humans held within themselves all along. Although they commit actions that goes by the law of morals you cannot help but route for this unfortunate pair. I personally related to the characters, especially to Bae Gyu Ri and her struggles to keep her image in front of her parents, the school and Jisoo. Although the circumstances that these characters goes through is unrealistic you can draw similarities to their struggles of fitting in, money, grades and love.
The acting was simply amazing! Nothing more is needed to say, all cast members seemed to act well in their parts and the production was done so smoothly that I almost forgot that it was all an act.
Well all I can say is that this blew me away, I was chocked at the amount of enjoyment I felt watching this short but thrilling drama. Everyone that enjoys to feel nervous and wants to see something a bit fucked up and dark: 'Extracurricular' is something for you!
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This review may contain spoilers
A must watch healthy relationship
This drama deserves a solid 10 from my perspective .I rarely writes reviews for drama just after finishing it but this deserves exception. . This is story of two people falling in love by understanding each other. So the lead have more screen time than any other unnecessary dramas. This is kind of healing romance with a realistic characters. The actors match the character so well that we can’t imagine anyone else as LZX and YSL.This drama is an example of how healthy relationship can make a person better. If someone asks a drama on healthy relationship , you guys can show them this for sure. No evil scheming ex-girlfriend or evil parents spectating couple or anything. All are positive people. His ex girlfriend even helped them to get together.
This drama contain romance, comedy and some lessons. The characters are well written. This is just a simple love story between two normal human being we see around ourselves. This drama is like reading a good book. You know reading some book in a chill atmosphere after hectic work , you know what I mean. There is no angst or much drama. The entire focus is on their romance and relationship. They do have deep conversations. Some might say all they do is having lunch and talking but if they listens to their convo well , you will know why they are having that convo. Also in my experience we like someone or develop a relationship by talking with them and understanding each others thoughts, likes and dislikes right?.
Ye Shi Lan(FML) is a paediatrician working in Anxing hospital . She is one of the character many can relate to. She has her own flaws also her own qualifications .She has a purpose for her life, she has a goal, she plans her life with practical way. She wants to fulfil her dream of buying a house which is an influence from her father. She is timid but she is aware of her flaws. She accepts her mistakes, apologise , she tries to correct things. One thing I liked that she was a pessimistic person , when Lu Zhao Xi(ML) gives advise her to think life in a positive way, she actually took it seriously and made herself positive. She is ready to accept the advices if its good. She is someone who we can make understand things. Her relationship with her best friend jiajia is also good. They are not typical best friends you see in dramas. Here they share everything with each other, they are not ashamed to talk anything with each other. Also Jia Jia gives the best advices to her instead of some crazy immature ideas.
I was able to relate to YSL in some scenarios like why she is thinking like that. YSL felt she didn’t deserve Lu Zhao Xi when she felt some affection or like towards him, she saw herself inferior and LZX had so many qualities so that she didn’t find a reason why would LZX like her.
The female lead got the most character development in the show I can say. In first episodes , she seemed unhappy, lack of confident, less outgoing , always keeps herself and always sees things in positive way also she started to get along with colleagues also. Later in episodes you can see, she became more vibrant , active , doing sweet talks with Lu Zhao Xi easily. Coming to our ML , Lu Zhao Xi, He is the one of the best ML out there. He is born in a rich family , he got everything but yet he is aware that he is privileged due to his family background . He is not the usual robotic face President/CEO. He is the main reason I got hooked to this drama. He is very considerate , influence people around him positively, respect others, very understanding. You can see in one episode where they were having an event for trying the birth pain stimulator for men and he came forward and gave some good speech there. So such things shows how thoughtful he is . He is a person everyone deserves in their life. He doesn’t misuse his power. He is very playful , easygoing and friendly. He is the standard for a man in girls life. He sees life in an optimistic way. Even when Ye Shi Lan misunderstood him back there in Taoyuan Village, he never took that to heart , he understood why she mistook and never judged her , even he tried to comfort her . When she came to back to hospital he teased her for fun but nothing serious , YSL thought he would take revenge but nothing like that happened. When he was trying to make her jealous but when thing didn’t go as planned he instantly felt regret and depressed because he felt he hurried YSL and affected her mood, he was worried about her. You can see when he realised he liked her more than momentary crush he was afraid to confess not because of the fear of rejection but because he was worried she would feel awkward to face him in future. That much he thinks of her. Lu Zhao Xi is not thunder Leo (usual type). He express his emotions, he express his love , he do a lots of sweet talk. Because even when they become together we will not awkward .
