Reviews

Its members are: Hide (Suda Masaki), Navi (Yokohama Ryusei), Kuni (Narita Ryo) and Soh (Sugino Yosuke). The band's producer is Hide's older brother Jin (Matsuzaka Tori). The film will be based on real events, including conflicts between family and friends. Kutsuna Shiori will play Rika, Hide's girlfriend.
GreeeeN made its debut in 2007 as a group that does not show their faces in public. In addition to the fact that all members are registered dentists, little is known about them.
The film is more publicity than a biography, but one of the best I've seen, its narrative is perfect, cinematography fits the band's very pleasant soundtrack, if short J-Pop and has an interest in knowing this band revelation, Do not miss out on this movie!

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To be honest, I need to say that overall I enjoyed watching this, but it wasn't the best drama I've ever seen. Cliche romance with cliche tropes, but I think the acting saved this one.

STORY:
- I haven't read the manga, but I felt like I've seen this before. NOTHING NEW. Typical female character that wants to get that one man no matter what.
- This specially felt like "Itazura na Kiss, season 2" remake. Sakura is basically Kotoko 2.0. Even though I love Kotoko, I don't get what Tendo saw in Sakura. She is so pushy, loud and annoying. Also, why did she kept calling him "Sensei" when they are in a relationship? (ONE OF MY BET-PEEVES)
- Second male lead syndome is REAL right here. Kisugi is the ideal man.. JUST WHY? I truly hoped they focused more on Kisugi and Sakai. oh well..
- Nishi and Ryuko's story-line was pointless. Instead, I would have loved to have more development on Kisugi and Sakai's story-line (THEY HAD POTENTIAL COME ON)
_ What I enjoyed the most is the medical stuff. Doctors and nurses were on point and these scenes were really heartwarming.

ACTING:
- Sato Takeru was on point (AM I SURPRISED? NO). My man's smirks just.. wow. Also, as a doctor, he did great as I always expect from him.
- However, Kamishiraishi Mone, idk but I don't think she was the best. She is just so LOUD, but also looks young that it kinda made me uncomfortable seeing her with Sato. I haven't seen any of her other works, but I would love to see more of her because I like her energy.
- The rest of the cast did an amazing job. I specially would love to see more of Maiguma Katsuya's works! He did so well!

P.S. istg this drama has the most amount of kiss scenes I've ever seen in a Japanese dramas! That was nice! JAPAN GET IT.

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I have been literally blown away by this drama.
Discovered by mere chance while following Takenouchi Yutaka's work, it soon proved to be one of my best drama findings. It wasn't even listed on MDL, nor have I ever read a review or a comment about it.
Rondo is a romance thriller. The two aspects are smoothly interwoven and so well balanced that I don't know if I should say it's a romance on the background of a major criminal plot, or a thriller with an undertone of romance.
But let me go in order.

Plot: 10.
Should you decide to watch this drama, don't be deterred by the complex police investigation at the beginning. Slowly but steadily, the jigsaw pieces find their right place and everything becomes clearer and more and more gripping. Never predictable though; on the contrary, there's a twist at every turn.
The love story is simply beautiful. I love the Japanese-Korean interaction between the main leads, it adds a lot of colour to the story and create some very sweet moments. The two characters are a beauty to watch together: both intense and believable, both incredibly good-looking.

Acting: 10.
Terrific performances by all. Takenouchi proved once again to be an outstanding, very expressive actor and, I can just as well admit it, sexy as hell. The only asian man beside Takeshi Kaneshiro who looks good with a moustache. Choi Ji Woo, whom I had never seen acting before, is wonderful. I loved their first encounter and, since I'm very partial to those, I can say it marked the moment I decided I liked this drama. On screen they share the kind of chemistry which is created by tension and suspicion.
I was impressed by Hayami Mokomichi's and Shin Hyun Joon's performances too.

Cinematography: 10.
This is a dark drama. So are the colours, the screenshots, the city views. Black and gray are the predominant hues. The overall photography and direction are spot-on and there were times when I thought I was watching a long movie, instead of a drama.

Music: 11.
Wait... the option is not available. Pity, since the music is a blast, at least for my taste. There's an awesome instrumental piece in between ethnic and trip-hop which is so well used I was always longing for it to play. The music plays a major role in connection with the shooting. Very well chosen.

