Reviews

An evocative and powerful contemplation of war, honor, pragmatism, and defeat

This is my personal favorite Korean film and I consider this to be one of the best films I’ve seen from any country. I admit it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. It’s long and it’s not some Hollywood-esque war movie full of action and heroics. It’s a rather quiet and understated look at people in a dire situation being forced to choose between honor and pragmatism and come to terms with the fact that they’ve lost the war (I don’t consider this a spoiler, because the Korean audience would know this from the outset). It’s about the responsibility of leaders and the suffering of soldiers. Though rather bleak, it’s not depressing or entirely without hope.

Hwang Dong Hyuk, who both wrote and a directed this film, has constructed a powerful and compelling work. There were scenes, images, and lines that lingered with me long after the credits rolled.

It’s quite dialogue-heavy for a war movie, as this story is really centered around ministers’ debates before the king, while the soldiers endure the cold, at the mercy of the king’s final decision. This may sound boring, but there is real tension and emotion in these scenes, especially as they build towards the climax. This is a film that takes its time, rather than moving rapidly from one action sequence to the next. Its depiction of enduring through a long siege in the dead of winter often pauses on the mundane; the king getting dressed, soldiers trudging through the snow. But these details are important to the storytelling and are part of the reason the audience at times feels that they are living this experience as well.

The acting is excellent. Park Hae Il plays a conflicted king, backed into a corner where he has no good options, while Lee Byung Hun and Kim Yoon Seok offer moving performances as ideologically opposed ministers. You can truly feel the weight of their characters’ beliefs and concerns for their country. There is more depth of emotion in these portrayals than you might initially expect from these rather stoic old men.

The soundtrack, composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto, is frequently more atmospheric than melodic. Silence, punctuated by eire, icy winds, often envelops life at the fortress. In these parts, instrumentation is used sparingly. During the battle sequences the music becomes heavy, tense, and dissonant. In the moments the soundtrack does turn towards melody, it is gorgeous and poignant, though still has a slowness and vastness suited to the gravity of the events and setting. The cinematography by Kim Ji Yong is also perfectly suited to evoking the starkness of the situation. Somber silhouettes, snowy landscapes, and bleak colors dominate this film. These images are offset by warm-toned, fire-lit shots that offer contrast, so that when the warmth is absent, you feel the coldness even more.

Though the action scenes are well-executed, if you go into this film expecting glory and epic battles, you’re sure to be disappointed. This is a film that explores contrasting ideologies, the king’s responsibility to his people, and how the decisions of leaders impact those below them. If you’re seeking an antidote to overly-glorified all-action-no-substance portrayals of war, this realistic and contemplative film is likely what you’re looking for.

Content warning: This film is a bit gory at points (though I am someone who is pretty sensitive to those things). However, these scenes are used somewhat sparingly, and the violence is not gratuitous, rather it is used to depict the harsh reality of war.

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Classic Drama that did not live up to expectations

This is one of those classic historical dramas that gets brought up a lot. It's known for being romantic and emotional, maybe a little tragic. It's also packed with plenty of tropes -- not inherently a bad thing! -- such as amnesia, secret identity, lost love, childhood love, two men in love with the same woman, prophecy?, etc. On top of that, I really enjoy Kim Soo Hyun as an actor, so I was really looking forward to seeing him in this.

Unfortunately, I just really do not feel that this drama lives up to all those expectations. Watching it with no nostalgia attached, I just felt like it rang very hollow. There were a myriad of problems, from repetitive and dull pacing devoid of much tension, to flat cliches, boring side characters, and worst of all a female lead whose screen presence resembles a wet mop. I do think that Kim Soo Hyun is acting his ass off, but he isn't given much to work with. His character spends most of the drama wrestling over the same conundrum -- could this shaman be his lost love? -- and doesn't get a chance to demonstrate other traits besides introspective, hostile, pining and confused. There are moments where his cheekiness, intelligence and charm comes through a bit more as the King, but those moments are rare in a sea of melodrama.

I know that Han Ga In is widely admired for her role in this drama, but I cannot understand why. Her character is dutiful, calm and pure, which is dull. But she also has this very stunned, awestruck and frightened expression through most of the drama. She is like a deer about to be hit by a car. This is one of those examples where I just cannot fathom why so many people fall in love with her. The child actress who played her had a little more spunk, but Han Ga In brings a blankness to the role that is disconcerting. Yes, she can't remember her past, but she isn't a robot! Yes, she has feelings and cries for the King, but you never get the sense that she has an inner world at all. She seems like a shell. This is the biggest barrier for me into the show.

