Well anyway heres what I like about this film.
first the love story
I expect this to be a dark movie and yes its dark but I was surprised it has one of the best love stories I watched and its more tragic than titanic. Just imagine this..two people wanted to be loved met in a dating site but the timing was wrong cause the guy just killed a girl before their meeting and I said this is more tragic than titanic cause in titanic jack died but he still remain in rose heart...in akunin yes the guy still remain in the girls heart but she now thinks that hes a murderer..akunin.
Second is the grayish akunin character
While watching the movie you will ask yourself is this guy good or bad, earlier part of the film portrays him to be a somewhat misunderstood kid but later part portrays him to be a bad person..the part where the mother tells that he took money from her and his grandmother blaming herself tells this and why he suddenly wanted to kill his lover near the end WTF.
Third is the acting
The father portrayed by akira emoto and the grandmother portrayed by kirin kiki are the ones that made me cry. these two characters has to be the most authentic holy motha faka piece of acting that I watched. Father searching for justice and the grandma blaming for herself. the lead are both fantastic in fact this masterpiece film made me think that satoshi tsubamuki is the best japanese young actor living today...his way of portraying a gray character needs praise, he didnt overdo the BAD side of the character to make the character clear gray...that for me is fuck*n hard and eri fukatsu tho not that great in some dramas I watched with her..but here I dont know what happen but she really shines here every emotion shown by her character goes deep to your heart facial express everything perfect. And their chemistry is one of the best seriously.
fourth is the music
the music composed by joe hisashi gives a very dark ambiance to the movie but his song gives life to a one of the best love stories ever told. I kept saying that credits ost is not just a piece of shit music at the end but it has to summarize what you just watched (the concept of the movie) and this song was the epitome of that....A dark love.
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not like I expected
When I found out there was special episode about this drama I already so happy because I really hope they continue their story or at least give explanation about what happen with Shi Yi after he went abroad. But turn out this like almost any other special episode where only listed clip from director cut. It's just like scene that consider not important in the drama & when put it there will gonna be like too long or not important. So they cut it from original drama but don't want to delete it too & they put it all here.The scene still funny but yeah not important & not explaining anything. But yeah this just short clip you can watch to remembering the drama again
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The story idea didn't interest me in the beginning but as it started getting into the gambling aspect it became very interesting to watch. And then the plot just started to move quickly with twists coming out at every corner. The romance portion is very very light so if your more interested in that then this wont be the drama for you. Revenge is the theme.
The ensemble cast was awesome! Jang Hyuk is love of course but the supporting cast was really really good and stood out. Each minor character plays a large role in Go Ni's master plan. They were quite memorable.
Rewatch- I'd rewatch this in a few years cause i really did love all the characters.
Overall this drama is different but exciting enough. More people should give it a chance.
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annoying bore
I saw the trailer on twitter right before the show aired and was so! excited because I knew the actor from "A Romance of the Little Forest" already (and because the trailer looked fun).Instead of getting a fun little office romance, we got an incredibly draggy bore that didn't seem to ever end.
- the nepotism: our female lead basically got every high position served on a silver plate. She didn't need to take care of her own resume, she got the team leader position upon entering the company, contract A (the best of the three within the company), got promoted to director after only 2 months, etc. She did work hard while in the company but she didn't work hard to get to those positions.
- female lead's character: girly was a little jumpy. Her reactions were unreasonable and childish at times, especially when it came to jealousy. When the male lead got jealous, she teased him but then she got unreasonably jealous as well, like ??? pick a struggle please.
- in favor of female lead's character (because we are fair here): Her getting blamed for Xu Yan Shi giving up the interview was so unreasonable. The one time she keeps something to herself for him to finally get what he has been waiting for, it backfires. Only because HE decided against the interview, now his teacher is blaming HER?? She didn’t even tell him the company was in hot waters, he found out from his boss. The teacher is being unfair and unreasonable here. She never said he should give up his dream for her to work in her family business. That was all his decision that he made WITHOUT telling her anything. The teacher should be mad him, not her. Telling her she is selfish and whatnot. That is the one time she wasn’t being selfish haha!
