Reviews

Where it is particularly dark, even a tiny little bit of light appears immensely bright...

I ended my review about the first seasons with the conclusion: "I only recommend "The Escape of the Seven" if the mood is right - one that demands unfathomable beastliness down to the blood. If we get involved in this KDrama, then we will uncompromisingly be catapulted into a world in which a search for the good guys could very well be in vain..."

And obviously, things can always get even worse. At the same time, a wink of a conscience is actually making itself known here and there… very quietly, though. Regret and shame become concepts that are though stumbling trying to make themselves be heard. It's evidently not that easy, but maybe, who knows, it might not be impossible…

Still, the Seven can't easily get out of their skin. It´s way too serious what they had done and must be held accountable for. Even if they all go through their own processes and would perhaps like to choose a new path in some way (fortunately, people have the potential for healing and transformation), they can neither run away nor undo what has happened. In addition, they have made a pact with the devil... No matter which devil you get involved with, it rarely goes well...

The second season cleverly manages to build on the first one with fresh dynamics, while still giving the emotional rollercoaster ride a new direction. Sophisticated dramaturgical twists included. It's amazing to notice ourselves suddenly sympathizing with one or the other of the loathsome Seven...

In addition, the KDrama is vividly displaying the frighteningly diabolical (not too distant) future scenarios of our increasingly digitally depending information society, that in the worst case scenario, could become completely helpless in its interconnectedness...

Overall, I think “Escape of the Seven” is even winning with its second season. It offers a special KDrama experience that has it all - for all those who don't shy away from the abysm of the human species. And as is well known, where it is particularly dark, even a tiny little bit of light appears immensely bright...

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I don't usually watch Taiwanese dramas but when I do, I tend to choose well.
This drama is one of those that captured me from the start. I've got to tell you that the 1st episode is a masterpiece; it was well done in many ways, i believe it was one of the greatest 1st episodes that I've ever seen and the reason that made me proceed with the rest of the drama.
The story was cool, somehow unique containing a good cast and great supporting roles.
There were many changes in the drama's storyline which made it more interesting.
Fated to love you is one of those dramas that you have to like from the 1st episode or simply drop it because events are so attached.
Just watch the 1st episode and see with yourself.

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Warm and Fuzzy

No arranged marriage cliches of push and pull or making the partner miserable before falling for them. It was a simple drama about two people who marry out of a government experiment but fall for each other gradually while living together and finding out nice things about each other. The ML and FL are both people who do not have experience with romantic relationships, so they take their time to trust the other person.
I won't say it was a slow romance but it was more about becoming a family for each other.
The acting was nice. The actress is quite young and it is her first drama but she has an infectious smile. The side characters do not have a storyline of their own, but contribute nicely to the main story.
Jdramas for me are always about the warm fuzziness and this was the same. I'd say the first half was stronger than the second half but it wasn't boring.

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"Lord, please don't let sorrow overwhelm the lives of those that left behind."

Youth of May depicts the Gwangju Uprising in 1980 through multiple perspectives. From lovers, friends, families, parents, and children to politicians, activists, polices, businessmen, healthcare workers, even people who just wanted to escape and save themselves, and ordinary lives who knew nothing but got killed.

Also soldiers, one that usually hasn’t been really looked into. Here, it's shown how miserable they actually feel, some were unknowingly deployed to their hometown, suddenly being forced to shoot even their friends. While others may have moved on albeitly, for soldiers, based on real reports too, they really had it harder than anyone else, experienced trauma, guilt and stayed in the same dark place throughout the years. People often forget they're victims as well.

"The worse pain in life, the life of those who were left behind."
Heetae's character indeed represents the survivors, those who are still searching, grieving for their lost loved ones, which some haven't been found even til now. I love how it emphasizes this. The survivors didn't 'survive' even though they live. Their souls had died during the uprising.

Youth of May really retells the history beautifully. "This wasn't only his story. This was history."

And last, the prayer in the ending narration is really its main message.
"Don't let the sorrow overwhelm the lives of those that left behind."
Youth of May is more than just a drama. It is a prayer.

