Reviews

Heroes Not Afraid To Sacrifice

This is one of chinese action's series wrapped up properly that deserve the notice of drama lovers. The main story theme is about the terrorism. Not so many conflict in it but the conflicts happened stage by stage from the opening to the end.

Watchers would starting by hating all the characters before really love each of them. Their teamwork and bonds are superb. They promise us to enjoy the story and characters developments that we won't get bored and thinking of dropping it.

The songs full of spirit and heart touching will got the watchers heartcore.

It's been a few drama I didn't write review for. But because this one made me burst in tears of how heart touching their bonds, I decide to write this. This series DESERVES MORE POPULARITY!!!

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It's important to remember that the point of movies and TV shows are, primarily, to entertain. Yes, there are shows that are less than entertaining, but have plenty of artistic value and originality. But movies that entertain and take you for a wild ride are probably the ones you'd talk about and recommend to your friends for weeks afterwards. Veteran is one of those movies.

The story is not original - a good and dogged cop chasing after an elusive villain. The characters themselves are not that original either. But the cast make this script an electrifying movie to watch. Hwang Jung Min is fantastic as an everyday-man kind of cop who is passionate about his job and genuinely cares about people. Yoo Ah-in pulls you in with his performance as a villain who you love to hate, yet can't help but find out more about. Yoo Hae-jin is a sidekick with a difference and he does a great job of it, as he does with all his other roles. Special shout-out to Jin Kyung, who puts in a great performance in any show she's cast in.

You can tell that the cast are having so much fun playing their characters, and it is infectious, because this show is a thoroughly entertaining ride. Yes, you are rooting for the good guys, but you are also excited to see what tricks the bad guys next pull out of their hats. For this reason, I think this show has a decent rewatch value.

Overall, greatly entertaining with outstanding performances by the cast.

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I smiled throughout My Roommate Is a Detective. It's a bromance (yea!). It's a romance (eh!). It's a mystery in the most remedial of ways. But damn if it's not just a good watch. Lu Yao ( Hu Yi Tian), a money loving rascal, is recruited by Qiao Chu Sheng (Leon Zhang), a police inspector (once mafia boss) to solve murders. Initially based on money, the 2 develop a friendship and make quite the team. The main cast also includes Shane Yan as Bai You Ning, a reporter at a tabloid and the daughter of the War Lord, Mr. Bai, in charge of the British section of Shanghai.

As I stated the mysteries were remedial. Very little comes in the way of twists and the red herrings were more like pale pink. It was almost like watching an episode of Columbo. You know whoever he bothers is the killer. The who is a given. The how is what it's about. Unlike Columbo there is an underlying mystery/force behind all the other mysteries. The writers skim the political surface of the British annexation, racism, and ruthlessness. I wish they would have delved further. At first I had remind myself that this is Chinese drama and there's only so much one can air. After a couple of episodes the thought never crossed my mind.

The acting was very good. I loved every scene with Hu and Zhang. They had great chemistry. Yan had to be taken with a grain of salt. She is a bully and childish. The character can be great one second and completely annoying the next. Aside from her wardrobe, there was really nothing likable about her. The supporting cast was good. As a whole they were solid.

Let me take a moment to mention the production which was superb. The sets and wardrobe were sublime. Admittedly, I adore the fashion of the 1930's and 40's. The music was also great. I caught 2 modern songs that were out of place. One character was humming a song and a 30s style arrangement of "Dancing In the Streets" was played in a club. It makes me wonder what else I may have missed. The opening and ending titles are extremely good CG accompanied by fantastic songs. The opening theme "Enigma" by Chinese rapper After Thought sets the tone for each episode, while Shu Si Ding's sexy "Awake" leaves you with a sense of wonder.

While I wish the writer was more daring, I did enjoy MRIAD completely from beginning to end. I don't know if I'd ever watch it again, but I'd definitely check out a sequel. I'd like to know what's next for the characters. Overall, I'd give it a 9-9.5.

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Among a crop of historical C dramas, this one nearly slip under the radar. Its underated and seemingly not as grand unlike another c drama headlined by heavy weight actors. It was a rather poignant love story, light and simple in parts, heavy in others but still manage to retain my attention til the end. The highlight is watching the maiden thaw the heart and of the ice man.