- the length: the show was too long and did NOT need 32 whole episodes that were quite long with almost 50 minutes. To me, the whole thing was super draggy and boring most of the time. In the last 10 or so episodes, I skipped a whole lot because none of the things that were happening interested me (and I did not really miss anything!)
- office politics: I found the office politics childish and petty. You're telling me we have some 40+ something men and women sabotaging some guy and his whole team (and the whole company) out of pure pettiness, simply because they're trashy characters? I don't know but the antagonists just felt dumb to me lol.
Overall, "Here We Meet Again" had a fun romance most of the time with actors that had great chemistry, but the story of some secondary characters as well as the overall plot just sucked. I am really disappointed in this show, but it is what it is.
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I liked that at the end he was also concerned about her career growth and development above his feelings, this made me really like his character plus he was hella building that chemistry with his girl once he fell for her.
There wasn’t any crazy love triangle or family intrusion in this drama . Just simple and straightforward 10 episodes of them growing to fall deeper in love .
As basic as the story line was, I would watch it again and again because it brings such good feelings.
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Although time traveling is not an original subject, the plot was far more interesting than I thought it would be. This is much more than the story of a man trying to correct his past mistakes. Also the flow was amazing, I was not bored for one second. The storyline has its flaws but if you are not that nitpicky, I'm sure you'll enjoy it as I did.
The main actors Domoto Tsuyoshi and Endo Kumiko were simply beautiful. I could watch them forever. Especially Endo Kumiko, I fell in love with her voice. And Domoto Tsuyoshi has not disappointed me once. They deserve a definite 10, but a couple of the supporting actors weren't as much amazing, therefore I gave an overall 9 points for acting.
Overall, I gave this a 10 because of the original and flowy plot and also because of the acting by Domoto and Endo. It had just the right amount of romance and the right amount of suspense.
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The cutest rom-com of the season, if not of the year. I was smiling like a fool for all 9 episodes. And can't wait for the SP tomorrow... 2 whole hours! To bad there is no translation of the manga, I would love it read it.
Recommended for: people who liked Hajikoi and Nigehaji.
Not recommended to: people who consider any J-romance as misogynist, whether it be a woman ending with a younger man, an older man, a working woman deciding her own future, etc, etc.
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This review may contain spoilers
If I had to compare it to regular dramas, I would, of course, find it very lacking. But for a shorty short web series? Not bad, not bad at all. Jing Yuan was so devilishly mischievous and so in love with Fusheng. Fusheng was all, "Oh, pretty men, gimme!" And Qing Chen was... well, a Victorian virgin ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
This was pretty much a drama about a devil and an angel in love with a goddess but the devil actually had balls and the angel was a wishy-washy dude who wanted the cake and eat it, too.
It honestly felt like a fanfic where the writer couldn't be bothered with things like world building and broader storytelling and simply picked the "good" scenes they actually wanted to write about and bounced from one to another. Too bad. It could have been a great real drama.
PS: Li Fei suffers very nicely - and a lot in this drama. Also, his eyes sparkle so wonderfully when Jing Yuan goes around, spreading mayhem.
PSS: My favorite line? When Fusheng pummeled the girl who bullied her, actually pummeled her with her fists. Jing Yuan's reaction! "Tsk, so bloody... I like it!"
For what it's worth - and though it wasn't as good as The Killer Is Also Romantic, the best short web series I've seen so far - it was a actually good one.
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Now I will be honest and say that I started this drama because I watched Devil Beside You and wanted to see more of the chemistry between the main leads.
I am fully aware that the two have nothing to do with each other. That being said I still like Devil Beside You more.
