When you start you can't stop
Unlike idol dramas, where the protagonist naturally takes center stage, ensemble dramas focus more on the passage of time and the enduring strength of a collective spirit. Xia Fenghua embodies the "Hua Street spirit"—the resilience and legacy of the Grand Canal. Her journey is shaped by time, making her the perfect representation of Northward's central theme. This role comes with a dual narrative responsibility:
•Preserving the "Hua Street spirit" – Ensuring that the values and legacy of the Grand Canal continue to thrive in a new era.
• Demonstrating resilience – Showcasing personal growth and perseverance, emphasizing the profound impact of time on an individual’s journey.
For any young actor, these demands are incredibly challenging. The role requires deep emotional engagement, a thorough understanding of the story’s essence, and a flawless execution of character development.
After watching Northward, it’s impossible not to be impressed by Bai Lu’s performance. Her portrayal of Xia Fenghua is deeply moving, marking a significant breakthrough in her career. Not only does she bring a new depth to the character, but she also changes how audiences perceive her as an actress
Ouhao did a great job too, his character was annoying at some moments but it's understandable.
Very good slice of life drama.
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Li Hong Yi Made this Drama. <3
I just finished watching the last episode. This show has been sitting in my watchlist for ages (months) and I just never got around to it because I kept hearing mixed things. A lot of negative things: like how the female lead is annoying, the budget is low, the male is is toxic, etc. Just so many things. And there's a bit of truth to all of it.So let me explain why I continued until the end.
First, I'm going to start with the less than stellar things.
Yes, the budget is low and it shows. The makeup was also pretty bad for a good portion of the time. Example: The second male lead...every time he was on screen, I stared at his unblended wig line rather than his face. The script...honestly, the majority of it was boring except for the instances between the male and female lead. It was repetitive. The show could have been accomplished in half the amount of episodes. The female lead's character was indeed sort of irritating. Lots of back and forth between the two male leads. Out of the entire cast, I only liked three of them. And the story itself was very, very simple.
Basically, there were a ton of little things.
Now for the parts that kept me going.
1.) While the female lead character was far from my favorite (doesn't even rank), that's all the fault of the script. Actress Rosy Zhao played her part beautifully. My only problem was the horrendous script she'd been dealt.
2.) The other character I liked aside from the leads was the best friend of the secondary male lead. Qin Liu Feng. Actually, that doesn't do him justice. Despite being the best friend of the rival love interest, there were times that it seemed like he was the only one who truly put the female's best interest first. He never judged her or any of them really. And when the second male lead was acting possessed or heartless, he stepped in to give perspective. And most notably, in the end, after all went down, he was the one who told the female lead what had happened and bid her farewell into the arms of the main male lead. He was the most supportive one throughout the whole drama, I think.
3.) To be honest, I didn't like the second male lead for almost all of the show. He was too rigid and set in his beliefs. He would have never put the female lead first. Only the morality of the hypocritical righteous sect placed first in his heart. He didn't even really know how to show affection. He was kind of sad, to be honest. He was the product of his upbringing. But in the end, he let her go. He finally realized that if she stayed with him, he would one day sacrifice her for the good of his people and their beliefs. Only the main male lead, who was deemed the bad guy and hated by everyone, would truly put her first in all things and love her the way she deserved.
4.) That leads me to the so called bad guy. He was the one thing that kept me interested in this drama. Shangguan Qiu Yue, played by Li Hong Yi. I saw where a lot of people called him toxic. Here are my thoughts. This show never portrayed him to be a good guy. He was raised in an ice cave, beaten and trained to hate in order to get revenge for his mother. Someone like this, who saw enemies everywhere, would never show love in a healthy manner. But he evolved and grew. Initially, he used her. The female lead was just another pawn. She became less so as he fell in love. Was his love toxic though? I don't think so. He was a villain. He showed up in her room, kidnapped her frequently, kissed her all the time, tricked her, etc. Yes, those things aren't technically socially okay. But it's what bad guys do. He also saved her all the time, even when the second male lead whom she thought she loved would have sacrificed her for the greater good, which happened quite a few times. The "bad guy" always put her first. He just communicated in the way he'd been raised to communicate: violently and by using tricks. Another thing, he also listened to her and did what she requested, so essentially she called the shots in a roundabout way. So no, I didn't have a problem with his character. Not everyone can be cookie-cutter perfect.