Besides that, I feel like the pacing of the drama is not very good. It spends too much time resolving the initial issue -- who is the female lead?? -- without much tension, and then poorly sets up some other villains. All in all, just not handled well. You can look to tons of other dramas to see a better handling of secret identities and amnesia in historical dramas. It's practically the trope holding the genre together.

My advice would be to skip this. Or, maybe watch it so that you've watched it if you're a completist. If you are looking for deep romance look elsewhere. If you want to see Kim Soo Hyun cry, this may be the right drama for you.

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Why woman love? Could be because apparantly they are incomplete without a man?

This drama seems to be some kind of tutorial towards how to win the heart of a woman, could also be the heart of a man... But after watching 24 episodes I can not tell you why women love... If you figure it out please do feel free to tell me, but apparently women who get married choose to give their all to the man they marry and that is also apparently worth waiting for... A strange message in a drama that seems to try to empower women... But besides that the most important thing seems to be sincerity wether it is love, friendship or work... Be sincere and love will prevail... or something like that.


@ Things I like about this drama:


-The friendships, most of the characters are lovable and even if there are a few characters that seem to need help, there are no really truly annoying characters.

-The humour, there is not a lot of it, but this does have some pretty gunny scenes here and there with good fun bickering humour.

-The Male lead is a sweetheart, fine he is a bit of a spoiled brat in the beginning but he is a sweet spoiled brat, not afraid to show affection, take charge... go on the thing line between persistence and stalking... ok maybe he is not that perfect but he is mostly nice, patient and understanding... and does not force himself on the girl even once.

-The female lead is kind of bland but does have her moments, the combination of the two is pretty good and the best part about her is that even if she is supposed to be stupid in love she is actually pretty smart... Shocking for a C-drama I know!

-The OST is pretty good (maybe a bit overused, for those who binge, but pretty decent)


@Things that bothered me:


-The Second Female lead... How her delusional, clingy... behaviour was not only accepted but enabled by the people around her.

-The 9999999 PUBLIC love confessions with flowers, balloons and what not... For a drama promoting sincerity... there are ways to show sincerity without involving pollen and peer pressure.

-The endless love monologs... We got it you love her, you love him...

- Endless flashbacks the dram would be several hours shorter if they just cut the flashbacks in half.

-Inconsistency... one moment the guy knows the girl is allergic to flowers the next he buys her a huge flower bukeet ...

-Extremely heteronormative Family, Couples propaganda ish... Fine a woman can take charge but she does seem to need a man to be complete, and She is allowed to be a career woman but again, she needs a man... Did I mention that no woman is complete without a man?


So to sum it up, it was okay, nothing really new and the few parts that had potential to be revolutionary fell short... But I have seen a lot worse and it is pretty funny, and do not forget all the good stuff I mentioned above so it is definitely an okay watch.

Bingeabilaty: Ok but not high

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Be Arrogant is a short drama that still manages to deliver interesting characters and a solid story line. The relationship between Do Ra Hee and Hong Ha Ra is the highlight of this drama, the development of it and the impact it has on the characters. Sismances, sisterhood, and strong female friendships are sorely lacking in a lot of dramas. I also appreciated the realistic view of relationships and just how messy they can be. No Cheol is the male lead and he is a huge jerk with very few redeeming qualities, something that Ra Hee and Ha Ra point out many times throughout the story and both women constantly question why they still have feelings for him. I have seen similar scenarios in real life of women staying with a guy that they readily admit isn't good for them because feelings are not something that you can turn on or off, no matter how much you want to or how hard you try. Shin So Yool is the standout here, I had only seen her in supporting roles and I am really impressed by her acting-I hope to see her in more lead roles in the future. Overall, Be Arrogant was a surprisingly complete and satisfying drama despite the short run time.