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The Quintessential Japanese Drama of 2018

What makes Japanese drama different from its neighbors is how diverse its genre. From mystery thrillers, romance live actions, tearjerkers, weird WTF comedy to Job oriented ones. But my favorite is without a doubt the thought provoking genre. This genre is their forte in my opinion, those meaningful dialogues is always fascinating and this drama not an exemption, it has many dialogues that will make you think and it will teach you different philosophy in life.

Japan is the land of symbols, if you've been watching anime for a long time you probably see this already, they are so good using symbolism as part of the narrative, to me it not just makes the show looks good but it elevates the story. Their method of using symbolism is more prevalent in Jdramas and Japanese Movies, that's why I always tell my anime friends if you want to learn more about Japanese culture don't watch anime but watch Japanese Movies instead.

Aesop's tortoise and hare is one of those fables that are known around the world. In the story the tortoise keeps going on no matter what happen, it teaches us hard work, perseverance and going the extra mile, the hare on other hand has this cocky attitude believing he will win against the tortoise even he sleeps during the race, but his carelessness made him lose in the end. Bokura wa Kiseki de Dekite Iru gives this fable different yet very fascinating interpretation. According to the drama the tortoise doesn't work hard and it doesn't even care about winning or losing, he just enjoys whatever in front of him. The way the tortoise see the world is very different from the hare, the hare doesn't even exist in his perspective. Meanwhile the hare always check on the tortoise and he always looks down on him, the tortoise is huge part of his world. This philosophy of "Not Caring What Others Think" is basically the central theme of this story, which is also very much applicable in today's world of social media where everyone always cares what other people will think and everyone always look at other people's life and compare it to them. BE A TORTOISE AND STOP BEING A HARE.

This is such a cozy and laidback drama, I would compare it to Wood Job, Little Forrest and Bread and The Soup and Cat Weather, as for anime I would say Yuru camp and Aria are good comparisons. The story is also very well written, the touching moments and funny moments are very balanced. Pacing is also nice until the last two episodes where the plot seems all over the place, but it's ok as long as the message is there I wouldn't mind. This drama is very Ikigai. The message is given in a very subtle way and I like how the scenes are not over dramatic. The way they connect the behavior in animal kingdom to philosophy in life is brilliant. This drama also has a set of interesting characters that plays a very good role in the story, not a single one of them is useless. The acting by Takahashi Issei is no joke. I bet only few actors can play the character he portrays. It's the type of acting where an actor carries the whole show. It is perhaps the most eccentric character I've encountered in Japanese drama, the development of his character is also one of the most interesting ever.

Lastly if you are looking for romance you would be disappointed but it's really obvious what he feels for her during the end. I am happy that they didn't force it as it is not what this drama is about.

Check my Blog for other reviews & other JDramas stuffs. (｡◕‿‿◕｡)
https://thatjapanesedramaguy.blogspot.com/

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I think I'm probably in the minority for liking this: But, I basically reviewed this as I watched the episodes, so come read my journey if you would like to see what went through my mind as I watched this while waiting for episodes to air, and translate.

Currently watching this because I love the two actors, just currently waiting to see how the story goes! It is interesting though, how they both are slowly overcoming mentally together, I would love to see what else there is!

From Ep20 Update: I've seen many bad reviews! But in hindsight, I actually enjoy it! Since it's a lot about mental health, and just seeing how they both are helping each other bit by bit. It does seem slow the process, but sure nothing is a quick process when its relationships and also dealing with mental issues, so I am enjoying it even if the reviews say it's bad.

Update! Ep30.. - I am probably one of many who are in the minority of enjoying this drama, I think what I like is, how when dealing with their mental issues, they always each go to someone who they trust to talk about things. Whether it's the guidance counsellor, or one of the friends! And how the four main leads, help each other out.

How mental issues, take time and you need patience, and sometimes like Tang Xin how she wants to really help Shen Qingyuan to recover, yet also being afraid if he remembers things could become worse.

I think another reason, why I am enjoying this drama is because there isn't any like misunderstandings, like many dramas, where there's like a side girl making everything worse or making up situations, and everyone's crying ..etc! and even if I see many reviews and comments saying the story is slow and how both the Male & Female Leads are annoying.. I somewhat still enjoy the drama myself! -

Ep34 - O.M.D ... What a roller coaster! This is the real drama now.. - still processing what happened! But, I do feel like what I got out of this is the jealousy from the men in these eps: People are crazy to go to lengths in messing with someone's mentality just for their own fame, money etc. Shen Qingyuan: literally became a changed person, over broken memories, and the words of someone who just wanted to win a game! What's also scary is that this actually does happen in reality too - jealousy, people being mean with their words..

