Reviews

MC needs BTS to tell her to "Love Yourself"

Okay, where do I even begin.

I've read like 10 chapters of the webtoon itself, so I'm not sure how that ends, but I must say the drama itself is very confusing.

STORY:
It started off really strong as I've always been interested in "beauty" type dramas. Also, I love seeing transformation. However, DO NOT go into this drama w/ a True Beauty mindset because it is nothing like it (except MCs hiding under a fake persona??) I feel the progression of the drama got super messy because certain characters were thrown in without explanation. I felt viewers needed more background on the MC and her family but I guess you can't do that w/ such a short web drama. It's a very cliche story and a lot of the characters weren't even necessary but okay, director.

ACTING:
Okay, this is good. HOWEVER, some of the characters must've done a REAL good job because they pissed me off so much and I wanted to either a.) scream or b.) punch them through the screen. The MC is super super super super stubborn and she really needs to learn to speak up for herself... but of course, we can't expect much from a low self-esteem character. All the actors did a good job, especially the villian because they were annoying.

There are no special/specific OSTs so like... rip. But color toning of each episode was super aesthetic and I loved binging this drama because of the 25min per episode. Go into this drama w/ a clear mindset and just relax without thinking of anything. This is not a heavy drama, with just sprinkles of mystery and thriller. Do not count on romance to be the center of this drama.

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An adventure to find yourself

Her Fantastic Adventures is a drama that finally aired after finishing production, four years ago. This drama is an adaptation of the novel entitled The Crazy Adventures of Wu Gate by Ying Zhao. The main characters is played by Song Yiren as Qi Chun Jiao, Gu Qing Qiao and Guo Jun Chen as Duan Yu.

Synopsis: This drama tells the story of a female athlete who accidentally travels to the past, when she was at the lowest point in her life.

Note: this is not the first Song Yiren's drama about time travel, although of the year it was produced, it is the first. The other one is Different Princess which has been broadcast first.

Plot:
The drama is set almost entirely in ancient times with occasional flashbacks to modern life. In ancient life, Qi Chun Jiao reunites with four men she knows in modern life, namely the man she likes, Duan Yu and his younger brother, Shaoyi, her best friend, Lu ZiZheng, and her team doctor, Ruan. With them, she underwent great challenges and adventures.

My opinion:
Even though recently there have been many dramas in this genre, it seems like The director was trying to take a different approach. If you don't mind spoilers, please keep reading.

The adventures she went through are like an escape from her heartache, disappointment, fear and despair. But is everything running smoothly? No, she must fight to survive and quickly return to real life.
When she finally comeback, they didn't go into more detail about what happened to Qi Chun Jiao's athlete career, but when she woke up from a coma, mother embraced her with love. And life goes on, as the story moves forward to five years later. It turned out that the five of them were still in close relationships with each other. And in my opinion, the main female character has moved on from all the feelings that shackled her and has become an independent businesswoman. However, it cannot be denied that this time Duan Yu and she have to face their unresolved feelings in the past.
In conclusion, everything that happened in ancient times was part of a dream that had no direct impact on real life because the people she met in ancient times did not experience or remember these dreams. It's just part of her inner struggle and personal growth process.

Closing:
This is definitely not Song Yiren's best drama but her acting never disappoints me. The main couple's chemistry isn't the best either, but their chemistry is better in modern life. Song Yiren, Guo Jun Chen and Li Jiu Lin show good acting, especially towards the end of the drama. The background music and songs are good and pleasant to listen to.
This drama could be an option for those of you who are fans of time travel, as well as a drama filler. Don't think too hard and don't expect too much.

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"Even before we entered the world we were marked by karma."

Lady Snowblood is the film that inspired Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill films. Yuki's blood spewing revenge is a cautionary tale of feminine vengeance. Splendidly filmed with an impassioned OST, the unique style based on a manga, and the excellent acting make this film one worth seeking out if you enjoy this genre.

Born to a dying mother in a prison on a snowy day, Yuki was charged with her family's vendetta against the villains who murdered her father and brother and viciously raped her mother. She grew up trained by a ruthless master to become the hand of death to the group that had decimated her family. One by one she hunts the villains down, in her lovely kimonos with a deadly umbrella to gracefully slash her way through the people who had inspired this life she'd never asked for. Beneath her beautiful veneer lay a dark and fiery need for payback for her dead family, one she had never known. Tasked with never feeling emotion, Yuki retains shreds of compassion as she interacts with those she comes across in her rampage. Ironically, she opens another cycle of vengeance by her actions.

