Akira Inami (Shun Oguri) is a former Self-Defense Force member. He was emotionally scarred by a special mission and subsequently discharged from the Self-Defense Force. Now, Akira Inami works for a secret Special Investigation Team at the National Police Agency. Meanwhile, Saburo Tamaru (Hidetoshi Nishijima) is kind and stoic. With Akira Inami, Saburo Tamaru and other members, the Special Investigation Team tackles important political matters and dirty jobs for the government.
Paris, 22 February 2017 – The Japanese drama series “Crisis”, produced by Kansai TV, will feature as the first-ever Asian World Premiere TV Screening at MIPTV 2017.
The MIPTV entertainment content market takes place in Cannes, France, from 3-6 April 2017. “Crisis” will be screened to delegates on Tuesday 4 April at 11:45am in the Palais des Festivals, in the presence of one its stars, Hidetoshi Nishijima, and Executive Producers Takahiro Kasagi and Takashi Hagihara.
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Signal met God's Gift: 14 Days vibes
It's was so good to have Shin Sung Rok back on screen. I remember falling hard for him as Gi Tae Ung in Vagabond. It's also lovely to see Lee Se Young again. I've enjoyed everything she's put out so far and look forward to seeing what she brings to this time-crossing drama, and, of course, Nam Gyu Ri (I fell in love with her in Heartless City) as well. I have to say I already like the setup, directing, and actors so far. The story gives me vibes of Signal meshed into God's Gift: 14 Days. I enjoyed both dramas, Signal, most of all, so this had me quite excited.Kairos is masterful in the build-up of its storyline, the characters, and the suspense within it. The correlation and unison between the past and the present in Ae-Ri and Seo Jin, respectively, as events unfold is beyond stellar. It makes one believe and feel his hopelessness and her apprehension—the darkness engulfing him and the lightness in hers—truly brilliant scriptwriting, directing and editing, and of course, acting—just top-notch. And Shin Sung Rok is beyond astounding in how he beautifully portrays his role as the frantic Kim Seo Jin, expressing desperateness, anger, regret, and hope all at the same time. Add to that; Lee Se Young is phenomenal in her role as Ae-Ri. Without exception, all the actors are great at their respective roles. I especially appreciate how clear and precise the transition between present and past. Easily this is one of the best of 2020.
Never judge a book by its cover; I've heard that said a million times, and it's so true. A drama's rating is in no way a reflection of its mastery. And this one perfected if not excelled at its storytelling and a time-crossing one at that. Saying Shin Sung Rok (Seo Jin) was just good as both his past and present self in his role as Kim Seo Jin is to minimize how exceptional his performance was in this drama. His ability to convey the anguish, pain, grief, and joy in all timelines places him with the best actors, if not in the forefront.
The saying no man is an island is so befitting of the Kairos cast because regardless of how good Shin Sung Rok is, he wouldn't have excelled without the stellar cast leading and supporting him in this fine work of fiction; among the best I've seen. Kudos to Lee Se Young (Han Ae Ri), Ah Bo Hyun (Seo Do Gyun), Nam Gyu Ri (Kang Hyun Chae), Kang Seung Yoon (Im Geon Wook), Jo Dong In (Lee Taek Kyu), Hwang Jung Min (Kwak Song Ja, AR's mom), Shin Goo (the Chairman), and the rest of the action and production team each for their role in keeping us engaged, intrigued and invested-- outstanding performances all around. Nothing about this drama was done halfheartedly or compromised to compensate one timeline over the other. On the contrary, the scriptwriting and storytelling remained intelligent and straightforward to the end. Adding to its greatness was the precise and impeccable directing and editing– all the kdrama star gods must have aligned perfectly to make this one of the best, right there with Stranger, Signal, and Money Flower.
