This review may contain spoilers
its bollocks, save yourself and do not watch it
i only started this because i was a fan of mew's music before i watched it, i already liked one of the songs from the soundtrack i i gave the show a shot. i wish i hadn't. i wish i hadn't have wasted all my time on this, i wish i could go back to a time where i hadn't subjected myself to it.first tharn's character, he awful representation for gay people. he is disgusting, horrible and creepy. he starts out the series as a predator, forcing himself into type's personal space multiple time and assaulting him more than once. the hickies he give's type are treated as a "haha funny revenge on the homophobe" moment, not what it actually was, assaulting someone while they were asleep. the blowjob in the shower again, type showed no form of consent and yet again was not treated like the blatant SA it was. not to mention the multiple times he kisses type while he's asleep. tharn's multiple assaults on type are never treated as such and are never even mentioned again. tharn triggers type and while type is having a panic attack and rejecting any form of touch or contact, tharn just pulls him closer into him ???? yeah cause that's exactly what you do when you trigger a flashback to someones trauma. this isn't necessarily a him problem but san his ex is equally a disgusting person. during the later episodes in thier "sweeter" moments it was just so hard to ignore how a SA was the catalyst for this relationship to start and took most of the "sweetness" out of it. even after they get together tharn is still awful, when they fight rather than acting like the adult he's meant to be he sulks, cries and fucks off until he makes type come crawling back.
type is anything but an angel himself, as a gay person i would not touch a guy like type with a 10 foot barge pole. at least he sort of had his reasons for being so vile but type in the middle of the show is honestly so insufferable, when they are in that "are we dating , are we not? we just fuck sometimes" stage he is so possessive and weird despite not even being in a relationship tharn. i cannot see how being in relationship with someone like type would ever be in any way fulfilling and enjoyable enough to stay in it for a week, never mind get married to him. even taking his violent homophobia out of it (which is one of his only, if not THE only defining trait he had for so much of the early series) type just seems like a dick and an awful person. he is extremely hard to root for and absolutely does not deserve his two closest friends, No and Champ. every time type had any sort of character growth and i got hopeful, by the end of the episode im left disappointed. i got annoyed by his character so fast, it was just so unnecessary how he acted most of the time to people.
their relationship is baseline abusive and has been since it started. type hits, kicks and punches tharn multiple times and tharn forces himself onto type making him uncomfortable and makes absolutely no attempt to rectify his behaviour when he finds out about type's past. neither of them apologise for these things and their relationship seems to be a chore and a pain to be in. their relationship is so inconsistent, theyre hot or cold, together or at eachother's throats punching and kicking eachother. it's not an enjoyable relationship to watch play out.
the writing is just so bad omg. type's trauma is only ever brought up to be convenient for plot. when he and tharn end up together it just seems go away at the click of a finger ???? CSA isn't something that goes away just like that, it's serious and usually effects people way way into their adult life and subsequently their relationships in the future. if the writers would've just cared about making the plot seem any sort of realistic and coherent instead of just trying to throw in sex scenes whenever they could, type could've been a good character with a good character arc but no. that's just too much effort. it's left in the dust when it can't be used to further how much tharn and type have sex. one of the only parts where i could see hints of something good was when type was contemplating how to help tar, other than that it was such an awful way to add a storyline that serious in the show. lots of the dialogue felt juvenile and cringy. they have never heard of smooth transitions between plots. it seems like those movies adapted from wattpad fanfiction. their relationship felt so forced, even though i watched it happen. it didn't feel realistic like thats how two people like them would actually act, a high strung open gay and a violent homophobe.
not only is constant shitty handling of SA a problem but they decide to go the extra mile and add incest !!!! oh joy !!!!! i would like to hope i don't need to elaborate on the whole tum and tar front other than it being oh so disgusting.
lhong is a god awful antagonist, his whole story just unnecessary ???? it's pretty obvious to see he likes tharn from the start but that doesn't justify him hiring people to rape a highschooler and try to kill someone and then they were like "oh he has trauma as well so it's okay" this show just paints an awful picture of trauma victims and addresses it in such an awful way that i have to laugh bc if i don't i'll cry.
it is so obviously marketed to your stereotypical bl fan, a cis straight women. it's full of sex and all the glaring issues are just glossed over or ignored by fans. it could be better if they'd have not watered all these serious topics down into piss. in what world does a CSA survivor get over it in a few days because he had sex with his creepy roommate a few times, these aren't things that just disappear with the power of love, these are things that take people years and years to heal from with professional help, not some random ass gay musician.