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Despite all the hate comments and the negative reviews, this is actually quite good, it was super fun to watch despite some scenes having the 'cliche-cringe' sitcom scenes, but that's exactly what it was supposed to be. It wasn't a heavy watch, with only around 35 minutes per episode and just watching it for fun, isn't really story heavy dominated. Cast were definitely good as well, some were acting for the first time but it was pretty good for their firsts ! Minnie and Youngjae did a great job too. You should definitely give it a try if you just want laughs and a short light watch .. Waiting for Season 2 ^^ I do agree that some laugh tracks at the background was edited wrongly at the wrong times but that's just a minor thing it really doesn't affect anything. Also many cameos with Haha, Kang Ho Dong, Yoon Jong Shin, Lee Soo Geun, and more.. (u shld know them if u watch variety shows )

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"You Make Sand Like Me Feel Worthy" (Kot, English Sub)

This drama is an epic chaotic it is hilarious. I binge-watched episode by episode dying to find out how trio Ji-Kot-Ki would fix the building up mess. I found this drama following the works of March (as Ji here) from Lovey Dovey, and ended up loving Baifern's (as Kot) and Dan's (as Ki) performances too. This trio does not only create messy plot in this drama, they also lift up universal parenting and motherhood issues into a poignant show delightful to watch. Unquestionably it is a unique rom-com, non-typical Thai lakorn, a must watch.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS DRAMA
(+) Fast-paced episodes in the beginning of the drama to established the story of Moji
(+) More slower-paced episodes in the middle of the drama with lots of flirting scenes
(+) Lots of lessons to learn about building a family
(+) Witty dialogues on money, and also the money bouquet
(+) This is probably the only entangled love story that is enjoyable to watch in dramas I have seen. Thanks to the prominent acting of the main characters
(+) The story cleverly highlights the good and bad of both Ki's and Ji's characters. Viewers are divided into whom they want or think of Kot will end up with.
(+) Interesting surprises in the end
(+) Convincing acting of Baifern as exhausted single mom Kot. Her touching crying scenes are heartbreaking. She also established good chemistry with both Dan and March
(+) Remarkable acting of March as the sentimental Ji. He is good in roles with passionate/temperamental characters.
(+) Noteworthy acting of Dan as guiless Ki. I have rarely seen anyone not even an actor who has dimples on both cheeks. Surprisingly Dan is also a director and screenwriter.
(+) Cute Moji and the little actress who play the role
(+) Every important characters have their own advisors: Kot has Meaw, Ji has Bom, Ki has the secretary, Aff has her Dad
(+) Beautiful portrayals of Thai culture and places
(+) Pretty costumes of the female roles

WHAT I DO NOT LIKE ABOUT THIS DRAMA
(-) Scenes and conversations leading to product placement (PPL). I skipped all of them, including the bra talk.
(-) The exaggerating character of Aff, which seems off since other characters seem natural
(-) It seems like the characters of Chot and Kot's mom are unimportant and are brought into the drama only to spice up the already complicated plot.

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What was the point of this remake?

I don't know if I have the words to describe my thoughts during this experience. As someone who adores the original I was looking forward to seeing how this adaption would play out. I regret watching this so much.

They condensed 10, hour long episodes into 8, 26 minute episodes and you can tell it was rushed and poorly done. They skipped over so many plot points, chemistry scenes, and just important scenes to the story in general. This adaption was all over the place and not in a good way. I did not care for the acting at all, the actor for Phayu had a tendency to overact and I think that was because the actor for Rain had the tendency to underact. I didn't care for what these writers did so such beloved characters and the changes they made in terms of storyline, and characters.

If you want a good, thought-out, romantic, drama show with good acting and a good storyline stick with the Thai version of Love in the Air.

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I’m new to lakorns I’ve only watched a few, I’m usually rolling my eyes at the ridiculousness of the shows but I’ve come across a few where I’m not skipping ahead in episodes and this lakorn was one of them ,I loved it and was sad to see it end and immediately wanted to go back and watch key scenes that I liked. I even enjoyed the music which is rare for me I don’t listen to any Thai music but I wanted to hear the opening credits song again and again.
The actors were on point the chemistry between the leads were good you felt the love they had for each other there was no “other” in their relationship when they knew they loved each other I dug it. Please watch I’m gonna rewatch a few scenes now before I chose a new lakorn to binge.

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I was really excited to watch this drama. As soon as I read what the story was about I wanted to see it, because it reminded me a lot of Autumn's Concerto.