My favorite moments of the drama were the times' Ae Ri and Seo Jin of both past and present entrusted their lives to each other. The level of belief they developed from those one-minute phone calls but more so how the writer and director depicted those moments will stay with me for a long time to come. Their interactions reminded me of Cindy Lauper's song time after time "if you're lost, you can look, and you'll find me time after time. If you fall, I will catch you; I will be waiting. Time after time". Kairos has proven time and time again why it deserves to be one of the best of 2020. I love a drama with a message, and my takeaway from this amazingly done drama is that no evil deed will go unpunished; any evil act done by man to man will be righted if not by man, then by time not now, then certainly later. As said before, you will lose what you value, so treasure it while you can. I love the simple ending. This is one drama I highly recommend; you will not be disappointed.
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I knew I was going to be down for a vibe similar to S2 of ‘Itazura na Kiss’ and it did not disappoint.
Sakura Nanase is such a cutie. Tries so hard, deserves the world.
Tendo-sensei is the classic cold demeanor male lead (his nickname is literally 'the devil' so I mean) but dammmn is he smooth.
The overall plot is solid. Although, at times plot lines well aren't spaced out well? It’s probably because the director's aware they must cram everything into 10 episodes, but the result of this is that all the major plot developments/plot lines are over and done with so quickly and it leaves the audience wondering what was the point of even going there in the first place.
Another thing, (minor spoiler but I must rant) our couple keeps getting interrupted in either of their apartments by Tendo's sister, you’d think after the first time they’d learn to LOCK the DOOR! And also, didn’t Tendo come over to SAKURA's apartment? Why is his sister barging into Sakura’s apartment??
But apart from that, this drama is a nice easy watch. The best part for me is it helps remind me of the good old days of S2 of Mischievous Kiss, my all time fave. It's hard to not enjoy this drama ♥︎
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This movie made me laugh so much. So many hilarious scenes!
The story was decent and acting was nice as well. Cast was awesome in my opinion. I really loved both of the roles that Joo Ji Hoon played in this movie. He did justice to both the King role as well as the begger. Some of his acting was so cute and serious at the same time! Totally loved it. Honey Lee is a beautiful addition in this movie though she didn't have that many scenes in this movie. Kim Soo Ro is good in this as well though he didn't have that many scenes either but a good supporting role.
This story is about a Crown Prince who doesn't want to be the King. Therefore through certain circumstances he and a begger who looks like him switch places.
I really recommend this movie if you are looking forward to watching something light. The comedy in this movie won't disappoint you.
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Hey! What's Wrong With The Weather?
Being an enthusiastic supporter of both the two main leads: Song Kang and Park Min Young, I was very disappointed in Forecasting Weather and Love and in the lack of show exposure they each had.Having watched Song Kang in Nevertheless, Navillera, and other dramas, I was not happy with the amount of plot time he was given. There are a few scenes of him here and there, but no comparison to the extensive performance he did in Navillera for example.
Min Young's acting ability and plot time in Weather paled in comparison with Min Young's roles in Her Private Life, When the Weather is Fine, and What's Wrong with Secretary Kim.
Worse yet, so much time was spent on the side couples and not on the main couple itself. Also, an inordinate amount of time was spent on the technological aspects of the weather itself, even going into the minutest details.
I was very disappointed in this drama, having to wait anxiously to watch it, only to feel that it was not a hit but a miss.
Hopefully, recent 2022 K-dramas being shown on Netflix will have a higher probability of success.
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BINGE WORTHY! HEALTHY MATURE LOVE STORY
I've been waiting for this drama since I first saw its trailer. I thought I'd be able to hold back until I could watch the whole season in one clean swoop but curiosity did it for me and here I am. I had high expectations for this drama and so far no disappointments. The ending felt a bit rushed but I understand it's cause they cut down five episodes.CHARACTERS
Wow wow where do I start? At first I was actually surprised by Zhao Lusi, I've seen her in a few dramas and she's good but in this I feel like she's levelled up wonderfully. Like she makes you want to watch more of her, her character is a strong, intelligent and smart woman. She is able to portray the carefree and also serious aspects of her role without being too overbearing.
