Best Drama In 2023
This is the best drama series in 2023, in my opinion. The casting was superb - Zhao Lusi and Chen Zheyuan are both excellent actors and lived up to expectations in the series. They personified their roles so that you really cannot imagine anyone else playing the characters of Sang Zhi and Duan Jiaxu. Their chemistry is electric. They are physically so comfortable with each other that you will probably think they are a real-life couple. Many of their fans in fact, have been clamouring for them to work together again. This is the first time Chen Zheyuan has taken on this type of role - his character is generally more mature, calm and steady than what I have seen in his previous work. It's a good transition for him as he takes on lead roles in 3 upcoming dramas, all of which are quite serious. Special mention also to Victor Ma - very natural, totally believable as Sang Zhi's older brother. My only wish is that they had kept to the novel where the lead characters' age gap is concerned. There's a 7-year age gap in the novel, but in the series, the gap is reduced to 5 years. The OST has a good mix of cutesy-sounding tunes with a couple of touching ballads as well. Definitely songs to add to your Spotify playlist. If you want to have a warm, fuzzy feeling from watching a good movie or drama, watch this. It'll have you crying and laughing along. Most of the time though, you'll probably have a goofy smile on your face - the series is just that sweet! Happy watching!Was this review helpful to you?
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Good but something is missing
— SPOILERS AHEAD —I really enjoyed this show and I think the premise was really really good. The acting was brilliant too, some standout performances in Yiyeon, Lee Dongpil and Jang Gido. The romance was also just enough which I felt was fitting for a story like this. However I have a few reservations with giving it a higher rating purely because I think it failed deliver to its full potential. There were too many loose ends and not of the ‘open ending’ type. All the cases that were shown in the earlier episodes were discarded with no resolution. All that happened in the past was also not explained well. How was Lee Dongpil still alive and where did Chisik find him? Especially since the police couldn’t. Also, it seems like Dongpil had sent a letter to someone when he was still in prison. How did Chakhee’s grandmother find that letter? Next, how did Sibaek take a dead kid’s identity? Did Chisik convince the Jwa family to take in an orphan? Why did the police pick up and torture his real parents in the first place if the issue was only with Eunsoo? How did these corrupt terrible police officers go on to become such big businessmen? How did Gido marry Haran? She said their marriage helped Byungchun rise to where he is. Also Daehyeon, Gido’s aide brushed hands with Haran once and then they didn’t show anything with the two of them. What was the point? When Haran was trying to sabotage Gido, someone else sent information about Yiyeon. They never went back to that or explained who else was trying to hinder Gido. Coming to Chakhee’s father, why did he leave and how does Chakhee have a working relationship with now? He’s mentioned as an ex reporter who writes exposés on the Jang family. Surely Chakhee would’ve read one? If not, why did he not try to tell her for so many years? So many unanswered questions. This should’ve been a normal 16 ep series and they should’ve spent some more time on the details. It was still engaging and I love the characters but it felt like writer’s room lost their notes while making the show.
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It Gives You Depression
I waited for this drama because both the male leads are in my top ten favorite actors. This drama is so slow that the little happiness you get it not worth it. After the 5th episode I began to hate this drama. I felt like the abuse wife that wont leave her situation because she is afraid to leave the abuser. There is more crying and deceiving in this drama then I ever have seen. It is so depressing until the bitter end that it was better to see the evening news then watch this. Our life has it's own misery every day and I don't want to watch it on T.V. I felt that I was in "Edger Allen Poe" poem "The Raven"Was this review helpful to you?
The story itself is fun and well paced, nothing is really going to surprise you, but Peter Chan and his cast make that ok by delivering a sophisticated light comedy/drama.
The main actress and actor do a phenomenal job. Yuen does a good job as a boy, and still comes off as loveable and sweet, without being annoying or overbearing. you can't help but root for her. Leslie Cheung is spot on with his role, and the supporting cast do a great job as well.
I will say one stumbling block for many will be the age of this film, at almost 20 years old it might be a turn off for some. I think however that if a film is good, time doesn't really matter. And this film, in my opinion, seems to hold up well.
I would also like to note that there are some more adult scenes in this movie (unlike so many of the closed lip kiss is the climax of many other films). So please take into consideration that this is definitely geared towards adults.
Overall I would say if you like GB stories and don't mind the old school feel this is definitely a movie you should check out.
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Takashi Miike is known to make extreme films with plenty of violence, sex and sexual violence. But he is also known to have a message and a meaning with it all, it is not shocking or controversial for the sake of being so, and this is what makes Visitor Q a surprisingly deep and touching film. I warn you though, Visitor Q is not an easy or comfortable film to view.