Re-watch value is obviously a little lower, as it always is with suspense dramas. Once the twists are known, a little of the thrill is gone. Which doesn't mean I won't rewatch this drama when a reasonable time will have passed.

There is only one sad note about this show: the quality of the streaming videos available. Subs: an atrocity. Although I marathoned through the drama, I must say it was an odyssey. The first episode, which is 90 minutes long, is impossible to find whole and in the right order. It almost made me give up the drama entirely, until I decided to find an alternative way... I'm glad I did. The rest of the 10 episodes has to be scraped together here and there. But if you have the patience, you won't regret it.

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Korea has always loved glorifying and immortalising into “ period dramas” from their gold age of history ( now commonly known as the “ Joseon Period” - 1392-1897). With more than six centuries of historical monarchal reigns, wars and rebellions, it is notable that South-Korean screenwriters again and again love to retell these events to viewers with expensive sets, hanboks ( traditional Korean dress) and idyllic scenery from a bygone age .

Whilst Joseon period drama have attempted to tackle crossovers of popular genres such as romance and action before with different results ( either for better or for worse), the more surreal take of horror/ fantasy in Joseon period dramas ( notably Scholar Who Walks The Night, Arang And The Magistrate and in flashbacks from the hit series Goblin), have very rarely depicted levels with historical realism or a grounded depiction ( I.e. in terms of cleanliness, monarchs or violence) of actual life during this period.

Screenwriter Kim Eun Hee ( Ghost, Signal) and director Kim Sung Hoon ( Tunnel-2016, Kidnapped- TBC) were paramount from the get-go to revolutionise this in their horror -period drama Kingdom . This creates a surprisingly brilliant fusion between the surrealism of violent zombies into a political and social critique of the bloodthirsty and ruthless Joseon period and hierarchy .( Although labelled as a “ zombie show”, realistically , the word “ zombie” isn’t used once by any of the characters, due to the concept itself coming from Haitian folklore and not even entering the English language until the 1800s.)

Set in the 1500s , Kingdom revolves around the estranged and traitorous Prince Lee Chang ( Ju Ji Hoon) , whose fate as the successor to the throne looks grim with the recent announcement of his stepmother and the young Queen Cho ( Kim Hye Joon) ‘s pregnancy. Chang, however, becomes suspicious when his father is suddenly ailing from a mysterious illness which nobody will elaborate about outside of the palace. After stumbling upon the truth that his father is a flesh -eating creature, he travels to the South in search of questions with his trusted guardsman Moo Young ( Kim Sang Ho). Naturally, however, they are not the first to stumble upon this truth as assistant physical Seo Bi ( Bae Doo Na) and the mysterious Young Shin ( Kim Sun Gyu) also come across this startling discovery, which will truly test alliances and friendships as a political bloodbath simultaneously corrupts even the heart of Hanyang ( now present- day Seoul)...

It is undeniable that the “ violent zombie” cliche isn’t anything new , nor exciting to television programmes . On the other hand, Kingdom’s strength lies in its focal point ( unlike many zombie programmes) not being on the undead, but the complexity and intricacy of humans.

From Lee Chang’s strong sense of morality towards his allies ( of all classes), Cho Beom-pal ( Jeon Seok- ho)’s gradual transition from one of the selfish members of the ruling-class to someone with a good heart , and the Queen’s ulterior motives against her father’s knowledge , it is notable that the majority of the characters in the show are fairly three-dimensional. Arguably, antagonist Cho Hak-Ju ( Ryu Seung Ryong) can often be written off as your typical moustache-twirling villain, however, there is still a notable level of depth to his character- a bereaving father who has lost his son and is out for revenge against Lee Chang , desperate to protect his family’s lineage and has many more secrets than first meet the eye.

Undeniably, the pacing of the show can be a little slow in the beginning, however, once the events of the show kick off, it is fair to say that time flies out of the window when watching Kingdom- the plot is engaging, the historical elements are surprisingly realistic, the characters are actually intriguing and the horror premises ( zombies, cannibalism and bloodshed etc.) are certainly not for the faint-hearted. Nevertheless, perhaps the one thing which should honestly be said about the show is that whilst the acting certainly wasn’t unwatchable and the actors undeniably had their moments of genuinely good performances , some acting in the show was often a little wooden and lacklustre.