Ep38: - It was a interesting few eps, I do feel it was a little rushed around what's happening! And everything kind of ended really quickly.. And meeting the parents was soo quick as well, and we never got to see Shen Qingyuan's parents either which is why I felt everything was a little rushed. Or they could have gone through therapy together a lot more and slowly in that sense gotten better and closer!

Final: It was a cute ending, I'd have to say! I just enjoyed both the actors. I do feel like the story could have been recollected a little better. Since the start, they focused a lot more on Tang Xin's mental health, and the rushed the rest of the story. But I enjoyed how they were always supporting each other and believing in each other till the end!

Although a few things, I would have loved to see the wedding, and would have been more a surprise if Xiao CiCi, got into the Olympics cause she was pretty much just as good! Also, do wish, Xiao CiCi had more double dates in the story, I think she was such a pretty character in the show, but always hate the same outfits on. Definitely would love to see her in another show as the main character, with loads of really pretty clothes!

- But I enjoyed this! Kinda sad that it's over! I'm glad I finished this.. It was like a nice light-hearted drama, and even though the story was a little quick near the end! I still nonetheless enjoyed it. It also gave such a eye-opening for mental health, and seeing therapists, and also how demanding sports can be with jealousy and many other things.

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Cold Guys Falls Hard for Heartbroken Guy

This show will not be for everyone. If you want real BDSM, it isn't here. If you don't like animals in entertainment, wave goodbye. If you hate fake tattoos, see ya later. If you want the 2nd couple to have a story, another pass because one of the partners in the source material is still under 18, and they probably didn't want to deal will the complaining.

I have a bias for cold man/normal guy would can be a BAMF, when need be. I find both Yoon and Ton attractive, and like their chemistry together. Both Yoon and Ton have emotional baggage - Kamol was raised as an orphan, and Kim is still in love with his ex from high school. That ex has moved on and has a boyfriend he is in love with, causing Ton extra heartache.

Kamol is from the underworld, and his main enemy is Danai. Unlike most mafia dramas where the lead is the godfather, Kamol has a godfather, Evan, a Russian-Thai gangster who primarily lives in Russia. The are fights and shootouts in this series, but it isn't high budget like Kinn Porsche.

This is a simple BL and I enjoyed it very much. Many people on MDL didn't care for it, but I form my own opinions of the shows that I watch. I did walk in with a bias toward this type of couple, so I think each individual viewer will need to decide if they like it or if they don't.

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Mediocre but sweet and awkward in a good way

This drama has this odd charm, with awkwardness, slight suspense (very slight), a decent palette of current issues facing women and the LGBTQ+ community in todays society... However they only scratch the surface and it is delivered in a pretty mediocre way...

The acting- Mediocre
The dialog. Mediocre
The cinematography- Mediocre
The sound- Pretty decent and sweet
The chemistry- Mediocre but sweet/awkwerd/dead fish... type of thing
The side characters-Range between sweet to meeh
The Friendships- lovely!

However it is very short so I would not say it is a waste of time in any way as it was pretty fluffy, easy to watch and entertaining.. Just do not expect a masterpiece... or anything ground breaking, breathtaking or to be swept of your feet...

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Honestly I've watched a lot of movies and dramas but this has been one of the best movies I've ever seen. Definitely a #1 or #2 for me due to it's heart-warming story.

The story is about forgiveness and understanding. The two characters meet under unique circumstances and initially don't seem to get along. Yet, there's something each of them holds that can help the other. The lead female is a psychology major and the male lead is a criminal. Of course, she can help him in the obvious way: make him reflect on his mistakes and change his ways to lead a new life. But that would make for a simple and plot, so there's something more... There's something he doesn't know he can help her with until she shares her story. The misunderstandings they have of each other clear up and he wants to do whatever he can to help her as well. The way each character develops is what keeps you watching.

The acting is great! The cast members each do an excellent job portraying their characters - esp Dong Won and Na Young. They will have you bawling by the end of it but you will love it - especially if you like tear-jerkers.