Still on Li Hong Yi...
He was beautiful throughout and he kept giving her this expression that was just to die for. It made my heart beat. LOL. It's probably one of the most seductive expressions I've seen in c-dramaland and that's my theory for why it was so popular. <3 People just wanted to look at his bad boy sexy face.
Truthfully, he was the best part of this show. ^_^
Overall, this drama was far from perfect, but I enjoyed it well enough. Probably won't rewatch it though.
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This review may contain spoilers
As the title speaks for itself, I watched and was charmed by this drama three times before finally arriving at my final score, and that is a perfect 10. I first skim watched it because I was so surprised by the very strong mixed reaction to this drama (on MDL or the streaming website) and skipped to most of the lead actors' scenes to gauge whether their acting makes this drama redeemable. The answer is an absolute yes. The second time I watched this I still skipped a lot of scenes just to pay more attention to the main storyline itself, and to see whether I belong to the group of people who find the writing ridiculous OR realistic and charming. The third time I watched this is when I finally immersed myself fully into the side characters that I found really elevated this drama, and teach us many lessons about life. Believe me, if you come to this drama with a more matured mindset, you will really love this drama.I feel many of the reviews that condemn the writing of this drama do not understand the complex nature of life and relationships itself or simply refuse to come to terms with the intention of this story. This drama started off as a rom-com but progressed more towards a melo, and though many people were irritated by this, this is exactly the charm of this drama and I believe only how the writers have intended it to be. Joon Young and Young Jae are two characters who are quite literally the polar opposite, but that's what makes it tick in a young couple: the excitement of dating with a different personality. But as their relationship deepens, problems start to arise because of their conflicting nature, and so it's becoming more important for them to understand what it means to find and love their own identities first before loving another person. The story unfolds this progression and slice-of-life very nicely in my opinion. I can guarantee your acceptance of the writing of this drama will highly depend on how tolerant you are of the decisions made by the lead actors at three stages of their relationships (20 y/o, 27 y/o and finally 32 y/o).
Spoiler: There's a scene after her 27th birthday where Young Jae's best friend cooked her spicy stir-fried octopus, and it made her remember Joon Young. There was only three of them there, her brother included. Yet she went to the bathroom to cry, instead of letting out her tears in front of the two people who obviously care for her. This scene speaks a lot about her real personality and mirrors how she deals with her own relationships. At this point, you have two choices as to how you view Young Jae for the rest of the drama (and which greatly affect your level of enjoyment as story unfolds): 1) see her heartbreak as self-imposed out of selfishness or 2) see her heartbreak as really a result of being timid and afraid of showing her vulnerabilities.
As for the acting, I am absolutely in love of how well Seo Kang Joon portrays the three different faces in this drama: an awkward nerd, a competent police officer and a meticulous chef so well (I love how he chose to become more of a chef than a restaurateur). His quirky expressions say a lot, and he's really amazing! Lee Som also provided enough nuances to her character as the strong and opinionated career lady, especially in the latter part when her role turned more mellow. Other supporting casts add interesting dynamics to their relationship as well, except the Doctor who I disliked for being such an opportunistic jerk.
I really love the slow BGMs that play in the sad scenes especially in episode 15 when Young Jae and Joon Young were crying on each other's faces. Your true feeling is something you have no control over and one you can't possibly run away from, so I was so touched when it's expressed so beautifully by the skilled actors. He's self-aware enough not to embrace her in a hug but still couldn't stop himself from showing how much his heart was aching for her. If he had hugged her, it'd be lust but since he didn't, it was obviously true love. Damn, talk about really poignant acting!