this show incorporates absolutely everything bad in bl and just takes it to another level. at no point do i find myself wishing i was in a relationship like tharn and type, i find myself thankful im not. i left so many episodes feeling icky and just wrong, like "what the fuck am i watching". so much of it is just disgusting and highlights everything bad in bl. it has absolutely no rewatch value i wish i could just leave that blank
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Choi Ji Woo is great as Cha Geum Joo, and I admit I have never seen her in a drama before. She was likable early on, and I liked that she was a savvy lead, not a doormat. Her acting isn't perfect however, and there are more dramatic moments where she seems to try to play cute to the camera, which didn't really work for me. Luckily for her she was cast with two attractive and talented leads. Joo Jin Mo
as Ham Bok Geo "Hamburger" is grown and sexy, and a great match for her. I loved their flirty moments, and chemistry, especially in the beginning, although I kept wishing they would take things up a notch. He is an absolute charmer, and he charmed me in this role, though he's another actor I've never seen before.
Then there is Lee Joon as Ma Suk Woo, who was cute perfection. He was honestly my favorite character of them all, and I think the best actor. He managed to seem innocent, yet not naive. I loved watching his chemistry with Geum Joo when they worked together, though I admit she seemed waaaaaaaaaaaay too old for him. The love triangle between these three is pretty hilarious, even if it's a little unrealistic, they pull it off well. This was the highlight of the show for me.
The rest of the show is a messy melodrama revolving around a scandal I had a hard time following, and a mystery that didn't really grab my interest, but there is a villain that is really creepy, who I wish had a better storyline and more screen time. I still managed to enjoy the court scenes, which featured a great supporting cast, even if it was pretty obvious how things would go.
Then there's Jeon Hye Bin as Park Hye Joo (who I will forever think of as Oh Hae Young) who plays the main character's complicated sister. She is really good at playing a low key b!tch, but she honestly didn't have the acting chops to pull off such a complicated role. Her acting was so bad at times she seemed to be making fun of the role. There was just not enough depth, and I think that's this show's biggest problem. The character also had a few transformations that made no sense, especially at the end, but that could have maybe been fixed with better acting too, i think.
The show is pretty light hearted even though it deals with some very heavy themes, which I think worked against it. People treated things like going to jail, sex trafficking, being a fugitive, and even murder so lightly that I could barely take it seriously. The later episodes also focus so much on the melodrama that the show lost much of it's appeal. Still I liked watching the story unfold for some reason, and never thought about dropping it. The ending could have also been a lot better, but since the story wasn't a strong point, I'm not sure if it would have made much difference to my overall thoughts on the drama.
Overall, a pretty good cast made this show decent, and enjoyable. Like most shows it loses much of it's charm in the final episodes, but the cast made me want to stick with it. I doubt I'd watch it again, but I will miss some of the characters. I doubt this show will be high on anyone's favorite list, but I'm glad i checked it out. The fact that there are no other reviews seems so weird since I've seen much worse dramas with tons of reviews! I'd say it's the perfect "In the meantime" drama for those with nothing on their queue, and wiling to give it a chance.
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Awwww.... it's so comfortable so cozy.... such a warm and homey place
Everything you watch is so Everyday...
nothing extraordinary or fancy or miraculous
And yet it's finding the warmth and comfort among those:
Everyday moments Everyday tingling in your heart Everyday tiny struggles
that makes these 2 hours so perfectly pretty
Maybe I'll dream something cozy tonight
The rest is just your personal preference after you've invested in at least Half an hour of your life.
1 from those Cozy Bits.... Are all Bartender Unnis so helpful ????????
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This review may contain spoilers
It Keeps You Guessing Until the End.
(Last reviewed drama of 2025) 2nd modern drama of LYX and first good one; (the other wasn't good due to a miscast FL, no chemistry and dragged the show down). Other than a few of the support cast, I didn't know anyone else but this was a nice little Easter egg they snuck in at the end of the year as it kept everyone guessing.Pros: I liked the first 5 cases and how original they were especially the Chimera spider case. For those who don't know, a chimera is a person who is born with both sets of chromosomes and sometimes both sets of organs (so like male lower parts and female upper parts can happen); it's a rare genetic mutation in humans and I myself didn't even know about it until maybe like 20 years ago from a CSI episode. But each case was tied back to the big main drug case involving the ML or QSZ who was a forensics examiner, his murdered girlfriend, and the SML or HF who was the aforementioned girlfriend's adopted brother who was a cop and in narcotics at the time thinking they solved the case when QSZ kept telling him they closed the case too quickly and it was not over; as they had transferred to the same location. At first personally they were very much at odds as the FL or ZQY and the last part of the so-called iron triangle said it to their police chief boss, there was a wall between them unless they were on the job. As more cases and strange homicides happened and the same drug and pill bottle with the same symbol kept popping up; HF, the chief and everyone other then QSZ had to agree that this was more then each case on its own. Witnesses that knew anything and still walking around were silenced by a murderer, part of the gang.
