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I would not tell you more about the plot since there is already a summary but what would I tell you is why I love this lakorn. :)
Even though it was their first time acting together as a love team, Kim & Nadech portrayed their roles well. There was no awkwardness and they really complement each other. I've seen Kim on her other lakorns but I think her role in here suits her, seen as a spoiled brat but deep down inside she's very vulnerable. As for Nadech, he impressed me with his acting in Duang Jai Akkanee and he still did in this lakorn. What I was not expecting also was their great chemistry! They're so cute together and just made me smile everytime.
As for the supporting casts, I could not asked for anything better. I love the bonding between Kim and her family. For the antagonists, acting was good that it will make you hate them also.
For the music, I like it so much that I've kept on listening to them until I've memorized most of the lines.
A must see drama! If you're still hesitating to watch this, just stop and watch this NOW! :D :D
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This review may contain spoilers
Realistic and cute but boring
Obviously calling it realistic is the highlight here and what I mean by realistic is it's a very possibly believable story between two adults, going at a healthy pace, no drama, sweet moments and delicate romance. Which is also the reason is boring for many because there is literally no dramatic element to their romance.Acting:
This is probably the reason the whole dramatic situation was dull. The actors are good-looking and charming, especially their smiles, but they were obviously not professional and their acting was basically on a single note, straightforward and not something unique. Maybe a little flare would have been better but it was alright.
Story:
The premise was good I suppose, nothing groundbreaking. Based on the description, you would assume the drama was surrounding the MC was going to have to put up a fight, persistence and such to convince his love-interest to work with his company but that whole plot barely lasted for a 2 episodes. I feel the story description is misleading. Also, the love-interest falls unbelievably quickly to a guy who's passion is drinking considering how much the love-interest hates drinking and people who drink. Like, come on. At least, props to the story for not including a complex drama of adding any hindering love triangles or love interests. The first episode was so unnecessary in that regards.
Romance:
Okay, yes, the show didn't deliver intimacy. I think we are all generally used to that in K-BL-dramas right now. The leads have good chemistry, but the kisses were weak, barely 2 or 3 times they kissed, no other intimacy. I guess some would consider it childish but I guess if you go past that, they are actually cute together and there is honestly nothing awkward going on considering the zero intimacy. I personally loved their romance. They are simple people, who appreciate food and each other. It's a healthy, supportive, young romance.
Ending:
So the ending... very meh. The beginning and ending of a series is the most important part and they clearly didn't focus on either. While the beginning was unnecessary and a tad bit confusing, the ending was too easy. Like until the second half of ending episode, the leads are just having cute moments and slowly falling for each other and bam, they are together? I guess we watch too many dramas and expect more. It was just too dull for me that's all. But again, it was sweet and realistic. So not bad.
Overall:
I personally enjoyed the show. I feel a lot of shows nowadays are too dramatic and extremely painful over the unnecessary plots and character arches. But this show is good refresher, down to earth and just really sweet. If you just want a simple, quick and cute watch, go for it. I think you might actually enjoy it. I loved it honestly. But if you are looking for something grand and dramatic, this might not be the show for you.
Highlights and reasons you should watch:
1. The best part was definitely the visuals, the atmosphere, the smiles! The freaking smiles and the good looking cast.
2. And yes, the unhealthy consumption of alcohol is ridiculous. But the way the MC loves and appreciated food is so adorable and admirable. The food making part is less but appealing. This is not food based show like many others out there. But they nailed what they worked with.
3. Also, there are not toxic characters! That is seriously something to worship if you are like me and have been dying on the inside after watching some insanely toxic characters in many dramas out there.
4. Is that really the reason the show was rated A in Viki? Because, if you exclude that part, it is an absolutely simple show okay for all ages.
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peak romcom which gave me smile wrinkles :)
Overall: this is a Thai high school BL romcom done right. It deftly avoided several of my least favorite cliches. 12 episodes about 50 minutes each. Aired on YouTube, GMMTV's channel.Content Warnings: mild manipulation, shove, slap, punch, homophobia, non con photo taking, unwanted public outing
What I Liked
- several funny moments that made me laugh, including several subverted tropes
- cute moments
- the friend/band dynamics
- good dynamic with Tinn and Gun
- Gun's mom, Tinn's mom and dad
- they felt like real parents and acted realistically
- Tiw is the best wingman ever
- no cliche one dimensional villains
- solid communication and a very supportive romantic partner
Room For Improvement
- this could have been 8 or 10 episodes, it dragged in some places, or they should have more fully developed the side couples
- Gun's kissing reluctance was odd except that the writers just wanted to save a mouth kiss for the final episode
- I didn't like Tinn's initial "plan" but at least he did try other things first and I think Tiw is the one who suggested it
- the beginning of episode 2 was a bit confusing because it restarted the first episode from Tinn's perspective
- did Gun's mom's money problem just vanish?
