I have to be honest the acting was probably some of the worst I've ever seen in a kdrama.
You can tell the majority of them are complete rookies and crying scenes especially were hard to watch.
But the the plot is fairly lighthearted so the poor cast doesn't take too much away from it, just the occasional cringe scenes or awkward dialogues. The actresses playing Nari and Yuna show potential so I hope they're able to grow in future works, Mi Rae was passable, Sun Ji was very grating and hard to watch at times, Woo Kyung fell flat and forced at times, Jinhyuk was the only person I'd consider a good actor. and lastly Soobin was surprisingly well developed for a side character.
If you can overlook the inexperienced cast then I would recommend this drama. It's refreshing to see a story about female friendship in a high-school setting. The drama is fun and very binge-able. 12 short episodes left a lot of characters underdeveloped so I'd be interested in watching a season 2.
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Generally speaking, the backgrounds, clothings and everything meant to immerse us into the late Heian era are awesome, and they even shot some parts of the show in places/temples where no one had ever had the right to record something. The OST is great, though I found there weren't as many tracks as there should be for a 50 episodes long show.
Now if I speak objectively, I'd say it might seem a bit boring and difficult to the people who aren't interested in Japanese history. Mostly because there are MANY characters, and because the story's a bit complex. Personally, Heian is my favourite Japanese era and the Genpei war passionates me so I already knew all the details before even watching the drama. Which also leads me to say that historically, it's pretty accurate. Yoshitsune's story has been modified through the ages so you'll never find anything that is 100% sure to be true anyway, but this drama is definitely based on the Heike Monogatari and the Gikei-ki which are the two main works that tell his story. Some things I find important have been omitted (what happened to Yoritomo's as well as Yoshitsune's daughters...) but the main story's there.
As for the acting, I must say I had no clue about who Takki was before starting the drama so I just thought "let's hope he's good" and honestly, he blew me away. Like I can't even think of anyone who'd play Yoshitsune better than him, he was BORN for this role. And I don't think I'd have been so moved and cried so many times while watching the show if it weren't for him. The rest of the cast I didn't know either, but they did hella good in my opinion.
To conclude, this isn't a drama I'd recommend to everyone but to me, it's a 10/10.
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Watch and judge for yourself!!
I actually thought about not watching this series due to the bad reviews but I got curious as there are so many JoongDunk contents passing my social media, so I did! And honestly? The bad reviews are just too harsh, and here is why.1. People should stop expecting BLs to have super mega complicated plots, some of them are just classic fluff, and that is okay too.
I think Star in My Mind is that easy to eat cookie BL that you can snack lightly. It didn't have a plot that is too intense, a bit patchy but still enjoyable. Totally recommended if you're searching for BLs with simple stories. Also, for a cutesy feel-good classic fluff BL, this is good. Better than few that I know (Fish in the Sky, for example, cough). The characters are pretty basic, but Kluen is just a dumbass, not an asshole (except for that one time when he kiss Nuea in his sleep), and Nuea is not as self-centered as people mentioned. They are freshmen, for god's sake, their love story started when they are just high schoolers. It was a puppy love, it IS still on its puppy love stage tbh. Hence why they need to work on their communications. Freshmen men that they're only 18-19 y.o, and what do you even know about love at that age? Not to mention that Kluen is so bad at expressing his feelings to the point that his mom knows, which means that it's not something you can just work on overnight. And (SPOILERS) they've been in love for years, secretly, never had the chance to sit and talk it out, now that they meet each other again it's understandable that misunderstandings happen. Nuea did been trying to forget about Kluen for a year, so it is highly understandable that the unnecessary push and pull puts him to stress. Not to mention that all he did all this time was just admire Kluen from afar without making any move so imagine the hope and regret and longing that he went through. Just imagine your long-time crush is finally within your reach, one day it seems like you had a chance but the other day he wants you to move on? Ugh, imagine the stress. I think that is why his reaction towards Gia's sudden call is really bad it makes him look like an asshole. But hey, Nuea didn't know the real situation of Gia and Kluen's relationship, and here he is vulnerable. His over-reaction is just him breaking down, desperate, we are talking about years of longing here, so yeah, he had the right to be heartbroken. Though I think it could be better if the story could highlight more about Nuea's character's good qualities. Like why did so many people like him? Because he's smart and kind and hot right? Only mentioning the fact that he studied in German didn't do him justice tbh, there should be scenes that emphasize that for him. If he had three people seriously chasing after him, the story should've elaborated more on the reason why he is so likable.
