ML can't act but I adore him anyway!
Actually I adore both the ML and FL! As individual characters, they were likable but as a couple, they were endearing and inspired relationship goals. Also they were simply gorgeous to look at.Why Women Love is a May-December love story done right! It is not often that we get a romance between an older super capable manager and her young assistant (who was actually her boss' son), let alone a good one. If you are looking for something light, lovely, fun and fluffy, this show might just do the trick.
Honestly, there was no real plot, but there was character development. The FL learned to open up her heart, and become brave in facing the unknown of love, and the ML grew into a man who wanted to protect and give his love a blissful and happy home. I love that even though the ML became more matured, he did not lose sight of his dream of being a motorcycle racer. The best part is that he still reacted like someone in his twenties but carried himself well to be worthy of the FL.
Gina Jin is beautiful and she did well as Zhao Jiang Yue, a reserved, over-achieving manager. Absorbed with her work, always focused on doing her best, she was labeled as being incompetent in love. As she gradually fell in love with the ML, one can see her loosening up, and becoming more carefree.
Wang Zi Yi as Gu Jia Xin was a total idol in this show, with his avant-garde outfits, and being a newbie, could use more acting lessons. However, he was still able to pull off charismatic and lovable Jia Xin, and I truly enjoyed watching him charm his way into Jiang Yue's heart. Plus he can kiss!
There were 3 other side couples and I enjoyed watching 2 of those relationships progressed. As for the 3rd couple, I did not think that Xu Ning Yuan and Li Yan Ran were a good fit and there was no chemistry between them . Xu Ning Yuan was supposed to be the second male lead and was also Jiang Yue's first love.but he did not really put up much of a fight, other than being "compatible" with her.
Overall, the cast was great, and there was a fun rapport among them. I did find Li Yan Ran annoying and clingy but at least she could still separate her obsession with Jia Xin from doing the right thing.
The OST was awesome. I never skipped the intro because of the song, 'Love It' sung by Wang Zi Yi and Gina Jin. The closing song, True Love by Zhu Xingjie was catchy too. My favorite was Upside Down by Chen Xueran, the romantic song that heightened the emotional scenes for me. For posterity, I listed the song list at the end of this review.
Overall, do give this show a try - all you have to do is sit back and be prepared to smile and laugh as you gush over the cheesy, delightful and satisfying romantic journey of the main couple.
Track list: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDkvOpX-XEAS7ux-N5WjgI5m6cKx3ngIt
Love it - 金晨 Gina Jin & 王子异 Wang Ziyi
True Love - 朱星杰 Zhu Xingjie
Upside Down - 陈雪燃 Chen Xueran
错了 Wronged - 曹杨 Cao Yang
中意他 Like Him - 彭雅琦 Peng Yaqi
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I have to say when I started watching this I had no idea about the plot and I'm glad that was the case because I feel it made everything more intriguing than it already was.
I'd only seen one of the actresses in a movie before but I have to say the entire cast is superb; they all give the right emotion and present each story flawlessly.
It hit all the right notes and since it's only an hour long I'll definitely watch it again because it's one of those dramas that gives you a lot to think about long after finishing it.
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THREE WORDS: "Boring But Interesting", you may be like "What? That doesn't make sense!" At first I was like that, but then I begin to get used to it. You'll get used to it.
STORY:
The story was pretty good, I enjoyed it. It was pretty brand new to me. There were some plot twist, revenge, romance, and etc. For the first few episode, it's going to focus on Miao Miao (Kitty) and then to everyone.
ACTING/CAST:
Honest, the whole reason why I watched this was because I wanted find new drama with new faces, i'm kinda tired of seeing the same actress and actor (I.e Aaron Yan, Chris Wang, Sonia Sui). That's why when I was scrolling, this drama caught my attention.
Nown on to acting:
They were pretty new to me, and they amaze me. To me I feel some of their acting (Kitty, Dragonfly, and etc.) I'm really looking forward to some of these actors's/actress's new drama.
MUSIC:
The MUSIC......... The first time I listened to it, it got me alright. But as I was watching, they keep putting music like always. I was pretty tired of hearing the same songs. The only notable and worth listening to was "Be Yourself" by Genie Chuo and I don't know the other one but it was catchy.
