because its so unpopular..or lets say one of the mdl underrated of 2012. (seen only by 40 mdl users)
Expect not to see any eye candy on here and it was evident on the poster.
I think somebody who come across w/ this drama with an impression like this..
"ooh The chaser? hmm ahjussis?"
*reads synopsis
*looks on the cast
"oops theres no hottie nevermind lol"
Oh well..anyway
for anyone who likes another revenge drama should give this a chance.
It was very relatable with emphasis on importance of living w/ family.
If i would think of a drama that shares some similarity...hmm
Think of city hunter w/o a superhero thing and the rom com stuff and add
the movie "the Crucible" not exactly but just to show some idea.
i will give you some hints on how entertaining this is
- after the 1st episode there is no break on tension or a big pause on plot,
it keeps moving in a above average pace on first 60% of the drama,
- it was so complex and every character interwind in the plot/ very well deveveloped and no weak performance.
- the politics scheme is easy to follow as it really happening on real event.
The Story: It was compelling and there is so many situations/happening in an episode w/ no dull momnets but its up to you.
Since its only 16 episodes...its not so dragging if you spot one.
The Cast/Acting: lets us not so bias if there no fave actor in it but what important is the character developement
and the performance they made. The Main villain has to be one of the great one you will see in a dramaland that isnt annoying.
The Main lead is very relatable and his character will make you symphatize w/ him greatly.
Music: entertaining as what you could expect in a tense drama
Replay: there is a part of me that even i watched this again...it isnt as entertaing as before since i got everything
from my first viewing, anyway it was a satisfying drama....w/ a fulfiliing conclusion as a whole but again its up to you =)
note: I heard this got Daesang award yay!
my other recommendation:
The Devil
Resurrection
Equator MAn
City Hunter
Giant*
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STORY
I love that the story gives you bits and pieces of the puzzle as it goes along, but keeps you guessing in a way that's fun rather than frustrating. The puzzle itself is such an interesting concept, managing to incorporate sci fi elements without getting too gimmicky.
But the very best thing about Life On Mars is the changing relationships between the characters. It's so enjoyable to watch Han Tae Joo unraveling the trauma and isolation of his past, and learning how to connect with these people from whom he's supposed to be literally worlds apart. And the characters themselves are so infused with heart and humor, the perfect antithesis to the coldly rational mindset that he started with. It's so easy to fall in love with this little found family.
ACTING/CAST
Jung Kyung Ho is amazing. He has been amazing, and he will continue to be amazing, and I don't think I could possibly love him more. I saw someone mention in another review that Life On Mars gave him the opportunity to showcase the more subtle sides of his acting skills, and I couldn't agree more. Han Tae Joo's quiet desperation is so palpable and relatable, despite the muted nature of the character. And rooting for him to finally come out of that shell is so fulfilling!
The dynamic between Han Tae Joo and Kang Dong Cheol is definitely a highlight of the show. Park Sung Woong is such a strong actor, and seems just so genuinely FUN. He is able to traverse between the character's comic antics and the more serious moments with such effortlessness. The growing relationship between the two characters is so pure.
Special mention of course for Go Ah Sung as Yoon Na Yeong. I think I might have fallen in love with her a little bit. The character is so different from the roles she's played before, but this soft-spoken tether that anchors Han Tae Joo to his reality (and just kicks ass all around, honestly) is even alone worth the price of admission on this drama, if you ask me.
MUSIC
The score was appropriate and for the most part managed to support the story without drawing too much attention to itself. I loved the 80s songs that were sprinkled in, especially when the characters were rocking out or dancing along to them!
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Thoughtfully done! I don't want to give anything away, but the cinematography clearly reflects what's happening in the story, sometimes in ways that are subtle. And I love that. (Watch for differences in the cinematography, and you can figure out what is signified in the plot.) It shows how much care has gone into even the smallest details that most viewers won't even consciously notice.
REWATCH VALUE
I typically don't rewatch dramas, but this could very likely be an exception. Now that I've seen the end, I want to go back and see which pieces of the puzzle I may have missed the first time around. Not to mention, I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to these characters...
OVERALL
Highly, highly recommend that anyone give this drama a shot. It's not a perfect fit in any single genre, so I would be cautious of letting any genre bias discourage you from watching this. This kind of thoughtful writing and creative storytelling feels so rare!
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Money Flower paints a very interesting story about the Jang’s familial power struggle. Everyone has their own motives and agenda. Though this drama falls into the typical makjang, revenge category, the execution is beyond anything I’ve ever watched before.