I loved Why Why Love up until episode 11 and then I wanted to die. The twist in the story happened way to late in the drama to be effective. If they were going to use that twist then they should have done in earlier in the drama. So because of that I dropped this drama at episode 11. However, because I am a person who has to finish a drama once I start it. I trucked through it and finally came to the ending.
I will give this a solid 8 overall because I did enjoy it up until the last episodes. Will I ever watch it again? Probably not, unless I'm doing a Mike He marathon.
Since I did enjoy the drama for the most part, I recommend this to anyone!
Happy Watching :)
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So much potential!
Legend of Anle was undoubtedly one of my most highly anticipated dramas for this year. I knew I liked Gong Jun after his remarkable performance in WOH, and the accolades surrounding Dilraba also intrigued me. I was eager to witness their talents in this new series. The captivating synopsis and intriguing trailer further fueled my excitement.From the moment the drama premiered, I was religiously invested, watching the episodes daily and meticulously jotting down notes as the story unfolded.
Initially, I must commend the strong start the series had. The first ten episodes were brimming with potential and skillfully set the stage. Ren Anle, the female lead, instantly won my heart as one of my all-time favorite leads. Her wit, charm, strength, and humor had me laughing and thoroughly enjoying every moment. Han Ye, although quite different, proved to be an equally impressive lead, portraying a gentle and kind character whose personality complemented Ren Anle's perfectly, making them an endearing couple. His unwavering loyalty to Di Ziyuan revealed the essence of his character and set the tone for his development.
A notable aspect that pleasantly surprised me was the abundance of strong female characters who were not the main lead. The drama skillfully portrayed numerous women with strength and intelligence, be it in martial arts or other aspects of life. This contrasted with typical cdramas where the focus tends to solely revolve around the female lead's strength, making Legend of Anle stand out in this regard.
The early stages of the drama also excelled in presenting captivating investigations led by Han Ye and Ren Anle, showcasing their intelligence and establishing a profound bond that played a pivotal role in the rest of the story.
Regrettably, my enthusiasm took a hit as we reached episode 12. From that point onward, the plot began to lose its momentum, becoming sluggish and uninteresting. To my disappointment, the main leads received less screen time, while secondary characters dominated the narrative. This shift hindered the story's progression, leaving me feeling like nothing substantial was happening, and even the leads' charisma seemed to wane amidst the prolonged focus on characters like Di Cheng'en, Luo Mingxi, and Anning.
Speaking of secondary characters, Luo Mingxi, the second male lead, failed to resonate with me. Despite his importance to the story, I found his personality dull and unengaging, struggling to form any meaningful attachment. Di Cheng'en, while intentionally unlikable, became an excessively detestable character, though I admit her role served the plot effectively. Anning, initially introduced as a strong and high-ranking general, fell short of her potential, often coming across as dim-witted and uninteresting during the stagnant episodes.
Nevertheless, Wen Shuo's character was a bright spot. His endearing relationship with Han Ye and his developing bond with Ziyuan were a pleasure to watch, though I felt some emotional scenes in the final episodes could have been better portrayed by the actor.
One aspect that disappointed me was how Han Ye discovered Ren Anle's identity. The potential for a profound and emotional revelation was squandered, culminating in a montage of memory scenes and a shocked expression. Similarly, the revelation of Di Ziyuan's true identity diminished the intrigue of her character.
Fortunately, the last ten episodes were better, even managing to make warfare engaging despite it not being my preferred theme. However, the plot involving Luo Mingxi and the loss of Qingnan city felt convoluted and lacked courage to make him actually do something wrong, which made it feel like a missed opportunity for compelling storytelling and cowardly writing.
The final three episodes were strong and provided a satisfying conclusion, though I regret not seeing all the scenes of Di Ziyuan and Han Ye that I knew had been filmed.
On a more technical note, the OST was good, with some tracks earning a place on my playlist. The visuals, while generally appealing, occasionally bordered on being overly exaggerated. The CGI, though, met my expectations.