Rewatch value is very high especially depending on how much you love Seo Kang Joon. I believe this is one of his best dramas to-date that really showcases his wide range as an actor just in one single sitting. Those who say you're better off skipping this and just watch Are You Human Too instead, I disagree. There's a reason why he took up this role (I absolutely love his choices so far), and I feel this one on my bones. Young Jae is incredibly lucky because Joon Young's love for her is incredibly powerful and unwavering even after all those years. Trust me, it's a treat to watch and re-watch his astounding portrayal of true love that took questionable turns, but is far from being cheesy.
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The bromance is great with great suspense plot and backstories with ample disturbing content but naturally because it's TV it's not quite as gory but it's definitely dark and twisted.
And it's just so gripping! You won't be able to stop till you've finished.
I really liked the way the character arcs came together but the best part for me was the way they were always there for each other even when they've all suffered traumatic events. Just a great storyline overall.
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An amazing but simple movie that now lives in my head rent-free
This movie's summary sounded really bare but the trailer looked good and it was offered at a film festival so I decided to check it out. It was a damn good and I'm kind of obsessed with it right now! The story is about a high school student who witnesses a younger student being brutally bullied by her classmates and decides to step in, admittedly out of a hero complex. One of the most kindest MLs I've seen so far, he is so kind and sweet to her and they get closer... and then the story goes into some dark places but I won't spoil it, since it builds to a really romantic, heartwarming conclusion imo.The story wasn't groundbreaking or special, I'll be first to admit, all the weird little quirkiness aside, but it was still engaging and resonated with me. It was quite deep and heartfelt - it showed how even in the darkness of this world and human behaviour, there are still good people out here who commit to being someone's light. The acting was top-notch, especially on Ishii Anna's part. I didn't really notice the music that much but it wasn't bad.
Overall, an enjoyable movie, perhaps even one of my favourite out of all the Japanese movies I seen so far and I'll probably rewatch it in the future whenever it is available.
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Getting worse as time goes by.
(1) Story & Its Logic [-]Hah, I want to scoff. This is the drama that only knows the way to create the title, but doesn't know at all how to develop the story. Their story has only one idea which is "accidentally find love" as the title "一不小心捡到爱" says. Apart from the idea that the ML and FL accidentally meet and love each other, other things are totally a mess. There's no logic in any part of the story. The business part is especially wrongly portrayed. The decisions of each character that is supposed to be the elite class from the good educational background are illogical, irrational and I can't find the root of their characters.
Let's talk a bit about the business part as it won't be a spoiler:
- Everyone on the company board regards the contract that is forced to sign as legal despite knowing that it's obtained by force without the consent of the signee... Excuse me, guyssss. You don't have to discuss how to solve a situation like this at all. The contract is void when it's proved that the contract is done by coercion. How come the senior executives in this drama, including the ML and ML's family, are very less-educated in the basics of business law. This is so unrealistic to the point of stupidity.
- In front of the media, the executives openly quarrel about the share portions and fight over the chairman's position. And this is a company that is on the stock market. And the people fighting over the position are related by blood. This kind of immature action wouldn't only be unacceptable among the board members, but it would cause a big stir among the public and affect the reliability of the company that will eventually affect the stock price. If you can't foresee the consequence of this kind of action in public, you don't even have rights to battle for the chairman position. And when they ask the board to vote right there in front of the media eyes for the next chairman, damnnn... the board plays along?!! Ridiculous! The board wouldn't vote for the next chairman in an impromptu event like this and, top of all, they wouldn't vote for any of you following your immature fight before the media if they want to save the company.
Just a stupid story, I would conclude.
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(2) Character Design [-]
There's no characteristic in each character. There's only the writer who forcefully orders each character to think, speak, do what and what. All actions of the characters are just rootless. They stick to one thing like a robot without conscious consideration. They're like machines that stick to what they're programmed without wavering, but then suddenly change their mind again, and without cause, like they're re-programmed. There's no development in their characteristics. Their changes are incomprehensive as well as their prejudices, grudges, obsessions and stupidity.