The ability this drama has to deliver an intense, plot heavy story week over week is admirable. Characters are calculating, logical and heartless. Jang Hyuk stars as Kang Pil Joo. His delivery and ability to build suspense without even saying a word is pure power. His melodic delivery when he does speak as the calculated attorney leave the audience anticipating every word and syllable. He is absolutely mesmerizing. The drama also delivers on other strong portrayals by Park Se Young, Jang Seung Jo and Lee Mi Sook.
If you are looking for something that is intense and utilizes amazing story telling and acting, I would strongly recommend giving this drama a try. I can’t praise this drama enough. It has kept me guessing all the way through. The way this drama can suck you in and keep you on the edge of your seat, champing at the bit for the next episode is truly note worthy. What are you waiting for?! Let yourself get swept away!!!
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This review may contain spoilers
Inconsistent quality: likable in some ways but sometimes frustrating
This BL has loads of potential and is surprisingly good for quite a number of episodes for such a low-key BL (compared with say, Love by Chance 2, which is airing around the same time). In fact, I stumbled upon it by chance because it doesn't seem to have been listed in lists of Thai BLs.The main couple starts off being the sort I personally love to see, with them caring for each other in little ways even when they do not make their love for each other obvious. The story of Tan and Oil is interesting at the start with Tan being an archetypal "bully who turns out to be a softie" sort of character who becomes a much more nuanced character especially after the demise of his mother. (It may come as a pleasant surprise that Tan's affection for Oil is more obvious to us from quite early on when he almost kisses a drunk Oil but stops himself.)
Unfortunately, the development of their relationship seems to be headed nowhere during the middle of the series despite their attraction to each other. Despite being obviously in love with Tan, Oil inexplicably seems willing to date/consider dating Kun. Yes, he has the right to date others since Tan and him aren't dating and Tan hasn't made his feelings clear. To make matters worse, Oil's affection for both Tan and Kun seems genuine--at one point he appears genuinely happy when Kun confesses his love, and yet he also seems to be considering Kun because he thinks Tan only treats him as a brother.
Towards the end of the series, the plot becomes haphazard, compromising what could have been a reasonably good series. The scriptwriter(s) decides to throw in an incident in which Oil feigns illness, causing Tan to misunderstand him when Tan finds out. Although it is clearly suggested that Oil is under some pressure to feign illness (this isn't clarified even by the end of the series), the already baffled audience doesn't need to be baffled further at this point. The characterization of Tan is also problematic. At one point, he seems willing to let Oil be with Kun, indicating that he will do anything for Oil to be happy. However, he also gets jealous and upset after he realizes that Oil has got into Kun's car while pretending to be ill. (Tan thinks that they have gone out on a date or something.) Such behaviors can perhaps be convincingly portrayed if the actors had the ability to convey the nuanced emotions, but this was a bit too challenging for such young actors.
Apart from the unnecessary events that are added in for no particular reason, characters are added in and cast aside simply to complicate matters. Tan's stepbrother, for example, does not seem to have any particular motivation for his unpleasant behavior and seems to have been added in because the scriptwriters want some tension. Then there's Kun, the poor guy who seems to really like Oil. Oil agrees to go out with him and even agrees to be his boyfriend in the last episode. But just seconds later, Tan appears, takes Oil away, confesses his love to him and they live happily ever after. Nothing is shown about Kun after this, which also possibly and unintentionally also turns Oil into arguably the most selfish bastard in the whole story.
Tin and Sea, as of Episode 8, seems to be the other main couple (potential couple) though this is where things get somewhat confusing. Firstly, apart from the fact that Sea is Tan's friend (we only see them talking to each other over the phone though), Tan and Oil seem to exist in an entirely different social circle from Tin and Sea, and there is practically no connection in the Tan/Oil and Tin/Sea stories. Secondly, it is not entirely clear whether if Tin is in love with Sea even after two-thirds of the series is over. Sea is supposedly straight and in love with his female childhood friend, but we know that this doesn't matter in the world of BL. What is bewildering is Tin seems to have fallen in love with Sea at first sight though later it is revealed that Tin supposedly has a girlfriend. The girlfriend is overseas and only mentioned by the characters, and Tin only ever seems to think of her when he needs an excuse to spend time with Sea.