2. Contrary to other negative reviews, the side characters actually have some presence.
I have watched BLs that have side characters that didn't have any presence as if they're made to just fill in the dialogues so it's not just between the MCs. But Star in My Mind actually put some screen time to the side characters. I especially like the female characters! Often times the 'girl friend' characters in BL are often portrayed as the ones who ruined the MCs relationship and just overall a pick me girl. But here Paphang and Gia are actually decent. Gia, especially, is way more chill than I thought she would be. I also love how there is a scene where Gia and Nuea had a proper talk. Same with Phoon! Although it annoys me that this boy is pushing too hard to make Nuea notice him, I still salute him for being mature and accepting his defeat. Sean is like Fong from 2gether the series, he is that one sane friend that slaps some sense to his friends. There are BLs who had 'close friends' group as the support role for the MC but never did anything to actually 'support' the MC, here Sean steps in when needed, intervenes when needed, and I think it's great! Everyone need a friend like Sean. While at first I sees Fah as that cheesy very kind brother, he is actually a good brother figure for Nuea and he did give Nuea solid advice. They have great chemistry too! And I like how they meet and talk often, it really puts how close and dependent Nuea to Fah is into perspective.
3. The chemistry between the MCs?
I actually expect Joong's acting to be plainer than Dunk, because most BLs usually made the 'seme' didn't do much action, just staring with that lovestruck expression and sitting calm being all handsome. Here Joong actually served more than Dunk, his skinship is natural and his kisses! Didn't seems awkward at all. He is also better at expressing tiny details in his expression. Kluen suits him so much, so big kudos to Joong Archen for delivering Kluen so well. While for Dunk, although he did okay in most of his scenes, there are times when his expression is awkward. The only thing I'm agreeing with the negative reviews is that, yes, Dunk's crying scene is pretty awkward to watch. But hey! This is only his first series! Now that Joong and Dunk had built their chemistry off-camera, I think GMM should totally give them another series in the future that could showcase their talents and chemistry, and of course, with a better-written story too!
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This review may contain spoilers
I know that the story would not be happy end It was a very excellent story and I don't even have words to describe the last episode It was interesting and Sad and perfect .He lived without memories Kim Soo-hyun was killing his targets and disappearing He want to have a passion from people
This drama has been good so far, I really hope for a good ending that will satisfy all of us who watches this. The plot is actually nice and I very much like the story. I'll definitely watch this again after the drama is completed. I was actually so confused at and I did not expect his father to be killed by his son
first, then I started to understand the whole situation of the story. I really like their acting, especially Chang Ki-Young. I wish him to have more offers like this, being an elite assassin suits him well. It's just so sad
Thanks for an interesting, sweet and sad story.
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Mature Fiction
If you don't know anything about the movie, you might be entertained. The first half of the movie, despite some nice music and eroticism, for me was quite boring, but in the second half, this mature drama movie turned into a suspenseful triller out of nowhere. I thought I will have to force myself to watch the entire movie but surprisingly it turned out to be a worthwhile watch. The main actors were a little static but solid. The main quality of the movie is the story with mature themes of complicated relationship and some unusual elements.Without revealing the story, I can mention a theme of reality. This movie is obviously a work of fiction, and it is difficult to accept it as realistic. Nevertheless, the movie makes us think what reality of our lives do we choose to live. There is a reality of our emotions and reality of our reason, the reality of our relationship and the work that we do to contribute to society, the reality of our beliefs, of our history, but there is also a hidden reality of our passions and imagination. Which reality do you choose to live?
