Reviews

Two widely spread reactions about this drama. On the one hand, this is absolutely fabulous, unique and perfect in every way, masterpiece. On the other hand, this is boring, slow, draggy and has no purpose. I am proud to say, both are true. This drama is like those oscar movies that are apparently so perfect but when we watch them we end up asking ourserves 'why did i waste 2 hours of my life on that? What was so special about it anyway?'. This drama is like caviar. Elegant, and graceful. Have we all eaten caviar at least once? Yes. Do we like it? Some of us. If we were to choose between a burger and caviar, burger would be the first choice for most, right? This drama is like caviar, it demands a certain type of viewer, and i wasn't that type.

The description might confuse you into thinking that this is a romance drama blend in with the adultery concept. Sadly, for me, this was not what i was expecting. This wasn't a romance drama, it wasn't even an adultery drama. On the contrary it was heavily based on the inner relationships between the hierarcy of a company. The drama centers on a woman, Hye Won, and her complicated life and personality. The drama's main concept is how the protagonist, being unhappy due to her life decisions without even her realising it, rises above it all with the help of a charming young piano student.

The drama talks about life decisions. I can link to a saying we have in my country that i can roughly translate as "If you don't look at where you want to go, you will go where you look". Which means that if you don't set your goals straight from the beginning, no matter what you real want you will end up with what you settle with.

The show was never about the romance it was about seeing her grow as a person to realise what she really wants out of her life. This is why i have mixed feelings about this. I expected something different but, while i am dissapointed, the drama presented something completely unique and even though it was troublesome to digest and understand, i'm happy i gave it a try.

The main reason people -me included- found this boring is because of the difficult, tedious conversations about job policies and schemes of the characters. We were dropped in the middle of a war zone from the first episode, we could barely understand anything and things didn't get any clearer as the drama proceeded. Tedious, boring, vague, incomprehensable dialogs that only increasingly confused me. But, that was the actual prettyness of the whole drama. The fact that it was complicated, with unrelatable characters that you can't help but hate and in the middle there is Hye Won, a strong yet vulnerable, troubled woman, who makes the wrong choices but around so many hateful characters she becames relateable instantly and sways you.

Apart from the company drama that takes the main lead here, music is the next most significant part of this drama. The music is overall exquisite. The romance itself is being expressed solely through music, and that is another reason most people -including me- found the romance unfulfilling. You'll probably need to have music knowledge to properly understand the emotional messages delivered through music or at least have a keen ear to appreciate them.

Honorable mention to the cinematography. I'm not a fan of cinematography but here it was truly marvelous. It was gritty, dark and elegant, and suited the overall feel of the drama completely.

The acting was overall top notch, no complains, but the performance that is memorable is Kim Hee Ae's. The whole drama is on her, it's hers. The other characters serve as fillers just to help her rise and grow. Kim Hee Ae's aura was great for this drama, elegant, graceful, aristocratic even without losing her confused, sensitive even defenceless, at parts, self. Yoo Ah In's performance was also great and their chemistry was strong, noone can deny that even with the 20 year difference. However his character felt again as a filler, and wasn't given the appropriate screen time to gain some kind of value on his own.

Overall, this was a difficult watch. I wouldn't rewatch this, but i can understand why some people would. It's a drama that is aimed at a special few and those few will love it. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who doesn't like exclusively character driven shows, long conversations about company politics, schemes but not the juisy type, and slow plot pace.

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Cute Binge-able Show With Good Acting, Non- Annoying FL, & Some Action

My headline pretty much says all I want to say.
This is my first time writing a review of any show, so please, bear with me…

I binge-watched this one night/morning, and enjoyed it a lot. The plot line is interesting, and I wanted to know what happened next. But it is pretty predictable, which is not a bad thing, just in case you like or dislike such plots.

What really made me stay and that I loved were two things:

1. The Female Lead

PLEASE, goodness to gracious me. This girl is it. She’s smart, confident, and doesn’t go around whimpering and whining to everyone in sight.

2. The Acting + Chemistry

The acting actually surprised me. I wasn’t expecting bad, but I wasn’t expecting the quality that I got. It got me searching up the actor’s to see what other work they’ve done.
Esp. Wen Mo Yan.
I was shocked when I saw that not only is she 32 (jaw drops) she also only made her acting debut in 2021.
I am looking forward to what I may see from her in the years yet to come.