The confusion regarding Tin/Sea could be something that we can bear with easily if not for the extra confusion arising from the messy friendship/relationship amongst the other characters in Tin/Sea's circle. There is It (a confusing name because I often find myself wondering "What is it?" until I realize that "It" is a name) who seems to have been punished because some other guy (presumably Voice) wrote a note to him saying that he loves him (It)--is that even his fault even if we don't quibble about whether a guy being in love with another guy is wrong? It's love-hate relationship with the music club is also bewildering--he was kicked out of the club (or suspended?) because of the aforementioned declaration of love, but it's not as though everyone in the club has done something against him. I suspect that part of the confusion arises from flaws with the subtitles.
The pacing is fine but uneven. The switches from the Tan/Oil story to the Tin/Sea story makes it feel like I'm watching two different series without being able to finish one before watching the other. As of Episode 8, the series still gives the impression that it can be salvaged. Unfortunately, by Episode 11, one gets the sense that the ending (Episode 12) is going to be very rushed if the series is even going to have something that resembles a proper ending. Episode 11 focuses solely on Tan and Oil, so we are left in the middle of nowhere when it comes to Tin and Sea, after seeing the cute scene of Tin trying to do something to cheer Sea up.)
With a title like "Friend Forever" (or "Friends Forever depending on the translation), one may wonder if there is going to be an awful ending in which everyone just remains friends. Thankfully it doesn't have such an ending. However, the happy ending for multiple couples just happen out of nowhere, which makes the ending really abrupt and bizarre. It's like a student submitting an exam essay that suddenly skips to the conclusion because he has made too many irrelevant digressions to elaborate on his main points within the time limit.
The series goes downhill about halfway through, particularly in the last 4 episodes. It is a waste of actors and characters who show promise at the start. Though the unnecessary ambiguity and complexity of emotions prove to be too challenging for him, Leo (who acts as Tan) has been able to carry off his role well for most of the episodes, successfully showing the propensity for the character to appear more cold than he really is, his innocence and hidden insecurities well. Tai, who plays Oil also pretty much conveys the character's slight girlishness and playful streak quite well. Heart and Bank may have less interesting roles as Tin and Sea, but they are really good looking actors whom audiences won't mind seeing. I have never seen someone looking as adorable as Tin while trying to suppress a smile (Episode 6), lol.
This is actually a fairly promising series that would probably have benefitted from a bigger budget and a more experienced team. I remember reading somewhere that it is directed by the same director who directed Love Sick, its sequel and its spinoff, Thank God It's Friday. Perhaps the team really needs a series with as many episodes as Love Sick 2 to do more justice to the material. Friend(s) Forever is better than the rather insipid Thank God It's Friday (though the latter is somewhat more focused and coherent).
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I've been hesitating to watch this movie since I rarely enjoy romantic plots, because they're either shallow or overwhelmingly cliche /and/ unnecessarily dramatic; but I threw all my expectations aside (motorcycles!) and gave it a shot. I just had a good feeling about it and my instincts never betray me (totally not the motorcycles). Alright, I'm just joking.
You know when the movie has a good start you'll either be all optimistic and anticipate every minute of it or you'll be a pessimist and think how it'll go downhill midway through. Funny thing! nothing of such happened. Despite the beautiful filming (and let me point out how neat it was), the plot didn't gave much at first. I couldn't grasp its direction and I couldn't guess if I was happy about what I saw and if I was going to enjoy what was going to happen, but before I found my answers, it grew on me real quick and hit me like a splash of emotions. I do enjoy the movies you can easily relate to.
But this movie stands out not only for the romance, don't be fooled; it manages to mix (beautifully) loneliness, suffering, fear and eventually love, all together in a heavy pack of a simple, yet well-structured plot. The drama effect is strong and it balaces well through the characters, nothing silly in here. The main characters aren't something new, but relatable and true. Their encounter and their relationship is well acted and very realistic. The actors managed to show a mature performance, which is really important for this kind of plot and for the overall atmosphere. But give me a second here, alright — who's this Tosaka Hiroomi and why isn't he in the industry already? He shows real potential and I wish to see him more in the future.
To sum it up, gangs? Check. Motorcycles? Check. (now that's shoujo-ish). But realistic romance? Check. (not so shoujo-ish anymore). Sounds good, right? If it sounds good for you, you should totally watch it.
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- It's fun, dark and full of mystery. Plus has an amazing story that twists and turns. Keeps you on the EDGE your seat and wanting answers! So many moments I was like WHAT? WHO?
