Acting was a little uneven. Queen Wei started out as a singer, and this is her first major role- and it showed. I just couldn't feel her emotions even when she cried with abandon. Initially, I bought their romance since Jason and Queen had decent chemistry. As the drama progressed, however, I started to root for the second leads, for Jason and Queen to both end up with different people. I honestly did not like Queen's character, An An. She is so indecisive and wishy-washy. The leads' scenes couldn't make me cry but I loved the supporting characters. They kept me from dropping the drama.
The story itself had some surprising components that made you want to continue watching as well. Story-wise, it was compelling enough I guess but the acting distracted me. Sometimes, I would be so fixated on the lack of emotion that I can't feel the emotion the drama is trying to get me to feel. That said, I do like the story as a whole and the pros overweighed the cons since I liked the overall plot arc. The side stories, for the most part, contributed to the main story.
The last episode wrapped up the drama really well though. It's definitely one of the better last drama episodes I've watched. Everything was wrapped up nicely and it gave closure!
Music was pretty good. There was one or two emotional songs that balanced well with the scenes.
Re-watch? Nah, once is good.
I recommend this drama with a grain of salt. Watch it if...
-you don't mind some mediocre acting
-you like dramas set in the entertainment industry+romance+a satisfactory ending.
-really nice bromance. In this case, I loved the bromance more than the actual romance!
(8/8)
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Classic BL
Yup. You read it right. It's a CLASSIC BL for me. From the story up to the cast and crews. I want to read the novel of this story.Story....
I really appreciate the loved the series itself. Eventhough some says that there are some changes that they made in the series, it is still very much appreciated. Well because first the setting itself is really lovely. I love the nature. It is first time for me to see the nature of thailand, the flow of the story is really refreshing - as an inter fan - , the different culture/believes/place in thailand, the simplicity of the group that lives and protects their place, they've shown it clearly - because the story sets on the northern part of thailand, based on the interview videos that i've watch, correct me if i'm wrong. It also shows the conflict and the power between the poor and rich people, and how they've solve it one by one. It is not just focus on the bl genre but it focuses as a whole. Every episode is a must see, the story itself has a lesson.
Acting/casting....
All of them did the great and lovely job, they we're really into their roles especially the main couple Earth and Mix Captain Phupha and Tian) Earth really improve in this series, those eyes, i really love those eyes, they we're somewhat talking, Earth don't need any words to speak because his eyes we're the one's who do the talking (😂) Mix is really did a great job in the series, it is not obvious to him that he is a newbie, he's like a pro. I love their body language. Their emotions will really touch your heart. The supporting actors (best friend of Tian, Dr. Nam and the forest rangers), they we're really support the main, in their love story, they let them loved each other, the children, i really love them, they we're cute (they we're look like the daughters and sons of Captain Phupha and Teacher Tian) the words of wisdom that comes from the elders, and lastly the crews, because without them this series won't be alive/won't be shown it tv/internet.
Music....
I love the theme song. First time i've read the english translated version of it in the series it made me cry, because of the flasback scene. Knowing the message of the song because it was translated/subtitled in english and the tone makes me understand more the series itself. And it is classic (the tune of the song makes it old eventhough it is new, it is refreshing.)
Rewatched and Over all value...
Since it is finished, i will watch it all over again. It is really worth it. From episode 1 up to 10. Years of waiting from the first trailer that been shown in yt and until now, it is worth it for those who were waiting for it.
Classic? Yup it is classic. Because the story, the setting and the music itself makes it classic. And how they connect classic to bl genre.
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Loved the first 6 episodes, but sadly the last 2 kind of ruined it for me..
This series started off so well, but sadly the last couple episodes just ruined it for me.One thing that bothered me is that while I can definitely see Yoojae's jealousy, I don't think they did enough to show that he had real romantic feelings for Hanjoon. I do feel like he did, but maybe just didnt understand fully his feelings for his friend. They didnt show that in the series well though. Which made the ending jump to dating weird to me. It mostly felt like he was dating Hanjoon in order to not loose him. I dont believe that, but its kind of how it came across.
I wish they had showed the moments after the kiss scene and showed Yoojae have this moment of realization afterwards.. That small moment, along with the jealousy he'd already been feeling, would have added so much.
Speaking of the kiss.. I'm not one to really care about kiss scenes, if a series is good I like it regardless if there is one or not. However, I really dislike angled kiss scenes. I would rather see a flat kiss than an angled one, thats just my opinion. These two do have great chemisty and the storyline was good so it doesn't bother me to much, but it still annoyed me.