Even for the most hardened viewer this is hard to stomach. It is violent, there is incest and necrophilia and many odd fetishes throughout. This would deter most people but if you are open minded and willing to break out of your shell this movie is oddly funny and touching and has a really good message about family.
The story is simple, but this is not a bad thing, it allows room for all the characters to develop over the course of the film. It is the actors who should be commended for taking on such a challenging film, they all do such amazing jobs at portraying sick, perverted people.
If this is your first Miike film I would strongly recommend seeing Audition, Ichi the Killer or the Dead or Alive trilogy before seeing this as this is easily his most confronting film.
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Went out on a whimper
This one started off so well and it had so much potential. Then for some reason the writers decided they wanted it to become a melodrama so we had like 3 episodes of unnecessary drama instead of getting actual rom-com moments. The final episode felt too rushed, especially since episode 11 felt like a waste of time. I'm really disappointed because I really liked the cast and story and in the beginning I was so excited because I thought this would end up being a great rom-com drama, but I should have known better than to trust kdrama writers. They inserted the same old tropes that I am sick of and yeah, annoying. Disappointing. I still enjoyed it up until like ep 7-8? But after that, it just got worse and worse and by the final episode it was too late to salvage it.Was this review helpful to you?
I like this couple in Kissable Lips, but that drama's storyline is not my favorite. I honestly like this office romance better.
Even the side characters isn't boring, they actually helped to make the story more entertaining.
The acting felt awkward sometimes, i think that's also because of the camera angle. They could've done the flashbacks part better, it looks choppy. And idk where, but it feels like there's some plot holes.
It's just one of those dramas that's not great, but still entertaining.
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I felt like this drama depicted a few different sides of being a fan of someone's work. The lead character, played by Min Young, has a successful career and, although she genuinely cares about her idol, she puts her life and responsibilities before any fansite work or other type of fangirling. Her best friend, whom she met through a common idol, has put fangirling aside in order to take care of her business and family. There is a slightly judgmental husband, who ultimately does support his wife having idols, a "brother" who is pretty much the same, and a boyfriend who is completely sold on the idea of his girlfriend appreciating art and showing her support by being an active fan.
The twists and turns of the childhood connection between the leads requires you to completely suspend your disbelief, but that is a common trope for kdramas so I have a hard time complaining. The acting in the most dramatic moments helped, too, and it's difficult not to feel sorry for the characters even in their extraordinary circumstances.
I think the main characteristic of this show is that every character is beyond likable. They are endearing, funny and have well developed personalities. This is a story that's fun to watch, even if it could potentially make you cry toward the end. It has a lot of fluff, the soundtrack has the cutest pop songs of any other drama I've seen, and it will be difficult to finish this without looking forward to seeing all of the cast again.
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So good!
I have been watching Godzilla movies as long as I can remember. Most are enjoyable and enteretaining except the 1998 American made one. It's one of the worse movies I have ever seen.This movie has no right to be as good as it is! But it is good. Very good and a great movie to celebrate the 70th anniversay of the most well known kaiju in the world. Must be seen on the big screen.
I didn't know a Godzilla movie could pack an emotional punch the way this film did. It's a testament to the writing and acting in this film. Kamiki Ryunosuke, Hamabe Minami, Yamada Yuki, Aoki Munetaka, Yoshioka Hidetaka, Ando Sakura and Sasaki Kuranosuke. I'm listing all the actotrs here b/c everyone played their roles well. I also, must shout out the little girl actress. I don't know her name b/c she's not listed in MDL for this film but she was magnificent and I think she was only 3 or 4 years old. I can't give much away but the film explores survivors guilt, shame and forgiveness.
12/3/23
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All's fair in war and pottery
I came across Low Life by accident and the plot piqued my interest. After reading some comments that claimed that it was really underrated, I decided to give it a try just to check by myself if it's truly underrated. And oh boy, was I in for a hectic journey!Low Life's plot is not that groundbreaking. We have a bunch of characters who want to get their hands on some old pottery. Everyone wants to use it for their own benefit but eventually, all of them are made to work together in order to achieve their goal. And while on paper this plot might not sound that interesting, the way the series got crafted manages to present it in a way that makes you want to continue watching.
The story is taking place in '70s and just by watching the first episode, I almost felt like I had time travelled. Throughout the whole series, I was getting immersed by the visuals and the settings. Everything was done so meticulously, it's clear that a great effort was put to the production and the result is more than stunning. The clothes, the settings, the hairstyles, the props, everything was as accurate as possible, capturing the vintage vibe of the times accurately enough. I love myself a series with good visuals and Low Life was certainly a joy to look at.