Sometimes though, the music will foreshadow what's going to happen next.
OVERALL:
Pros:
+New Faces
+Catchy song ( only 2 though for me)
+Story is interesting, kept me thinking and excited for the next episodes
+Plot twist got me like "WHAT.......?"
Cons:
-Dialog drag the story a bit, they talked for about 10-30 minute during some episode
-Some characters are darn annoying
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Plot: Nothing new here: bold serial killer taunts the police to play his game and try to catch him, but the execution of the series was great. How each crime is slowly linked to the major mystery behind who the main killer is and why he is on this 'seemingly' random killing spree was interesting to watch. I love it when there are subtle clues for the characters and the audience as to the main motives behind the villains. Gives a series more depth and gets me even more invested.
Acting/Cast: Sooooo good! From the cops to the crazy criminals to the unfortunate victims, it was all well done. I can't think of anyone I'd replace.
Music: All I can say is that the tension was felt in every scene and the fear for all of the characters was only enhanced because of the music. It wasn't overly dramatic and it fit every mood and scene well.
Rewatch Value: Normally I would say that the rewatch value for a mystery is low because once you see it some of the thrill of uncovering it is gone. That is not the case here. Because of the individual cases that all end up being connected to the major plot line you might pick up some points you might have missed the 1st time around. Plus the cases themselves are so 'creative' I wouldn't mind revisiting them again!
Overall: I highly recommend this for and crime/mystery lovers. Be warned though, there is NO ROMANCE or even a hint of it. At best you'll get a nice warm feeling from the loyalty and friendship between coworkers. The focus is entirely on the mystery. And I'm fine with that alone (for once ;-)
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Angsty, fast paced plot with enemies to lovers vibe.
Thankfully, I started this drama when I had symptoms of drama slump. Turned out it was because I did not find that one drama that suit my mood at the moment. So when I finally found it, I can't stop watching.So here is my review:
✅️ Very engaging, angsty & fast paced from beginning to end. I liked that the plot was unpredictable at times and every minute details have significance to the story like you would think they're unimportant but later they did have a meaning to it.
✅️ Excellent acting from all cast. I enjoyed FL's acting. She can acts in emotional scenes so well despite only have less than 3 years of experience as an actress. This was my second drama of Zhao Yi Qin and he did not disappoint too. He was perfect as Helian Xi . His character tugged at my heartstrings. I feel for his anger, anguish ,loneliness and sadness so much.
✅️ Romance & chemistry between leads was excellent. Enjoyed enemies to lovers concept in the early episodes. We could feel a lover vibe in their skinship scenes. Just wishh.... we get more than just one steamy intimate scene in the story ( ok now I sound like a pervert lol).
✅️ About the ending , I found it to be well suited to the story. After so much that happened to both main leads, they are free now from all the suffering.
✅️ Cinematography & costumes : 10/10 . I have no complaints. Many beautiful setting (my favourite were the house adjacent to waterfall and all snowy scenes ). Loved the costume details too .
☑️ Motive of the villains here were nothing new I speed through most of their scenes and still able to understand the story.
☑️ OST just good enough and well fitted.
Easily become one of the best short length C-Drama of 2024 and all-time favourite for me. If your soul need some fast paced, angsty & not so cliche plot with great chemistry between leads, try Hard to Find you might love this like I did.
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Team Alex
So like most of us, I'm here cause I fell in love with Pearl's spunky personality and beauty from the prequel Gameboys. She brings all the spice here as well and I loved it! I had an issue with the run around the story created but that's legit due to my own personal beliefs and feelings on relationships. Visuals all around and I think even straight people could learn something/enjoy this series lol I think the acting was better than the story itself but I'm glad the story wasn't anywhere near as basic as I had prepared myself for. This is definitely worth the watch and the ending was so much better than I expected. Enjoy...Was this review helpful to you?
Poly & Ace Representation!