I watched this movie when I first started watching Korean dramas back in 2007 an I've re-watched it over a couple times and still don't mind re-watching it with people who haven't seen it. It's a movie that does NOT lose it's re-watch value.

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A Romantic Tale That Gave Birth To A Masterpiece.

I have a lot of things that I want to say about this phenomenal show, but I’ll try my best to make it as concise and spoiler-free as possible.

The majestic cinematography is one of the strongest points in the series, be it in the modern day or the 1927 era. The filter or the soft bokeh effect that they put in the 1927 era gave the show an ethereal feel as if we were watching a movie set in a dreamworld, which in my opinion is a smart decision since it is told mostly from Jom’s perspective, cause literally, everyone in that time is already a ghost in the present day except Jom. It’s like putting the character’s lenses through our screen. This alone is already a brilliant way of visual storytelling!

The characters are all interesting and well-written. The acting? Outstanding! Nonkul and Bright did an astonishing job as Jom and Yai. In the first episode, we can already see Nonkul’s spectacular acting chops! His eyes alone speak of those devastating emotions that he is experiencing. In the succeeding episodes, you can feel those tantalizing romantic shivers that he feels every time Yai speaks poetry of his love to him. I would not be surprised if he wins an award for his performance as Jom. Bright’s big moments were in the later part of the story. But what amazes me is his versatility in portraying different versions of Yai. The non-verbal and verbal that he did is distinct from the other versions of the character. He did his homework excellently.

I also have to commend the supporting actors for a splendid performance! It’s great that the supporting cast had their own moments and was not left behind by the amazing leads. And did I mention that aside from the main gay couple, we also have a lesbian and straight couple? Yes, this series shows all kinds of love.

The series holds no bars in showing the ruthless treatment of the servants and women in that period. Its fearless portrayal of what happened in the past makes me realize that the series that I’m watching is a bold, unfiltered, and fiercely beautiful work of art. Despite that, it also shows that the abused and the oppressed CAN claim their power and stand up for themselves! Which makes it one of the most powerful scenes in the show.

The music and original soundtrack are magical. For some, it might not be radio-friendly, but the way the music was arranged fits the drama perfectly! Even the lyrics of the four songs featured in the show voiced the perspective and emotions of our main leads. Each note and instrument was meticulously placed to fit the scenes of the drama.

The show as a whole is heartfelt and hopeful. Especially the last few episodes which are excruciatingly beautiful, it made me dehydrated from wailing. Each second that goes by is a slow agony of the inevitable separation. The last scene makes some people confused, unless you read the novel, you will understand it. But I think it was left that way in the series to open the possibility of a 2nd Season, after all, there is so much more to tell.

The love story of Yai and Jom can be considered a one-of-a-kind timeless, classic, romantic tale that gave birth to a masterpiece.

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Exciting, yet gloomy thriller. The murder case being tried by a jury is just a kick off for more…

"Blind" is a fabulous, exciting, somewhat dark thriller.
"Blind" weaves its fictional story around 'survivors' of brutal child abuse and severely traumatizing exploitation as kids. These 'survivors' meet each other and their perpetrators 20 years later as adults. Each of those involved tried in his/her own way to come to terms with the past and lead a more or less normal life. Not only the abusive childhood, but also its psychological effects on their later life are a severe issue - and become a topic here. In addition, in this context complex interdependencies between the perpetrators of the time are dissolved and - against the background of a brutal variant of public vigilante justice - the original roles as perpetrators and victims are turned upside down.
"Blind" is haunting. The focus is on a murder case that is being tried by a jury. More murders follow. The dramaturgical setting is to some extent perhaps a bit reminiscent of an Agatha Christie novel - insofar as suddenly almost everyone in the case-related group of the selected jury could be the perpetrators... the distribution of roles between judges, investigators, victims and presumed suspects is also becoming increasingly opaque and fatefully intertwined. To pretend that one can turn a 'blind' eye to what used to be is no longer possible. Everyone must now look at the past and (even if it is perhaps a little late) bear the consequences. Magnificent.