Poor QSZ had all of his friends from the college lab and even his teacher (3 people total) part of this thing. Two were killed, and the teacher who was as the ultimate monster and only caught in the end but thought of himself as sort of a miracle worker that didn't have to face reality (dude shirked responsibility and was completely delusional to the completely monstrous things he did) until his addicted wife was murdered. And even then he had the victim mentality of "why are you punishing me?"; it was really sickening to watch him until QSZ brought him back to reality in a savior type of way. He was responsible for many deaths including QSZ's girlfriend. But at the end of the day, QSZ still had HF and the rest of the squad subtract one they lost to the enforcer and another drug dealer. The entire squad of people were great and each case was unique where you couldn't put your finger on who the murderer was because there would always be some sort of twist. Its opening theme moving artwork was cool along with the OSTs. Also found it very funny that until the last episode, there was virtually no propaganda in this entire show, even though it had to do with the police and forensics and something you would usually see a little bit more of.
Cons: I felt taking FL out of the last 2.5 episodes and not even show her face when she did return to duty after her coma other than HF smiling was a total copout. I understand there was some conflict with the actress's schedule but they could have filmed it at another time. It was just strange the way they ended it. The main last case wasn't as exciting as the others as we all kind of figured out who the mastermind was. It was very anticlimactic. Or putting the tracking device on QSZ where they did; too obvious as well as using HF as the undercover again considering he'd already done that and would most likely than not be recognized; foolish things though obvious to help out QSZ who could mouth that their were bombs under the tables and HF would understand him. Another thing were the words on the screen of the last episode that one had to screenshot to translate about fake characters getting certain prison sentences, and what each one entailed. This is a story of fiction, no one needs all of that. Also basic principles weren't researched by production like meth itself was a manufactured drug and therefore couldn't be used as a raw material for other drugs. A bit sloppy on that and a few other things here and there but nothing major.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely would; for all the crime sleuths out there it's a great little something and only 21 episodes long. So ahead and enjoy!
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It's really great seeing Gokusen coming back with another season because of its successfulness.. it really was. But seeing the same storyline again for the 3rd time really bored me. Also, I didn't feel the closeness between Yankumi and the 3-D class as in season 1. I just wished there was a plot twist or a new storyline.
Don't get me wrong. I LOVE Yankumi's strong personality and physical strengths.. but I'm tired of seeing her students getting beat up and has to need her help every single episode. I wish that the writers made up something a bit new... like her students try to not get into fights more often or fight back for themselves.
If ONLY I liked the characters here a bit better, I would've given this a 7. But I just didn't really any of the students. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE Miura Haruma, but I seriously dislike his character here. I love Jun's and Kame's characters in seasons 1 and 2 the best. They care about their friends the MOST, and actually have a lot of times that they were calm... unlike many others.
Overall, if you're a fan of this series like I am, you should continue finishing it off... but it might get a bit boring at times. I definitely enjoyed seasons 1 and 2 better ;)
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AMAZING
As if I wasn't excited for Part 2 enough, Nadao decides to surprise us all on 520 with this stunning short film. I don't really know what else to say. Stop reading this and watch it NOW. You will thank me. :) But MDL requires at least 500 characters... so, just trust me that everything in this short film is perfect... it makes me want to immediately watch part 1 again or better yet, teleport right now to Phuket old town. Once the pandemic ends, the Phuket government should definitely use this film in an advertising campaign! It almost seems it was sponsored by them.Was this review helpful to you?
DOMG
The story line of this drama is very captivating and addictive always making me anticipate the next episode to come out,. Aside the low production value, the drama was really interesting and I would love to watch it again, I just hope that they could make a season 2 quickly. This drama isn't done yet. I hope to see from more of these actors, although in only familiar with two of them i.e. Zhan Yu as 'Qin Chen' and Zong Feng Yan as 'Zhao Gao the emperor of Xuan', I really liked the other actors in the dramas. I hope for more from Dominator of Martial Gods as well as it's cast cause their story isn't done yet.Overall, leaving the production quality aside, this is one of the most interesting Wuxia dramas I've watched this year and ive watched almost all that has come out.