The score was equally good. The soundtrack from the intro is stuck in my mind. The soundtrack was used effectively in order to create the proper atmosphere. Cheerful and charming when the scenes were lighter, mysterious and intimidating when the plot required a darker tone. I even got some western vibes and overall, the soundtrack matched perfectly with the gangsterish nature of the plot.
What I did not expect from Low Life was its subtle and black humour. It certainly cannot be described as a comedy but the series had surprisingly many good comedic moments under its sleeve. The gimmicks of the characters and their interactions were so funny at times, it's not your typical in-your-face humour but the subtlety was perfect for me. It really helped that the funnier parts did not feel forced at all. While some of the characters' actions and dialogues lifted the mood, it all came naturally.
While the built-up was slow, after the sixth episode the twists kept incoming. Bombshells got dropped, backstabbings kept taking place... The plot became hectic in a very entertaining way, I just had to sit back and see all this mess unfold before my eyes. The slow pacing was necessary in order to establish the ground of the story and the characters but once it was done, everything started to shatter. It was mildly amusing to see how the tables turned and I was very curious about the fate of the characters and the story.
What made Low Life so interesting was the characterisation. The drama is a classic example of an ensemble series. You have the main character, Heedong, but every character mattered and everyone played their role in the hunt for pottery. On the first episodes, more and more people got introduced and eventually, all of them became integrated into this journey. Personally, I had no issue following the different subplots and stories but I can understand why some people found the new additions confusing.
I want to warn you: if you are not ready to watch a story full of morally grey, corrupted people, who will hesitate to do nothing in order to achieve their goals, Low Life might no be for you. There are barely any characters whom I could describe as "good". And yet...I couldn't help but root for some of them. Yes, they did many evil things but once I got to learn more of them, I started thinking more about their circumstances and motives.
The characters' interactions and different relationships was one of the best parts of the story. I had a blast watching these dirty and corrupted people join forces in order to dig up more pottery. There were many funny moments among the crew and at parts, it was as if I was watching a bunch of teenagers. I almost wished that they would work together as a genuine team instead of trying to get on each other's throat. The tensions were very high and I just had to wait and see when things would escalate.
The story did a great job at revealing the connections between the characters. Instead of giving all the information at once, we got small montages of their backstories at the beginning of most episodes and by the end, it made sense why so many people got involved in this pottery adventure. All of these people found themselves tied to this mess either because of their own choice or other external forces. At one point, it was so funny to see how many people became interested in the ancient pottery and one could only guess how this would end.
The chairwoman, Yang Jung-Sook, was one of my most favourite characters and one of the most complex ones. The more I learned about her, the more conflicted I became. While I didn't support all of her actions, I could sympathize with her and understand where she came from. She started from the bottom and she wanted to reach the top. She felt suffocated by her husband's control and she wanted to gain more power. On the surface, she appeared as a cold woman but when she let her mask slip, I could see a woman in need for love and validation, eager to prove her worth in a world commanded by men of power. I take my hat off Im Soo-Jung, whose excellent portrayal brought the character to life. Meticulous, manipulative and alluring, she commanded the screen and I couldn't take my eyes off her when she appeared.
I also found myself rooting for Heedong, the main character. While he was anything but vicious, he grew up with messed up morals due to his involvement in his uncle's dirty businesses. Throughout the whole story, we see how he grows more and more distant from the world he previously knew. He lived a dirty and low life but his ethics were not shattered altogether. Yang Se-Jong did a great job at portraying Heedong's character, his facial expressions and body language conveyed Heedong's conflicted feelings and he was really good in the dramatic scenes where he had to express Heedong's pain and anger.
And of course I cannot ignore Ryu Seung-Ryong, who played Gwan-Seok, Heedong's uncle. He was perfect as a gangster who does dirty jobs for a living and it was so amusing watching him manipulate the other characters for his own benefit. He is far from being described as a likeable character but I had a blast observing his maneuvers and how he made the rest of his crew follow his orders. He was clever but money hungry and he proved many times that he wouldn't hesitate to go to great lengths in order to get more cash - even if he had to paint his hands with blood.
Low Life was much more than a mere adventure drama. Amidst the chaos, the betrayals and the search for the treasure, the series tackles various heavy themes. There is subtle commentary regarding class and gender differences. The characters themselves come from different backgrounds. Ultimately, it's these differences that shaped them and their decisions. However, there were some traits that they had in common: greed and ambition. Greed for more money and power and ambition for a better future. Everyone looked out for themselves and the force that kept driving them was none other than money. Just like Squid Game, Low Life is another kdrama that demonstrated the great lengths people will go to in order to gain financial prosperity.