Their relationship is very beautiful. They respect each other , love each other and have a lots of admiration. They never fails to compliment each other and support each other . I love while developing their friendship first, they shared each and everything with each other, because when they become couple they didn't have any big secret hiding from each other. They know most of things about each other.
I watched whole drama with smile on my face. The confession scene was one of the best confession scene I have seen. Only real words, no honey coated promised . During the confession scene, Ye Shi Lan shared all the insecurities with him and I wanted to give a hug to her. LZX understood her worries. And he was able to comfort her.I love how Lu Zhao said, “Though I can’t promise only good things will happen to you in the future, even if something
Bad happens, I’ll try my best to make it in good direction”. I feel this line is good , because no fake promises like I will make only goo things for you in future etc etc. The dialogues are written beautifully , it’s like reading a poem or book. Also the Scenery of Taiyuan village is good.
In short I would totally recommend this drama to anyone. Definitely going to be in my Top list of fav dramas and rewatch list.
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Intelligent suspense takes its most elegant form in The Bad Kids
My preferences in entertainment go a little something like this: sure, I’ll give it a shot. Wait. It’s scary? Yes, I’m slowly backing out of the room.The Bad Kids is not horror, nor would I—even in all of my yellow-bellied glory—consider it traditionally scary. Even so, you'll be able to tell about five minutes into the first episode that this is not to be watched on any day when you want a fun, happy time. If fully immersed in this drama’s eerie atmosphere, I can wholly believe that you may lay awake that very night, contemplating the series of fictional events that you have borne witness to. It's an addictive kind of insanity. I’m definitely not saying this out of personal experience…don’t know what’s leading you to think that…
I strongly advise potential viewers to go for a totally blind watch-through; hence, I won't be mentioning any aspects of the plot here. Even if you usually do not care about being spoiled before watching something, you absolutely should not look up anything about this show before you finish every single episode. Central to The Bad Kids is how it produces a phantom instinct within your gut as you try to figure out what is going to happen next, and that engrossment in the story evolves into a part of your own satisfaction. Let the show work its wonders and let yourself absorb it fully.
One point about the story that should be mentioned as a selling point, though, is that while The Bad Kids is about crime, it focuses on that through relatable themes like family bonds. A major plus to the watching experience is how you are forced to form and change your opinions about each character based on how they treat one another—and in what situations. I’ve rarely seen characters being depicted with this degree of care in other works. They feel genuinely human: imperfect, self-contradictory, and emotional.
I was also impressed to the extremes with the acting. Imagine the perfection that's in not needing to fall to the level of typical high-school dramas, where the lead teen is played by a dude in his twenties with clear skin. That perfection exists in The Bad Kids, where each of the three child actors—whose roles are incredibly demanding—are literal children who do not falter at all within their roles. Though I’m giving a special shoutout to the kids, I don’t want to gloss over the other actors who elevated the story. Every cast member was flawless in their depiction of their characters and how they collaborated with one another to depict intensely real relationships. Qin Hao is also someone that I will be keeping an eye on in the future; the way that he balanced the good and evil of his character so naturally gave me chills.
The Bad Kids has skyrocketed up to become one of (if not the superlative) my favorite dramas ever. Days after finishing the last episode, I couldn’t fend off the temptation to start again: and this time, I took notes so that I could keep track of every possible hint that the producers dropped. That’s right—this self-proclaimed hater of note-taking in school willingly opened a notebook and clicked a pen just so she could wrap her head around this show. And I loved every second of it. You might take this as evidence that I'm a tad cuckoo in the head (you probably wouldn’t be wrong), but you’ll understand me as soon as the credits roll on the last episode. There's so much detail to process and make sense of.
If this level of writing, acting, and production could be held as the standard for Chinese dramas, then I am impatient for what is to come. Until then, I’m going to treat my drama withdrawal with perhaps a third dive into this show.