----- SIDE NOTE: ---Child abuse - a sad and highly topical issue in South Korea ---
The thriller obviously saddles its story on the unspeakably sad topic of child abuse, which due to its unbroken topicality has increasingly made it into South Korea's series and film productions of recent years (among others "Children of Nobody" and "Mother" as drama or "Miss Baek" and "Bring me Home" as movie.) Many a well-established member of society prefer to look the other way when unbelievable deals are being made concerning minors, as long as they might even benefit themselves. And any 'survivors' can be glad if they manage to split off the traumatic experience to some extent - nevertheless most often PTS comes right along. Usually, those ´survivors´ until old age are psychologically still stuck in that desperate helplessness and inner agony of the past.
A South Korean government study from 2021 reveals, that abusive trafficking in minors has been rampant and even increasing in recent years. There is an acute need for action regarding more effective education in all public areas - from prevention to investigation and criminal prosecution up to employee training. A big problem with this: usually police officers or other officials are directly involved and work together with the traffickers, who specialize in the ruthless exploitation of minors. If the children and young people survive this, the psychological consequences of these deeply traumatizing experiences will be very hard - if at all - to be overcome. They are left helpless at the mercy of adults (who actually should take good care of them) and utterly hopeless in the face of a society that turns a blind eye to their torment. The only thing that is left: feeling betrayed and/or obviously of no worth whatsoever...
--------------------------



PS:
It may be that in reality a larger task force would have been set up to investigate the serial murders of the jury members. In my opinion, however, the KDrama didn't take anything away from keeping the circle compact in order to tell the story in its essential entanglements in a powerful way.

P.P.S.:
At last, I don't want to leave a pleasant detail (I think) unmentioned. We have seen it so often in KDramas: within the social ranking in South Korea, the older colleagues are obviously allowed to rebuke the younger ones with a shove, a kick or a snap on the forehead. (In view of my German socialization background, that is unheard of, but ...) In "Blind" one can now observe (among other things) that a transformation in this natural ranking behavior may be starting to happen within the younger generation: a colleague police officer in "Blind" actually gives back to his colleague and stands up for himself. So far, I have seen this rather rarely, if at all. Until now, as a rule in comparable situations, the fist usually remained in the pocket. In the mass consciousness, KDrama is relating to, starting 2022 such physical rebuke might obviously no longer be tolerated as a matter of course. Stand-up-for-your-rights seems to/wants to become possible - like a wind breeze of change coming up within a hierarchical tradition since centuries chiseled in stone...

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It makes no sense this show happened…

Since it seems like a miracle to get all these people in one place for 3 days filming. We were blessed and we should be grateful.

There were so many things done well in this variety show. Allowing the actors and actresses to relax a little bit among cast members they know during the opening. Later, implementing mixed groups, so the viewers will get to see interaction between different people. Games that allow them to get closer and relax, which is also something that viewers would like to see, since there are not many situations when we can see these actors just doing normal things, outside of interviews and promotions.

I laughed so much watching this show. Hwang In Youp has such an unintentional comedic timing he should be invited to variety shows more often. We all know the industry can be exhausting and these actors and actresses need to deal with a lot. It’s great to see them have fun among themselves. Yes, technically speaking it’s still work, but I honestly would not mind a job like that.

Then we have the amazing cast. Funny enough, in many cases, my favorite interactions came from people who were not part of the same show:
Bo Gum and In Youp, Dong Yeon and Kyung Soo, Yoo Jung and Bo Yun, Soo Bin and Dong Yeon.

The only thing I wish they changed, was the length of the episodes. This should have been one hour and 30 minutes long. I’m sure they had enough content to maybe even make the whole show twice the length it was. One hour episodes just seem like such a waste of this cast. What are the chances we will ever get a variety show with such a cast again?

Overall, except for the fact I wanted more, I had no complaints. I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes even just one of the cast members.

Also, as an Atiny, I have to say the opening song was amazing ;)

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I recommend this drama to anyone who loves historical fantasies.
I don't recommend it to people who like mostly lovely bubbly romcoms.
What I didn't like:
- seasons.... lol so meaningless, why separate it into seasons... ><
-too many names at the begging might be overwhelming plus the first episode is hectic as it doesn't show "passed...years" every time they time-skip.
What i liked:
- the story. It's different from what we usually see so i like it.
- twists and turns.
-costumes
-scenery

Overall I liked this first half of the drama :) but the whole season is more like an intro. and the real stuff will start i guess in the second. the story is nice and it gets more and more interesting later. as I said it is more like an intro and it gets power mostly during the 6th episode. However many historical dramas (and not only) have long introductions that are necessary for us to learn about characters, so it was okay for me. I liked this first season. The only thing is left is for the second and especially the last to be great. because an ending can ruin a drama lol. the first season is nice though.