FYI - I saw someone explain Gun's outfit (the black tank and shorts) which is in reference to this https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/wonderful-memes-transport-minister-chadchart-becomes-internet-idol/
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This drama made me appreciate the Thai culture and traditions, it helped me visualise how a normal person’s life must have been back then in Thai. It all seemed very realistic (if you take out the magic mirror and time travel)
I found myself appreciating the struggles Thai people must have faced through the ages and how strong they must have been to still be independent now when so many countries were colonised (like mine).
I appreciated the absence of fierce antagonists. Being fully adverse with Thai Larkons I am quite used to expecting to see screaming second leads ~ this drama spared me.
This drama has such strong women, most of who support each other and help each other grow.
The romance was slow and simmering, I’ll like to credit the Male lead for this because of his quiet, strict, and shy personality as compared to the open minded, modern, firecracker of our female lead. Still, he was fierce and adamant on who he wanted and who he didn’t.
I didn’t want to understand somethings he did in the latter half when the prospect of time travel for the future female lead became more concrete, but I did. And I could not fault him for being desperately in love.
One fault I can find is the lack of goodbyes this drama had for the female lead and ALL her circle of people in her original life. Granted, saying goodbye to her mum was a good treat nonetheless.
All in all, I throughly enjoyed this drama and love it dearly. It’s a sweet, slow, and thought provoking ride.
9.5/10
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More genres, less content and even less value
This is the epitome of how mix-matching everything almost never leads to good results. The narrative is roughly what you'd expect from someone with attention deficit issues. It starts off trying to be this, then it tries to be that, "-- oh that sounds cool, let's add that too," would be an accurate way to sum up the writer's thought process.First it starts off as criminal investigation theme, then it goes into science-fiction, then onto supernatural, then back to criminal investigation, followed by pseudo-scientific, mind-numbing supernatural drama, carried out with the spice of pretentious detective noir.
I seldom feel this disengaged from a drama/movie, and this specific piece of work overachieved on that front. What helped achieve this accomplishment was largely a contribution by certain actors who took acting to a level where you could it transcendence. Take the newlywed police officer and his wife for example. Their facial expressions were so exaggerated that at times I felt more freaked out by their faces than what cheap thrills the zombie-mutant-demon-aliens made me feel.
Lest we talk about the special effects. They could've easily just made a dark fog and called that the source. People could just get infected by inhaling said smoke. It not only would've made sense and been easier to explain, but it would've also made it so much more realistic and not to mention the savings they could've made. Why, oh why did there have to sentient floating little dust clouds that are able to maneuver as they wish through air? How high was the author when he wrote this? Seriously, considering how the mutation works and such, the fog should've been the source. Could've easily attributed it to the likeness of spores. The demon-alien-evil-metal-dust-monsters keep appearing in such little concentrations, and how the characters behave when seeing them.... The sheer amount of frustration I felt watching this is indescribable.
I have absolutely no clue why this drama has an 8/10 rating. Plot holes, inconsistencies, narrative discrepancies, overacting, directionless, the list goes on. If you found genuine joy out of this drama, I commend you for being able shut off your brain to that level. Sadly, I could not do so.
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1This review may contain spoilers
Welcome to the world of doors!
Oh my gosh, I loved this so much. I’m still pretty overwhelmed as I am writing this but I try my best to give my review a structure lol. There could be minor spoilers, but I won’t spill any major ones. :P◢ What is the drama even about?
Ling Jiu Shi just quit his job and spends his time playing games, when he gets hands on an apparently very new game: “The Spirealm”. But as he starts playing he notices how real it feels and suddenly one day, when he opens a door in his apartment, he instead finds himself in a corridor with 12 doors, pushes open one of them and is sucked right into the game, where he also comes across veteran player Ruan Lanzhu.