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In the first half, the KMovie is actually a one-man show. And that, I think, is the strongest part
"#Alive" is a variety on hip zombie stories. First things first: it doesn't have much new to offer in this respect - zombies as a plague that spreads fear and terror, a horde that you want to shake off or destroy, like disgusting, annoying vermin. Well, that's not why I would recommend this KMovie.I also don't think that you have to overstrain the reference to the Covid pandemic and the sometimes grueling current lockdown experiences that come with it.
Even fans of the horror genre won't be really happy with "#Alive", because "horrifying" can surely be done even better.
So why am I mentioning the KMovie here? The script revolves around surviving in an almost hopeless situation. However, the focus is not mainly on the action, but rather on the quiet moments in which the protagonist is ruthlessly thrown back on himself. There he is alone with himself and his inability, facing his insufficient survival skills, his loneliness and hopelessness ... and finally the desire to leave this world.
Oh Joon-woo isn't a born hero - perhaps he was trying to be in the day-long, night-long computer games, with his joystick in hand. But then the Internet connection is gone, no water supply, no food, no one can be reached. The self-chosen isolation in his room with his virtual game world, which has shaped him to this day, is one thing. Real isolation with real threats and no virtual team is something completely different. It's about that juxtaposition and the painful process of waking up to a NOW that's so different from the gaming world. Ultimately, the impulse comes from outside, which helps him to venture out of his safe cocoon into the real and thus truely threatening world.
However, the movie isn´t anti-technology. On the contrary, in playful creativity technical gimmicks, old and new, give the story new impetus again and again.
In the first half, the KMovie is actually a one-man show. And that, I think, is the strongest part. It's never boring. Actor Yoo Ah-in once again uses the chance to show what he's made of. In this way, the viewers accompany him through his very personal Hall of Pain, and there he hardly omits any physical form of expression. For this he has meanwhile been awarded the Cine 21 Award for best actor. After almost half the distance he gets support from Park Shin-hye, who embodies a character who pursues a completely different survival strategy - namely, she has one, even if she also reaches her limits with it. As is well known, more than one person form a group and a group develops its own dynamics, which can do more than each individual on their own. Here too. Both of them grow together. Heroes are rarely born as such...
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Apple+ hit the trend with best intentions.
The reasons I had anticipations for this mini drama were:1. It's Apple+
2. The amazing cast
3. The storyline
The fears I had:
1. It's a debut for Apple+
2. The drama is only 6 episodes
3. The director's debut in drama
And overcoming all my expectations as well as doubts, Dr. Brain has been able to present itself as a series of quality and it's an absolute treat, I want to aasure y'all that.
Dr. Brain (브레인) is adapted from the webtoon with the same title writhen by Artist Hong Jac Ga (홍자가).
Dr. Brain is basically a sci-fi plus investigative mystery thriller keeping Koh Se Won (Lee Sun Kyun) at the center of the story. He's a brain scientist who has been working on syncing two brains for a long to establish communication through memories. Born with peculiar brain characteristics he has had a horrible past yet manages to make family and do excellently well in his career. One day his world breaks apart as his family falls victim to terrific accidents in a short span of time, but being an emotional man, he rather invests even more time in his research. And oweing to his inventions he now start accessing memories of his wife as well as the people around her to get to the root of everything. He puts the best of his efforts to combine the fragmented memories together in order to draw a complete figure. And while doing all these, he gets to unveil the conspiracies and the biggest culprits who have made him miserable.
I must say, the plot development is absolutely wow in here. For a 6 episode mini-drama, it is very important that each and every part should impress the audience, which was successfully achieved by the drama. I personally wasn't much intrigued by the 1st episode (except the neuroscience research stuffs, since I am a post-grad guy in zoology) but the 2nd one got me awestruck, ngl. The suspense buildup throughout the series is indeed marvelous and the progression is well executed. The way everything unfolds bit by bit using the pieces memories from various different persons is really very intriguing as the story progresses. The revelations have been made at appropriate timings and the pacing of the entire show couldn't be more perfect.
I can't help but praise so much about the acting area of the drama. Not just that the drama has several master actors, also we saw their acting graphs rising to some other level than before. Ahhhhhhhh! The feelings of witnessing their plays is something unexplainable. Apart from Lee Sun Kyun at the top, we also have here: Park Hee Soon (Lee Kang Mu) as a private investigator, Lee Yoo Young (Jung Jae Yi) as Sewon's wife, Lee Jae Won (Hong Nam Il) as Sewon's colleague and Seo Ji Hye as Lieutenant Cho.