So, it started really good, and then it got tired and in the end it just sucked. The characters aren't well written so it's like hearing them say the same thing over and over again. You never really get to know them. It doesn't have good secondary characters either. Her friend, Hyung Sung is really stalker, and I got the creeps watching him, he didn't make me feel anything, just annoyance. The female lead isn't likeable, as opposed to Mu Cheng in AC. Here you don't feel sorry for her situation, you just get tired of her not sticking up for herself. The male lead is really just cheesy, you don't sense any real feelings. And the story has like really huge holes, and in other parts it just keeps repeating.



One of the main reasons I started to watch this drama was because of Jo Hyun Jae, I just simply loved him in 49 days and I thought he was a really good actor. But here, I don't know if it's because he was just starting his career or because the script wasn't really good but he just came out flat. Han Chae Young, who is really famous for her role on Delightful Girl Choong Hyan, really didn't stand out here, she didn't make me feel anything. As for the other two who completed the love square, they were just creepy.



The music wasn't anything special, although it did fit the scenes. I specially liked one which was like the intro to Aerosmith's "I don't wanna miss a thing."



In rewatch value, I wouldn't ever watch it again, specially because I got really bored at the end and just pressed fast forward in the tiring scenes.



Overall, it really isn't a good drama, although if you like soap operas, you probably will like this.

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What a delightful drama! Flower Boy Ramyun Shop became a weekly addiction and pulled me out of my drama funk. It was hilarious and touching, warm and fuzzy. There were analogies and metaphors galore to explain the relationships between rich and poor, how people fit together and whether or not they should. There were analogies about ramyun and the pots they are cooked in, analogies about pillars, analogies about grass and lions, analogies about poop! Every one of them was funny and sweet. They all made perfect sense to me!

The thing that makes this drama so special besides the amazing writing, which seemed fully formed and not a slapdash patch job every week, was acting done by the cast of quirky characters we got to know during the last 16 episodes. Each had their own distinct personality and each character had a steady growth and relevance to the main story line. The interactions of friends and family whether tied by blood or tied by choice were so lovely and funny. Eun Bi and all her Flower Boys made this drama so fun. I've read some people don't like Eun Bi...But I loved her. She was silly, serious, not always sure of herself but...she always stuck up for herself and I could definitely relate to her for those qualities. ♥

Another thing that made this drama great was the tongue in cheek handling of the typical drama tropes you see in every Kdrama ever. There was makjang! But FBRS dared to ask the viewer, “Is this really makjang? Or is it purity?” There was a typical chaebol falling for a plucky average heroine but this drama dared to ask the question, “Who really needs saving here?” and “Is it really better to only eat caviar and steak instead of experiencing all the wonderful flavors of ramyun you could be missing?”

Every episode was delightful and didn’t drag the show down. The technical aspects of lighting, cinematography and most especially the directing were excellently done. The editing was particularly creative, with almost every episode having a scene that would partially play out but then we would go back and revisit to see full conversations or replaying a scene to explain someone’s actions. Stellar!

Jung Il Woo as Cha Chi Soo…or was it Dog Chi Soo? Or rather, Dong chi Soo? Anyway, Jung Il Woo stole every scene. I have to admit, for me , he rivals Hyun Bin’s Joo Won for messed up crazy chaebol with his performance of Chi Soo. I think because Chi Soo was so delightfully pampered and sheltered he had no filter and absolutely no self awareness other than his outward appearance. Watching him fall for Eun Bi was by turns completely hilarious and also very heart tugging.

This drama has so many little moments, little details that make it exceptional. If you are looking for a good drama to marathon, to savor, to make you want to eat some yummy Ramyun while you laugh and cry and sigh…Flower Boy Ramyun Shop is the drama for you! Don’t miss it!

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pros
setting /story is a bit different then usual
female lead saves this drama i really enjoyed her the rest of the cast not so much besides maybe 2 or 3 side characters

cons
story ( why put it in pros and cons ? watch the after episode 24 and you will know why )
too many episodes with filler that serves no real plot purpose ( series would have been good around 30 or so episodes in my mind )


1-24 this series is a solid 8+

i have to say i quite enjoyed the story at the beginning and when it focused on the food and how she was surviving using her modern knowledge and how she was living her fantasy and treating it like an vacation.