Overall: Though there are areas they could improve on, I'm giving this a 9 because it has poly and ace representation which is rare. I really wish this was a whole series and we were able to see how their relationship started and what happens after this short film because 18 minutes was definitely not long enough. Also, the filmmaker received $638 USD to make this film as part of a Matchbox competition and I'm extra impressed with that budget. Purchased for $3.88 USD and watched on Vimeo.Content Warnings: none
What I Liked:
- they did give some information about asexuality, especially Minho's conversation with his friend (though the acting seemed a bit wooden there)
- I liked the times that they had good communication*
- the reference to Long Time No See (it was the movie that they were watching, I've watched it so many times I recognized it just by the sound lol)
- production value is good considering they had almost no budget
Room For Improvement:
- I didn't really like that quote at the beginning which makes it seem that polyamory is almost here. It's here and it's been here since the dawn of time.
- it was an odd way to start. I don't like when people take pictures of sleeping people and I wasn't sure how the two knew each other.
- *on the couch at the beginning, do the other two not know what Minho likes/dislikes/boundaries??? Why haven't they had conversations about this? Also, that conversation in the bar seemed odd. Wouldn't the two of them discussed it beforehand? (though I did like the follow up conversation they had later).
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It was nice, it made me cringed and almost made me puke due to the over endearing cuteness of these two...
All in all what I like about it is the story, somewhat believable if it was less dramatic but at the same time it was cute which didn't make me hate it.
I really wish they made it a real drama to make it longer because it was an amazing watch.
Another thing I liked is the natural skin ship of the main characters. It reminded me so much of Coffee Prince and the kisses, OMG how I love the kisses...not saying anything more but it was really good.
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This review may contain spoilers
Entertaining but rather weak in comparrison to other cdrama of this trope...
Si Jin offers a decent viewing experience, though it’s not without its flaws. The acting is quite solid across the board. Zhang Wan Yi brings his usual reliable performance to the role, though I wouldn’t call it his best work. Having watched most of his other projects, I feel he’s capable of more. The female lead, whose performance was my first full experience with her, actually surprised me in a good way. Previous dramas featuring her had either been dropped or indefinitely paused due to her acting or the lackluster plots. However, in Si Jin, I was able to finish it, and I can say she did a good job in this particular role. The supporting cast also deserves a mention for their performances.When it comes to the script and editing, though, this is where Si Jin starts to falter. The character development of the emperor is inconsistent; he’s initially portrayed as a wise, cautious ruler, yet the plot forces him to make decisions that undermine that very characterization, particularly when it comes to his blind devotion to his sister, which makes him seem foolish. The random appearance and disappearance of the Namwu storyline and characters seemed like nothing more than a plot device, only there to fill time and create unnecessary drama. Similarly, the human trafficking subplot came out of nowhere and served little purpose other than to provide a reason to kill off side characters and add drama.
I also found the portrayal of the female lead’s family, especially her grandmother, troubling. While the grandmother is supposed to be respected due to her age, she repeatedly wronged the female lead, Jiang Si, with no consequences. Yet, she remains highly regarded and untouched by any repercussions. With only the aunt being turned into the villain and the grandma/2nd uncle getting away with all their minor misdeeds overlooked. So even though family drama and clichés are common in historical dramas and one of my fave parts in this type cdrama, here they were handled poorly at times.
On the plus side, the chemistry between the main couple was a highlight, and I found both the main and side couples sweet. The final episode was satisfying, and despite all the gaps in the middle of the drama, it delivered a proper conclusion. The show managed to pull it together in the end, making for an entertaining watch if you’re looking for something to pass the time or if you're a fan of rebirth historical storylines.
Ultimately, Si Jin is enjoyable as a one-time watch to pass the time, but it isn’t a drama that stands out enough to warrant rewatching. If you're someone who cares deeply about a well-crafted, meticulous plot, this one may not be for you. The acting might be strong, but it isn’t enough to redeem the weaknesses of the story and editing.