For Wang Zu Yi, for the most part, I think he acted quite naturally.
I am also looking forward to what he might partake in, in the future.

Chemistry~
Now, if you’re looking for a spicy chemistry, not for you.
But cute, some fluff, perhaps? It’s sweet, and not stiff!

I am not really one to rewatch (but there are specific ones that I will) so I really won’t rewatch this, and I have no desire to.

Now then,
I must bid my leave.
Farewell ^_^

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how ridiculous can it get?

we get it. the ml is smoking hot. everyone has their undergarments in a twist. however, is there more to this?

this is the type of drama wherein you don't use your brain. the plot? it left the room a long time ago. from the get go, it's obvious that nothing here makes sense and we are here to watch a shitshow.

for a person that wants to take revenge, you would think that they'd carefully orchestrate a clever plan to make it happen. in this drama, the fl takes the opposite route and she's as lost as a malfunctioning google maps app.

the relationship between the main leads is as questionable as it gets but oh... the acting? *chef kiss* even though all the characters were frustrating to watch, i can't deny that the cast made sure their efforts paid off. the actor that played the villain was so good that no matter how absurd the plot is, he somehow looked eerily clever. what a shame that the story was played around with when the cast is decent.

overall, this was a drama i was able to enjoy because i didn't take anything seriously. i'm curious what more can they do with a second season or how far can they go?

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Quite nice to watch...

As typical of Sukfilm they try to tell a short story with a very limited budget and this time I think they did quite well. Yes, we are all sick of the same places, but at least the "bar" has now background noises to make the scene more believable. I really really wish, they would have friends in the community to help them out for locations to vary the settings a bit.

This time the story did not contain a bitchy woman and without cringe which was a bliss and the story is just straighforward and kept more real without forced drama. Of course it's cute and has fluffy moments. The acting was good. The only negative I can say is in the finale where, a) the scene with the mom should have been played out and b) the scene of the sister finding out who the lover of her brother is should have been skipped, because it was unnecessary. But all in all, they did nothing wrong (this time).

So if you have not seen it yet, it's about a 65minutes filler and you could have seen worse. 🤣

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a first love high school romance

Overall: this gave off Heartstopper vibes with its animations and tone but I wish they had chosen something less serious (I'll put more information in the spoiler). Aired on 2 episodes per week on Regal Entertainment Inc YouTube https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7SneaZWMW0otehz3rmR_7xVEaoW8yNVA

Content Warnings: bullying, transphobia mentioned, mental health struggles and a major one in a spoiler comment

What I Liked
- cute moments
- funny moments
- acting/chemistry
- how the nerdy character defied stereotypes/character cliches, he stood up for himself, had visible tattoos and the character talked about his tattoos as well
- production value
- (neutral) the animations add a sense of whimsy but it's odd because I don't think this script is based off a webtoon/graphic novel so it feels more like copying Heartstopper rather than it making sense based on its source material

Room For Improvement
- the love triangle
- some parts were a bit choppy, at the end it took me a minute to figure out where they were
- I reeeaaallly wish they had chosen something not as serious, of like all the things to choose they chose...that, ugh

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'Chinese Idol Our Song' is a program in which young singers get together with experienced and very popular music stars of the older generation. Together they prepare performances in which they will present new arrangements of various well-known songs. For young singers it is a chance to gain new experience and new skills, for the elders - a chance to share their experience and knowledge. The result turned out to be ... stunning!
"Our Song" is a program filled with positive energy, full of laughter, joy and emotions. There is no episode that would not be dripping with jokes and good humor. The new arrangements of sometimes very old songs are so great that although I haven't had much in common with Chinese music so far, now I am full of delight for older and younger songs. "Ousr Song" has opened a whole new world for me and has become the most enjoyable adventure of recent years. The viewer will meet people with wonderful personalities and a great sense of humor, full of love for music and respect for others.
Not without reason, "Our Song" is China's best and most popular music program in 2019. The group of its international fans is also growing: D
If you have a bad day, any troubles or worries, "Our Song" will be an excellent remedy for them. A radiant smile is guaranteed!

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Who knew that a small incident would lead these two lovable characters into a journey which changes both their lives for the better.