We also have amazing actors like Uhm Tae Goo and Kim Joo Hun as guest actors. Among other seemingly minor yet important characters are: Moon Seung Keun as Dr. Myung and Jo Bok Rae as Sergeant Park. I am particularly held back by Seung Keun ahjussi's acting in last 2 episodes. His pronunciations and dialogue delivery made my eyes to bawl out.
Kim Jee Woon PDnim is a very familiar face when it comes to Korean movies and he's proved his worth long back. However, Dr. Brain is his directorial debut in Kdramas and this is the fact that made me doubt about the results. But to my surprise and utter satisfaction, he has done so so so well that I can't help but applaud for him. If you see the storyline is almost like a movie's but still 6 hours is too long for making a movie. And he's successfully proved his experience despite that.
Cinematography is an aspect that's been taken care of very well. The camera movements as well as capture angles perfectly showcase the scenarios involving the puzzles put forth by the entanglement of various sets of memories inside Koh Se Won's brain, his interaction with multiple consciousnesses and his visions. The CGI is also very nice for the hallucinations, imaginations and dreams that Sewon was having as side effects. The sound production too is perfectly done to suit the moods and vibes of the drama.
Scripts involving brain and neuroscience is nothing new for Kdramas and moreover this is fiction. The theories of brain sync, put forth here doesn't make sense at all, at least for the year 2021 but the execution is so very good that it almost feels real, even to biologists like me, haha. I guess that's the magic of science fictions. Who knows these theories might become possible after a century or two.
Despite the mixed feelings, I honestly wanted the drama to do well. And for a matter of fact, my biggest fear was how the entire world is now immensely interested in investing in Kdramas. It's some sort of insecurity that I have developed recently which make me afraid about the originality of Kdramas, which is slowly becoming diluted by mediocre Netflix series. But Dr. Brain has come to my rescue as a beam of hope and I wish it continues to prosper and burn even brighter in the future.
Overally, Dr. Brain is thrilling, enraging, captivating and intriguing at the same time and in my opinion, it is a must watch. Please please please don't pass it down thinking it's apple+ debut in Korea. It's an amazing show as it is.
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Wake up in the midst of sobering contemporary everyday life issues of 3 women in their 30s and 1 man
With "Work Later, Drink Now", KDrama tackles a sensitive South Korean social issue. What starts as a cheerful, cool FeelGood series turns out to be serious business. Viewers are taken by the hand in a clever, light-hearted way, only to wake up suddenly in the midst of sobering contemporary topics, as we accompany the protagonists in their everyday life, work, family and friendship issues - here in particular: three unique young women in their 30s and one offbeat man.The KDrama points at a topic in which South Korea (though small as it may seem) is once again at the forefront of the world: alcohol consumption. There is so much drinking (and eating, because it's so common) on this show that just watching it can make you dizzy and a little nauseous. To the western eye, that may be WAY too much over the limit. For the Korean eye, it might have to be be sooo much for the audience to even notice that it is/could be too much.
The focus of the story is on three girlfriends in their prime who are hard-drinking and happy to drink. With their personality, they may at first glance be a little off the norm, but then again they aren't. They are (from each other) fundamentally different in their professional situations, socialization and life plans. But it is precisely in this way that they also offer viewers all kinds a sophisticated projection while following each one of them in their everyday life and various challenges they face. The dialogues are razor-sharp, the entertainment high value, the episodes compact. There's also wit, humor and music. This mixture plus the pace are obviously just right to pick up the broad masses of +/- 20 to 40 year olds and to present a mirror of their own living environment in an easily digestible way. The second season will definitely come...
------------ SIDE NOTE: --- Alcohol consumption in South Korea ---
Per capita consumption of converted pure alcohol in South Korea is world class. And rising. The World Health Organization certifies South Korea to be the leading country in the consumption of high-proof spirits. Drinking has established itself outside of private life, especially professionally at company dinners after work. These team dinners often degenerate into a veritable drinking spree (practically prescribed professionally).