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(3) Acting [-]
Overall is bad. FL makes quite a few trivial but awkward gestures. For the general gestures, she is ok, but when it's the details there're awkward parts. The ML is inexperienced in acting it's very obvious, but that also makes it refreshing to see him in love scenes. His ears are always super red... always like I don't know anymore if that maybe his ears' normal color. Good point about this drama is the chemistry between the leads, but this thing alone can't help with the overall bad points of it. The weakness of this drama is too strong.
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To have been anticipated for this drama is disappointing for me. To finish this drama is also a waste of time.
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This drama was a surprise, surprisingly insightful and realistic, not the fairytale I thought it would turn out to be. Watch it, you'll be glad you did.
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Am I the Only One with Butterflies? Season 2
13 people found this review helpful
I’ve waited for season two to come out and of course it’s amazing!! I bought the whole series on Vimeo and it’s affordable and definitely worth it.
You can tell that the channel, NEEZ has invested more in season 2 compared season 1. Which is an improvement as they placed English sub in each episode for it as well as the change in set. I’m glad there are finally more representation for the LGBT+ community on shows, especially if it’s international.
This webseries, is light hearted and tells a story about a woman, Jung-ah who has a crush on her manager who is called manager lee at her workplace. It’s relatable and makes you want to squeal every time both of them interact. I ship these two sooo hard!
It also doesn’t dwell too much about sexuality but focuses on the relationship that exist between these two characters. I really like how they portray that it’s the norm for Jung-ah to have a crush on her manager and doesn’t overdramatise it.
I hope in the future more channels like this create more LGBT+ related webseries/shows for people to watch as it creates hope for the younger generation that whatever sexuality they come into terms to, it’s okay for themselves to be who they are. As well as that there are shows they can watch and relate to.
Overall, it’s worth watching if you want to relate to someone who is having a crush on a woman who they think they can’t have but who knows actually...
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What I did like was Hong Ki's smile, the girls overacting, and them pretending pro-wrestling was a sport. I have never been a fan of wrestling, but when they did the moves it seemed funny and made me want to clothes- line someone.
All in all, unless you are a fan of Lee Hong Ki, pointless dramas about girls trying to be tough, or if you are a pervert and like to see girls in mid-drifts and skirts hitting each other this drama is for you. Otherwise the first 3 episodes are enough to understand the plot and I really wouldn't bother with the ending.
oh and I didnt understand the lack of common sense and magical happenings in the last ep. just a note.
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Get ready for an emotional journey
"Umi no Hajimari" is an extraordinary drama that captivates with its depth, emotional charge and thoughtful narrative. The drama deftly tackles important themes of love, parenting and family relationships, offering a range of perspectives that show the complexity of these experiences. The excellent acting adds authenticity to the characters and their struggles. Each character has their own unique emotional turmoil, and their development is shown in an authentic and moving way.Rena Meguro's acting is unbelievably realistic. His ability to convey the inner emotions of a father struggling to find balance in difficult situations brings his feelings through the screen.
Additionally, visual aspects, such as the picturesque landscapes of Japan, support the narrative, giving it an additional dimension. The shots by the sea are not only aesthetic, but also symbolic, emphasizing the emotional charge of the story.
In short, "Umi no Hajimari" is an emotional journey that shows the beauty of life, in its simplest and most difficult moments. I wholeheartedly recommend it to any drama lover who appreciates emotional depth and artistic quality.
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Masterpiece
Another masterpiece was ended. Never forget the lessons we have learned with this series. Contentment, Love, dreams, family, friendship, patience, and forgiveness. We only have one life to live so live your life to the fullest.We all waited for a year to make this happen and the production never fails to give us the. hundred percent
I never thought that I cried so hard for the final episode especially the airport scene and when Tian bid farewell in the village. I hate goodbyes so this kinda broke my heart. My heart is overwhelmed with happiness at the latter part. They gave us the sweetest ending that we all wanted.