The film lays the blood spewing on thick, every slash sends the gooey red paint flying everywhere. Puddles of blood enough for a slain army float around the unlucky bodies. As the story begins on a snowy day with a child born pure but commissioned with her first breaths with the bloody job of vengeance, so the ending scene leaves the beautiful assassin with her butterfly kimono covered in blood in the snow wondering if there is life after revenge.

There were some subtle and not so subtle political messages about corruption in the upper echelons of the military and government. And though the plight of the poor was pointed out, it dispelled the myth that the poor are always good hearted. I wish there had been more of an attempt to understand what a woman must feel growing up with brutal training and an unbreakable oath for people she had never met.

As many older martial arts films with swordplay tended to do, this one used the almost dance and slash technique. Best to not think too hard about the fight choreography from a realistic stance but to admire it for the stylistic forms.

Lady Snowblood was in many ways similar to other revenge fueled martial arts movies but elevated by the haunting music, colorful cinematography, and the stellar acting of Kaji Meiko. If eyes were knives, her targets would already be dead with the cold steely glare she honed in on them with. Kaji's expressive face and graceful moves enhanced the tension filled moments of her hunting her prey even when she had to settle for satisfaction instead of revenge.

If you are looking for a modern movie you may be disappointed. This is a film rich in character with old style effects. Revenge is a dish best served cold and Lady Snowblood served it on a silver blade.

"Forgive me! Spare me!"
"I shall do neither."

3/2/23

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The actors and music in this drama are great, but the story has too many flaws. I liked the plot but there are just too many things that does not make sense in the story. A lot of scenarios in the drama are very obviously suspicious, but the characters don't even realize that there's anything fishy. It just makes you wonder how stupid the characters in this drama are. Also, a lot of the details about the main character are nearly scientifically impossible. I would think that any university high student can realize those suspicious details, but yet the characters in the drama did not. I just feel that the screenwriters did a very poor job researching, too many things in the drama just doesn't make sense.

Also, this drama has way too many flashbacks! You need flashbacks in dramas, but this drama just has way too many of the same flashbacks over and over again.

The only reason I continued to finish this drama was because of Zhang Han.

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A lesson in life and also a lesson on how to make a BL

What started as a small university project for Mean (who we've seen in plenty of BLs like "Until We Meet Again", "Love by Chance", "Love by Chance 2", "Make it Right" and as a guest in "TharnType") became a full series that has really surprised me on many levels and here is why.

1. The plot is something we've seen in the past with one of the main leads running away and leaving the other lead all alone for several years until its time to come back (see Taiwan's "We Best Love: No. 1 For You" or Thailand's "Waterboyy" for a few examples). However, what makes this plot a bit unexpected is the reason for the character to leave. Normally it has been because he goes abroad to study or because the parents are against their son being gay and in a relationship, so they send him away for some time. This time, Phob, our main lead who runs away, comes back around episode 4 to reveal he left his best friend, Nut, all alone because he has cancer and was undergoing treatment. BLs have not really ventured into one of the main characters having an illness... we've seen the topic of suicide in "Until We Meet Again" and murder in "He's Coming to Me" but not the issue of having one of the main leads with cancer. So, having a character that undergoes cancer treatment and then suffers the amputation of an arm is quite new for a BL.

2. The acting is something that is also a surprise. Man and Title make their acting debuts playing Phob and Nut respectively, and both do a very good job in portraying the different emotions their characters have to go through. From Nut slowly falling in love with Phob and thinking of a future together studying medicine. To Phob finding out his cancer diagnosis and deciding to leave Nut to get treatment without telling him. To Nut being surprised that his best friend missed the university exam but not getting an explanation of why and then finding out he just woke up and left him all alone. To the moment they find each other again and Nut tries to ignore Phob by pretending to not recognize him. To Nut finding out about Phob real reason for leaving him and then all the issues with Phob's diagnosis. Both actors, but particularly Title, showcase their emotions quite effectively and move from being angry, to being disappointed, to being sad, to being hopeful and to being happy in the 8 episodes of the series. Their acting is not perfect but it was an outstanding debut if we consider other actors like Gun Napat in "Golden Blood" or Plan in "Love by Chance" and "Love by Chance 2" who despite being a bit more seasoned actors, still have many flaws in their acting. Title and Man do a terrific job in their first series, particularly in the last 2 episodes when the emotions really explode and Nut gets to see Phob alive but having lost an arm due to cancer. Instead of falling into depression, both characters try to be happy but this time, together.