Yang Yang where do I start I haven't seen him in a wuxia show in awhile so didn't know what to expect and man has he shown diverse emotions in these one than his previous works and I feel this is evidence of how far he has come.
The chemistry between the two is amazing reminds me of Luo yunxi and Bai Lu in love is sweet..their relationship is healthy you communicate and understand and try to find solutions where possible reminds me of maiden Holmes in that aspect so it was fun to watch.
Supporting characters are also good xuan Lu as feng qiwu, Huang Chao , the dysfunctional Feng lanxi family, yu wuyuan all of them have done exceptionally well. They added to the development of the story and that's great.
STORY
I haven't read the novel for this but I like to say if you can portray a story so good that you would be curious enough to compare it with the book then you've basically done half the job. The other part is ensuring there's a whole rollercoaster of emotions that doesn't irritate that viewer but leaving them wanting more then the other part is done.
So far the storyline has great character development, the pace was okay and the storyline was easy to understand. The diverse emotions, humor, great fight scenes and the dialogues are mature enough to be relatable without banging one's head in irritation. Kudos! The ending episodes were so exciting to watch it had the "what is gong to happen " next factor, battlefield scenes just amazing.
I wish there was a bit more political aspect to make it more grounded .
OST
Well I like the opening theme has a catchy beat to it and what's more it's fun to listen to.. I can't say it has one of the best OSTS but it suits the show well. it's used at the right moment giving the scenes the added flair
COSTUMES
love the costumes they blend in with the scenes, environment and characters personality. Well what do you expect from the people who made love and redemption?
I wish they had developed some characters more like xieyue , Feng chang and Feng lanxi brotherly love.
Well at least the ending wasn't sad but I felt it was rushed a just a bit but it's far much better and gratifying than novoland sky castle ending so...
At the beginning there was some awkwardness with the main leads but after episode 4 the chemistry was electric, subtle in nature but explosive nevertheless . Great fight scenes.
Worth the watch .. rewatch value? One of the few shows I'd rewatch
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The End
Rurouni Kenshin: The Final is the fourth and penultimate entry to the live-action adaptation series based on the Rurouni Kenshin manga series by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The final adaptation, Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning has already been released in Japan while the international release will follow soon after, so hopefully we won’t have to wait long for that.Most of the production team remain the same, comprising the screenwriter-director, cinematographer, composer and costume designer who were involved in the previous 3 instalments. Therefore, we get pretty much the same high-level quality of production and technical execution. Takeru Satoh and Emi Takei reprise their roles of Himura Kenshin and Kamiya Kaoru respectively while Mackenyu Maeda joins the main cast as the primary antagonist, Yukishiro Enishi.
The plot this time revolves around revenge arising from events that transpire in Kenshin’s backstory, the brief revelation of which shall form the basis of the main story for the fifth and final instalment. Themes of love, vengeance and atonement are explored to the fullest as part of the melodramatic undertone throughout. Regular supporting characters take a backseat while the major developments and interactions are focused on the 3 main characters.
Though the plotline is minimalist and simplistic, there are certain unanswered questions that arise during the storytelling which, in the end, do not really matter or impact on the overall conclusion. The closure is clearly defined and, regardless of what happens in the sequel, this is pretty much the end of the Rurouni Kenshin saga. Perhaps certain elements could have been fleshed out more but, all things considered, I’m satisfied with how things turned out amidst the poetic nuances.
As far as the acting is concerned, Mackenyu Maeda’s Yukishiro Enishi gives a compelling portrayal of the tormented soul, despite the seemingly anachronistic vibes (his entire team appears steampunk). There isn’t much more to say about Takeru Satoh and Emi Takei - they already embody the characters that were essentially written for them.
The action, as usual, does not disappoint at all. The choreography of the sword fights and stunts is truly insane and literally takes your breath away. The final duel is one of the best I've seen in recent memory while the multiple "boss-fights" are equally astonishing. Even the closest recent comparison, Swordsman (starring Jang Hyuk) pales in comparison to this amazing spectacle of physics-defying human feats.