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The thunder rolls: a work in progress
This is the first of this series that I managed to get this far through. Despite the appeal of supernatural mysteries and tomb raiding adventures, I was never able to get into any of the other ones. That said, while there are flashes of brilliance, the overall effort so far is at best mediocre with much hanging on how the various plot threads end up resolved.A cryptic message from Wuxie's uncle that sends the Iron Triangle - Wuxie, Pangzi and Zhang Qiling on a quest to decipher the message of the Thunder god and find Wu Sansheng. The story is off to an awesome start with heart stopping action and phenomenal world building. The scenes in the tomb have just the right balance of mystery, suspense, supernatural forces, hordes of foul and undead creatures and death defying moments. My eyes bugged out at Qiling (Huang Jun Jie)'s raw athleticism, fierce speed and fluid grace. Like most viewers, I love the Iron Triangle - their chemistry, hilarious banter and complimentary skills make them seem invincible together. So it is super disappointing to see the three amigos separate and off on their own.
The pacing is jarring - it alternates abruptly between gripping, life threatening action and mind numbingly boring and unnecessary filler episodes and characters. The entire Hei Yanjing/mute girl arc could have been cut by at least 75pct - there is little plot advancement and the romance is pedestrian. It could only have been worse if the girl can actually speak so thank the small mercies. That painful arc ends only to descend further into purgatory with the introduction of (drum roll) Piao Piao. While allegedly due to the heavy hand of censorship, at best she had three brain cells instead of two. Poor Panzi, he deserves so much better. It is offensive to see women written to be so dumb just to facillitate certain plot developments. By comparison, Xiao Bai is an adorable genius; even her lovesick eye batting at Wuxie is totally forgiveable considering how devastating and charismatic Zhu Yilong's Wuxie is. I am sure I will be unable to watch any other actor take on this role after this.
Although I quite like Warehouse 11, the Sea King's tomb is hard to beat and sequencing leaves Season 1 ending with an anti-climatic and unfinished feel to it. The reveals are somewhat predictable and too many plot threads are left open. If too much time passes before Season 2 airs, I will forget many of the important clues and open issues unless I invest in some rewatching. In hindsight, I should have started this after there is an airing date for Season 2 and that would be my advice for those planning to watch this.
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A hidden gem!
This drama hits all the right notes. Folks who trivialize saying 'this is Moneyball version of K-drama' are grossly downplaying the depth of this show. There is so much happening in each episode. The first episode instantly sets-up an intriguing plot and every episode unravels something interesting or tackles a deep rooted issue.Although its set against a Sports (Baseball) backdrop it isn't simply a Sports story. Please don't turn away thinking its a Sports drama. Infact there is hardly any on-field action through its 16 episodes length. It focuses more on the management side of the team and the problems that pop-up after years of under-performance. Along the way you may even pick up few useful tips on topics such as negotiation, presentation skills and general management.
What I loved:
- Great storyline (unusual and unlike anything I have seen before)
- Fantastic acting (Namkoong Min is a Korean treasure, however he was aptly supported by Eun-bin Park and others)
- Good explanation of important Baseball stats (on Viki) and not dumping lot of numbers on our face (easy to follow for a novice like me)
It's a pity so few people have watched this drama. It deserves much more recognition and love.
Go Dreams!
P.S. There is no romance in this drama. Just so you know ;)
It also won the Baeksang Arts Awards for Best Drama for the year 2020.
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Why is it that the Thai bls with potential end up being short?
Cute, ordinary, uncomplicated. Nothing significant is happening but it's still kind of refreshing in a way. I think I just like the simplicity it came with. The guy playing as Smart is adorable and his eyelids comes together when he smiles just like Jimin.đTwo things tho, number 1 - I found it weird that Peach was asking Smart who the song was for. Like dude come on, who did he eat, play and grow up with? You guys literally grew up together, did the "neighbor" thing not ring a bell? Or was he pretending not to know?