THE GOOD AND THE AVERAGE:
Plot falls on usual trope of arranged marriage between two individuals that have never met (except they did). A young girl who has a motive to enter the Long family on the decreed of the royal family. A Qin 4th prince who poses a threat to the reigning emperor. Yet one couldnt choose who you fall in love with. It was fate who brought them together and its the heart that decides where it goes from there. On the political aspects theres secrets, multi parties and alot of chess playing.
The characters- Rather intelligent otps who have their own charms but also made some questionable decisions that you may or may not like but it does make them flawed yet human.
Male otp: Long Fei Ye as a man in position of power that comes with great responsibility. He is both revered and feared by many. Outwardly cold and reserved and man of few words. Described as a deep pool of water. A strategist, intelligent, shrewd and observant. He had a plethora of good traits that obviously drew Yun Xi to him.
Female otp: Han Yun Xi the first daughter of Han family who grew up without her father's attention and in search of her mother. Shes an optimist at her and tends to take life full frontal. She doesnt let things bring her down and while her words may have bite, shes a softie at heart. Her knowledge and skill of poison and their cures sets her apart. As does her vibrant personality and intelligence. She however does not hold a high self defence when it comes to people she accepted and trust. This is both a virtue and a flaw.
The other character i liked was the dependable Xi Feng, the prince's right hand man who was also an early supporter of the couple.
Acting- Ju Jing Yi as our heroine was fitting. Petite, pretty and energetic she brings out the sweet charms of Yun Xi. The actress was previously memorable in her supporting role in Novoland. Zhang Zhe Han looked the part of Long Fei Ye but i do have complains with some of his eye expressions. But together they do have great rapport and i was greatly entertained to watch them drift together.

THE WEAKNESS:
The plot itself has good parts as stated earlier but also typical in C dramas that middle part that lost some traction. The device plot to wedge between our otp came in the form of Bai Li Ming Xiang, the prince Childhood friend. While shes isnt as villainy as many other characters in the drama, i just didnt want to watch her scenes.
The other major person affecting otp was 2nd male lead Qu Qi Shao who although interesting at start but my interest waned over time and safe to say no Second lead syndrome for me
Many parties with their own ambition, plot and war over in palace politics. Some that i dont care that much about. Lots of self centred, power hungry people that when it comes to their decline i felt neither triumph or pity, just ambivalent.

For all these reasons its a solid 8.5 for me. It was entertaining to watch especially watching Yun xi able to thaw the ice and earned the prince attention and love. When the prince is attentive, acceptive of her and trust in her capabilities, he was really swoony. Those are the parts i would rewatch.

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We Are Family

I love the type of shows where I go in with very low expectations because of what the trailers show and because I may not like one of the cast, but by the end, I am satisfied and feeling slightly nostalgic because the show and the watching experience were completely different from what I was expecting. Romance on the Farm is one of those shows. And to think I almost did not watch this because of the main lead actress.

However, I decided to still give it a go because of Joseph Zeng. I became a fan after his role in Mysterious Lotus Casebook. I said to myself, “At worst, I would end up dropping it. At best, I would enjoy it and add it to my ever growing completed list.” I almost did end up dropping it like 8 minutes into episode 1 because I could not stand the family. But then Shen Nu came into the picture and I forgot all about dropping it. In fact, I enjoyed it.

This is probably the first drama I have watched with Tian Xi Wei where her character didn’t bother me to the point of yelling at the TV. I attribute this to the Lians. I was too busy hating all of them to even focus on her. They let them get away with too much because "they were family" and they just had made a "little mistake". The worst of them all were the grandma and Shouren's family, his wife, Madame Gu, and daughter, Hua'Er. If the transgressions these made were little mistakes (according to the grandfather) I would hate to see what they would have considered big ones. They were definitely an intense gaming experience.