I could have easily overlooked that though because again, to me, kiss scenes to do not make or break a series. What annoyed me the most was the last two episodes. I'm sorry, it was rushed and terrible in my opinion. The fact that it went from Hanjoon avoiding Yoojae, to not very long later them talking and deciding to date, then the cute basketball/jealousy scene, like a half a minute montage, and now they've been dating 100 days... seriously 🙄
We barely even got to see them act together as boyfriends.. The last 5 minutes of 9 and most of 10 were mostly for drama that had barely been set up in the first place.
Overall I liked this series, but the ending fell flat for me. Sadly it fell victim to what other kbl's have.. Not enough runtime. I feel like if this series had been given 40 minute episodes it could've been so much better!
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Something is rotten in the state of Tang...
I started this drama on a dare with myself. I mean, who makes a 48-freaking-episode drama set in one city over the course of just 24 hours?! Well the joke is on me, cause I just spent a week binging this show.The first half is a thoroughly engaging mystery/action joyride and a feast for the eyes, featuring explosive horse cart chases and parkour on lantern-lit rooftops. We get to explore this marvel of a mediaeval city, while dragged on an immersive and spectacular journey from the highest seat of power to the darkest underbelly - meeting on the way a gallery of people who were made or broken by it. Action/superheroes/comics lovers will find a lot to keep their interest here, with the all-powerful boss of the underworld that likes to play cruel mind games, Wolven squad with a set of fantastical beliefs, parkour-loving prince of Persia and an unbreakable superhero Zhang Xiaojing who can win against any odds:D
The second half though wasn't an easy watch for me, as the heavy choices that the characters had been forced to make earlier in the day, started to catch up to them. It was actually quite refreshing not to care as much about the protagonists and sympathise with the troublemakers. Too many shows nowadays lead the audience by the hand, telling us who are the good guys that we should root for… Here, we get to see everyone's humane and inhumane sides, and most of them get to say their piece before the end… And they actually have a code of morals that fit the times! Not like the recently prevalent modern-day thinking people wearing costumes. By the end, the script started to gnaw on its own tail a bit though, with a few too many twists, confrontations and unlikely outcomes. It slightly muddled the characters' motivations and relationships.
In short, the mood and pace of the storytelling differs a lot between the two halves of this show. The first one is gripping and exhilarating, while the second one takes its time to peel the layers off characters, schemes and past events. In any case, this show is well worth watching as a visual masterpiece with authentic feel, memorable characters, unique plot points and one sexy villain in Zhou Yiwei's Long Bo;) Highly recommended for history and art lovers!
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her eyes..
a love story that would get you into your feet, i watched this because of ryusei and wasn't expecting anything but the movie made me cry so hard and the story and chemistry was built so well💯. It was a roller coaster ride and i love how the movie made me feel different kind of emotions. I also admire the female lead because it's not easy to live alone whilst you're also blind plus her bright personlity bring me hope that we can still be happy despite of our illness and problems. Both their acting are performed well and they were able to portray the character as if it was them.Super highly recommended plus the title suits the movie a lot💖Was this review helpful to you?
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Awesome acting, directing & music meets tired plot with cop-out ending.
Wow the acting was so good, especially considering many scenes were probably difficult to stay in character, due to cgi or cheesy script. But ML and FL were truly believable with awesome chemistry. Directing was really good, everything was beautiful, sexy and exciting. Music elevated the scenes and pulled the story into cohesion. Costumes and makeup were budget-excellent.But the plot is cliche af, and the story/script are loaded with cheese. This could have been overlooked if the ending was satisfying, but it isnt. So very worth one watch, but idk about a rewatch though.
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Worth the watch (Trigger Warnings bellow)
"A serial killer ruthlessly hunts down a deaf woman through the streets of South Korea after she witnesses his brutal crime."PROS:
◇The cast I watched this movie mostly for them and they all did a fantastic job!!!
◇The plot
◇The running 🏃♀️ everyone and I mean the whole cast had to do so much running! It looked fantastic 👏🏽
◇Slight Spoilers
How the ML manipulated others with his good looks and acting 🙈
◇The ENDING that was a nice little twist there.
CONS:
◇How the police 🚔 really didn't do much 😮💨 that's how it goes with plots like this I guess.
◇The pacing was a little slow in the middle.
Overall a good one time watch for me.
I recommend if it sounds interesting.