So I recommend this for anyone who wants to watch a good drama with a good storyline just hope un don't mind the production value or quality.
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This review may contain spoilers
My first review
When i see episode 1 i am just speechless. I came to see this series every friday after episode 3 this series broke my heart mainly when jeo see the couple mug , ming hug joe and say I Love You tong.why you don't chose me tong. That time joe eye full of tear and his (joe ) heart breaks in many pieces.
Then joe accident when joe weak up he see him self in some one body. At last i am happy for thay get their happy ending
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If you don't know yet? .. It is the first Asian drama in Philippines that gained so much popularity because of this TV drama started the so-called "Asianovela craze" and also aheeemm ... haha this is the first drama i watch :) well that's why i love asianovela and that time i also collect posters,text,stickers even glow in the dark of each of character of this drama i can imagined wahaha (i'm not that old) :D well i proudly to say that in that time this is the highest rate among all the other asianovela in Philippines and i watch this many times because it's refitted several times in my country :) also this series is the first live-action television adaptation of the manga, followed by its sequel Meteor Garden II and Japanese Hana Yori Dango, its sequel Hana Yori Dango Returns and South Korean Boys Over Flowers.
So if you haven't watch this yet??? and if you will watch this without comparing to other version or manga i think you will like METEOR GARDEN. Can't Help Falling in You is one of the song in this series and i really like it, i think cast is also contribute a good acting coz if they don't why people like it? Also please guys before you watch this remind your self that this drama made in 2001. That's why if you will compare the quality!? darling, obviously it will not as good as the two other dramas but about the story i believed that as much as many people like it hopefully you will like it also :)
That's why i rated this 10 i expect it's reasonable!
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On One Hand Intrigue, Betrayal, Redemption - Other hand Democracy, Power, and Sacrifice
A MUST WATCH PERIODICAL POLITICAL THRILLER FOR EVERYONEFIRST POINT:
Before going to my thoughts, I want to say something: I majored in political science and civics subjects and had some experience in history. I know everyone will think about what I’m trying to say about my subjects. The reason is that all of this is made for the boy who loves politics in real life, not only in dramas, movies, and shows. So, whenever I hear there’s a political drama, I always wait for them, irrespective of the cast, because complete political dramas are so rare and are used as side elements in some dramas. I watched a political thriller a long time ago, “Designated Survivor,” which was one of the major political thrillers in kdrama. It started very well but failed to impress with the last episode. Overall, it was a good political thriller without the last two episodes.
Second point:
My second point is that I became a periodical genre fan after watching some kdramas, impressed by their visuals, art, custom designs, story set-up, and mostly because I had the chance to watch the 90’s and sometimes 80's culture of Hanguk. Recently, I watched “Chief Detective 1958." I loved the drama’s 1950-60’s art and everything.
So, I think everyone understands my two points on “Uncle Samsik” before going to talk about my thoughts. And everything I write in this review is purely based on my thoughts and what I experienced from the drama, both emotionally and critically.
A group of wealthy political members is trying to create political instability in South Korea between 1950 and the 1960s to encash that opportunity to take over the country's power into their hands and make them whatever they want. For real, there are some groups that existed in this generation too, like Deep State in the USA (this is only for reference and not intended to compare any political issues with it; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_state_in_the_United_States ). To stop them, some other people, both political and non-political, are trying to bring that group down, like the main leads, Doo Chil, Kim San, Hanrim, and some other military members. But each of their ideologies is different, but their main objective is to carry the country forward to development and keep democracy in the country. Each character clearly has a motive, trying to protect the democracy of their country.
CHARACTERIZATIONS -
In Kim San's character role, I really felt the way he used to dream about the country’s development project, “National Reconstruction Plan.” He did everything and sacrificed his life things in the way of life dedication to the nation, even sometimes breaking his ideologies to create a better country for his people. TBH, I loved Kim San's character (Byun Yo Han), even though he sometimes chose the wrong steps to form his dream project. Byun Yo Han, you did an excellent job. Pure acting masterclass, the emotions, and the way you portray his views on the nation's development are truly amazing. I hope I will see you in more dramas in the future.
Song Kang Ho is the acting pillar of this drama and a well-known veteran actor. Exceptional performance in the Samsik role; this one is the character I can’t forget easily. The director’s choice of Samsik and Kim San roles is one of the best castings done by casting gods.
The Jan Ki Joo role was introduced very well in the beginning, and I expected the same character length from her till the end since she is a journalist, but after 6 episodes, her character was only used to show, oh, she is also a character in this drama, but there is no big scope for her. This is one of my disappointments with the director.