From here on our journey starts. 12 doors being 12 eerie worlds to survive for them to pass the door and return to reality. As you can guess, there is no choice avoiding it, as the door can just appear anywhere and anytime. And if you die in the door, you also die in real-life.
◢ The Stories inside the doors are all kinda creepy - but never really scary. Perfect for a scaredy-cat with a thrill-loving heart like me. I found the stories all very interesting, intriguing and never dragging. I think they had a pretty nice pace. The 78 episodes were over super quick, I didn't even notice. Very binge-able!
Inside the doors, the “players” encounter a certain setting and have to try their best to survive by finding the key to the exit-door. They have to gather clues to the story and taboo-rules to comply so they won’t get killed by the creepy gate-keepers. Kind of like a riddle x survival video game.
◢ The Bromance was very strong in my opinion. I wouldn’t believe the main-leads were just acquaintances for even a second. Their bond was that strong. The things they said and the way they looked and cared for each other didn’t leave me with any doubts about their relationship. And knowing this being an adaption of a BL novel did the rest.
But the story also had other elements: like the progressing friendship of the members of ‘Obsidian’ - Lanzhus organization for helping people through their doors. There were many interesting and likable characters I enjoyed watching.
◢ About The Acting, well, I’m not an expert but I’m an average drama-watcher who also cringes at very bad acting - didn’t have that here tho. I personally think the acting of the main characters was pretty strong. Juishi was well portrayed by JunJie (Lan Zhu too, of course). All mains fit their roles, actually. Especially also the actor playing the twins with completely opposite personalities. The only ones whose acting wasn’t that good were some of the little side-characters. But I don’t mind.
The music was nice and fitting. Cao Giai's “I know” is still giving me flashbacks and heart-clenches.
◢ Novel vs. Drama
Of course there were some major and minor changes in the drama. The most obvious, of course, was the censorship of the romance - but also the toned-down horror-stories. In the novel there was way more gore…
Lanzhus character was also censored lol. In the novel he is a drama-queen who enters some doors in drag - which is super fun to read. Gladly, in the drama he majorly kept his personality traits, just, well.. toned down.
And then the whole game-setup. While the drama played with the theme of virtual reality, the novel was completely fantasy. The doors here were not a game or a curse even, they were a chance (although a morbid one) for people who were about to die to extend their life big time.
Other drastic changes were the ending and the twist. The twist in the novel is slightly different from the drama - with a very big impact tho, and more mind-blowing. It was better explained in the novel, but also a bit more confusing for me lol. Absolutely stunning! <3
◢ The Ending evokes rather complicated emotions in me - as it was not what me and others would have wished for - but it also wasn’t the worst outcome, I guess. It was pretty much up for interpretation. While the novel ending is super awesome in my opinion, there were also things to be sad about.
◢ So, what was better? Novel or Drama?
Generally, I prefer the novel because of the romance, the twist and the ending. Though the novel still leaves open some questions I had. The stories inside the doors of the drama were very close to the novel, so I liked them in the drama better as I prefer watching over reading when it comes to things like this. I liked that in the drama the friendship and bond between the members was more vivid as the viewers got more scenes with them to grow attached to. Of course I also prefer how the gore was excluded lol.
◢ When it comes to flaws, there was only one that bothered me: I personally found the differences between low-level doors and high-level doors too little. Although the danger increased, the taboos and clues were always on the same level. Most weren’t that hard to guess.
◢ The Spirealm has many good points: the interesting eerie survival games making the drama partly episodic, the clue discovery, the mystery, the bromance, the friendship, the twists... if you like all that, then you might give it a try. ;)
Now, after finishing the drama and the novel, I feel very empty inside. I wish I could forget everything just to experience both once more for the first time. I loved it very very much. One of the best dramas I’ve seen. :)
-Info: I watched the drama version that got taken down. Who knows what they will cut out for the new release on iQiyi etc.
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The movie's story is about a man who has been hospitilized because of a mental illness and a nurse who is at the edge of a mental break down because of her sick father. I think, what happened between them can not be called love but more likely understanding each other / feeling each other, which was shown finely. The story is pretty plain-may be only a little above avarage-, and story telling follows by jumping between present and past.
The simple story is supported by very good acting, by not only Hyun Bin but all the actors. Still naturally Hyun Bin takes the lead.I could not stop myself applausing his acting, since he did not impress me, but perfectly convinced me that he is mental.