Story:
I L.O.V.E.D the girl. She's so tough, I mean the way she acts. Though there's a deep sadness within her, she tries to hide it with a cheery smile that does not fool our dear Gyeon Woo. It's also different from what I ever watched and I enjoyed it a lot! Seriously I never laughed so hard. There were particular scenes that cracked me up, there's this one where honestly I couldn't breathe because I was laughing so hard.

Acting:
*Nods head and smile* It is flawless. It's like Cha Tae Hyun and Jun Ji Hyun were made to play the lead roles in this movie. I loved Gyeon Woo's mother, always hitting him. In saying that all the girls in his life are always hitting him, poor thing. Jun Ji Hyun plays 'The Sassy Girl' (I just realised that he never referenced her name O.O). She played the abusive, easily drunk, tough, cute, delicate, gorgeous girl. I need to watch more movies with her in it.

Music:
Is it just me or Director Yann Samuell really really loves Canon D Majoy by Pachelbel. I watched his other movie called 'Classic' and the same instrumental piece was played throughout the movie. I'm not complaining, it's more like an observation.

Rewatch:
I sure as hell would rewatch this. It's soo funny,

Overall:
I LOVED IT. I know why people keep telling me to watch the movie. Everything made sense at the end and this movie really made me believe in DESTINY ~

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Okay, but Not Incredible

There have been worse, there have been better. I feel like that sums up the story.

Overall, the story isn't bad. The cinematography is nice and JoongDunk do have nice chemistry with each other. Other than that, nothing to write home about. It wasn't overtly unique, but it was a decent watch.

I didn't regret watching it, but I think I would like to see how these MLs do with a more mature script. Maybe it's because the college/high school arc is getting old, but I'd love to see Thai dramas in general move forward out of the school era.

Overall: Decent watch, but not life-altering.

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Over The Past Ten Hours..

This film is the perfect example of what sets pieces from Japan apart from Westerns, Kdramas, etc. A delicate,heavy story woven by it’s magical Ost, sharp camera language, and effortlessly masterful performances. No where else will you have a similar style in similar executions. The heaviest of topics leading to self reflections that you’re not aware of until it ends.

The Last 10 Years leaves more questions than answers, and not for the film itself. After finishing the film i spent the past 10 hours falling in and out of sleep to the Ost on repeat and tears drawn to the rhythm. Why do such different situations and occurrences hit so close to home? What’s so similar in my own life that has me so empathetic of these characters? Why am I, a grown man, waking up 3 in the morning with puffy eyes over a movie? For fucks sake do i have to check if i wet the bed as well? Are all of these emotions simply the film or realizations from watching it?

I’m usually not a fan of the typical pacing dramas and films from japan, and it’s quite rare to spot one that steps outside of that norm and delivers a deliberate, smooth flow throughout. Especially considering the time restriction of films, taking your time to give more impact towards the climax will always have my upmost respect. Mix that with realistic dialogue,compelling performances, and a subtle melo tone and you got a work from japan at it’s very peak. THIS is what I watch these works for. THIS is what I can’t get anywhere else and feel the same uplifting overtones of a very dark, depressing story.

A slight flaw i find with almost any decent movie, especially ones this good, is that there’s always something more i want to see but not given. Some more fleshed out development instead of the bright, fluffy montages we received of our leads’ bond getting closer would’ve sufficed. Alas, the more you give me and the better it is, the more i want. There’s a very thin line of Perfect between the large margins of “Draggy” and “Not Enough” , this falls in the latter for me.

Films like this, in my opinion, are must watches not only nationally but internationally as well. Such heavy topics delivered in such an impactful way that teaches us things we never considered before needs the recognition. This level of quality is rare to come by. First love is rare to come across. Life itself is such a blessing that is rarely cherished amongst many of us the way it should be. Death is seen too much as this inevitable outcome that some unfortunately succumb to sooner than others. We sometimes empathize for selfish reasons. Some may want to end it all with no concerns of how it effects the people around them. Life can be this seemingly endless journey to a singular destination one wants to rush towards from unfortunate hands dealt, or it could be the journey itself as you cherish a blessing others aren’t given , with those around you through thick and thin that you’ve been lucky to have been dealt.