Overall whilst Kingdom was undeniably slightly flawed by quality of acting and pacing at times, it was certainly a good show with an intriguing balance between history and horror as well as a deeper conceit towards a social critique contemporary of Korean society. Certainly worth a watch, if you’re looking for something to invest time and effort towards.

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If you really want to watch this drama, watch until episode 10. SKIPPING episode 11 is a must.

This was one of those Jdramas that started pretty well. the story was detailed and on-point. However, the writers decided to make it different and it was good, until it wasn't.

Story:
Adultery, but in a really absurd way. We get to see two very nonfunctional couples who are struggling with their sexless lives. however, this is not the whole thing. The characters are so lost and don't even know what they are doing. The concept of talking and marriage counseling doesn't even exist( which is not understandable imo). So to find solace and peace, they cheat; one emotionally and the other physically. and cheating is somehow forgiven by both parties again without talking. the reason why I'm saying it should've ended on episode 10 is that the leads finally got out of their dungeons and decided to make things right. but right about to do so, episode 11 screws everything up :/

Acting and chemistry:
Honestly, the actors and actresses don't depict emotions much. it's nonexistent kinda. except for a short period that we see Michi and Makoto getting close and romantic( Makoto's feelings were sincere but Michi's??! she was drowned in her mind). and the worst acting award goes to the second lead ( Yo and Kaede). The childish and selfish behavior depicted was unbelievable( but that does exist in real world, so kudos to the writer)

OST:
unlike many Jdramas I watched, this drama had a few songs that were quite good.

one thing I like to mention is that by episode 10, the whole story was wrapped up. we could guess the future based on the things we saw and it was over, but suddenly episode 11 popped up and the leads were all good with their exes? what happened? just a few months passed and they suddenly realized they can go back to being Comrades?LOL
as much as I liked the first few episodes, the last episodes weren't OK.

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I ll start by saying this is a unique storyline to me and i found it captivating so i sat through the 16 episodes straight in one day. so its really a slice of life interesting drama.....with that being said i'll dive into an emotional rant of all the characters..... yes all of them in this drama were scum to varying degrees..... the lowest degree of scumness was dr kim and the highest degree of scumness was Lee tae oh...... as a matter of fact there is low, lower, Lee Tae Oh..... you get the point lol.

1) Sun Woo- so in the first few episodes i could feel her pain, she had a perfect life and all of a sudden she realised her husband was cheating on her and stealing from her and her 'Friends' were in on it too........ i was pissed along with her raining curses of Lee Tae Oh. i was also proud of her strategy to divorce him without him knowing.... i was proud of her ability to stand up for herself every time.... then in much later episodes i began to doubt her aim of doing all she was doing, she literally lost it in my opinion because so many of her actions were so questionable to me. using her son as a bait too was low of her (although it was smart) but the boy didn't deserve to think his father was abusive to the mother just like that. The boy also deserved to see the father so that whole act in their welcome party was another low! and her betraying the bartender girl in order to protect herself and her love hate relationship was low! also its important to not that she was too stuck up on her work, too overconfident in thinking she knew her soon and had everything in control.... phewww she could have avoided a lot of things by moving out and starting afresh but i feel she was stuck up on proving points and never really got over her ex husband.

2)Tae oh---- deserves a whole rant epistle but in short he was just an entitled cheat who felt he should be forgiven for keeping a mistress ( who got pregnant) for two years while he had a wife and son.....whats worse.... he was stealing from his sons policy funds to take care of the mistress like really...! After the whole divorce he married his mistress and comes back rich and successful (or kinda not) and starts stalking and threatening his ex wife and trying to get her fired, trying to buy his son back.... girls this is the kind of man you really dont want to marry PERIODT!

7)sun woo's son----- while i feel bad for his situation which isnt his fault, he was a whole mess.... a spoilt brat literally! i mean his classmate's mum was also divorced but she still lived right. why he decided to use his dysfunctional parents as a reason to do clownery i will never understand. also i felt he was more forgiving of his father than his mother.... he was way to mean to her!

3)All the family friends---- how do you go on a vacation with you friends and one of you comes with a lady who isnt his wife..... and you do not tell the wife, as a matter of fact you help him deceive the wife (like what.... off with their heads lol) and let me not get started on seol myung the double spy..... i was happy Hyo jung got redemption at some point because she was the only one in their circle who had a bit of sense even though her husband holds the 3rd position on the scum list. i mean he was married but the whole time he was sleeping around and trying to woo his own friend's wife chile....