-It breaks the mold of usual K-dramas, it is definitely mature (adult) and not afraid of doing so! Despite explicit scenes it maintains a high level of quality throughout.
- The acting! I have so much respect for the actresses for taking on such challenging roles. They were phenomenal.
- The cinematography! Wow, the mood lighting, camera angles that draw you in, beautiful sets and locations. All were so wonderfully styled, you can't hep but find yourself immersed in the world of mistress.
- The FASHION. The designers and stylist did an amazing job at giving each actress their own unique style. Personally I loved what the character of Han jung won wore.
- The sound? I know a weird one but the shows maintains this high clarity of sound throughout, like tapping of heels, typing on phones. It all comes together to almost be asmr? I can't really describe why but it just works!
Now the only, ONLY thing I would change..... is the music. While the overall scoring generally goes well with the scenes, there can be moments where it can seem "too much" or out of place. While the soundtrack is great it's just the selection of scenes with certain music that just sometimes is off putting? But this can be unnoticeable and I don't think it affects the overall quality of the show.
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Though sometimes one may see it advertised as such, Saikou no Rikon cannot be called a true "romantic comedy". It watches more like a slice-of-life, centering around two couples (whose respective relationships may or may not be crumbling). The comedic aspect hits as often as it misses, despite passable delivery from involved actors and actresses. Emotionally rich and intense scenes outweigh these in sheer remarkability; in fact, the levity issues are approached with at times (such as the occasion divorce is brought up for one of the couples) actually leaves the whole product feeling a little inconsistent. Am I watching a zany Japanese relationship lark or this heavy treatise? Because some elements did not wholly jive (at least for me), those thoughts popped up frequently over the course of the series.
Where the drama excels must be dialogue, which is razor-sharp and surprisingly natural. These characters speak like real people, even showing pop cultural awareness. An engaging way speech is used is also in the way characters loose their frustrations to others; they tend to tell strangers and service-providers in these long-winded monologues, unable to vent to anyone closer. What it lacks in stunning backdrops and visual candy, Saikou no Rikon makes up for in thoughtful camera work. With a sharp focus on the inner workings of married life in mind, shots often adopt voyeuristic qualities. For instance, we might see an argument from a fly-on-the-wall perspective in the kitchen, overlooking the entirety of a small apartment made for two.
Eita headlines a solid cast, swinging all his powerful versatility behind the (initially) repellent Hamasaki Mitsuo. This is a character that embodies everything wrong in a husband, from his incredible pettiness to the selfish way he views most everything. The first time he tells his wife something between them was her "personal problem," even threw me back into some bad memories of my own. However, Hamasaki exhibits incredible personal growth throughout Saikou no Rikon (with Eita totally inhabiting the role). Ono Machiko, as his polar opposite and somehow wife Yuka, has a fantastic showing also. Whenever Yuka showed weakness or had something big to say, Ono-san knocked it out of the park. Her role, despite early episodes showing her through her husband's perspective, is lovable and sympathetic; women will definitely identify with her best.
Ayano Go and Maki Yoko portray strange duo Ryo and Akari, whose tale most interests at first glance yet slowly is overcome by that of the main couple. Both are fine actors and do beautifully in their scenes. Unfortunately, paired with the "that's just how things are" attitude the characters take to one another and themselves, the too-fast wrap to their story leaves the entire relationship a little hard to watch and slightly unsatisfying to finish (unlike that of the main couple).
If Saikou no Rikon is a hero wielding dialogue as its best weapon, music will be its Achilles Heel. Having just come down from a marathon of the series, I can scarcely remember any specific tracks. There was at least one quirky instrumental number, but the only truly memorable song is ending theme "Yin Yang" provided by the amazing Kuwata Keisuke. Despite not being a song to my taste, it suits the drama exceedingly well. And that wild ending sequence that accompanies it? Positively awesome.
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The female lead is annoying to a point where I stopped feeling any empathy around her at all. A lot of people hate loud and excessive FLs and while that is a thing of taste (not mine, because I love screaming FLs, I even like most of Hwang Jung-eum characters), this is not the reason why the FL here is so annoying. Is mostly because the writing makes her unlikeable, the reasoning behind her every move is motivated by selfish reasons only. She is supposed to be this empowering and admirable woman but in fact she's a lying, unreasonable woman who is never hold responsible for her own mess.