I cannot stop smiling at the last part. They act like a married couple! I wanted to see more of this because they look good together!
The instrumental music was everything. It always gave me chills whenever it's playing. It makes the scenes heartwarming and emotional which gives me a signal to start crying.
I remember how emotional I am with SOTUS, UWMA, and ITSAY. 💗
We can all agree that the acting, music, production, and direction were superb! Everyone will probably demand for another season. #ATaleOfThousandStars #ATOTS #ataleofthousandstarsFinale #EarthMix #phupha #Tian #PhuphaTian #GMMTV #alaiwaph
𝓙𝓪𝔂
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This drama is definitely dated, and I'm not just talking about the flip phones, or horrible outfits. The story itself is a very basic romantic melodrama. All four characters are in an epic love square with all the usual plot points (rich vs poor, obsessive jealousy, mean parents, betrayal, stalking...) and this gets stretched out for 20 episodes, which means there are LOTS of flashbacks. I can understand the idea of having a tough time choosing between 2 men/women you care about, but It was really hard for me to take the romance seriously since I don't think that an abusive relationship with a crazy man is very romantic, even if he's rich and cute. Most of the characters behaved in ways that often seemed ridiculous, and was often frustrating to watch, but I couldn't look away... That's because of the cast.
I'll start with my praise of So Ji Sub, who is always amazing. It's no surprise that he was great. He was my favorite of the cast, and super cute (even with the stupid hair choices). He plays the mysterious, and brooding In Wook perfectly. He was the only character I rooted for throughout the show, but I also liked that he had a bit of a dark side... sexy!
I'm also a fan of Ha Ji Won, but I'm not used to seeing her play someone so passive. As Lee Soo Jung she spends a lot of the show being used, yelled at, or beat on. Her character is portrayed as innocent, yet money hungry, and was honestly hard for me to like or root for because of her choices. Ha Ji Won did an ok job, but at times was a little too melodramatic for my taste. Still, I did like her chemistry with the two male leads during their few rare happy moments. I also liked her relationship with her Bff.
This is my first time seeing anything with Jo In Sung, and his portrayal of Jae Min was certainly entertaining, though definitely over the top. Jae min is super entitled, and completely manic, but somehow still kinda sympathetic. Many of his scenes consist of epic crying, maniacal laughter, explosive anger, and dramatic begging. His "crazy" is the driving force behind the whole drama, so in a way he's what kept me wanting to watch what happened next.
The square is completed by Park Ye Jin as the... i'm thinking of a word that rhymes with 'itch'... Young Joo. Her character is subtly manipulative, and easy to hate. It takes a talented actress to portray such an unlikeable character so well. Many of the supporting characters deserve the same compliment.
So if you heard anything about this drama you know about the widely 'controversial' ending. I was not upset by the ending, but like much of the show, it was very frustrating. I like that the writers didn't go for the predictable people pleasing ending, and tried something more shocking, but it was still cheesy in a way. I certainly laughed inappropriately.
Oh, and the music... I think that the soundtrack was starting to drive me slowly insane, but it's the kind of OST where once you hear a song from it it draws you right back into the drama, so I guess that's a good thing.
Overall, I see "What Happened in Bali" as really bad junk food. I would never call it good, but I had fun watching it. I guess my love/hate relationship with this drama fits the theme of the show. It definitely kept my interest, even when the storyline started to drag. I wouldn't watch it again, but I would still recommend it. However, if you are looking for something light and fun, there are very few of those moments, so avoid this like the plague. This is NOT a Cinderella story. If you're looking for something to make you yell, and throw things at the screen, you found it!
Plus So Ji Sub is in it, and do you really need more of a reason than that?