Also feel free to see the trigger warnings bellow.
⚠️TRIGGER WARNINGS ⚠️
◇Death (not super detailed)
◇Serial killer
◇Strong language
◇Violence
◇Manipulation
◇Abduction
◇Weapons (guns, knives, 🪓 axes)
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i LOVED the acting..i knew Lee Jun Ki from My Girl and he wasn't much of an actor there but here he proved me wrong which led me into stalking his other dramas...:D
he's improved a lot from his My Girl days and it shows.The guy sure can act and he made his character,the satto(magistrate) who was arrogant,exasperating and totally full of himself into this gentle and caring man so believeable.his character growth is so convincing.Those few things that one misses..you can't..if one watches this closely u'l see that LJK does not only act with his body and face but with his eyes too.So many emotions they express that only builds up the fact that he's one good actor.I loved him in traditional clothing here.especially in the mourning clothes he looked the best..:D..His fights are simply superb and add to the excitement being played at Rap music..
Shin Min Ah doesnt need an introduction at all..her name speaks for herself..she does an amazing job playing Arang.i love her kicka** personality here.i love heroines who have some spunk and lots of spark at that..who won't be deterred by the arrongant hero and cry in a corner..she's the sort where she'll talk in witty repartee..throwing the arrogant hero off..as she does here
When such accomplished actors are involved there are sure to be lots of sparks and lightining in the drama.ther sure are.The tension kept me glued to my laptop in the initial episodes where all i wanted them to do is stop with the inhibitions and just grab and kiss.the chemistry is pretty much awesome but there isnt much of it though.the romance is not the strong point of this drama but it does come around here and there to make us satisfied enough
the plot is pretty unique and delivers on all the angst and the tears and the heartbreaks that i expected this show will give me.The fantasy and the mystery element is strong and that will keep any watcher glued.
The sub plot in this one are just too interesting.Dol Soe and Bang wool's romance is just so cute.There comedic timing was perfect.Yoo Seung Ho as the jade emperor is just too awesome..never knew God could be so handsome..and then Han Jung Soo as Moo Young is very good.He brings the right emotions to his character.Kang Moon Young as Eun Oh's mother is one good actress..loved her in this.I'l miss Yon Woo Jin as Ju Wal because he's one character we can't help but sympathize with.He's vulnerable and so heartbreaking at the same time.His puppy eyes are the best and im sure he has a long way ahead of him as he can act..:)
The music score was just beautiful..flowing into the drama at the right places and made the impact of emotions all the more real.
Its hard to say that this was a flawless drama.It definately had many.It wasn't edited properly sometimes and the sets became too repetitive after some time and the fantasy element looses out in the last episodes.The story becomes dragging too as at the ending episodes everything became too serious and we missed all the comedy.
It had such potential on the romantic front but writers didnt deliver on that.I wouldn't call it a romantic drama like scent of a woman and secret garden were since it doesnt make romance its main focus,but what romance it did deliver it was good enough to hook us to our sets.The cinematography at some places was too beautiful for words.
Its the perfect drama to watch for any drama fan as it encompasses so many genres perfectly
you won't be dissapointed..go and watch it NOW..:)
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Story: Modern day girl time travels to the era of Emperor Kang Xi of the Qing dynasty and finds herself in a love triangle with the 4th and 8th brothers in line for the throne. Its nothing new as far as the historical dramas I've seen, but there is such a light feel to how everything unfolds (for the most part) that I don''t think I'll get tired of it anytime soon.
Acting/Cast: I didn't find any of the characters particularly annoying as far as the acting choices go. I know some people (especially after watching BBJX) think that the acting is way over the top and uninspiring, but I enjoyed it.
Music: Solid
Retch Value: Sure. If you enjoyed it the first time around, then watching it again (and skipping some more boring parts) isn't unheard of.
Overall: I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to others, but you have to be in the right mindset to watch it. Palace is simply a fun, weekend drama. Nothing more. I wish it had a better score but it can't help but be compared to Scarlet Heart, so it will always be inferior in that way. But given a chance to stand on its own I think more people would enjoy it and rate it a bit higher.
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Apparently Xie Xiang had joined the military pretending to be her brother. She met the rich, rather spoilt Gu Yan Cheng and the quiet and calm, Shen Jun Shan.
Xie Xiang excelled in the miliarty and garnered the respect of her co-students as well as the teachers.
And then the two men fell in love with her
For me one of my best chinese drama, friendship, love and patriotism. I like the story, acting, and music.