A remarkable performance by the supporting cast and every actor’s exceptional effort made this drama a truly outstanding drama in kdrama land.
NARRATION -
Every episode is full of talkative mode more than taking action. Of course, this is political drama, so most of the scenes and most of the time are carried by the characters talkative mode, and we will expect something more than talkative only in the climax or pre-climax. This drama shows how situations can change a person and persuade him to go to any lengths to do what he wants in the political sense. Since it’s a political genre, we have to expect betrayals, allies, and foes in the way of choosing a path to take or implementing the things we have to do, both politically and geographically.
The relationships of Samsik between other character roles will meet us in different ways, like when he sometimes looks evil and good, but one thing never changes: his loyalty towards the people he trusts. There are no flaws in writing or directing.
DRAMAS BIGGEST ASSET - SCREENPLAY & STORYTELLING.
Uncle Samsik follows the nonlinear storytelling aspect, which creates dynamic storytelling by using screenplay magic elements like flashbacks, flashforwards, multiple points of view, and non-sequential structure of the story. Handling these types of elements often confuses the viewers, and I also faced the same confusion in some dramas with nonlinear storytelling, where scenes constantly jump from one time to another without much clarification, like whether it's a flashback or current running story narration. But in this drama, every scene is perfectly placed where it fits and is not given a chance for story narration confusion. Overall, a fantastic “SCREEN PLAY”.
ONE OF THE BEST EPISODE EVERY MADE IS KDRAMA -
Specially talk about the 14th epic episode—to me, it's one of the best episodes ever made in a kdrama because it was based on the real events of South Korea in the 1960s called the April 19th Revolution ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Revolution ). The representationalism in the 14th episode showed how that revolution happened. Here, I’m bowing to the director because the way he brought the historical change movement to us is really breathtaking and a spectacular episode.
My Only Disappointment:
1) NO big scope for Jan Ki Joo's character role even though it has potential and failed to use her character's professional job Journalism in the story changing way. Usually, Journalism vs. Politics is the greatest El Clásico in nature, but the director is mainly focused on bringing political momentum and ignores journalism. But I’m not saying he completely left the journalism point, but he used it in a narrow way to move some scenes forward; even in the scene about Ballot Box being stolen, there is no strong focus on the press.
2) ENDING:
After watching the first episode, I got an idea about the ending but never expected this type of ending. I know it’s good for writers to write off a main character in periodical or historical dramas. But the director of Uncle Samsik made a very bold move in the ending. I don’t know about others who watched this drama or what their opinions were on the ending, but to me, it’s one of the most disappointing endings in the kdrama. The basic element of every drama is that good is the winner over evil, but I don't know what the director is trying to say with that type of ending; I think he wants to say, “No matter how hard you try to change the country or bring down powerful, evil political figures, there is no turning back; you will only suffer losses and states that the outcome may not be favorable; the effort may result in personal sacrifices or negative consequences of what is going on now.”.
I don’t want to talk more about the ending; watch and take your own opinion, but personally, I’m disappointed.
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Anyways, onto the main review. I've watched the Ghibli version many many years ago. What comes first isn't always better. This is just my opinion, but this live action adaptation is in no way inferior to the anime. They're both different in a good way. So, I'll break down the review into the following categories:
1. CHARACTERIZATION: I thought the Kiki in this movie was much more believable than the anime. In the anime, Kiki has always been a good girl who loses her power b/c she saw how spoiled humanity can be sometimes. In this movie, Kiki is a real human girl/witch with something called an ego --- she has that youthful pride that we've all experienced all too often when we were younger. As a result, she gets humbled and temporarily loses her powers. There is your realism. The anime portrayed Kiki as a 100% good girl, which isn't realistic. Everyone has imperfections, and this movie clearly showed the main protagonists' to us.
Also, they portrayed Osono as a very human character in this movie, who comes off as a really compassionate person towards Kiki in the way she encourages Kiki to never give up by urging her to take on the next job . In the anime, Osono comes off not as a person but a flat two-dimensional plot device whose purposes were to give Kiki shelter and give her the idea to set up a delivery service. This movie characterizes Osono so much more. She's like a surrogate mother to Kiki rather than just a Landlord/lady.
And let's not forget Tombo. He's more than just some pretty (nerdy) boy that needs saving by dangling from a broken blimp. I won't spoil it for anyone, so let's just say that Tombo is a lot more manly in this movie. Actually, he (and the baby hippo and the singer lady telepathically and Osono's encouragement) were the ones who saved Kiki's conscience. Kiki only saved Tombo with her mother's wound-healing medicine, which any passerby could have done. Nothing like in the anime where Kiki was the only one who could have flown to Tombo just in the nick of time.