MYTHOLOGY:
This series are based on Korean mythology about Dangun, who is considered the founder of Koreans. you can read about him on the internet. It is set in Ancient Jeoson and about Korea's first nation and Bronze Age. The myth depicts a story how a Heaven's Son comes to Korean Peninsula and makes The First Kingdom. Because he was the second or third son and couldn't become the ruler of Heaven. He lands on Great White Mountain. Later a Tiger and Bear come to him and ask him to turn them into human. So he tells them to go and eat mugwort and garlic only during 100 days or something. The Tiger gives up in the middle. But the bear eat's it and becomes a woman. The bear woman and Heaven's son have a child, Dangun. Dangun becomes the first real ruler of korea. Actually people say that he symbolizes a human as he was born from meeting of a spirit and an animal. Also he symbolizes the start of Bronze age in Korea. later he goes into a mountain and his spirit rests there. Well there are several versions and in one of them the capital they make is called Asadal. To compare it to the drama Dangun must be the Aramun Haesseula in the drama. Nheantals are the tiger tribe and Sarams (which means literally "human/person" in Korean) are the bear tribe. As you can see in the first episode, Naeanthals come to the meeting with tiger fur, tiger skulls, and Sanung Niruha (at the time ruler of Sarams) wears a bear mask. So this drama took this myth about creation of Koreans and made a fantasy :)

I think the production team just made several mistakes and that's why got so much criticism and low ratings. maybe im wrong, this is just my opinion but:1. they made this show come out not long after GoT ended.... many fans fresh from GoT came to this and saw many similarities. However historical fantasies all have similar clothes and similar power struggle. This series are based on Korean mythology. 2. they overestimated viewers lol I think many were not ready to get a different-like kinda a bit European setting fantasy from Korea. And were just too used to that the Korea usually does historicals mostly in Jeoson or Georyo (and sometimes Silla).

So if you are interested in this genre, don't let these things stop you from trying :) watch till the 4th or 5th episode and then decide if you like it or not :)

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I can't believe noone wrote a review yet!
This was the best Japanese romance production I have seen to date.

The acting was stunning. The fine skills exhibited by all the cast (also the support roles) was just brilliant.
Japanese productions tend to be either overly melodramatic or greatly exaggerated acting-wise. But this was neither.
It was just beautful from start till the end (and by that I mean the very end. The part after the credits...)

Story: Aki is the genius songwriter of CrudePlay, a band of highschool friends in which he formerly used to play. When he meets Riko, he wants her to like him as himself, not as the famous composer he is. So he lies. This is revealed when Riko is scouted by the same label. Will they overcome the obstacles of the industry and the rival from his own band?

Characters: I loved every single character in this drama. Aki, the tormented genious whos heart is slowly opening to the young and sweet Riko. Riko, the gentle singer who admires Aki as a composer and has a passion for singing. The chemistry between the leads was very real. I liked the way they interacted when the were on screen together.
Shou, the cool best friend. He's singer of CrudePlay and I think just as cool as Aki. His acting was very sophisticated, very detailed and perfectly portrayed the friendship between him and Aki. I think he is also my favourite character. And I am not (just) saying that out of 2nd lead bias. I just think he acting was so mesmerising.
And all the other loveable side characters.

Music: Well this is a music-themed film, so this only could be good, right? It's very light pop based. Not really catching, but definitely easy to listen to. I appreaciate that it is not one or 2 main songs that get repeated over and over like in many other dramas.

Rewatch Value: I don't rewatch much. But I may just rewatch this some time. You can probably pick up more details and emotions in this movie during a rewatch. You can look at the beautiful characters more closely and find new expressions that will make you like them even more.

Overall: I can highly recommend this drama to everyone who likes music-themed stories, a sublime romance, fantastic acting, loveable characters, and a magnificent story.

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