At the end of the day, if you’ve been following the Rurouni Kenshin series, then you have to watch the conclusion to the series through this production. For those who are new to the story, if you enjoy action and sword fights, this movie will not let you down.
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A Hollow Adaptation That Forgot Its Own Soul
As someone who followed this story since 2020, this movie felt like a personal betrayal. It stripped the heart, the themes, and even the essence of what made the novel and webtoon unforgettable. Instead, we got a flashy mess that centers around a character who was never supposed to be in the spotlight. It's not even fanservice, it's pure ego-stroking. The director clearly didn’t care about the source material—only about selling tickets and slapping a famous name on the poster. You don’t adapt a masterpiece like this without respect. This wasn’t an adaptation. This was exploitation.Was this review helpful to you?
I hope people just don't watch it because of the enormous recognition it got, believe me, it's not it overrated, it has everything, amazing CG and scenery, phenomenal set and props, and the amazing work the actors transferred through the screen.
Before watching this drama I had never heard anything about Goblins because where I grew up it's not implanted in my culture if you are in the same situation I do hope you know this story doesn't actually use many characteristics of "real" goblins, the ones in books, most of it is fabricated by the writer, which had an amazing imagination to pull it off so smoothly with a sprinkle of fantasy.
It easily became a drama blockbuster in South Korea without any doubt.
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While yes, it does fill some typical Taiwan cliches and yes, the story isn't anything out of this world, but that's okay because the drama sis what it was supposed to do - make you laugh, smile, and feel for the characters. And the biggest reason I loved this drama so much is because of these characters and chemistry they had - the hilarious manager, the loud but supportive BFF, the quirky office workers, almost everyone in the cast did a great job.
I also loved the bickering and cute moments that the main couple shared. In all, I have to say: ALL ROY FANS THIS IS A MUST WATCH, but even if you are not familiar with the cast or Taiwanese dramas, I still recommend this to those who enjoy a fun to watch, breezy show. If you feel that it starts to drag, just skip those parts and watch all the way to the end becuz that wedding kiss in the last ep is BAM!
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Suspenseful but fails as BL
It started out great: someone not seeing themselves in the mirror but someone else struggling with a huge issue, not knowing if a character did or did not commit murder, vigilantes, etc. The series is short, only 6 episodes. You get all the answers to the above. But how do you call something a BL when one person commits suicide because the other rejects him, and the 2 main characters hug in a friendly, consoling, "I believe you; you're not alone" way? It should be marketed as a regular youth drama. The actors did a great job though.Was this review helpful to you?
A strange one
It's hard to give an opinion on this show... I liked it but at the same time I didn't.First lets set something straight, the CGI was really bad, people saying that's very good haven't watched a proper CGI movie. While I know that the budget in such shows is not so massive as Hollywood it's no excuse to use bad CGI and call it good in current days. In the first episodes the monsters looked really fake, but as the show continued they were "fixed" a little to look more mashed in the scenery and with proper lighting.
The story was interesting... but at the same time dumb. How can I describe it... it's like giving a great script but to people who don't understand how to implement it. The show was trying to be too cool and it felt like it overdid so it actually looked like an elementary kid playing a "hero" game.
So it's really strange... I didn't hate the story but the way it was portrayed was too childish.
The music... I know they love to reuse the same song on k-dramas but I think the specific song selection was not proper for a lot of the "epic" scenes with that "warriors" song on repeat. Each time I heard it, it killed the scene for me...
The ending of the first part (I assume) was all over the place, so I don't consider it to be a "good" one.
While I don't consider it a bad show if I take in consideration the bad CGI, bad director vision and the strange music choice I can't give it more than 6/10, while I have given 6 to a lot worse shows than this and I don't consider this one to be equally bad to them.
Or to break it in other terms, as a SciFi show is really bad, but as a kdrama is OK.