Secondly, what was that ending? It didn't even feel like an open ending, did they figure out they have feelings for each other? The show literally just ended đ€Š
Overall, I don't regret watching this. It's a lot better than Coffee Melody so yeah it is not that bad.
PS : Why is it that the Thai BLS with potential are always the ones that are short? Tsk tsk....
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A fun drama with romance, comedy and a heart.
This is an entertaining drama with romance, comedy and heart-touching moments. The story as well as the chemistry between Zhang Han and Zhao Li Ying get better and better as the story moves along, there is good character development, and it has enough romantic/swoon-worthy scenes to make you root for the main couple. There were some characters that caused conflicts for the main couple, but they're not over-the-top, and there were no drawn-out misunderstandings. It has a solid supporting cast, such as Shan Shanâs best friend and cousin, and Feng Tengâs family and close circle. One thing this drama has plenty of, is Shan Shanâs internal monologue. While these internal conversations were often humorous, sometimes it became too much that I wanted her to just say her thoughts out loud.There were a few plot lines that didn't seem realistic or seemed exaggerated, but the overall flow and storyline were well-executed. The ending is nicely wrapped up for everyone, and my only complaint is the last scene, which seemed to have been filmed at the same time as an earlier scene in the drama (Shan Shan's clothes in the last scene were different from the previous scene, but both scenes were supposed to happen on the same night), thus taking some points away from the overall impact. The OST is good, and my favorite is the opening theme song, âWindâs Promiseâ, sung by Zhang Han. As a whole, this drama is an enjoyable watch for me.
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As soon as this movie began, it had my attention.
It's a pretty basic plot that if it were any other movie it'd probably be boring. But this movie had me laughing and going OMG! because of all the antics and trouble that Sophie would get into.
It was so entertaining! I was only 20 min into the movie when I texted my cousin to tell her to watch it.
And then out of nowhere, there's a twist on the basic plot.
It was refreshing.
The characters were amazing. I wish we could've seen more of her friends or even some other supporting characters because they were such rich characters with a lot of potential.
But this is Sophie's Revenge and therefore it revolves around her revenge.
All in all it was a cute, fun, entertaining movie. I'm so glad I stumbled across it. If I could find it, I would totally purchase it.
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Twenty minutes of sheer nothingness
It's honestly terrible, as expected. Twenty minutes of sheer nothingness. During the very last minute, though, there's an actually funny (inside) joke referencing another dorama with Moririn, i.e. "Kakegurui". Hence the enhanced grade: 1/10 to the series, 2/10 to the SP. (If they keep them coming, in a few years they might end up showing us something deserving of the passing grade, LOL!) My advice is: watch it only if you're a desperate fan of Morikawa Aoi or Nakamura Risa, otherwise avoid wasting twenty whole minutes of your life on this.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
When Your world populated by full of powerfull people, to the point your world makes you feel small, your dream seems so BIG and you seems unable to achieve with of what you have, you face real struggle and the weight seems getting heavier each step you take. The obstacle getting bigger and your small body and mind is no longer can handle it. Without knowing, you are looking the light in a dark of a cave , You seeks Opportunity and hope when you face full of pessimism people that almost take you down. Every people need escapism, These student find their escapism in dancesportsgirls, a club which almost getting eliminated in their school Girls commercial due to less people interested in, and getting overlooked by others. In the end, this club is the one who give them the happiness they crave even if it's just for a brief moment, and the little glory that give their hope up. For every reality you face : Money, powerfull and selfish people, pessimism, bad environment. There is Escapism, and someone/something you can rely on as your grip. Shie EUn has it in Dances sport girls club, Great Teacher, Seung Chan. In this worlds is hard to find it. But when you find it, , try and achieve your dream, so might be someday, you will be the one people could rely on, and become their hope among endless array of pessimism. This drama have great message. Each episode, you will be an awe of each the storyline and the realism the writers put in each character. This is one of many aspect that makes a drama special. There is a lot of writers who seems excel to create a believable and cohesive story, but they lack soul and heart that make a good story become great. This drama has both from the first scene until the last one credit rolling. without giving us useless gimmick, more focus to the overall narrative . . The only aspect I think is lacking is I wish KBS give the writers more episode to give this drama more justice, so some conflicts would be unfold more subtle and believable. But overall, another great project from the writers among her other drama KBS Drama Special. I hope My Favourite writers will get another awsome project from KBS or any TV station despite the low rating this drama got. She is awesome.