4)Mistress----- this clown was just so naive and stupid, a man leaves his family for you and somehow you think you acting right and being a supportive wife will make you better than his old wife and stop him from cheating on you like he did to his old wife ......... i mean people change but once a cheat, always a cheat i guess! the fact she was trying to buy everybody's love and loyalty in the city and make sun woo look like a bad person was low!

5)mistress father---- typical rich powerful man in kdramas that has power to do many things mostly bad things. him and his wife were too stuck up on themselves to correct their child for taking someones husband. they instead ran a campaign to get her support from the community with their money....

6) community peeps----- this ppl will just kiss a** of any influential person and gossip for a living...... i cant.....

the only somewhat decent people in this drama were min hyun (bartender girl), chairman choi's wife (woman association leader) , and dr kim..... every other person can be thrown away thanks!


Anyways watch the drama its emotionally investing but its captivating and interesting. And i hope they scoop a lot of awards because the acting was 100%

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Calories Not Required--Good Youth Drama

Wish this had a different title because that was only the starting portion of the series. This was a good youth drama; I've only seen the ML in one other drama as a supporting character but have never seen the rest of the cast, however I was interested in the plot and for the most part it didn't disappoint.

Pros: Great storyline overall with characters lives interweaving between school and home. Everything was believable and each character evolved properly. Not one was perfect, they were flawed human beings but it wouldn't have been believable otherwise. I really liked both ML and FL's bond as well as their unwavering belief in each other and their friends. How their little group formed, started with 2 girls liking the same completely oblivious to the female population guy and the way that turned around. Also really liked that the parents of the little group were just as flawed in their decisions if not psychotic (XJJ x2's mom with the knife incident; no idea why she wasn't shown seeking out mental treatment for that). Teachers were shown to be just as human with faults like their students. Everything from eating disorders, depression, one track minded parents, quitting school to help family, bullying, sabotage, cramming for exams, cheating; standing up for themselves, each other, and their teachers. It was basically normal high school with a few extra things.

Whether hard times or not, they banded together and helped one another even if it was in a backwards way. But that's what made it so believable and funny, because it was real teenage lives as they moved from 11th grade through 12th grade and into taking their college entrance exams to decide what they wanted to do with their lives. Parents and their relationships plus fights, parties, togetherness. This series had it all. It's an underrated little gem that should be watched. The OSTs fit exactly as they should.

Cons: Mainly, I had problems with the editing. Especially towards the end, it really wasn't believable to me that the trope they used to separate the leads would start with all parents of ML and FL making FL keep that secret about his dad being sick. Here they're preaching that kids need to relax before the college entrance exams and you saddle her with this? She's not an adult; I'm surprised she didn't have a breakdown. That was the most unrealistic.

Also, a bit too much propaganda was chucked in rather randomly and was very unnecessary. Like let's not shove the indoctrination of youth in this nice and easy series.

Lastly, the last episode was beyond bizarre. How does that time lapse happen without any warning? At least write it on the screen that XYZ years have passed; instead it went from her getting her score from the exam and yelling on a bridge to waking up in her own apartment with a job at a design firm; it was a total whiplash. No smooth transition whatsoever. And the reason they had to keep the leads arguing for more then half of the episode is over an internet misunderstanding that he thought she was dating someone else while in college and so he blocked her? What even? HE happened in the last 3 minutes but so much was missing; many scenes including both of them in college, the painting she made for him that she never gave him. In the beginning of the series she did a lot of shrieking instead of talking that it made me almost drop the series but I'm glad I didn't. They need to stop writing FL's as these shrill voiced kids. In any case, editing in the final 3 episodes seemed to be really poorly executed and that's what I had the largest problem with.

Would I recommend it? Yes, it's really a great youth drama. Take away from the editing at the end and I would definitely still watch this again.

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When Love Outlasts Time: Un-In Heart

For me, out of the four Destiny Anthology stories, this is the best one yet. It’s simple yet deeply emotional.