In conclusion, Legend of Anle possessed considerable potential that remained untapped. While not a terrible drama, it did not live up to its promise. I wouldn't rewatch it, but for those with patience and the willingness to use the skip button occasionally, I recommend giving it a chance.
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Not as cute as Only Boo and a red-flag character...
As always when "New" Sijaw is directing, most series glide into childishness and cringe. In this case it was more subdued then in most other series (Fourever You Part 1, Perfect 10 Liners) but it's still there especially in the first two episodes. There are times when childish beheaviour is appropiate but in most cases it's not.The script is a mixed bag. The solution of the time-travel was a bit weak and Mr. Redflag (Van) side-couple felt a bit unrealistic. How he handles the situation is dispicable but also the script was quite lazy depicting it. Also there was not the budget to "age" the actors to make them distinguishable from now and the future selfs. So the production is ok, but it looks constraint by the few locations they had. Of course there are a lot of stupid things in it and the direction is bad.
So overall it's on the "good" side of BLs we had last year. At least Sea "Junior" did improve a lot with his acting which is also a plus for me. Keen has the talent, it looks like it's easy for him. I will not criticize too much in this case, it's pleasant enough to watch and many will have fun with it.
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HIStory 3: Make our days count is following the steps of HIStory 2: Crossing the Line that is, by far, the most loved story from the series. When HIStory 3 was announced, everyone was expecting another masterpiece and some got disappointing with the road Trapped took, with its no ending, repetitive storyline of "i almost died". Make our days count, by other hand, took us back to high school with the puppy romance and teenager hormones going over the board.
The story, that at first presented the overused trope of "enemies to lovers", surprised everyone when the characters started to act completely different from the stereotypes expected. The "bully" isn't really a bully. The "shy" guy isn't shy. The "bad girl" isn't bad.
There's no "I'm not gay, i just like this one guy", there's an "I like guys too". There no "I don't feel bad for hurting this one person", there's an "I feel so bad I feel like dying".
The characters are so incredible real, you sometimes forget it's a story that will end at some point. The chemistry of the main couple is so strong that, if you are single, you'll definitely feel jealous.
The story talks about the struggle to conciliate senior year with part-time work and the first love. Coming out to a homophobic family and acceptance of friends. Age difference (not the illegal type) from someone that lost faith in relationships to someone who's experiencing his first love.
The year didn't end yet, we never know what's going to happen, but, for now, HIStory 3: Make our days count is the best gay series that came out this year.
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Story: When I first started watching this drama about a year ago, I really didn't want to watch it. At all. In the first episode, it was really difficult to like Hye Mi or any other characters. Hye Mi was overly proud and felt unrealistic, Baek Hi had no personality other than being Hye Mi's follower and I didn't have much sympathy with her and Jin Gook came out of nowhere and randomly decided to be the knight in Shining Armor and confused me. If you asked me what I thought about this drama back when I had only watched episode one, I would say that it's a waste of time and that there's much better out there. I understand that the writers were trying to set us up for the inevitable "change" in which everyone becomes better, but there's different ways of doing it so that the audience doesn't start out hating every single character. *Sigh* That was my biggest problem with this drama. The writers wanted to show how *much* the characters changed, going from one extreme to another. But the thing it, real people don't change so dramatically. We do it in subtle ways, so slowly and so quietly that we can't even tell unless we're forced to realize it. Months later I finally got around to watching episode two. It wasn't much better, but I have a policy that no matter what, I have to finish anything I start. I was pretty much prepared to give this drama a five and move on with my life, so my expectations were pretty low. Episode three was a little better, and so was episode four. It went on like that for a while, until I finally found myself liking "Dream High" instead of merely tolerating it. The main romance story really surprised me, because I had no idea who Hye Mi was going to wind up with until episode 15. I liked how the writers showed her interactions with both Sam Dong and Jin Gook and how all three of them slowly developed feelings. I also liked how the writers made it so that you could wind up liking characters you hated in the beginning- or at the very least wind up respecting them.