There is not much to say about the music since there wasn't too much music, except the end. It may be considered as a minus but I had the impression that it was knowingly done so, in order to support the feeling of the emptiness of life, as well as, the holes in caracters hearts.
Since the movie is definetly suffocating and depressevie I believe the re-watch value is lower than I rated.
Still I honestly liked the movie. As for shooting and acting it satisfied me a lot, and considering the story there was not a single moment when I did not think about the people around me or in the news who are fighting the same problems and end up exactly the same way that the caracters did. Overall I think it was a good movie but not for everyones taste.
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Subete ga F ni Naru was a gem for me this year- it was a compelling watch, and genuinely, every episode had something a little different to offer.
The story was well though out and well paced- if a bit odd at times. The promo photo had me expecting something QUITE different, but it was still a satisfying show to watch, with a romantic plot that was nicely subtle. The relationship between the characters was great, but I felt some of the supporting characters were not well rounded and had very little to offer to the plot at times. I personally think a season two would help sort that out!
The cast played their parts- especially the leads- very well. Moe and Saikawa were a brilliant duo, and I loved their camaraderie. My only issue, is as stated before, some of the cast were under- utilised.
I loved the theme song! It was the only music I really remember, but none of the background music was out of place, so no complaints there.
I doubt I will watch this drama again- at least not for a long time. I am still hoping for a season two to iron out all the niggling questions I still have however! (Much like Hard Nut!)
Overall, it was a great drama. I gave it a nine out of ten because of the loose ending. I still think there should've been at least a bit more to this series- another episode perhaps? It was a nice surprise to me as to how good of a series it was.
I thoroughly recommend Subete ga F ni Naru- its biggest failing is that it ended. :'(
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This review may contain spoilers
To sum up : "This drama is simply a work of art".Never thought I would ever give a perfect 10 to any kdrama, but to my utter delight, this one met my exacting standards. I almost didn’t watch this, because the synopsis was so unappealing. "Older married woman has affair with a kid young enough to be her son" … uhh..thanks, I'll pass … not interested in watching successful people who ought to be content with their lives creating artificial angst for themselves and the viewers. Just goes to show how wrong pre-conceived notions can be.
I was bored one day and since it was on Netflix, I just started watching it.
The first episode was a little random and almost lost me … but …just hang in there, because starting from the 2nd episode, the story just took off, and wow, what a ride it was from that point onwards! The acting, the music, the direction, the photography, the sets/lighting. ….every single scene seemed to be so lovingly put together and the result was a work of art.
The main female protagonist was NOT a korean version of Madame Bovary I thought she would be -- instead, here was one of the best female characters I've seen on screen, korean or otherwise. She was neither a "good woman" or a "bad woman" -- instead she was beautifully multi-layered with enough strengths and failings to fill a book. She was steely strong and scarily manipulative when it came to her business dealings, her face never betraying her inner emotions and remaining calm under intense pressure she faced every day. She was always a step ahead of the game and it amazed me how she openly played the "triple agent" in the nasty chaebol family she was working for (you have to watch it to understand the context). She was blatantly ambitious and didn’t hesitate to hurt people along the way if it meant getting ahead.
On the other hand, deep inside the "unspoilt" part of her, she loved the piano. And she loved it with passion. This is what brings the young self-taught genius pianist and her together in the first place. Their slowly growing love (slow on her end, but almost immediate on his) is so intense that it gave me goose bumps and butterflies several times. Their passion for each other is so uniquely and interestingly depicted that I have to bow down to the director and writer. It is not your typical "slow-mo dramatic kiss and hug" scene. Instead, we often see only the back of their heads when they are kissing. But the set-up, the background music, the slightest flicker on the actors' faces, their body movements are what builds up the crackling sexual tension.
SPOILER ahead******* : the pivotal scene when they first make love was so beautifully filmed it just took my breath way. Instead of showing us the details, the director has us listen to the lovers' voice over as they softly confide their fears to each other and comfort each other, while the camera pans over several innocuous inanimate objects in the shabby apartment, carefully avoiding any glimpse of the bed. The net effect : the most tuggingly-intimate love scene I've ever seen.
******SPOILER END
Both the actors have done a stellar job in portraying their characters with great nuance and complexity. And they fit together so well and naturally that the age difference just melts. Theirs is the best chemistry I've seen …period …they just burn the screen up together. I wonder how watching the actual filming on the set would have been. Their scenes together were so real and so palpable.