Great chemistry from the main lead Xukai and Bailu. The funny and cuteness of Gu Yanshen and cool badass of Xeng Xiang.
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I owe my mother another movie
I told my mother at the weekend, “Ma! Netflix released a new Filipino movie and it’s a romantic comedy”. We settled into our favourite couches and was ready for some mother-daughter time. The movie started, and we laughed. We bonded, we laughed again, and then we did not.Why? The ending.
This story started well with Dee going back to her hometown for her grandmother’s birthday. The FL is beautiful, loves her lola (grandmother), and has a kind personality that draws people into her sphere. She rediscovered the village lifestyle and its many characters who eat at her lola’s eatery. Along the way, she reconnected with the ML, Edong, whom she knew through secondary school. They hang out, drink his coconut moonshine, smile a lot at each other and fall in love along the way.
Simple and sweet. Perfect for a relaxing weekend viewing. My mother and I laughed at certain parts, dismissed at some questionable pacing and storytelling, and gushed at the sweetness of the ML’s traditional way of courting the FL (he asked her lola’s permission to court her). It is, after all, a romantic comedy where it promises us a warm and fuzzy happy ending.
Then, the story changed its genre to a tragic romance at the final 10% of the movie. Once the movie ends, my mother and I just stared at the screen and said to each other “well, that was not happy at all”. We got up from our respective couches, turned off the tv and ate something sweet. The sweet food managed to get rid of the sour taste from the movie.
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I binged this all the way up until the last three episodes, and up until that point, I was totally enthralled and invested. Then I came back for the last three eps and realized how silly the story is. Some dramas are incredibly good at creating forward motion and sucking you into that forward motion, without ever having to tell a real story, and I think that's the case with this drama.There's not a lot you haven't seen before. Girl gets dumped by her boyfriend; old friend shows up suddenly and decides to help her get her boyfriend back; as they spend time together, feelings develop; girl successfully gets boyfriend back, but by then she's completely over him; old friends almost girlfriend comes back, and now he feels obligated to stay with her; leads avoid telling each other how they feel because they think they're both in love with other people; the secondary romantic leads plan out their lives with the leads, and the leads go along with it even though there's no logical reason to; the leads Finally break it off with the secondary leads in the final quarter of the story but Still don't tell each other how they feel. And yes, there's an unnecessary time jump in the last episode.
But there is a happy ending, so I guess that's a good thing.
It's really just...nothing to write home about.
The relationship conflicts do start off fairly believable. But they quickly become irritating. Initially, it's understandable why Jae Won feels so conflicted after his almost girlfriend comes back. They were basically 'spoken for' with each other at the beginning of the story, so his feelings of obligation to her make sense. They genuinely liked each other once, to the point of each of them privately contemplating getting married. But the drama doesn't give us any sort of compelling backstory to their relationship and why it would make sense for them to possibly be together over the main couple, or alternatively, why it wouldn't. Of course, almost girlfriend eventually ruins herself as a character by being incredibly selfish later on, and you feel absolutely No sorrow for her and the situation she's in anymore, but before that happens, you can understand Jae Won's dilemma. (The whole thing also makes him look a little bit like a dick for basically promising himself to someone and then as soon as she leaves for a little while, falling for someone else, but I don't really have the energy to tackle that right now.)
But Eun Woo has no excuse for why she went along with her Ex' obnoxious plans for them to get back together, and to get Married, no less. 1) They broke up because he cheated on her (which he continues to do after they get back together, although she never finds out, so it's never actually addressed). 2) There is no reason, character-wise or story-wise, for him to want to get married to anyone when he obviously likes playing the field so much and doesn't appear to have any sort of genuine feelings for Eun Woo. 3) He's unendurably selfish and boring and honestly quite unintelligent. And most importantly, 4) SHE DOESN'T LIKE HIM ANYMORE!!!! Like, I get stuffing her feelings for Jae Won down, because she thinks that he's in love with someone else, but why does that mean your only option is marrying your awful ex whom you don't even like???? There is the option of....simply not doing that.
Again, like I said in my round-up of the story in the second paragraph, they do both eventually break things off with the secondary leads, but not until after what felt like an eon of just going along with whatever the secondary leads had to say. It's just silly and unnecessary and stupid.