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Enemies, Lies, Amnesia Bring Forth A Formidable Power Couple with Great Tacit Fighting Skills
This went into my Watchlist because of ZWY; after seeing him in LYF, I was wondering if he could be versatile. I was pleasantly surprised here. I know WCR from various other series and this was such a great character for her as well. I knew some of the other CP's and supporting characters from other shows. But though according to novel readers, it deviated significantly from the novel, I still found it a good watch. It had a little bit of everything; enemies, lies, amnesia, fake identities, palace intrigue, that ultimately brought forth a formidable power couple with nearly psychic tacit understanding and fighting skills.Pros: I gotta say, that fight sequence in episode 40 with the leads in the jail against the antagonist's goons was my favorite part in the whole show. It showed that both flowed as one unit, uniting and parting; almost dancing together as they annihilated the enemy. The show originally stemmed from CXZ finding LMT who he thought was the leader enemy's concubine but in reality she was the actual leader of the enemy. But because after suffering a betrayal and severe injuries that left her with amnesia of her past 3 years of life, ML decided to use her as bait to draw out the rest of the enemy. This first arc, though it seemed to have gone on for far too long, was the calm before the storm and comedic at times. It made CXZ essentially and for real fall in love with her but each time he wanted to tell her the truth something got in the way. When her memories did return she of course was angry and betrayed and took it out on him. Though what he did wasn't right, who she really was and did before all that was worse so it made them even.
The other characters to love though all were flawed in their own way were ZY (who had a yen for LMT) but he was a morally grey protagonist. His story with the empress was absolutely the best and I think by the end it was clear he had feelings for her and let go of the past aka LMT like the empress told him to do which was beneficial for him. I loved how she finally stood up to her bullying family and greedy father who was also put in place by the emperor. Just those two couples, would have been enough. The third couple I'll mention below, though I liked ZQ on his own because he provided comedic relief and he didn't need to be part of a couple. Also Li Mama, Moru, the two maids, the shadow guard leader and the rest of them, were the best little family. CXZ's brother in the wheelchair was a great support system (and I'm glad that they didn't make him into the evil guy like in the book), mom needed to endure hardship to open her eyes to the real world and truth about those around her. But she too was a kind soul. Grand Empress Dowager was also a big plus especially towards the end. As were LMT's family like grandpa, uncle, and others. Also the CXZ's main guard and everyone who supported LMT as the "madam" of the house.
We knew who the ultimate antagonist was and it was just about getting rid of him that took the time because he had a lot of backers and corrupt officials under him but he was a believable villain throughout. The wedding was fun but too short in my opinion given how long the previous arc was. Should have been grander. Costumes, locations, and OSTs were all very good.
Cons: This series had the fastest palace coup in history; literally a black screen with words saying it happened and a new ruler aka ZY (heir to the throne as the late crown prince was his father) had taken the throne. This was one of several whiplashes I got from this show. The 2nd couple was probably one of the most unnecessary in any series; they had zilch chemistry and it seemed like they were forced together. Furthermore, the actress was miscast because she always plays highly intelligent, kind, and gentle roles but is never a pushover. Here she barely spoke up, created misunderstandings from her own incorrect deductions, pouted a lot, always had a long face and was too pompous for her own good though she was insecure as hell. I fast forwarded her as much as I could. They even stuck that CP randomly at the end of the series even though the way it was done stuck out like a sore thumb because after this massive event at the palace, without warning it cut to a scene of them in the woods digging for special soil and they announce wedding plans; another whiplash. They should have closed them out before that whole capital thing ever took place. Totally lacking in cohesion.
Next was probably the draggiest portion of the entire series where LMT was holding on to her grudge for way too long while CXZ did everything in his power to win her back. That arc took forever and everyone was exasperated by it because LMT though supposedly "softened" still treated him in a very harsh and cold way that had many of us cringing. Like get over it already! He has told you on multiple occasions that he sees you as his equal and will only marry you in this lifetime; what more do you need? She only panicked when her grandfather committed a faux pas and declined the engagement on her behalf. Once it was ironed out and they signed the wedding certificate she went from an ice cube to melted butter in five minutes and again it was incohesive. These transitions need to be smoother not whiplashing the audience around. It honestly made her look like she had multiple personalities while CXZ was being turned into a simp as he even got himself hurt for her to break off a stupid engagement (x2 in this series). I have no qualms about the actors themselves as they acted their hearts out but this is where novel material comes in real handy and screenwriters need to have their heads examined.