3. The secondary actors like Tonnam (playing Nut's older brother Note), Fah (playing Phob's older sister Pat), well-know BL actor Prem ("Until We Meet Again", "Long Khong", and "7 Project") and even director Mean who also acts as Dr. Sarut all provide enough support in the series without being annoying or interfering with the main plot. Note is especially good when having a conversation with his brother about the situation with Phob and asking Nut if he is really ok with what is happening. It was nice to see a good brother-bonding moment with the older brother providing good advice and listening to what his younger brother had to say. All the secondary roles do not have many lines and actors like Get (playing Note's best friend and boyfriend, Tar) do not even appear in most of the episodes, but still deliver when needed.

4. The only minor issue I have with this series is the amount of flashbacks. I understand some are necessary to get an explanation of what happened with Phob in the past, what Nut was feeling when reading the files he found on Phob's USB, or what Phob was feeling when he finds out his diagnosis, decides to leave and then comes back to town. However, the final episodes were almost full of flashbacks that we already saw not too long ago, so it seemed a bit unnecessary to include so many flashbacks. But, that being said, the series is nice enough that I can overlook that.

In the end, I believe "The Yearbook" is not perfect, but it has to be a lesson in life for all us given the circumstances both Nut and Phob had to experience and also a lesson for many other companies in Thailand who produce plenty of BL shows without a hint of quality, that have directing issues, low budgets, terrible plots/storylines, and rookie actors that are not well-trained by capable acting coaches and directors, resulting in mediocre series (and I'm being kind with some of the disasters we've seen lately). Mean just showed us that a very decent series is possible, even with rookie actors or even with low budgets.

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Story:
There are few shows that you start watching because of certain cast members and end up loving it so hard that you start feeling withdrawal symptoms as soon as it finishes. Father is strange was one of those dramas for me. I have always been a great fan of the writer of the show as she have written one of the best family and my all time favorite drama "Ojakgyo Brothers". I would say that Father is strange was even better and cleanly written than the Ojakgyo Brothers. The story was fast paced, characters were well developed, the romance of the central characters started a bit late but they made up with their sweet moments at the end. I loved the family bonding they had. The relationship between the parents, siblings, lovers, even the once snooty sister-in-law's character was also very well developed. I would say it is hands down one of the best  written family drama if all time.

Acting/Cast:
Okay so I started this drama because of my love for Lee Joon and Jung So min  and was not even slightly disappointed with their acting. Jung SO min needs to get more lead roles as she's a great actress and Lee Joon needs to get more recognition for his talents. This man is a gem tell you! The actors who played parents were just off the roof good, especially the father. His emotions were on point in every frame of the drama. Ryu Hwa Young and Min Jin Woong as the other two siblings were also really good, I am eagerly waiting for their next projects soon. But the person who really took away the cake was Lee Yoo Ri. Her portrayal as a sassy, confident, straightforward lawyer was beyond good. I have never seen any of her dramas before, but am soon going to stalk this women's drama history. Lee Yoo Ri and Lee Joon really needs to win award for this drama.

Music:
I am not to keen about the OST's of the drama unless they are very good. Father is Strange  as some good melodies but not very memorable. I would still hum few while watching the drama but don't care much about them after the drama gets over.

Re-watch Value:
Definitely going to re-watch Father is Strange in few months or years. Maybe skip some parts, but definitely it is a worth a re-watch!

Overall:
Just go and enjoy this drama, Don't be scared of the 52 episode mark and try watching first 2 episodes. 2 episodes into this drama is enough to keep you hooked to your computer screens for next couple of days.

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You Will Laugh And You Will Cry!

A surprising, hilarious, and touching film about a straight police officer (Wu Ming Han) who gets married to a gay ghost (Mao Mao). The circumstances around his why Ming Han agrees to marry the ghost will make you laugh, and the grandma's adoration and support of her dead grandson (going so far as to arrange his marriage after death) are moving, even while bizarre.

Their marriage becomes the set up for an overarching plot point: solving the mystery of Mao Mao's death. And as the mystery is solved, you will be surprised. Talk about plot twist!

While Ming Han brings Mao Mao justice and needed closure to a certain conflict in his life, Mao Mao brings to Ming Han the love of his grandma and father. At the end of the movie, there's genuine love and affection between them, and Ming Han remains committed to remembering Mao Mao, even keeping his memorial alter in his home. It's clear that Ming Han accepts Mao Mao as his husband.