In the end, the "affair" actually takes a backseat . The story is really about her self-discovery and how she gets the courage to own up to her mistakes and start life all over again with a clean slate. I LOVED the ending -- it was perfect and I wouldnt have it any other way.
The actor who played the poor husband (who is not a very sympathetic character anyway) actually did rather a remarkable job in pulling it off. He was not so unsympathetic that you hate him. In fact, I felt a little sorry for him, not because his wife leaves him (they were never "together" emotionally to start with), but because he was really not capable in his career despite ambitions. He just ended playing puppet to his superiors but was always on the losing end. So he was just plain weak …. but the actor succeeded in not making him totally despicable.
Lastly, this drama would NOT have been the same without the astounding music. I would even go so far as to say that the music is truly the main character in the entire show. Thanks to this show, I was introduced to some amazing piano pieces that I have downloaded and listen to frequently.
This drama has truly spoilt me for all future kdramas, and I really hope and wish this team of director/writer would come together again and do another show.
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"Heesu in Class 2: A BL Betrayal – Why the Story Missed Its True Potential"
Hi first I want to say I am a beginner drama analyst, future writer and also write drama the theories ( what could have happened instead of what happened in the drama) so let's get into it.Heesu in Class 2: Misleading Marketing, Wasted Potential, and No Character Growth
At first, Heesu in Class 2 seemed fresh and promising: a story about a boy who gives relationship
advice even though he's secretly struggling with his own feelings for his best friend, Chan Young.
Sounds relatable and emotional, right?
Unfortunately, what we got was a lazy, unfocused mess.
Let's start with the facts:
- It was marketed as BL to attract BL fans (because they knew BL fandoms boost popularity fast),
- but once they had us hooked, they hid the actual BL story behind straight couples, basketball
games, and side character drama.
- Heesu and Chan Young, who were supposed to be the heart of the story, were barely developed.
Biggest mistakes they made:
1. Introducing Seungwon.
- Seungwon's relationship with Heesu wasn't needed at all.
- It only distracted from the true emotional conflict between Heesu and Chan Young.
2. Giving more screen time to side couples.
- The straight side characters got more romance and development than the supposed MAIN BL
story.
3. Throwing away the original plot.
- The story was supposed to be about Heesu giving relationship advice even though he had no experience himself.
- This should have been a huge opportunity for Heesu to grow - making mistakes, learning from
real love, and maturing.
- Instead, they barely showed this. The "relationship advice" plotline disappeared halfway through.
4. No character growth.
- Heesu remained static.
- Chan Young barely got explored.
- The "class 2" setting wasn't even realistic - no real conversations, no atmosphere of a school
setting.
5. Terrible story structure.
- If they really had to introduce Seungwon, they should have kept Heesu and Chan Young at the
center and made side characters actually side characters.
- Otherwise, the whole story should have focused on Heesu confessing to Chan Young, Chan
Young struggling with denial, dating a girl to "prove" he's straight, realizing he's not, and finally
accepting his feelings for Heesu.
- THAT would have been an emotional, powerful BL story - like they promised us.
6. The title "Heesu in Class 2" is pointless.
- The class setting didn't even matter to the story.
- It had no depth, no realistic interactions, and no emotional significance.
Final Thoughts:
Heesu in Class 2 feels like a cheap marketing trap for BL fans, with a hollow story and no real love
or growth at its core.
The writers could have told a beautiful, heartfelt coming-of-age BL story about friendship turning into
love, acceptance, and emotional growth - but instead, they wasted the potential completely.
Bottom Line:
- They used BL fans.
- They threw away their own plot halfway.
- They disrespected the story they could have told.
If you're looking for a real emotional BL with actual character growth?
This isn't it. just no no like this whole series is a joke well I hope u enjoyed my theory I also appreciate feedback (*ˊᗜˋ*)ᵗᑋᵃᐢᵏ ᵞᵒᵘ.
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The story centers around 4 siblings and each of their personal struggle in life. An older brother who sacrificed his prime time of life for the happiness of his younger siblings. Youngest sibling trying to figure out, whether to pursue his dream or to lay it off for the father like older brother. Main protagonists Mikoto is a paramedic with a special ability to see the last moment of someone's life, struggling to find a way to impede the fate waiting for her stepsister and love interest Sara. The drama might feel slow paced if someone isn't used to "slice of life" genre. Almost each episodes disclose more story of the siblings, their daily life and how people around them helps to seek different possibilities in life. Death, struggle is part of life but familial bond just might be the cure to go past these obstacle and live on, a common message of this type of drama and no difference here.