2. THE CGI. For a low budget production, I thought the SFX was incredible. If you want to see really bad CGI, look no further than the upcoming Batman v Superman movie trailer. The parts where CG Batman tries to evade CG Superman's wrath looks to me like utter shite compared to the worst CG in this movie. I really thought CG Jiji could exist in real life, b/c a witch's cat is no ordinary cat! Forget that movie poster at the top corner of this page. Jiji looks nothing like that in the movie, he's got more fur textures and better lighting. Also, the flying sequences are really well done. The only part where I could visibly tell it was green screen was at the title where she's flying infront of the gigantic moon, and the light from the moon made it so.
3. THE STORY. I thought it was a refreshing change from the anime with fleshed out ideas. Parts where teenagers played pranks on each other to get even had me chuckling. Heck, I even think some of the story changes were even genius, such as ferries only come around on a set schedule, which is why they need a witch to delivery stuff between islands. In regards to delivering a baby hippo towards the climax, what can I say, the hippo was one of the four (the others are Tombo, singer lady, and Osono) who redeemed Kiki, so it's all good! It didn't feel like a plot device but rather something which advanced the story and Kiki's character! It showed her determination to complete her apprenticeship b/c she decided to become a witch ever since she could remember and flying was the only magical ability she'd cared to cultivate.
4. REWATCH VALUE. I rewatched the anime maybe once or twice so far. That's how much rewatch value that anime had! I've already skimmed over certain key scenes a few days after watching this movie. If I were to hold an annual movie-a-thon, this would be one of my top choices to add on the list for indefinite screening unto the n-th anniversary of such movie-a-thon!
5. HUMANITY. This is a made-up category, but important nonetheless! This is perhaps the reason why I gave this movie a 9.5 and not say a 7! I believe that a movie or work of fiction is special when it touches your heart. For me, it was the bicycle riding scene. Do you remember the first time you mastered riding the bike? For a kid watching this movie, it would be something trivial as they've probably only learned to ride a bike recently. But for someone a bit older it certainly brings back memories of us being bipeds (literal) on wheels for the first time ever in our lives using manpower! This movie brought back a certain fond memory of mine --- I was literally a kid again while watching this movie, which certainly isn't a bad thing!
In summary, movies are meant to entertain. No matter how critically acclaimed something is, if it doesn't entertain, then it's got no purpose existing. This movie definitely entertained and so it does exist!
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This review may contain spoilers
Stunning pictures, not thought out story...
"The Secret of Us" is a japanese youtube channel, but only doing chinese BL content. That is one their several short series but a very weak one. While the landscapes are really stunning, the story left so much to be desired. It begins fine - a hurt stranger is found by an to be aspiring veterian - but how they fell in love is not really explained. There is a red flag scene in a tent and then it's like they are together.In the following episodes it's revealed the stranger had his goal to reach the veterian because his dog saved him from a wolf pack. But when you listen to the story, it does not make much sense, because he mentioned there were other people saving him, so they would have rendered first aid, right? And just because he did not tell him first, they break up and the stranger returns home.
The finale is the most confusing. First it's a time jump and second he wants to search for the stranger but gets a call that mr. stranger should have an operation otherwise his life is in danger and then he appears on a horse. WTF?
This is one of the weakest series from them and I have no clue why they thought the story made any sense. They had six episodes to tell a story, but most of it was filler and not needed and it ends. While it's nice he's back, will he die now? Or what was the reason for him coming back? I can't figure it out and I don't care. The actors tried their best, they delivered a decent performance but I did not feel their attraction to each other. The only good thing about this series are the stunning landscapes which is special because most dramas play out in a big city most of the time. Also the rest of the production quality was top notch wasted on such a script. Handsome actors don't make a story. So my quite high rating is only because of the production quality, because the script is really bad.
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But this wasn't a perfect drama, that's for sure. If we look closer to some aspects we'll realize that this drama lacked in so many things.
I think the directing and the writing was mediocre (specially in the last episode which was terrible in my opinion XD) There were many illogical scenes and also some holes in the plot. Writers didn't approach the crime-mystery genre as they should have. They created a great villian but also the dumbest heroes -Except from Yeom Mi, Moo Gak and Cho Rim- (sometimes)
Well, I must give them some credit tho, because the romantic comedy part was good and well done, in my opinion. So props for that!