Additionally, although the character the main female actress portrayed did lack some sense in some things, and the male lead kept coming to her rescue, it wasn’t as terribly lacking as the characters I have watched in previous dramas. I still feel she is typecasting herself, and wish she would take more challenging roles, but I managed to be moved by her in some parts of this show. Around the midway point of the show, the male lead leaves to take care of some things and I was somewhat bored without him around. I was battling myself to stay awake without the Lians being as prominent as they were in previous episodes. I thought I wouldn’t even say this, but I kind of missed their toxic existences.

Despite its title, there is not much romance but we have the pleasure of witnessing cute and heartwarming moments between different couples and on the occasions when the main leads kissed, they were REAL kisses. *wiggles eyebrows* I also loved the OST. Usually using contemporary sounds in a mostly period piece feel awkward and out of place, but not in this one. Plus, Joseph Zeng sang an OST and it fit the story and scenes perfectly.

Although the show doesn’t delve deeper into some issues post-game, as it ended almost immediately after she came out of the virtual experience, and I am still curious about how long she was in there, I am satisfied with all the endings, both the in-game one and real life one (even before the special) as I felt they were fitting. I can see myself rewatching this show, even the initial episodes when the Lians were stabby hand gesture worthy.

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This was disappointing, but a last-ditch effort at the end sort of saved it.

There was a sadness throughout the whole series (just 6 short episodes), with Tee and Fuse reuniting for their third anniversary together... except, from as much as we could tell, Tee and Fuse are attending different universities so they haven't seen each other that much in these three years.

Peak (Fuse) carried the series with very good acting, showing lots of emotion and crying real tears in just about every episode. Boom (Tee) was subdued pretty much all the time. At one point, we hear him speaking to his mother on the phone and, from what we can gather, Tee's mother is against his relationship with Fuse, with Fuse overhearing Tee's side of the conversation. Unfortunately, we get nothing from Tee regarding his own feelings... there's just an unspoken resolve that Fuse will break up with Tee, so that they can both get on with their lives.

In the last episode, Fuse tearfully says goodbye to Tee, but Tee stops Fuse from leaving. Tee calls his mom and says that he will stay together with Fuse and that's that. The series ends with video messages from many of the former Make It Right cast members congratulating Fuse and Tee.

The story was not well written. Sure, we can all understand the issues that young gay men often go through with their families, but it wasn't addressed at all.

Lukmo and Ess showed up to provide some levity (I'm not even sure why Ess was there), but their presence fell flat... the scenes with them felt awkward and forced. The very few attempts at comedy (Fuse/Tee shaving in the bathroom; a couple of fun moments with their friends) weren't enough to save the overall depressing feeling of the series. The video messages with the former MIR cast members did help to provide a somewhat satisfactory ending.

There is nothing wrong with presenting a drama here but, if that's what they the producers were going for, it just wasn't good enough. Too bad, because Fuse/Tee are a decent enough couple. Both actors deserved better, especially Peak (Fuse).

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Guilty is definitely one of my favorites Japanese dramas from 2010. The acting was superb especially Kanno Miho's performance. The soundtrack was amazing with tracks by The New Classics and JUJU! The show is layered with suspense and mystery that continue to pile upon each other until the last episode. The plot is intriguing; leaving the viewers wondering what will happen next. Unfortunately, the screenwriter failed to have enough foreshadowing for viewers to see who caused the false charge to fall upon Meiko and there were spots of plot holes here and there. For romance fanatics like myself, there is a side dish of it. Overall, this is a must watch for mystery and suspense lovers and fans of Kanno Miho.

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I'll keep it short since I hate reading long reviews. First off, I'm a ROMCOM addict. Know a romcom? Chances are I've already watched it. I happen to reference romcoms in my daily life and no one, except my best friend, can relate to me. That said, you would understand why TOL is the perfect series for me. This series is so well-written that the story was delivered so perfectly and that all other series already pales in comparison. The casting is perfect, the side characters and side couples are relatable and believable. The acting, especially Off and GUN (OMG BEST ACTOR OF THIS GENERATION) are on point and sooo good that I literally had emotions (whether happiness, sadness, anger) in every scene. Finally the OST was perfect and that is the perfect topping to an already perfect series.

What I didn't like are too minor and does affect my view of the series in any way. Example, you know those crazy girls stereotyped in most bls? Well it had that.