Now, about the (various) male leads... This is tricky, because is more of a "the best of the worst" type of situation. The ML is probably the lesser evil from the three (there's a fourth one, but he's not exactly a candidate and if he were, he would be the best one easily). He is a bit creepy and annoying, but relatable at times and you can feel some empathy towards him considering he really does suffer a lot in this. The other two candidates, one is pure evil and the fact that he does terrible things in the name of "I SAW HER FIRST SO I SHOULD GET HER!!!" is villain-like and yet it's never portrayed as That Bad. The other one is not exactly evil, just a bit bland, and ironically the writers seem to have forgotten about him by the end.
The only joy I found in this came from the two kids and the bar owner and the mom. But that's like 7% of this mess. It's really not worth it.
If you're looking for romance, AVOID THIS ONE.
(It doesn't have even two whole episodes of that)
If you're looking for a strong lead character who is a single hard working mom, AVOID THIS ONE.
(She is really the worst)
If you're looking for a great story about the korean movie industry, AVOID THIS ONE.
(They forget about the movie by episode 6 or something and unfortunately this topic is never touched in any substantial form)
If you're looking for comedy, for the love of GOD, AVOID THIS ONE.
(I don't remember laughing at all in this, there isn't a single hint of comedy)
If you're looking for a frustrating show with frustracting people and poorly written characters and situations, THIS IS YOUR DRAMA.
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Sweet xianxia with seven beautiful interconnected lives
The drama tells the love story between the God of War and a Fairy and their seven lives together. Due to accidentally entangling each other with a love thread, the main leads are tasked to go through seven love tribulations together in order to repair the male lead's primordial spirit. But with each passing tribulation, secrets of the past begin to surface and a long forgotten truth is finally revealed.POSITIVE:
- The story has tons and I mean TONS of parallels in between all lives and tribulations that the main leads experience. Everything is woven together to perfection. All the characters have meaningful roles in each tribulation, all little details like a simple hairpin are connected through all tribulations and this is very, very difficult to do so I'm absolutely blown away how it was all put together. And there are NO plot holes.
- I was sceptical at first as seven lives seemed like it might get repetitive and boring but there are not the typical 3 lives xianxia style. All lives are connected but at the same time move the plot forward in a very clever way. Each life is very different, with different settings and length of episodes. Some of the lives only FL remembers her present self, others only ML, and we also have lives where they both remember so it gives a unique experience in each one.
- I absolutely loved, loved, loved ML performance in the drama. He really brought all of his characters to life, when he was happy, I was happy, when he was in pain, I was in pain, when he was crying, I was crying. Even when I felt the script was lacking in certain scenes his brilliant performance really moved me and made up for it. I've only seen his other drama with Lusi and I have to say he has now become one of my favourite actors.
- Beautiful costumes and settings (they are done by the same production team as LBFAD).
- Secondary couple has an interesting plot twist so it's quite unique to watch.
- Happy ending for everyone (well except the bad guys lol).
NEGATIVE:
- Doesn't have that addictive factor where you totally obsess over the drama. Like there was something missing, perhaps the lack of emotional impact I was looking for.
- FL acting is very lacking. I rarely discuss acting but unfortunately this one was very obviously bad in comparison to the brilliant job that the ML actor did. I felt the FL actress was specifically bad in delivering scenes where she was supposed to be scared, distressed and in extreme pain. She was making all the facial expressions, I could see the tears but somehow there was no real emotion behind it especially compared to the ML.
- It has a slow start and the 2nd tribulation (the first human one) is the longest one so it feels very dragged out.
- The ending is quite.. well boring. Lots of unnecessary talks and excessive weird effects (almost like they ran out of budget). Without spoiling it, I feel there is a very interesting plot line relating to the tribulations that's very unique and would have made an epic final however it was brushed off and instead we were given a very typical xianxia ending.
- SML has a very typical "I'm obsessively in love with the FL" syndrome at the beginning but he gets very much redeemed in my eyes. He does get a lot of screen time and very much feels like a main character so that might be positive or negative depending how much you like his character. In general the actor did a great job and I didn't mind his scenes however in certain episodes he got more screen time than the male lead which I didn't like.
- Editing feels choppy and weird at times.
- Effects and CGI in the last episodes are a bit weird.
OVERALL:
The drama is a sweet xianxia with beautiful interconnecting themes and parallels, lots of interesting characters and some character's growth. The main focus is the love story between the leads so it's a nice comfort drama to watch. Great rewatch value because of the mystery and all parallels.