The acting was good too. I have no complains, Shin Se Kyung did a good job, I liked her a lot in this. I think comedy is perfect for her. As for me, she isn't blacklisted anymore -not that I have a black list or something like that actually hahaha- But let's say she wasn't my favorite actress.
And of course I have to talk about Nam Gong min's great acting. I think this drama is worth watching because of his character. He played it so well. I think he should stick to these kind of characters from now on. And overall the acting of everyone was good, nothing outstanding, nothing unwatchable, just good.
About the music, well... it was ok. I liked almost all the songs and also the instrumentals.
Then, should you watch it?
Well guys, it depends on what you want and expect from this. Don't expect great quality in directing or writing or a crime thriller or something like that because you will be disappointed.
You can expect cute and romantic moments, also funny scenes and an average show. Nothing much.
What I mean is that this show is technically bad, but it's entertaining so it works. At least for me.
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This review may contain spoilers
How to Ruin Something in 3 episodes
I wrote this as a way to empty myself rather than anything else. Everyone’s taste and perspective is different so I have never made an effort to convince someone to like or not like anything. And I also debated a lot on whether to post it or not. But since I already wrote it, what the heck… This is a description of how a perfect 9.5 rating peddled itself into a 7.Now I’m going to be honest, I feel some unexplainable attachment to N’Bright. Sort of maternal. I don’t know why, maybe because he’s the same age as my baby sister and my protectiveness for her is transferred, maybe because I can sense some vulnerability behind his aloofness? I don’t know, let’s leave that to the therapists to untangle that web. But the point I wanted to make before I went down the path of self-analysis and discovery is, my biased feelings also flowed down to the character which meant I tend to gloss over some issues either with the show or the actor. Don’t say I wasn't upfront about it.
Where to start; the actors?
N'Bright - Besides his good looks they say he brings all he's got to the set. I do like his acting. Although admittedly when I first saw the cast interview before the series aired, my first impression was, this is not going to be challenging for this guy. Character and his own personality seem to be too similar.
I found his strength to be when he is playing the seemingly cold, detached, flirty, cute, shameless parts of his character. His biggest weakness would be sad scenes. He squints. Basically, that’s it. I found that in scenes where I should have been more inclined to empathize with his character instead I felt disconnected. These are the scenes specially where Win has outshined him.
N'Win – I don’t even know where to start about our breakout star. It is hard to imagine that this is his first role. I guess some things just come natural to some people. When he is playing the mash up of legally blonde and clueless, I kept thinking, “this guy would make a damn good villain”. That is a testament to his ability in convincing me that he is a talent that should not be underestimated. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t have areas to work on but for a first run, he hit it out of the park.
The Plot
If you’re looking for a series to tackle serious issues, with intricate plots and multi-faceted characters you won’t find it here. This was a very straightforward simple unoriginal plot. What I like about the series was that particular fact. It never tried to be more than what it was; which is the equivalent of a chick-flick. It is a simple story of two people falling in love. It wasn’t a question of will-they-won’t-they but rather WHEN will-they. The trill was watching the chase and the fluff unfold until the expected happy ending arrives.
Whatever minor faults could be forgiven as long as it delivered what I needed; which was an uncomplicated entertaining love story.
Tine’s oblivion to his fake boyfriends real flirting, and Sarawat’s one step advance one step retreat was what excited me, asking will Tine realize in this episode or the next episode that his fake boyfriend is actually in love with him.
The choppy editing and some of the directing mishaps can quickly be dismissed. Why spend over analyzing something simple that wasn’t trying to be more than what it is, I told myself.
When people pointed out the scene with Sarawat getting beat up was unnecessary, I said no they are trying to show Tine who only saw Sarawat’s popularity, that there was another side to his life. A not so pretty side that Tine was oblivious to. For some who don’t believe boys would punch someone because their girlfriend liked their IG, I’d like to counter with my own experience with stupid, where in college I had a close friend who’s boyfriend regularly gets into a fist fight with any man who made eye contact with his girlfriend (no I’m not exaggerating, going to clubs or bars was definitely a stressful situation when my friend and her boyfriend joined us) But I digressed again, I was trying to say that I can come up with any explanation or excuse for a scene that may come off less than perfect.