24-56 would be a 6 for me i feel like they did the bare minimum to keep a solid story

Then everyone dies and the story too as well, i didn't like the turn they took with the story to me if they kept it light hearted and funny and maybe add a little bit of spice/drama but they full on when they only needed to sprinkle a little.

You go from a light hearted funny drama to full on politics with slapped on cooking on the side and the typical wuxia struggle of jealousy in the palace with hidden birth none of those turns were presented well.

after episode 24 i ended up skipping alot of the series and just watched the main couple scenes i really enjoyed the first half and i want to know how there story unfolded and ends.

It's too bad that after the black wind massacre the story dies along with it and then the main leads play hot cold cold for the rest of the drama till near the end.

TLDR
-good first half
-terrible second half
-besides leads the rest of the story isn't good
get ready to fast forward alot unless you like slow torture
-romance is just ok to much cat and mouse and hot and cold in the end makes it not very entertaining
-happy ending

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There are some things I appreciate about this movie, but...

There are some things I appreciate about this movie because they were good. So I'll start with them. First of all, the actors did a really great job. But I did not expect anything else, because I know the possibilities of each of them. I really liked the transitions between scenes with and without sound. The scenes without sound showed the perspective of the deaf mother and daughter better, and I think it was a well-thought-out move. The last good thing is that the ending was satisfying enough.

Now let's get to the things I don't like about this movie. It was boring until the end when Kyung Mi confused the killer. It was basically a cat-and-mouse chase throughout the movie. With people around who couldn't recognize the situation.

Despite some good things, I'll probably soon forget about this movie. Obviously, a good general idea combined with not knowing how to develop it always results in a boring production.

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Just watch it for the feels

There will always be this drama were we either hate it or love it, or just watching it for the feels. This drama for me is the latter. I stayed for the feels. Let’s be honest, this drama really doesn’t have any complicated plot. Both characters are already strong from the very beginning so character development was not necessary, in my opinion. I think the second couple had the most character development more that the leads tbh. Also Miles Wei and Dylan in one frame, holy smokes! You guys don’t understand! 😂 FYI Miles does really good kissing scenes! Shish!

But then again, a drama with little to no plot, did I hate it? No. Like I said i’m here for the feels and damn well, can’t deny Bailu and Hedi have that strong chemistry. They are both very known actors and they also carried this drama really well.

If you guys watched Hedi’s drama before, you can really tell the growth of his acting and how much his tone and facial expressions have changed and they are all for the better. If you still question if he is a good actor, watch LOVE BETWEEN FAIRY AND DEVIL, trust me, it’s really good and then watch Meteor Garden, then see the difference. 😂 Bailu on the other hand, i just love her. I’m maybe biased but i really like her acting.

There are quite a lot of couples in here, and i’m not gonna deny, some of the scenes bore me a little, but that did not stop me from watching. Guys, you can skip a few seconds and you still wont get lost in the story.

If you’re gonna asked, whatever episode is this and that,

Episode 19- they got together

Episode 27- break up but not really

Episode 31- they solved their issues

Third party? Absolutely no chance
Happy Ending? VERY MUCH there’s a special episode, mangotv on YouTube already have it.

Rewatched value? Some of my favorite scenes.

Kissing scenes? YOU’RE IN FOR A TREAT.

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The storytelling is disappointing. I was expecting more.

The first episode gathers the main cast that unfortunately couldn't be together due to conflicting schedules, and they answered questions like "What is your favourite epilogue?" "Which character would you have loved to play except from yours?". We saw glimpses of behind the scene, we saw bloopers and all of this was narrated by actress Kim Jungnan (playing Hong Beomja). The first episode is good, we got to know the actors' perspective and delved a bit deeper in their character.

The second episode is a big letdown. They showed the power of CGI, two seconds of Hyunwoo and Haein behind the scenes and the viewers' tearful reactions to the drama. However, literally 80% of the second episode was just a replay of the drama scenes, as if we weren't traumatized enough by them.

I'm a bit disappointed with the storytelling of these two special episodes. I would have loved to see more behind the scenes, more interesting questions being asked to the cast instead of making them read cheesy pickup-lines written by fans, maybe the screenwriter's thought process behind the writing of this traumatizingly good drama.

Are they trying to gatekeep the good content and will end up putting everything in the Blu-ray?

Overall, watching these two episodes won't change your life, you are better off watching another drama or sleeping.

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