During the whole series, Gwan-Seok repeated at Heedong that money can do anything. And we see that at the end when the chairman gets released from prison. Power and money are the catalysts in society and all the characters realise that. Desperate for more, they kept getting involve in the search for pottery and their desperation drove them to heisty and even paranoid actions. Even when they had chances to save their lives, they would always return to the pottery because they believed they could be saved by the money it would bring.
But was this all worth it? That's the real question. Sure, money and good status are very beneficial and they can certainly improve your life. But when does the hunt for more cash become too much? When do the lines between survival and greed start to blur? The drama raises some interesting questions and by putting you in the characters' shoes, it makes you wonder if you would have behaved any differently.
In the end, all of that was for nothing. Think about the tower of Babel. All of these characters poured so much effort in the search of pottery. Money, equipment, human power. They bought, bribed, deceived, stole, killed. They built their own "tower" just to make it crumble and shatter because of their own ambition and greed. As the saying says, "he who grasps too much, grasps little".
I enjoyed Low Life so much more than I expected. That being said, I admit that there were some moments when my interest loosened and sometimes, the pacing became slower than I liked. But that wasn't a big issue. My main issue was the ending. Many side characters did not get a proper conclusion and the writers did not tie up all loose ends. I understand that they probably wanted to leave a possibility for a second season but there's a difference between a proper ending and a rushed one.
Overall, Low Life was one of the most chaotic kdramas I've watched so far in the best way possible. I really feel sad for its lack of popularity among international fans and I hope that more people will catch up. Granted, it's not the typical style of a kdrama but more people should give it a try.
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Because this is drama review ill focus on it without making paralels!
Short without any space to bring some boring and meaningles moments, if you are into psyghology this is drama for you, fast developing of story could mislead you in many moments but in my opinion its a beautiful story of growing up pains, which is individual and inner struggle whille trying to find your true self. At first i was not satisfied with the end but when i think its kind of an open ending which bring its wievers to make they own jugment.
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1A kitchen sink full of tropes but so fun to watch!
My Romance From Far Away was cheesy and cliched but I so enjoyed it! With a good-looking cast, lots of witty and lowbrow humor and physical comedy, as well as themes focused on life teaching and character growth, this show gave us endearing scenes that made me laugh and feel good. There were also moments that made me want to slap the characters but problems were quickly resolved. After one annoying episode, a heartwarming one would follow. Plus we get the most satisfying ending ever!With all episodes now fully subbed in English, it is an easy and bingeable show.
The plot was nothing new - high society girl found herself in a traditional northern Thai village and ended up falling in love with the ML while experiencing some humbling personal growth. The ML also went through character growth as he overcame his feelings of insecurity about differences in status and wealth. In between, the side characters had their own enlightening experiences.
I appreciate how the show highlighted the northern Thai traditions, food and dialect. I also like that the show made fun of itself and its genre like the ML ’s father comparing him to the male leads in the old lakorns. Strong, stubborn and silent, Khunkhao, the ML often frustrated the viewers because he was slow to acknowledge and reluctant to vocalize his attraction and eventual love for the FL. The most irritating parts were when he was so naively dumb falling for the schemes of his so called ex. Just like in the old dramas LOL!
Still, Khunkhao’s actions were definitely louder than his words and ultimately just like other lakorns, we would forgive the ML for causing pain to the FL and we would cheer him on. Puen portrayed Khunkhao well except his stony gazes at times came across as being blank stares. He is just so adorable though when he smiles and I have been a fan since I watched him in Likit Haeng Jan.
Bua played our clumsy, cute, and plucky FL, Thofah. Even though I was at times annoyed at Fah’s inconsistent behavior; mostly brave and confident but also often became the whiny damsel in distress, I still rooted for her all the way because she was just so optimistic and determined. Bua looked amazing in all her outfits. In fact, a shout out to the stylist for this show since the clothes (modern and traditional) were lovely. I am not too sure about Bua’s acting. She did pull off the transition of Fah well; from the spoilt “money can solve everything” character who was used to getting her way to a more self-aware, humble and sympathetic one. However, there was something off about her expressions that sometimes made me think that her make up was overdone.
Together, Khunkhao and Fah made the romance come alive so enjoyably that it kept me coming back for the next episodes. Apart from our main couple, there were a 2nd couple and a potential 3rd couple. The relationships may have developed differently for these other couples, but their path to being together was also a fun watch. The supporting cast, especially Khunkhao’s parents, and his wingmen In and Jan also deserved credit for adding flavor to the story. Khunkhao’s father, Uncle Taeng has got to be one of everyone’s favorite characters since he was so wise, kind and patient, and was singularly responsible for making our leads reflect and progress.