The drama title has a hidden meaning and one have to watch till the end to get it.
To me, ending is the most important thing to judge a drama. 4-punkan no marigold delivered not only a happy ending but a very satisfying one. Ken Hirai's『#302』in this drama is like cherry on top.
*btw this is my first time doing a drama review. So there might be tons of mistake(apology for that), but I loved this drama so much that it felt like i need to write it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Fantastics - A fake documentary
In this fake documentary we follow the lives of Fantastic's members, and we mainly follow their activities inside their dorms which take place prior and after their work schedule.STORY
Honestly, there is not a lot of story in this documentary, it is fiction and reality at the same time. There are some made up scenes/stories in the documentary that we follow. 6 members of the group are living together (Sota, Natsu, Natsuki, Keito, Yusei, Leiya) while Sekai and Taiki visit them frequently. Sota and Hori Natsuki share a room, and Leiya and Yusei also share a room and we see them grow together and spend their time together.
In this fake documentary we can see some of the struggles that the members come across trying to maintain their private life. For example, Hori Natsuki and Leiya are in a relationship and we follow them as we see them face different problems. While, Sawamoto Natsuki with the help of Sota and Keito are trying to develop the most cost-effective recipes with the existing ingredients. Lastly, we also see the close relationship of Yusei and Leiya (wink wink).
If you already know the group and know their story then this is a good show to watch with them. You will have fun. If you don't know a lot about the group (more of that in the MY OPINION section), you might get confused of what is happening and where reality ends and where fiction begins. But in overall, it is a good show to watch if you need more material with the group :) I hope that we will get a second season, as I want to see more of Sawamoto Natsuki with his assistants trying new recipes and then eating together.
MY OPINION
I know that it would be in vain to express my opinion but I need to know if other people think that same as me. Firstly, I would like to share a thought about Fantastic's activities in general. I don't know who is responsible for handling the schedule of the group or who decides in which shows the group would appear or who creates a new show for the group; but they are not that good with their job. I do realise that the main fanclub of the group is in Japan and they are highly promoting their activities in the country (honestly, not only Fantastics but I have this issue with every Exile subgroup), however they cannot belittle International fans.
It was extremely difficult to find this show online and even when I found where I could watch it, there were no Eng subs. I am not referring to official English subtitles; I couldn't find the episodes even with fanmade english subtitles. Instead, I found the episodes online with Chinese subtitles, I downloaded the chinese subtitles and with an online tool I translated them to English, and then I uploaded them on the video. Sure, there are some sections that don't make sense but that was the only way to understand the episodes. In general, I know that it is difficult to easily find a japanese show in the existing sites where we watch Asian Dramas and Movies but this is ridiculous. Due to this inaccessibility of different shows with the group and the lack of English subbed content the group cannot grow their fandom internationally and become more popular.
I find it sad that we will never get english subbed content and shows accessed in common platforms for international fans (e.g. youtube), as I really believe in the groups potentials. The group has all the talent to succeed, not only in the music industry but also entertainment industry, but they don't have the right substructures to help them grow. You have the older member/leader that provides wise advises in the group (Sekai), three sunshines (Sota, Taiki, Keito), the "mother" that takes care of the group members behind the scenes (Natsuki Sawamoto), and lastly you have the seemingly closed people (Yusei and Leiya) that when you get to know you understand how warm they are. The dynamics of the group have great potentials if they were used efficiently.
I think of myself a rookie fan of the group. It has been only a month or so that I follow the group's music and activities. I knew about the group (since I am a huge Generations fan), but I never followed Fantastics; however, after My Beautiful Man, I found myself searching for more shows with them to watch. During an episode Sekai refers to the relationship between Taiki and Yusei, which Taiki said that in the past he had publicly said some bad things for Yusei and that he didn't like him (at least that's what I understood with my broken Japanese and the online translation). When I tried to look for this incident, I couldn't find any video or comment regarding this issue. That holds me back from knowing more about them and it would always give Japanese fans or fans that have ease access to the group's content an advantage and a gap between us (international fans) and them (national fans) would always exist.
What do you think? Am I over dramatic and I exaggerate too much?
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This review may contain spoilers
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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