GUIDE:
Read my short episodes guide (with minor spoilers) about the 7 tribulations:
https://kisskh.at/discussions/the-seventh-generation/110999-all-tribulation-lives-brief-info-with-minor-spoilers
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Cute!!!
This is such a cute drama, the kid alone makes it enjoyable to watch. The mains chemistry is great, their interactions are adorable. They are also quite natural with their roles. It is quite cliché but whatever, you will find yourself grinning. Extremely fluffy to say the least.The editing is crap tbh, the characters are not realistic at all. Such as the things they do concerning their occupation is beyond questionable. I'll just say that the Aunt is pain! I find it frustrating to watch couples break up after confessing, makes the ending feel rushed and unnecessary plot device. There are inconsistencies but other than that, it is a good watch. I suggest switching off your brain cells tho.
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MHIYD chose to present itself as a romantic comedy. In other words, it promises its viewers funny moments while its protagonists develop a sweet or maybe light-hearted romance. Of course, any regular k-drama watcher knows that even a romantic comedy gives its couple harsh obstacles which can become tiresome at some points, but they eventually overcome them and everyone would be happy in the end. MHIYD's biggest flaw was that it actively made 'the obstacle' the center of the story and managed to ultimately rob the show out of its comedy and romance altogether. So, instead of watching two couples fighting obstacles to find love, we had to suffer as they fought love to NEVER be together. Consequently, there was only distress through most of the last third of the drama. Forget opposing parents and meddling second leads, crazy future ahjummas are the worst!
And after all the trouble, we were told that all of this meddling was much ado about nothing. I won't spoil it for you but here's a close metaphor. Imagine that someone crashes a wedding just before the "I declare you husband and wife" part arguing that the couple can not be wed because they're in fact blood-related siblings and if they get married, a horrible disease would plague the nation and everyone would die. Fifteen episodes later, said-wedding crasher discovered that it was the wrong couple, to begin with, and all the created mess was a big mistake. Oops!
The finale could have worked out if the drama wasn't fixated over the romance and chose to focus on the characters' personalities and lives challenges.
The saddest part is that MHIYD had a strong cast and refreshing characters. I would have loved to see more of Kim Shin and my favorite So Yoo Kyung. The pairings had chemistry and charm. Watching all of those interesting characters becoming dull and running through empty circles when they could have easily shined (if crazy ahjumma just let them be on their own) was such a pity, even a shame! Such a waste of potential.
The acting was good. The music was fine I guess.
Obviously, the rewatch value is low.
One more major flaw: I still can't believe that the production cast K-drama's Kissing Queen as their female lead and we still got no kisses! (I'm sorry I had to get it off my chest!).
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The Best Kdrama I Have Ever Watched!
I have wanted plenty of Kdramas, but none have pulled me in quite so much as this one. I have a thing for fantasy, romance, and historical pieces, so this fit the bill for me right of the get go.I'd never watched a Kdrama that wasn't fully released, so this was a first. I waited with anticipation for the next updates, and I truly cried during the ending.
Shin Hae Sun is the best actress I have ever watched, and that is not just for a South Korean actress. She is my favorite actress overall. I feel like, without her, this Kdrama would've massively flopped. She is now my queen, and I feel like I've fallen in love. Everything she acts in is impeccable.
The music was really fun here, and you immediately recognize the funny, romantic, and tearful scenes.
The story wasn't that easy to follow regarding the politics, during the first watchthrough. But the second and third time I followed it perfectly.
I spent weeks attempting to get over this Kdrama, therefore, I had to write my very first review. Watch it, it is truly amazing.
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The Scent of a Woman
I was sold on this drama the moment I eyeballed the three hot main dudes - I mean what's not to like about a light and funny drama with some serious eye candy? But somehow this morphed from just another fun and light young adult comedy into a hilarious and empowering story of friendship and the shining idealism of youth that made a deeper than expected impression on me.Xue Wenxi disguises herself as her brother Wenbin to support her family as a talented copywriter and author of illicit romantic fiction. A chance encounter and a series of mishaps leads to her reluctant enrollment at the prestigious Yunshang Academy. There she becomes the glue that bonds the "Yunshang Four" an uncommon friendship between the scholarly and noble Feng Chengjun, the savvy Yu Lexuan and the rebellious Lei Zexin. Together they prevail over many coming of age challenges and overcome past secrets and misdeeds of the previous generation.