This is the second project I've seen Jin Ki Joo in, the first being Secret Life of My Secretary, and she really excels in these cute, aegyo-like roles. (So much so that I really don't even want to see her play more serious characters, because I like her style of aegyo so much.) This is the first project, however, I've seen Hong Bin in, and he alternates between passable (usually whenever his character is being more sad and serious, and I honestly found some of those moments kinda cringey to watch) and quite enjoyable ( mostly whenever he's engaging in banter with Jin Ki Joo). Ki Joo definitely carries this drama and is probably the main reason, outside of how good the production team was at creating that forward motion I mentioned, for why I ended up finishing this.
So yeah. This is a cute, if generic and cliché and occasionally cringey story; good for a quick binge when you need some fluff, but not really something you'll find yourself grabbing when looking for something with substance.
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Solid Production with an Exceptional cast!
A lighthearted and not too serious dramatization about family & work life, My Treasure is one of the better directed & grounded tv shows in terms of family drama standards. It does not feel like a typical sitcom. All the sets and places are real which creates that real ambience city-life workplace setting. The heart of the story is Dong Na, the main protagonist who is a fresh out of college student finding employment in a professional work environment at an accounting firm.Vicky Chen is charming. One of the more skillful actresses her age even with a cast of veteran actors, her acting ability holds up so well. She has an incredibly good onscreen presence with her costars. She portrays Dong Na with a lively energy without it being over the top & has a natural presence both in acting & line delivery. Vicky Chen hits every beat. Dong Na is great example of a proactive protagonist, not just reactive who is up for any ventures. She is headstrong, smart, stubborn, and goodwilled who always finds a plausible solution to everyday problems in her life. She draws strength & knowledge from people around her, specifically her mother Qiu Xiao Xia.
Roy Chiu is charismatic as an unconventional type-boss figure, both in mannerism & speech to his appearance. He conveys emotions well through body gestures & facial expressions. He knows how to sell that image of Gu Fei who’s rational, capable, and honest who knows how to handle and take care of business and people, specifically in regards to Dong Na. Although Gu Fei falls into the trope of a male character with a tragic past, his trauma doesn’t hinder his efficient work ethics and professionalism in the workspace.
The drama builds ups great relationship between female characters. One of the major core relationships of the story is Dong Na & her mother Qiu Xiao Xia. Vicky Chen and Liu Min Tao portrays the daughter and mother relationship duo so well it is believable. Dong Na’s relationship with her boss Cheng Fan Yang starts from a cold-shoulder iciness to a warm almost maternal-like bond between the two. Her love-hate ‘frenemy’ relationship with Chu Ning, her college classmate, is hilarious & somewhat endearing. Their bickering towards each other is great throughout.
Dong Na forms a significant relationship with Gu Fei. There are memorable scenes between two from amusing banter and in-depth conversations in casual settings that doesn’t feel hollow, repetitive, or redundant. Dong Na & Gu Fei has a great momentum onscreen together with witty, heartfelt, & engaging dialogue. Their mentor-mentee relationship is a standout, both navigating through their uncertainties & trouble all while consoling the other when needed. I was wholeheartedly surprised by the chemistry and their unconditional support for each other. Dong Na and Gu Fei’s mutual and platonic sides of their relationship is more intimate and profound than any romance. The relationship develops & unfolds with such a natural progression. It has been a while since I enjoyed a relationship between a female and male character onscreen that does not make me want to pull my hair out.
My only gripe-issue is the romance. I don’t have anything against romance between the characters themselves but because the age difference between the actors. WenQi was a minor and Roy Chiu was an adult. The presentation of the romantic apsect towards the last few ep was awkward to watch. The story could have gone easily without any romance.
One of the strong suite is the dialogue, specifically in the conversations. The writer did a fantastic job creating a natural essence between the characters in the way they act, feel, and talk. Even with their appearances, nothing is overdone or gaudy. Besides the exceptional cast, the directing style is great. It is shot from a distant and at certain times from a wide-panoramic like angle which allows an immersive viewing of the characters within the environment they are placed in. It does not have those near close up shot that feels overly melodramatic. The comical sound effects is befitting to the drama’s humor. The last few episodes were a bit lackluster, in terms of its direction of the story. I like where the story was heading but not necessarily the execution in its writing. Cheng Fan Yang’s storyline in relation with her husband is the weakest since it is stagnant throughout the drama up until the end.
All in all, the drama had great moments between the characters. If you enjoy a more character driven-relationship type of drama with a hint of slice of life and humor that ends on a positive note, this is a good one to watch. There are definite tropes here and there but its not done in an overt exaggerated way in the usual family drama fashion.
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