The soundtrack list was short but memorable, and by that, I mean the songs were effective in evoking memories of the scenes for me. I like the opening song, and it reflected the lighthearted and fun tone throughout the show. For posterity, I included the song list at the end of this review.
Overall, I do recommend that you try out this show. Whether you need to cure bad-day blues or just a distraction, adding this series to your watch list might do the trick!
Songs featured:
รักได้รึเปล่า Ost.อ้อมฟ้าโอบดิน | ว่าน ธนกฤต - Wan Thanakrit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY0-4LckhXM
https://open.spotify.com/track/6tyYaFbNh5HeA6Xl3EryZr
เหตุผลที่ยังหายใจ (Still) - Tan Liptapallop x Tookta Jamaporn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxsk2yckAfY
https://open.spotify.com/track/22uJiJNMY6rJSaeRTbQi0o?si=Xy-1qXWGStu7ikPv2hmMHQ
คำตอบของทุกอย่าง - No One Else
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxx-6vEGTHM
https://open.spotify.com/track/1SmNutlpKCFi2qEspdk5EJ
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What can I say!! A lakorn without slap kiss / rape / drama cliches .. plus Barry & Yaya DO I NEED TO ASK FOR MORE??
It's a romantic comedy.
Grandma Daeng has got few kids but none of them wanted to work in the farm all got married and left their mother, Grandma Daeng lives with Darunee, her right hand house maid Aunt Kae and her daughter in the house, she has got farm workers
Ahit grandma's grandson, Ahit's dad stole money from his mother and ran off from home, Ahit is an agriculturist, he doesn't want to do a governmental job and he wants to work in a farm,but his dad is not that rich and he doesn't have a big land for his son to work,
He writes a letter to his mother and explains the situation , grandma accepts him..
Duranee & Ahit's path crossed in a traffic accident, Duranaee accidentally hit Ahit, after learning that he's grandma's grandson they start to bicker, D is afraid of losing grandma ( actually she's grandma's sister, grandma's dad pregnanted D mother and left her while her ma was pregnant, so grandma adopted D)
A does a great job at the farm, he made a mistake by growing the Cavendish Banana in his farm for selling. He didn't know that this kind of banana is seeded and inedible. When Darunee knew it, she wanted to tease him, so she didn't tell him that this kind of banana is useless and inedible. She also told all workers not to tell Athit because she wanted to humiliate him later.
Athit felt shame, very hurt and lonely in the strange land, so he went out to drink and got drunk. When he woke up, he found that he made a slip to Thongprasri, the grocery's daughter. He woke up in her room and she cried that he raped her. ( please keep in my mind that this drama doesn't have rape involved)
Duranee goes to Bangkok to study she became more mature, after grandma's death she has none left except Ahit, Duranee invies her friend to the farm, as she previously met Ahit and was in love with him.
D & A cousin is sort of in love with D, as a result of his mother's pressure.
D&A are in love with each other but it takes some reinforcement outside supporters to help them secretly for them to understand their feelings towards each other.
Yes sometimes you do want to pull out to tear your hair while watching, as these always misunderstand each other when it comes to love. :))
This is going to be a spoiler :)) but can't help it they'll confess their feelings to each other after auntie spiked their orange juice.
even some of Thongprasri scenes, some of her family's scenes were funny.
Yes it's a Happy Ending
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Story/Plot: The plot the concept of the movie is what I liked. What I didn't like is that its only an hour long and it ended pretty quickly. Just wen u r getting immersed into the character n get to know them, it ends. You don't get too much details and depths. But again as I said its 2011 movie so I don't blame them. The plot is still great for me and I love it
Acting/Cast: Both the actors potray the emotions pretty good. I won't say I haven't seen better acting or cast but they did well enough. Probably must b very awkward for them to work in a gay role. Still their sweet romantic scenes as well as wen the older one cries it hits my heart. U can see in his eyes the sadness even wen he smiles on camera. Its some good shit
Music: It music is more or less blehhh. Its ok nothing great though. But I wud recommend you to hear the song in the trailer of it. It's called 'Swan Song' by Robin Gray. Its really good. Suits the movie
Verdict: If you take into account that its a 2011 Korean movie and not compare it to recent movies then I think you might quite like it. Its sweet at first then sad and just pure heartbreaking in the end and I love a emotional rollercoaster. Watch it seriously
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