Acting: Taecyeon and Suzy were okay actors. They forced themselves sometimes, but they managed to decently convey the story when called upon. Kim Soo Hyun was amazing and pretty much carried the entire show with his portrayal of Sam Dong, Wooyoung and IU were cute, and everyone else ranged from good to amazing.
Music: As a music drama, music is the primary focus of "Dream High". The music here was targeted to a very specific age group, people from the ages of about 13-24-ish. It was young and upbeat, with all the actors' voices to carry the music.
Rewatch Value: I'd say there's a fair chance of me rewatching parts of this, but I probably won't for a while.
Overall: "Dream High" is an acquired taste. It sort of grows on you as you move along through the story. It's not the most amazing drama out there, but it brings something new to the table.
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I expected a lot of darkness (look at the poster!) and some melodrama in it. The drama does have a dark tone to it but it has comedic relief which makes it less serious than it is. It was mostly focused on finding the killer and the emotions of the three siblings. Although their motive seems like they are capable of big actions but they are all soft and kind inside.
The characterization was really good. All three siblings are equally likable and you can always defend their actions. I ended up feeling sorry for them when they reminisced about the events that changed their lives, and laughed hard whenever they tricked other people. All I can say is these three are a lot smarter and stronger than they seem. My favourite character was Kouichi and I loved Ninomiya Kazunari's performance. He can act quite well. Being a fan of Erika Toda, I liked her here too. I am used to watching her as a nice girl in almost all her dramas but when she played bad here briefly, it was different. This was her best performance till now out of what I have seen. I also liked Nishikido Ryo. He made his character relatable and didn't fade into the shadows like an underdog.
And as for the mystery- I guessed correctly in the beginning itself. But later when they were doubting someone else, I went with the flow. The murder didn't seem random neither the culprit. It was added up well and made sense. Things were strung together pretty neatly. They didn't mess up the plot in anyway. Apart from that, I didn't care about the romance because it failed to touch me. I found those parts boring and repetitive after a while.
The ending wasn't what I expected. The morale of characters made a major role in here. I would have changed two major things if I could, but it's alright since this ending makes it different from other murder stories I have ever come across. A cliche would have ruined the whole thing by making it seem predictable, but I have would have liked it better. I don't know if I completely agree with the current one but it is sensible so it's hard to criticize it.
I think it's a great drama and not too depressing to watch. Everyone should give it a chance and not hesitate.
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It will touch your heart and soul
Whenever I watch a movie or series, somehow it's important to me that the characters looks good (I know I might sound shallow but who doesn't like good looking characters?!) and the places they shoot should be attractive as well to keep me watching. This exceeds my expectations!Cliche in every story cannot be completely ignore. So this is a classic love triangle and the struggles that comes being born rich and powerful. I love the cinematography! They do justice in shooting their scenes in Cuba. It makes me want to visit the place. I also love the beach and the tall wooden tower they have visited.
So far, I don't find it boring. Their lines are well delivered and some poetic. I love the phase on how the series is moving. The acting for me is just fine. Meaning, they are not exaggerated at all. Some of the scenes are very emotional and heart breaking. It does made you wonder from time to time if rich people do really have this kind of problem lol!
Supporting characters are not bad either. Park Bogum's friend Kim Jooheon and Song Hyeko's secretary Kwak Sunyoung are someone you need to watch out too! They are cute. The friendship between Hyeko and Sunyoung is something to be admired too. I also find the driver, Ko Changeseok funny!
Hopefully this series will not keep me interested till the end.
UPDATE:
I finished the series long back but forgot to update. It was great! There are several funny scenes as well. What I really admire in this series is the fact that Park Bogum never gave-up. Though it has hinted, he opted not too. In other drama, that will be case and the partner will chase back. In this case, he showed he will stay until Song Hyeko realise his worth. I love how he used the shoes as a symbol. I love it so much that I repeated some of the memorable scenes. There are several lines from Park Bogum that find very poetic.
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