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TW;:ABUSE/ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING
First of all this drama disgusts me.The man tricked her into thinking she had to get a transplant and basically manipulated her to be with him. And then made it seem like it was ok like it was just the thing to do. and then towards the end of the drama one of the characters kidnapped her even though she was a pregnant women and constantly threatened her he would grab her by the neck and others and threatened to shoot her with her baby honestly I felt disgusted the whole time and I felt that the people who made this drama took it way too far and honestly wouldn't recommend this to anyone. and then its showing that all men have to do is make someone think that they are sick and force them to marry them and have a baby.He treated her like she was an object and only wanted her for his own benefit and then covered it up by saying that he "LOVED HER" absolutely horrible don't watch this if you are sensitive abuse,manipulation etcWas this review helpful to you?
Let me start from the end - it's an absolutely must watch drama. At first I hesitated whether I should watch it or not, because it was a little bit long, but I'm glad that I started watching it and even wished it didn't end so soon.
The story, the music (though there were not that many songs), the acting - everything was just perfect... Shi Yoon and Joo Won did a great job, and how admirable was the child Tak Gu (by the way, I think the child Tak Gu looks like Joo Won and the child Ma Jun looks like Shi Yoon, so they could have switched the actors).
The story captures you, and there is not a single unnecessary scene, everything goes so fluently.
So don't delay it any longer, and start watching... :)
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Nirvana in Fire Season 2: The Wind Blows in Chang Lin
11 people found this review helpful
One of the interesting themes this drama examines is the collision between tradition and modernity. It is clear that the times are indeed changing throughout the kingdom and country. Many of the characters that will soon wield a great deal of power are young in age. In response to this, a lot of the adult characters seem reluctant to relinquish their power and do no trust that the youth are equipped to lead. Some of the adult characters even have no issue in manipulating the younger characters for their own personal petty reasons.
On the other hand, you had characters like Pingjing and Feizhan who were free to and encouraged to explore life outside the palace to acquire new knowledge/perspective. Similarly, there's an acknowledgement that women in particular lived harsh lives within the palace. Often, they had their lives set out for them with no say in the manner. Girls as young as 12 were sold and expected to be servants. It is expected that women put their fathers/husbands first and live to serve them. However, there are characters like Qian Xue who is a formidable fighter in her own right and has a husband who accepts that she may be an outlier but loves her all the same. There's also Lin Xi, who has her own aspirations and hopes to make a positive contribution to the world even if it's not ready to accept them from a woman.
Even though I empathized with Mei Changsu, I also liked following the journey of a more "human" character like Pingjing. In the beginning of the drama, we meet Pingjing as he is living his life carefree at Langya Mountain. A world away from what awaits him if he has to follow in his father/brother's footsteps and assumes his role in the Chang Lin Army which is more strict and rigid. It takes him a long time to adjust and he is constantly reprimanded by his father and brother but it's necessary because what he is fighting for is bigger than him. Above all us, I appreciated the fact that Pingjing just wanted the option of being able to choose to live his life the way he wanted to. Much like how the two main characters are strong in their own right but also having overlapping qualities, the two dramas should be appreciated on their own merits. If you go with wherever the wind takes you, especially if it takes you to Chang Lin (sorry), you'll be rewarded with what I consider to be one of the best dramas.
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