P and Plai return, this time portraying lovers in a long-term relationship. Heart is a workaholic investor, while Un is a singer whose growing distance from his partner quietly sets the tone for their heartbreak. What makes Un-In Heart stand out is its focus on a couple who have already been together for many years. Rather than romanticizing the thrill of new love, it explores what happens after the honeymoon phase, the slow erosion caused by silence, fatigue, and unspoken expectations. It captures that aching truth that sometimes you only realize what you had when it’s already slipping away.

P and Plai’s chemistry is undeniable. Their emotional tension, their eye contact, even their intimate scenes all feel natural and mature. The acting is heartfelt, the direction subtle, and the pacing beautifully restrained. It reminded me of the Korean BL Love Reset, but this version carries a softer sadness, a love that never stopped but simply lost its way.

You can watch Un-In Heart for free on the 9NAA Channel on YouTube, and it’s absolutely worth it if you enjoy stories about love, loss, and the quiet hope of finding your way back.

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Story: The story is great! Why? Because it is an every day story. There is no rich chaebol and poor girl thing, no forced marriage or anything. Yes, we have the childhood friends who fall for each other, but it's really "just" a friendship in the beginning and it evolves very naturally into love. In the beginning I found the story of the second couple a little annoying, but it was one of my favourite parts in the end. The only "bad point" is that I'm still asking myself why Dong Man's ex played such an important role in the beginning but then kind of vanished from their lives (although she was just living next door in the end).

Acting: It was great acting through and through. Enough said!

Music: Not annoying, suitable and there when needed.

Rewatch Value: I will definitely rewatch this at some point in time!

I really had to make myself watch the first 4 or 5 episodes as I didn't get hooked to it immediately. But once I got addicted I couldn't wait for the next episode to come. But, although of this "slow" start and the logical gap regarding Dong Man's ex (at least for me) this drama deserves a full 10 because it is quite realistic and therefore so different from a lot of other dramas!

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Marry first, fall in love later and achieve great things together

“Destined” is a Chinese costume drama that tells the journey of two people, Gu Jiu Si and Liu Yi Ru, who were married by chance, fell in love as they achieve victories and went through hardships together, and grew as individuals and as a couple.

This drama has romance, familial love, friendship, love for the people, burden to help the country, and loyalty - themes that would appeal to you if you're looking for a story that transcends beyond the characters' personal ambitions.  I laughed at the funny and light-hearted moments, cried at the emotional and heart-tugging scenes, and celebrated with them in their victories. There is also some political intrigue, strategizing and battle scenes, since there are forces bent on wreaking havoc in the country.

Liu Yu Ru (FL) is responsible, smart and business-savvy.  Despite being the only legitimate daughter of a cloth merchant, she and her mother were mistreated because her father favored the second wife.  To forge a better life, she initially had set her sight in marrying into the influential and scholarly Ye family.  Gu Jiu Si (ML) is the only son of Yangzhou’s wealthiest family. He is witty, has excellent martial arts skills, and despite his infamous reputation, is actually kind-hearted; he once fooled around but gradually changed and became a serious learner, a good husband and responsible leader, partly due to the FL’s influence, who gave him the needed push and encouragement.  I like how their relationship developed and their love for each other blossomed throughout the drama.  They have a healthy relationship, they complement each other, and there are no silly misunderstandings between them.  Together, they are a power couple.

Bai Jing Ting’s portrayal of Gu Jiu Si is spot on! His comedic timing is gold, and he can also carry the heavy scenes.  He is really a versatile actor, and one of my favorites.  Song Yi also gave a good performance as Liu Yu Ru.  Her LYR is gentle yet tough, savvy yet kind, loving yet firm. Their chemistry is natural and doesn’t feel forced; hence, the growth of their characters and their relationship flow organically. 

The supporting cast is commendable too, and those that stand out to me are Ray Chang as Zhou Ye, a dependable and loyal friend; Zhang Hao Wei as Ye Shi An, the idealistic scholar; and Li Xin Ze as Shen Ming, who's loyal and street smart, and the funniest of the three. Together, they are like the three musketeers.  I also like Zhao Yuan Yuan as Qin Wan Zhi, the badass female warrior and a good friend to LYR.

One thing that I don't quite understand is how Luo Zi Shang (played by Liu Xue Yi) survived and eventually became a powerful figure. It's not well explained in the drama. 

Final Verdict: Despite a few unanswered questions, I like this drama and enjoyed watching it. The story is balanced and well-paced, and the characters are generally well-written, so I would gladly recommend it!

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