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A show that really makes you think
Good Old Days has a unique concept and pretty different from GMMTV's usual fare. I started late on this show, but, once I got going, it didn't take me long to get caught up. Certainly, some stories are stronger than others, but all of them captivated me in their own turn. While the show ties up loose ends by the end of the series, at the time, none of the stories really had a happy ending and that's alright. It makes the show more real and the characters more human.First of all, I appreciate shows with an anthology narrative. Each of the 6 stories exist on their own and yet are tied back to the running narrative of Hey's life as the shopkeeper. It's something GMMTV doesn't tackle very often, but they did an amazing job with this one. If I had to rank them I would put them in this order: 1)Bond and Relationships, 2) Road to Regret, 3) Memory of Happiness, 4) Love Wins, 5) Somewhere Only We Belong, 6) Our Soundtrack
However, the stories at the bottom aren't bad, just not as good the ones above them. This show tackles a lot of difficult (and dark) issues but in a very real way. The characters are forced to face these issues one way or another and they all have to sacrifice or lose something before they come out on the other side. None of these stories have a true happy ending, but rather a satisfactory ending. The objects in this show are also "stars" in their own way. It would be very easy for the object to just exist in the background of the story, following the characters, but all of the objects carry so much meaning and you feel that. In some stories, the object is the focus of the story and in others it fades into the background but in an ever present way. I never felt like I lost sight of the objects' importance and the weight they were carrying for both the characters and the story. It really captures the idea of that "every object has a soul."
With such a large cast, it's hard to address all the actors and actresses, but I think they all did an amazing job and gave great performances. I especially liked Krist and his role as the shopkeeper. His character development is very different because we don't see his story until the end, but up until that point he plays the role of omnipotent shopkeeper very well. In these types of shows, usually the shopkeeper is some old, worldly person, but the irony of Hey is he experiences the world through other people and yet that's how he able to understand people. I thought Krist did an excellent job capturing this essence of the character.
The only real disappointment I have with this show is they wrapped everything up so nicely. I don't know how extensive the source material for this show is, but I would watch a sequel series with new stories. Good Old Days is definitely worth a watch and is definitely a higher show than most. It's really a show that will make you think and reflect on life and how people face their problems.
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Engrossing series of a personal life and its trials. Kim Go Eun is gold.
Yumi's Cells series was definitely different, in a great way. I had to adjust to what they were doing with the animation. After episode one, it clicked. duh! lol. It made a lot of sense. Personally, I give the actress Kim Go-Eun a ton of credit for selling the emotions empathized by the cells. And I just finished seeing her "Little Women" about 17 days before. She's been good in most of the dramas I've watched with her. But in "Cells," her acting performance was stellar.Overall, I enjoyed the series. So many scenarios and scenes reminded me of my times when I was in my 20s. Good and not so good decisions, learning my way through life itself. Especially when it came to personal relationships.
Yumi's character's issues appeared self-produced at times. It all falls back to your inner core beliefs, your mental state, your self-esteem, and the core friendships and loves in your life. I'm trying not to reveal spoilers in this take, but there was one character that got on my nerves. That character's overly convenient appearances soon began to feel wedged. While I understand (a little) what they were trying to accomplish, I just feel that it began to dilute the great writing and story a little. I look forward to watching season 2.
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Story : CUTE&SWEET;. These two words describe it the best. Its heart-warming and relates very well to people who hold little similarity with Sawako's character. Also it shows the bond of friendship that involves sacrifice, strength, togetherness, trust, love, belief against all odds.
It shows how a quiet person can be misunderstood because of their no efforts on socializing. And also cherry blossom trees play a very wonderful part in the movie.
Acting : I love Miura's character. He proves that he is best suited for the role of Kazehaya. So, if you're a BIG fan of Hamura Miura, he's all the reason why you should watch this. I really liked Yano-san and Yoshida-san as well and Sawako's sincerity towards them. Also a special mention on Sawako's parents who love her unconditionally because no matter how she was to the world, she was their precious jewel. :)
Music : I didn't really hear much of the soundtrack as the acting by everyone kept me happy at bay. But I'm sure, it'd be nice.
I watch it when I stumble upon it. Its a very light story and will make you smile. A very simple story, yet hooking. If my will could be forced on everyone who like Miura and this kind of genre, I'd make you watch it :P
Happy Watching :)
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This review may contain spoilers
Maybe watch only 1st and last episode?
It started out amusing and interesting. Unfortunately, after a few episodes came the pain. Pain of disappointment and frustration. To go into details would be too much trouble. Only this much: The pithy entrepreneur lets himself be beaten down. He responds to attacks from business rivals with love, even though he is almost ruined.For long stretches, the romance was gone and we found ourselves in a chick flick. Women's problems and women's problems. And women's problems. Then parental problems, marginal problems, a tiring merry-go-round also with plenty of marginal characters, while the FL and ML often make themselves invisible.