Two of the most unnecessary characters were the old bat aunt and cousin that was originally meant to marry CXZ. Only good thing about that old bat was that she finally made the Consort Dowager open her eyes to reality and stand up for her son and daughter in law. That was a very well deserved slap. Otherwise, they were a waste of space and time. The obsessed with ZY daughter of the villain, I couldn't stand but in the end her own obsession was their downfall so kudos to her for being that blind and dumb as a brick!
Would I recommend it? Yes; the cons notwithstanding, the acting was awesome, comedy just right, real love and connections as well as the amazing tacit understanding of the leads. That ending fight was one of the best choreographed in a drama that's not a Wuxia, I've seen. There it is!
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STORY:
Warning: The beginning of this show is really bloody….might be off putting if you are looking for a lighthearted tale. Goblin is many things but it is NOT FLUFFY NOR IS IT CUTE! The Goblin or Kim Shin is played to PERFECTION by Gong Yoo (yes….adding him to my oppa list). Kim Shin becomes a goblin after he is betrayed by the king and the people mourn his death. He waits for a goblin bride who can remove the magic sword and let him leave mortality…..nine hundred years later (and a lot of good deeds) he meets up with Ji Eun Tak (well done by Kim Go Eun) a graduating high school senior (and orphan), becomes room mates with a grim reaper (HOLY COW – Lee Dong Wook rocked it) and Deok Hwa (Yook Sung Jae…so funny), the latest member of a family who has taken care of the goblin for the last 900 years.
Throw in a funny business owner named Sunny, a mother earth type god, and the big boss god who sometimes comes in the form of a butterfly, and well…..magic……just magic. Some have issues with the age gap between the ML & FL. I think the issue lies in the fact that she is graduating from high school when she meets the goblin and that is a bit much for a few folks. The show steers clear from becoming inappropriate. Perhaps it would have been easier for some if she had already graduated…..but I’m not quite convinced. (However, that weirdness does keep this from being a perfect 10 in my book.)
CHARACTERS:
I can’t say too much about these characters without spilling the beans with some spoilers. Please know that I am just skimming the surface here.
Kim Shin (Gong Yoo): All the broody goodness I love in my male leads and super hilarious to boot. Kim Shin will either make you laugh or cry or sigh, but you won’t be bored….however, just know that the grim reaper will do the EXACT SAME THING! Either way, Gong Yoo….I just can’t imaging ANYONE else playing this part……and the relationship between the grim reaper and the goblin….OUT OF THIS WORLD CRAZY GOOD!
Ji Eun Tak (Kim Go Eun): Her character was all over the place and in a good way. Just when you thought she would be too miserable to deal with….she turns into someone funny, running circles around the goblin and the grim reaper. Her character could have been too sad and too depressing but Kim Go Eun keeps her hilarious and appealing for all 16 episodes.
Sunny & Grim Reaper: Holy cow were these two characters the best in the entire world. Again, avoiding spoilers, I will only say: funny, scary, intense, sad, touching, sweet, heart-wrenching. WATCH THE SHOW JUST FOR THESE TWO!!!!
MUSIC:
I will admit that I am tempted to download the theme song because of the last couple of minutes of episode 2 (WASN’T THAT SO COOL!!!). The music was not repeated to the point of annoying and again…that main song….love it!
REWATCH VALUE:
Oh yeah….I could watch this over and over and over ESPECIALLY THE BROMANCE SCENES…..and there are lots and lots of YouTube videos showing them over and over because they are SOOOOOOOO AWESOME.
Should you watch this? Um Yeah. If all my caps didn’t convince you then…….well, just saying.
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