The Last Ten Years makes use of depressing desires to accentuate the appreciation and beauty of life and finding your own happiness in it. A masterful artwork i hope receives the attention and praise it deserves down the line.

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Honestly started off loving this show. Story was great, even if it had to rely on amnesia. However, as the show progressed I kept getting more and more frustrated with the villains. It seems like after a certain point the writers stopped caring about how to make things progress and decided (spoilers ahead) to repeat stupid tropes to ensure the story could drag out. For instance, every time Cha Min Ho has someone he doesn't like he just calls his buddy driving a GIANT RED TRUCK to run them over. And this happens several times- I don't understand why they couldn't think of some other way to carry out an assassination. Surely the most conspicuous truck in Korea running someone over on a busy highway couldn't have been the best plan. Also, the antagonists just throw money at everything and the problem disappears. Like they couldn't think of a way to deal with a problem and decided to make a phone call and tada, the show can move on to another arc. It feels like nothing is explained at all and viewers are just supposed to accept that Kim Souk (Min Ho's henchman) is a ghost who can walk through walls and is invisible to everyone else and can kill anyone at any place. What the hell, he might as well have just killed Park Jung Woo in the first episode and this series wouldn't have to exist.

I like the concept, but the execution just felt terrible. The writing got so sloppy and relied too much on Kim Souk to progress the story while simultaneously he could have killed the main protagonist at any moment. If this one character did not exist, the whole story would have been so much better and more believable, such as if Min Ho had to carry out his own dirty work rather than just making a phone call and having a giant, red truck teleport in and kill someone and magically disappear again. I'm angry that this series was ruined by a single, minor side character but what can I do about it.

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When you start you can't stop

Unlike idol dramas, where the protagonist naturally takes center stage, ensemble dramas focus more on the passage of time and the enduring strength of a collective spirit. Xia Fenghua embodies the "Hua Street spirit"—the resilience and legacy of the Grand Canal. Her journey is shaped by time, making her the perfect representation of Northward's central theme. This role comes with a dual narrative responsibility:

•Preserving the "Hua Street spirit" – Ensuring that the values and legacy of the Grand Canal continue to thrive in a new era.


• Demonstrating resilience – Showcasing personal growth and perseverance, emphasizing the profound impact of time on an individual’s journey.



For any young actor, these demands are incredibly challenging. The role requires deep emotional engagement, a thorough understanding of the story’s essence, and a flawless execution of character development.
After watching Northward, it’s impossible not to be impressed by Bai Lu’s performance. Her portrayal of Xia Fenghua is deeply moving, marking a significant breakthrough in her career. Not only does she bring a new depth to the character, but she also changes how audiences perceive her as an actress
Ouhao did a great job too, his character was annoying at some moments but it's understandable.
Very good slice of life drama.

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An honest review (100% recommend to watch)

I was recommended this drama by a credible source on YouTube; I don't follow the actors but the plot fascinated me since there was a natural disaster in it and I'm personally a nerd in that area. Was actually watching something at the time but dropped it to watch this and was blown away. I have seen a lot of their dramas and I have to say this is my new number 1 favorite modern drama of all time. It almost had no cons for me which is beyond rare.

All three couples were great. I would have loved to see couple number two develop faster then episode 33 out of 40 but considering the SML was such a "blockhead" it was a bit understandable. The only other minus was the OST's are very forgettable but that's not a major thing for me. Usually, I wish for there to be less episodes because you're running into one annoying cliche or another, but this story had none of that; I actually wished it and the drama I dropped traded places in episode count as that one had 45. No love triangles, minimal jealousy, no toxicity, no stalkers, or other tropes ridiculously prevalent in most of these dramas.

Every episode you're laughing your head off and every conflict gets resolved very quickly. The FL is a powerful woman who isn't afraid to speak her mind. ML is a hero in his job and a bit of a dork in the story. But he doesn't waste anytime in pursuing his lady love once he figures out he's got feelings for her and he does it in a way that will win her heart. There are tiny misunderstandings that are resolved with proper communication in their relationship. Their conversations are very cute and everyone related has a strong bond which is also so awesome and refreshing to see.