After beer, soju is the second most consumed alcoholic drink - a colorless distillate made from rice and added wheat, sweet potatoes or barley, which is on the one hand quite cheap in price and on the other hand, at around 20 percent, is somewhere between beer and high-proof spirits (schnapps, vodka, rum or whiskey ) is located. So it can be consumed in large quantities, especially in combination with beer - and the hangover the next morning is inevitable. South Korea's national drink, soju, is the world's best-selling 'liquor' with around 90 million cases sold each year. Yet, the beer market is also happy about South Korea, which, (in spite of its comparatively small country size) is currently one of the largest and most dynamically growing beer markets on the Asian continent.
What begins as party fun usually ends sadly. In the short term, it may be a hangover. But if you practice this form of alcohol consumption at a high level over a long period of time, the damage to your physical health is enormous in the medium to long term. There are studies that show that even among South Korean students (male), every third (!) drinks to the point of unconsciousness (!) for more than half the week. It doesn't get any better in professional life. And if you don't have a job, there's another reason to get drunk. This has inevitable consequences not only for people and their physical/mental health, but also for the health system. The country pays the price of an enormous pressure to perform taken granted in the context of its own turbo capitalism - with the health of its population and moneywise with billions, too .
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This review may contain spoilers
This is a feminist movie. What kind of image does it conjure up for you?I can tell you that this isn't a story about a confident, "girl crush" woman. Rather, it follows the story of an ordinary woman and the gender based microaggressions she faces.
This movie isn't an easy watch precisely because it's so real (similar to Misaeng). You could only hope that all of those events don't happen to the same person in real life though.
I knew about the general plot before watching the movie but it still really hit me hard. At the start, I thought it was really fast-paced because it just threw you into the movie. But as the movie progressed, I got used to it and was able to connect with it more.
However, I think reading the book would help you understand the movie better. There was a few scenes that didn't feel resolved in the movie, but I think were explored in the book.
I was also confused if Kim Ji Young's behavior was supposed to be more metaphorical or literal. After reading some reviews of the book, I think I understand what it's trying to say. There was one review in particular that said she didn't have a voice in this society so she had to adopt other personas / mimic other people in her life to say something.
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Acting/Cast: The acting done by the cast was better than I've seen in most dramas. To say it was good is an understatement, there was such genuine emotion in each scene and it all felt very real. L and Yoon So Hee did such a great job with their characters and their relationship. The only thing that actually bugged me was about Taks character. At first, I really wasn't into Tak. I wasn't sure how he could turn into a complete jerk, even through such stress. It did frustrate me, but it was nice to see an imperfect character get knocked back to his senses.
Music: I'm really not trying to overdo this review with more compliments than it deserves, but the OST in this mini series was so note worthy. The soundtrack was so great to listen to, and it fit the band and the vibe of the show very well. I especially liked the last song, One More Time, I felt that song was absolutely perfect to finish the drama off.
Re-watch Value: I don't re-watch dramas a lot, especially ones with complex stories. I'd rather re-watch shows where all you have to do is laugh and smile. As good as this was, I might just save it as a memory, I don't think I'll re-watch it all by myself. With a friend however, I can totally do that.
Overall: I wanted to give this drama a 9.5 for how I felt about it after just watching it, but after some thinking, I gave it a 9 for everything I said above. With the ratings and the other review, you might think on skipping this one, but I'm here to say that this is a mini series worth watching. It's a 4 hour long ride, so if you feel like it's not you're thing early on, give it a chance to prove itself.
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This review may contain spoilers
"Woman of Dignity became one of the highest rated Korean dramas in cable television history"to be honest when I first read this title it didn't really affect me because I never believed that high ratings = great drama but since I love KHS I thought why not watch at least I'll enjoy KHS beauty & I'm happy I didn't miss this great drama I'll get into details with no spoilers at all so read it with no worries :)
What I liked about this drama:
1- It's not your typical drama in terms of story, acting or even characters. we have two female leads that are the main story in the drama with supporting characters that each have a story of their own just as fun as the main story with everything connected to each other I usually get bored of dramas that focus mainly on the female & male leads so this was such a fun drama for me.
2- It gets better with time, 20 Ep was a scary thing for me since usually the last episodes would get draggy but that wasn't the case with this drama thankfully, it gets better and it's just so fun that you won't be skipping anything.
3- I liked the light comedy that was added to the story mainly by Jung Sang Hoon, the humor was such a breath of fresh air in this somehow tense drama
I feel like if I write more I would end up with spoiler so that's it a small review about Woman of Dignity I hope you enjoyed reading it .
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