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So, we as the viewer start to become very weirded out, and although the romance is cute, it is really problematic to our minds when we dwell on it. I have no real problem with age in general, and I enjoyed the dramas called: I love Lee Taeri, the Prime Minister and I, Big ( at first, until the story went downhill, I was fine with the the age gap). All of these dramas have huge age gaps, the biggest age gap from these dramas was 14 years.
I would not have minded the age gap so much if perhaps, the son was not in love with the same girl. But, I guess that cannot be helped. For those of you that have problems with age gaps, at least know what you are getting into before you watch it. But, I still recommend you at least try watching it. It may not be so bad for you. Plus, the romance gets kind of boring and in the end I did not care who she went with.
The romance in this drama was secondary to the father- son bromance ( I don't know what else to call it), that was happening in this drama. I loved those scenes and I want to rewatch this drama just for those scenes alone. So, if you love bromance scenes, this is a drama for you, as long as you can get through the first few episodes with little to no bromance. Then, bromance scenes start and the drama becomes adorable. I know why it was beating Pinocchio for ratings now. Despite the boring parts this drama had more bromance than Pinocchio.
I enjoyed the music overall and the overall acting was very good. I officially love Lee Joon as an actor. I am going to have to go back and watch all his movies and dramas. The plot overall was quite interesting and I did not mind the plot holes as much. Anyway, I would recommend you give this drama a try, but, if you don't like it, it's okay this drama is not for everyone.
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I wouldn't want to change a thing about it ...
Ever saw a drama that makes you think of all the things you missed in life just because you hesitated , just because you weren't sure , just because you thought that there probably will be a better timing for the same....well this drama pretty much made me reflect back on everything I ever missed ...just because I thought it wasn't the right time ....
it has always been about that perfect timing, right? but did someone tell you that the perfect timing you were waiting for, is now ....just do it ...whatever you want , whatever your heart tells you to ....don't hold back, for you might never have a second chance !
so now shall we move on to actual review ...the part above pretty much looks like a life lesson ....(and it wasn't just for you I wrote it for my self too)
the story ...as I said I wouldn't change a thing about it ...(skipping the synopsis....pls read it on MDL page)
the story line doesn't sound so promising ...I know that well but the drama just really makes you feel a hell lot of emotions in such a short time that you can't really find faults here ....bec you just spend all the time enjoying ...
when someone who really loathes amnesia as a trope says that she wouldn't want to change a thing about the drama....you gotta believe them . I have disliked amnesia because the writers often use it to just drag the story to make it to a 16 ep stuff and here it was pretty much the main plot ....but ofc done so well ....
I am all in for friendship and actually don't really appreciate the friends to lovers trope either ....but well they did do a great job with it too ....I wasn't annoyed even a bit by anything
as a watcher when you enjoy everything you have disliked most of the time then ofc it's the biggest compliment you can give to drama ....a drama that makes you reconsider your liking ! well I really enjoy watching such dramas ....and this one too belongs to my top rated dramas ....8.5 from me is a way good rating !
from a 4 ep drama if you expect a hell good setup then ofc you are bound to be disappointed ...but the lower your expectations the more surprised you'd be ...they do manage a decent plot build but ofc somethings are bound to be left out ...after all it's not like they had time to do an ep just for plot build !
the acting ...it was my first encounter with both the leads and they managed to make a mark with their skills ...I have checked other dramas too but I don't see many lead roles and they have mostly side roles in their account! I would really love to see them playing lead roles again cuz ofc I think they deserve it.
music I don't remember paying attention to it ....as for rewatch value ...I don't rewatch so imma not say anthing !
my fav lines from the drama ....
"Time flies....it's so fast I'm scared
Why can't it just slow down so that we can feel and experience more?"
"when I was so close to dying, when I couldn't think of anything else, I only thought of you , all the time we spent together !"
"In my life, in my youth, on that tough and lonely road you were always there , always there like air, you helped me breathe"
"The human memory is like a film, you cut the pieces and stick them together however you want, and in my memory, in my life, he will always be there."
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