Also love the third couple and how since ML and TFL are brother and sister, they really care about each other. There's none of that toxic family environment where family hates son's/daughter's choice in significant other and want to choose for him or her. Sister is 100% on board with FL even before she and bro start dating and has her back when they do. It is realistic life events and relationships; it is common for doctors to be in relationships with police officers because both share the same goals professionally, to save lives. This is literally the definition of a modern drama.

The screenwriter and directors did a fantastic job adapting this and creating a fun, loving, heart pounding series that I will absolutely rewatch and will go into my permanent collection of rewatching where really 3 dramas exist, two of which are costume. Thank you to the entire cast and crew for a phenomenal job! I will miss all of these characters very much and I truly hope that the actors can do something together again in the future. A+!

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Li Hong Yi Made this Drama. <3

I just finished watching the last episode. This show has been sitting in my watchlist for ages (months) and I just never got around to it because I kept hearing mixed things. A lot of negative things: like how the female lead is annoying, the budget is low, the male is is toxic, etc. Just so many things. And there's a bit of truth to all of it.

So let me explain why I continued until the end.

First, I'm going to start with the less than stellar things.

Yes, the budget is low and it shows. The makeup was also pretty bad for a good portion of the time. Example: The second male lead...every time he was on screen, I stared at his unblended wig line rather than his face. The script...honestly, the majority of it was boring except for the instances between the male and female lead. It was repetitive. The show could have been accomplished in half the amount of episodes. The female lead's character was indeed sort of irritating. Lots of back and forth between the two male leads. Out of the entire cast, I only liked three of them. And the story itself was very, very simple.

Basically, there were a ton of little things.

Now for the parts that kept me going.

1.) While the female lead character was far from my favorite (doesn't even rank), that's all the fault of the script. Actress Rosy Zhao played her part beautifully. My only problem was the horrendous script she'd been dealt.

2.) The other character I liked aside from the leads was the best friend of the secondary male lead. Qin Liu Feng. Actually, that doesn't do him justice. Despite being the best friend of the rival love interest, there were times that it seemed like he was the only one who truly put the female's best interest first. He never judged her or any of them really. And when the second male lead was acting possessed or heartless, he stepped in to give perspective. And most notably, in the end, after all went down, he was the one who told the female lead what had happened and bid her farewell into the arms of the main male lead. He was the most supportive one throughout the whole drama, I think.

3.) To be honest, I didn't like the second male lead for almost all of the show. He was too rigid and set in his beliefs. He would have never put the female lead first. Only the morality of the hypocritical righteous sect placed first in his heart. He didn't even really know how to show affection. He was kind of sad, to be honest. He was the product of his upbringing. But in the end, he let her go. He finally realized that if she stayed with him, he would one day sacrifice her for the good of his people and their beliefs. Only the main male lead, who was deemed the bad guy and hated by everyone, would truly put her first in all things and love her the way she deserved.

4.) That leads me to the so called bad guy. He was the one thing that kept me interested in this drama. Shangguan Qiu Yue, played by Li Hong Yi. I saw where a lot of people called him toxic. Here are my thoughts. This show never portrayed him to be a good guy. He was raised in an ice cave, beaten and trained to hate in order to get revenge for his mother. Someone like this, who saw enemies everywhere, would never show love in a healthy manner. But he evolved and grew. Initially, he used her. The female lead was just another pawn. She became less so as he fell in love. Was his love toxic though? I don't think so. He was a villain. He showed up in her room, kidnapped her frequently, kissed her all the time, tricked her, etc. Yes, those things aren't technically socially okay. But it's what bad guys do. He also saved her all the time, even when the second male lead whom she thought she loved would have sacrificed her for the greater good, which happened quite a few times. The "bad guy" always put her first. He just communicated in the way he'd been raised to communicate: violently and by using tricks. Another thing, he also listened to her and did what she requested, so essentially she called the shots in a roundabout way. So no, I didn't have a problem with his character. Not everyone can be cookie-cutter perfect.

Still on Li Hong Yi...

He was beautiful throughout and he kept giving her this expression that was just to die for. It made my heart beat. LOL. It's probably one of the most seductive expressions I've seen in c-dramaland and that's my theory for why it was so popular. <3 People just wanted to look at his bad boy sexy face.

Truthfully, he was the best part of this show. ^_^

Overall, this drama was far from perfect, but I enjoyed it well enough. Probably won't rewatch it though.

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