The film challenges us to stretch our imaginations about what a marriage can be and what loyalty to a partner can be. At the end, Ming Han demonstrates a kind of commitment to his husband that, even if not romantic or sexual, is no less true.

A little detail not to miss in the closing scene: Ming Han picking up his portable tumbler with a rainbow heart sticker front and center on it!

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ALL OVER THE PLACE

Story: At first I love the intesity of this drama, like you can't take your eyes off from every scene. But I think the story start to get messy after that 10 years later. I see how the writer do not care at all about the consistency of the character, and some scene just do not make any sense, especially towards the end. I think the writer only care about the tension and twist after twist. Too much twist also not good tbh.

Cinematography&Video Editing: I have no comment with the cinematography but their editing was so lackingly noticeable, how they cut the scene and move to another angle, also the billboard news scene like idk if you guys notice but I can't really explain with words.

OST: Tbh all the ost was good! I do have few song that I added to my playlist so I don't have anything to say about OST

Acting: The reason why I stay watch this drama until the end was the acting of the cast. Especially Sungjae... I watch him since School 2015, Goblin, Mystic Pop-up Bar and I would say his acting was the best in this drama. The emotion, facial expression, his narration and tone was really good! Chaeyeon also good this is my first time watching her acting and she will do good in the future
But overall the acting was superb, also Choi Wonyoung as villain seriously giving me a goosebumps, indeed I can trust him with any role

Ending: The ending not satisfying but I'm okay with that

The conclusion I don't think I want to watch any work from this writer of the drama but looking forward to all the actors next project

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Very serious drama

It kept my interest all through it. I loved the story, loved the acting, especially Kim Jae Young. He is such a good actor, and also nice to look at. Jung Hee Joo kind of got on my nerves with the same blank expression and fake smile, but that was her character. If you don’t like slow moving dramas, infidelity, revenge, rage, or obsession, you won’t like this, don’t bother. That’s virtually the entire drama, but is was done well. I liked the ending, but it was a shame, because nothing was accomplished with any of their lives. There is a million different ways it could have ended, but one thing is for sure, none would have been happy. With this kind of drama, with this story line, there is no way it could have ended happy, with any of the characters. As I watched it, I disliked all of them, but that was how the story was written. Every one of them was out for revenge, but in the end, did they all get it? You’ll have to watch to find out…

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Lovely short series

This is very well-written, acted, and produced - it's very visual and takes full advantage of the medium to tell the story with real economy of force.

The story is non-linear, but easy to follow. The writing and acting manages to effectively convey through small details how the boys feel about each other, and the dynamic of their relationship. The ending was perfect for their story.

The acting is understated, but the tension is there when it needs to be. There is a coffee metaphor, but it's used effectively and we aren't beaten over the head with it.

I would recommend this - but if you watch it, don't try to judge it as you would a 12 hour-long episode series. It's a completely different type of story told in a much more visual way.

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Okay am I the one who actually like the show???? HAHaHAHAHahahah

Yeah, I know the bad points of this series: too short, not so good execution, somehow the chemistry is not giving, lazy writing and that recap in every episode is so annoying. But why did came up with an 8.5 rate?

Why I really like in this series is the music. Yes, the MUSIC. The songs they came up with every scene, and the opening song is too good not to talk about. And also I give them points for they have something different from other bls by telling a unique love story but yes it should have been better, but they tried yeah. we're getting there...

On the other hand, I will really eat this up if they continue the light, cute , sweet storyline but it wasn't like I was expecting. Still the cast acted it good. (Oh all of them are visuals!)

Yeah, the kbl formula and its short runtime is getting tiresome, and this is the last show I will be considerate because I really love the music lol. <3

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This drama is one of the best dramas I have ever seen! It is based on a true story of a girl called "Aya Kito" who wrote a diary while she struggled with an incurable disease called spinocerebellar ataxia. She battled with the disease for 10 years, before sadly passing away on May 23, 1988. In 1 Litre Of Tears, the story is outstanding. Watching the drama, left a huge impact on me and my heart and I wasted packs of tissues by just watching this- trust me I cried LOADS watching it! The acting was magnificent, Erika Sawajiri ( Aya in the drama) was so amazing. Her crying and scenes were so natural and you could actually see she wasn't forcing her tears. The cast chosen for this drama was perfect as they all fit their characters perfectly well! The music was great as well; the chosen music fitted the scene amazingly and I recommend to you 100% to watch it; this drama is so outstanding. There wasn't a single episode in which I didn't cry! If you are going to be watching it, don't forget your tissues!

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