Johnny Huang and Dilraba, whom I saw for the first time in a drama, were good and a small salvation of this waste of lifetime. Whereas unfortunately the wonderful Dilraba had to play a dubious unsolidary character. But that is probably seen differently by the author, but how? Johnny was just great!
The author has probably also processed plenty of their own generational conflicts, it is really torture to have to watch this crap.
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My new blueprint for the childhood friends to lovers trope.
I… don't ever watch high school dramas. I find it hard to find the appeal in a time that's been so long ago for me now & triggers some unpleasant memories. So it's a wonder to me too that I watched this drama – and stuck with it til the end, completely engrossed and invested. Why?First off, I have to thank the cinematography and editing department for that. Summer Again is shot and coloured in such a way that elicits very specific sensual responses of well, summer: the fresh sea breeze playing with your hair, the lush greens and the smell of fresh flowers in the park next to your house, the way you have to squint your eyes right after waking up because the summer sun is so bright in the early mornings, the magic sensation of staying up late on mild summer nights, and the constant buzz of life compared to dreary winters or rainy autumns. Summer Again, short, is a visual feast that transports you right to life in a small, seaside holiday town.
In this setting we meet our heroes Tong Xi, a ballerina from the big city, and Lin Nan Yi, her childhood sweetheart & secret manga artist. Surround the two leads with two faithful and cute friends (a pair of childhood friends as well), a rivalling girl & some seniors to look up to and you have the story. Sounds clichéd? Yeah. But sometimes all I want for a drama is to execute the tropes and clichés it commits to well. And unexpectedly, Summer Again excels in that. If I had to describe the way the story was told, I would describe it as "fresh", "unpretentious" and most of all, "sincere".
There is a beautiful sincerity in the way this drama captures the peak of high school life, our sweet 17s, its ups and downs and that pure & innocent heart most of us were carrying then: from the drama that the characters defined as problems to the way they tried to solve them and gave each other advice, it's all really realistically told from the (limited) worldview of teenagers. It's this realism that balanced the drama throughout. There was drama, but there was never hysteria as dramaland is wont to do. Watching Summer Again is an easy-breezy feat that sends you right back down memory lane to simpler days.
Doesn't mean that the drama is not meaningful: our characters are confronted throughout with navigating that period of life when we first started to think about who we are, what we want, what we expect from ourselves and what others expect from us & how we can be our most authentic self. The conflict between "just wanting to be a simple teenager" and all the pressure that our circumstances put on ourself is maybe best shown in Ni Xiao Wan, the "antagonist". I can't even dislike her; the show gives us too good of an explanation of why she behaves the way she does. It doesn't excuse her mistakes but it humanises her.
Our leads on the other hand, are my new blueprint for a childhood friends to lover story. While Tong Xi's growth can be observed like a beautiful arc spanning the show (look out for how she solves problems), Lin Nan Yi is maybe an almost too perfect classic male lead; I guess his only weakness is that he doesn't like to rely on others for help much and can be too secretive. But the way he handles issues is so relatable and impressive that I forget how little flaws they gave him to begin with. Though they are teenagers, Tong Xi & Lin Nan Yi resolve issues better than most adult drama pairings I've seen.
They are open, honest & forthright with each other. Encourage and support each other. They communicate, a lot. They are not afraid of countering the other, but always give them enough room to come to their own conclusions. Ni Kexin & Chen Heyi are rookie actors but absolutely sell their roles to me. It's to this drama's benefit that they are rather unknown; they play their roles so relaxedly that I have a hard time differentiating between what's acted & what's their real persona. And OMG Chen Heyi's eyes: any ice block would melt at how his Lin Nan Yi looks at Tong Xi. Their story never felt forced and was beautifully and organically told from their rekindling, their clashing and their getting closer. It makes absolute sense for them to be attracted to each other.
I'm starting to ramble and I didn't even get into the second leads yet. But to cut it short: their group of friends is adorable, the actors have great rapport together & I just want all four cast in another project again. Last up, OST-wise this drama is a gem. So yes, please do check it out. Let me tell you, by the end of it, just like downing a glass of fresh, cold (mint) water in a hot summer, you'll want to rewatch it again!
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