Overall, go watch and be sure to have your tissues ready in every episode.

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This drama is one of the best so far! I've never seen on-screen couple in other Korean dramas, whose chemistry is so convincing that you wish for them to be together off-screen too. I'm so selective when it comes to dramas. If in the first three episodes a certain drama doesn't get into me, i would drop it even if I hear or read good reviews about it. But this drama had gotten me hooked from the first to the very last episode. It got me laughed every episode and cringed from embarrassment every time the main leads do something that would made one wish for a hole he can hide into. And to top it all, the main couples' scenes when they were finally together are the most swoon worthy of all. I also love how they portray the mother of Ki Tae/Gi Tae. She actually made me cry!!!

Of course I also have some hangups with this drama. In the middle episodes they tend to drag the story and highlight on some unnecessary scenes but all in all it's okay.

I would like to recommend it to those who want to laugh their heart out and fall in love with the main lead couple.

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What a Gem!

The quality of Korean BL is steadily improving! This is a short and sweet series that went above my expectations. The story was interesting and flowed well enough even though it was working with limited time. Also, the acting and chemistry were better than I have seen in similar BLs in the past.

The female actors were also pretty good, which I have noticed to be lacking in other BLs. The friendships between the characters were lovely. The two main leads were also seriously so cute (Although their chemistry was a tiny bit lacking - in the case of the tall lead) . Fluffy and sweet wonderfulness of a series, definitely recommend. Especially if you're looking for something to make you feel all those warm fuzzies.

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PARK WINDMILL!!!

If you're EXO-L or just really like EXO, watch it!!! It's literally just EXO being EXO while playing minigames verses each other and spawning more memes for the fandom.
Lee Soo Geun was a great, hilarious host. The minigames were great, sound effects were on point, and music was always fitting.

If you don't like EXO, well...I don't know why you're here.

The only cons to this variety show is that it's too damn short and there needs to be an EXO Arcade 2. Please another season, thanks. Now everyone go watch EXO Climb the ladder season 2 when it's out.

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This is one of the old, classic "slow burn" love stories that is so memorable for its intense love, mesmerizing music, and unforgettable pain. At times the story is corny, impossible, repetitive; however the love between Kwan Sang Woo and Choi Ji Woo make it all believable. It is a copy of the hugely successful Winter Sonata that started my K drama obsession.
STH is my favorite drama, after my "happy fix" Autumn's Concerto. The characters were superb. At first I thought Shin Hyun Joon was too old to be cast as the stepbrother, but his acting won me over.
Every minute of this drama is romance, not a lot of silly fillers. So if you like Romance, you won't be disappointed. Warning: you won't be able to get the music or love story out of your head afterwards!

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"People are awful, drink some beer." -Min Jin Lee

Min Jin Lee’s bestselling novel gets a tantalising adaptation that sweeps back and forth from Korea in 1915 to Japan’s Wall Street era. It’s a rollercoaster ride through time and space.
Just like in the novel, the drama's multi-generational narrative allows this rich history to unfold at a pace that is beguilingly peaceful, opening in a deceptively idyllic coastline setting in Korea, shortly after the Japanese annexing of Korea.
Spanning nearly 100 years and moving from Korea at the start of the 20th century to pre- and postwar Osaka and, finally, Tokyo and Yokohama, the novel reads like a long, intimate hymn to the struggles of people in a foreign land.
It is breathtaking in almost every department. Pachinko the show is just as beautiful as the book on which it's based.
Sunja, the family matriarch, is the only surviving child of Hoonie and Yangjin. She is born in Yeongdo, Korea, around 1916.
The drama genuinely focused on the entire Japanese annexing of Korea along with the other characters.
It showed so many personalities in this drama and so many emotional scenes were shown in the drama.
Sunja became one of my favorite strong female characters that deserve more recognition just like other iconic characters from different dramas.
The drama isn't for everyone and there is a thin border between people liking it and not liking it.
Dive in if you feel like it, you're going to be in for a ride.
'There is nothing fu***** worse than knowing that you are just like everybody else. What a messed up lousy existence." -a quote from the novel.

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