In a departure from the acclaimed Korean adaption (which I did not watch), this Chinese version portrays an unmistakably feminine version of Wenbin, from the casting of the very petite and lovely Ju Jingyi as Wenbin to surrounding her with uncommonly tall male leads. If you are unable to suspend disbelief that she is not busted as a girl on day one, then your time is better spent on the earlier version. If you get overly hung up on how she looks, you will not enjoy the witty script and brilliant comedic rapport between the leads nor appreciate the more important themes that this adaptation chooses to focus on instead. The casting visibly illustrates the daunting physical challenges Wenbin faces in an academy that has an equally vigorous physical curriculum.
What I love most about this drama is that it avoids sending the message that in order succeed in a man's world, a woman must look like a man and act like one too. It points out multiple times throughout the drama that Wenbin is a beautiful and delicate gentleman. It is clearly on the edge of everyone's consciousness that he is a girl because all of the boys are drawn to her like bees to a honeypot and when her gender is revealed no one faints from shock. Indeed one of my favorite early moments is the look on Chengjun's face when he sniffs her and gets his first whiff of the scent of a woman. It is unmistakable, all of those boys sense it but no self respecting dude is going to blurt out the unthinkable and ruin the fun of having a girl on campus! Our Wenbin revels in being herself, a young girl - at times she is annoying as hell - naggy, bitchy, petty, jealous but most of the time she is mischievous, charming, sensitive and comforting. For me, it is much more fun to watch a girl having a blast just being herself at an all-boys school than watching the tired routine of a woman trying to fit in by aping a man.
The script is very cleverly written and funny and the characters are so lovable and relateable they all give me that magical deja vu of people I know. I am floored by the seamless interactions and comedic timing between the cast as witty banter is conveyed in as much via body language and facial expressions as it is in words. The humor is just my speed - a slightly wicked roasting of all too familiar human emotions, traits and rites of passage. This is a heavily character driven drama with very satisfying character growth. The headmaster is priceless and is the show's true unsung hero. The pacing however gets hijacked by too many (albeit hilarious) comedic sketches without plot advancement to the point it drags slightly in the middle. And then everything happens a bit too quickly at the end as the romance peaks at almost at the same time the conspiracy is revealed. It could be better balanced if Wenbin's reveal happens earlier and without toying with Han Shumin's heart - it is unnecessary angst and a small stain on Chengjun's character and judgment.
Chengjun and Wenbin are smitten with each other from the beginning and their attraction and chemistry grows convincingly into something that hilariously both thrills and terrifies Chengjun. He is not my pick of the three but it is clear that his patience, wisdom and quiet indulgence is the perfect foil for the more high strung, impetuous and sometimes willful Wenbin. And her intelligence, lively and infectious sense of humor and mischief rescues him from being boring. It is a good match. Sadly my personal choice, the clever and diabolically cheeky Lexuan appears subtly more into Zexin than Wenbin. He is by far the most layered, complicated and thus interesting character. Zexin has the most character growth but would never work with Wenbin - they would just bring out the worst of their mutual immaturity, quick temper and impulsiveness. For me, their comaraderie and unflinching support for each other as they find the courage of their own convictions is far more riveting than the romance. My weary old soul is unaccountably moved by the youthful idealism and sense of justice and equality that culminates in a moving Oh Captain My Captain moment. It is also amazing that they got away with student protests, vigilante justice, and even subversive propaganda.
There is at least one hilarious laugh out loud moment in literally every episode of this drama that has men clammoring to follow the scent of a woman to the female version of Yunshang Academy! I haven't enjoyed myself so much in a long time. Sure there are flaws but think about watching this as like having a fling and not till death do us part; no need to over analyze, just go along, get along and enjoy the ride. This is overall a 9.0 for me but on just enjoyment factor alone I would call it a 9.5/10.0.
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Coming to characters, Healer. God I love healer. I love how he's jumping around buildings and coming up with these exciting plans. I love what he does for a living and I love his little high-tech shack. I love that he's a loner. I've only watched Ji Chang Wook in Empress Ki other than this drama but I must say he is always a delight to watch.
Park Min Young. I must admit that the only reason I ever hesitated to watch this drama, it was because of Park Min Young. I've watched many of her dramas and I've generally not cared much for her roles. But it was Kim Nana in City Hunter that ticked me off. God I hate Nana. She's a bodyguard who needs a bunch of bodyguards. In fact, I think it would be better if someone locked her up somewhere far, far away until everyone's done with whatever they're trying to do. She seriously messes things up and then goes around acting cute about it. So, yeah, basically I was weary that Park Min Young is going to play a role like Nana here. But I guess 2015 is the year of Reinvention for Korean actresses (with Park Shin Hye also winning hearts for her performance in Pinocchio). Park Min Young not only did a wonderful job in this drama, her character Cha Yeong Shin was a delight to watch. There were a few times in this drama where I held my breath because I was afraid that Yeong Shin would make a terrible choice that would create a havoc and make me hate her. But she was so awesome at those points that it really made me love her character overall.