The Problem
Then episode 10 happened. The first couple of minutes showed us what we have been waiting for. Finally! Tine realized his feelings and accepted Sarawat and they are now a couple. So, what comes next? Of course, the honeymoon phase! Where we are going to witness firsthand these two people we have been cheering on for 9 episodes, go on a date. We are going to see Sarawat who shamelessly flirted his way into Tine heart, is as a boyfriend. We are going to see how awkward, shy Tine is with his first boyfriend and watch him fall deeply in love ugh so romantic hu… NO! That’s not what happened. What we got was a fast transition from “we’re boyfriends” to “we are cohabitating” in a matter of 15 minutes. If it was just the cohabitation, I wouldn’t be so bitter. What they went into is from flirting and making eyes at each other to bromance territory. I mean they were one chest bump away from turning into two white frat boys “dude”! In a matter of 15 minutes the spark that had carried us for 9 episodes started fizzling out in front of my eyes. Man and Boss should ask for refund on that bouquet of condoms. But I moved on, I declared it the weakest episode, which was bound to come along in any series.
Episode 11 busted in with the Halloween special. I mean to this day I still can’t tell you what the thought process was that went into writing and approving that episode. The only saving grace was the last 6 minutes where we finally got to see from Sarawat’s perspective on what it was like for him when he met Tine again in ep 1. That part was cute and in perfect theme to the beginning of the series. I feel like N’Bright did his best work there. Now another milestone for this episode was Tine said “I like you too” out loud for us to hear. Now I’m no director or writer but shouldn’t this be an opportune moment to get in a kiss? Mind you, I’m not asking for tongue or exchange of saliva (I feel like I have to keep pointing out this part for some to understand) but a simple peck. Would it have killed them if Sarawat and Tine had leaned on each other or gave a back hug while they were stargazing?
But hey, let’s not get hung up on the missed opportunity here when episode 12 brought on a new bucket of mess. Ep 12 was a cast call for all clichés. You name it, it had it. Here, because of this series, I had to eat my words once again. Around ep 5/6, here on MDL I praised this series for not having negative female portrayals. One commenter pointed out that it still had “Sarawat’s fans”. I said I don’t consider them as normal females, at least we don’t have an ex or something trying to raise havoc. I guess this is why they say you shouldn’t put something out into the universe?
Why what was supposed to be a simple Hallmark drama has devolved into c-drama world with its melodrama is beyond me. Well as you’d expect, the last ep could not save the descend into the bottom with the regurgitated plots, cliched love triangle, last minute drama.
In our very last episode we got a strong montage and a character I barely recognized. I have theories, hear me out… when Sarawat broke his leg and they took him for his x-ray follow up, by any chance do you think the hospital messed up and gave him a lobotomy? Or, in the Halloween ep, did he maybe get body swapped? Guys I have over a decade worth of knowledge in this area from watching Supernatural. It could happen. And this is the only explanation that I can come up with to explain the unexplainable character personality shift. People expect you to accept that Mr. Sarawat expo, Mr. cop-a-feel even when beaten to a pulp, now gives strong shoulder hugs and high fives. Mr. I'll kiss you till you drop now gives head pats. The Sarawat, who crawled to Tine with a broken leg and wouldn’t leave his side just because Tine fainted now sees his boyfriend puking and being taken to a hospital but instead goes home for a good night sleep and a change of fresh cloth before going to see him? I mean WT actual F! To top it off, Sarwat 2.0 didn’t even say “I’m sorry” or make any effort to win Tine back or anything remotely sane but instead sang a song that he barely even finished. Man and Type showed more warmth with that hug than our main couple, who technically had just made up. To be fair, Man and Type showed more warmth than our duo in the last 3 episodes.
I have a lot more to say but I fear the only thing to be gained would be carpal tunnel. I will forever treasure you, Gunsmile and Toptap. Episodes 1-9 will be remembered fondly, especially since as far as I'm concerned this series ended after the first 15 minutes of episode 10. I loved, loved everything about the music. Thank you for that.
And at last, I will dedicate a verse from one of my favorite song to it:
“it could have been love, but it’s over now;
It could have been good, but we lost it somehow”
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I fall in love at first sight with Rosy Zhao since early episodes, I can't imagine another actress playing Sheng Nan besides Rosy Zhao.
The male lead Lin Shen as the CEO Lu Jin with prestigious character, I started to fall in love with his acting in the middle of drama when the story becomes more captivating. I never watch his drama before and I found out he is an extraordinary actor, very experienced and has many achievements in the world of drama and film. I love all his suits in this drama, all suits he wears always looks good on him.
In the last few episodes the story is no longer about the allure of cooking/food flavored with romance, but more about hatred between brothers and take a revenge. I wish the writer didn’t put too much drama at the last episodes as this drama is very charming on most of all episodes.
Overall I love the romance between Sheng Nan and Lu Jin, this couple is so sweet, you will keep on smiling to see their silliness in love. Short drama, beautiful cooking/foods, sweet & happy romance, enjoyable to watch.
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