The rest of the cast was great too. My favorites were definitely ajjumma and Yeong Shin's family (her dad and the rest of the criminal staff). I really held my breath there towards the end when I had a feeling Ajjumma is going to die. My Eun Shi Kyung feels were returning to me, I was all set to cry. I'll never forget that moment of relief when I realized she will escape. Thank you writers for not killing her off. I wish they had shown an emotional reunion of mother and daughter though. The ending was just a little rushed. Or maybe it's just me never wanting Healer to end. lol.
The music was great. I have the whole album on my phone. My personal favorites are Eternal Love and When You Hold Me Tight. I like that song by Ji Chang Wook too, although I've only heard it a few times.
Overall it's a masterpiece and even though the ratings in Korea weren't all that great I'm so glad it's getting it's due on MDL (9.2 avg yay!) and other internet portals. It's doing well in China too, with Ji Chang Wook being one of the most searched Korean actors there these days. I guess a good story would always find it's worth one way or the other.
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1
1Don't believe hate reviews. This is a delightful rom-com
I see haters are already at work trying to smear this drama. Not just here, I'm seeing hate videos on Youtube too. Unfortunately, this is becoming more and more rampant in the world of Chinese dramas where producers are blackmailed into paying up, otherwise their dramas would be defamed on social media. Apparently, the producer of this drama did not give in to blackmail, thus flaws were invented or flaws that are common in cdramas and are largely ignored were exaggerated with this drama. The attacks got propagated to other sites by so-called water armies and picked up and further spread by anti-fans of the stars or their pairing, Innocent viewers got swept up in the frenzy and got swayed by the smear campaign.But please don't let haters keep you from enjoying this delightful rom-com.
Only For Love stars Bai Lu as Zheng Shuyi, a beautiful, cute, smart, bubbly but rather quirky reporter of a finance magazine. Dylan Wang co-stars as Shi Yan, a hotshot mysterious young CEO who requests to be interviewed by Shuyi to publicize the vision of his venture capital company to help startups get off the ground. Shuyi has just caught her boyfriend cheating on her with a girl she mistook for Shi Yan's niece. Her boyfriend breaks up with her for the girl who promised to help him with his career. With her pride shaken, Shuyi decides to flirt with Shi Yan, seemingly to get back at her ex-boyfriend and to allow her to conduct a series of interviews with the much sought after bachelor CEO. Their constant meetings lead to romance. But what would Shi Yan feel when he knows the truth about Shuyi's reasons for pursuing him?
Shuyi is not the usual type of female lead in Chinese dramas. She is brilliant when it comes to work. But outside of it, she is somewhat clueless. Self-centered and shameless too. Her clumsy pursuit of Shi Yan is hilarious, showing how out of character she is at playing a seductress. But is it all play-acting? Might this seductress have fallen in love with her prey?
Shi Yan is being hailed on social media as the Chinese Mr. Darcy with his reserved and stoic demeanor as well as the dashing figure he cuts especially in a riding outfit. But he's also got a charm all his own. When he smirks at Shu Yi's clumsy attempts at seduction or when he looks at her with all the affection and sexual tension he oftentimes has a hard time keeping under wraps, your heart wouldn't be able to help dancing with excitement.
There might be some cultural challenges that could impact a non-Chinese viewer's understanding of the drama. For example, the joke about the cake in Shi Yan's uncle's dinner feast started with Shuyi mischievously texting "making love' to her ex-boyfriend's query about what she was doing. But when she noticed Shi Yan watching her composing the text, she changed her text to "making cake". The misunderstanding arose due to some texts not being subtitled. In addition, it seems "eat cake" has some sexual connotation in Chinese culture. So if you don't understand something in the story, try to join social media discussions and ask away.
All in all, this drama is pleasing to the eye and is quite entertaining. It starts off lighthearted but the characters turn out to be more than typical rom-com characters. These are multi-dimensional characters who are not all good but also not all bad. In short, they are human. Dissecting the characters and what makes them tick is fundamental to enjoying this delightful drama.
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