Passion takes flight and soars
This movie is overflowing with heart, passion, and dedication. The unsung people known as test pilots are so under appreciated. Born to Fly highlights their spirit and determination in their chosen profession, taking on risks to ensure their air force have the best possible equipment to go about their duties.I love how the director tried to keep it as real as possible (from what I heard in interviews), incorporating anecdotes from real test pilots, showing us glimpses and sacrifices of their lives.
The aerial scenes are breathtaking, so vivid and mesmerizing. I also love how the story takes us through the conditioning and training one would go through to even be considered for a test pilot position in China.
Lei Yu is an eager beaver, going through life fueled by his love of the air. He can be spontaneous to a fault however he more than makes up for it with his intelligence, love of problem solving and drive to succeed. Wang Yibo plays Lei Yu to perfection, injecting his brand of 100% dedication to his chosen craft.
I love the camaraderie between the team and personnel, everyone understood their assignment, gave their all.
This movie is well casted, I especially loved Hu Jun’s role as Zhang Ting, he inspires such loyalty.
You will laugh, cry, cheer but most of all, overflow with admiration for a team of dedicated people at the end of this movie.
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Story: The premise of this movie is about a young adult becoming a masseuse in order to pay for his grandmother's medical bills. In the beginning, the MC refused to do more than legit massage, even though his boss and male customers occasionally ask him to perform "extra" services. MC kept insisting he wasn't gay and even called a female friend to engage in a make-out session that went south quickly. MC was fond of one frequent client in particular, who seemed to share his feelings, so MC finally relented in one of these sessions, which culminated in them having sex. Little did he know that it would be the last time MC would see him again. The boss found out and figured that if MC was open to sex with men, that he would also provide the same sexual service to other clients and started booking him for such. Unfortunately for the MC, the clients were lacklustre at best, and greasy or even violent at worst, that he decided to quit after there was no longer a reason for him to keep making money.
Which brings us to the crux of the movie: I find this movie is less about MC accepting his sexual orientation and more about his relationship with his grandmother. I had to commend the MC for being so young and yet understand the concept of filial obligation even when his parents abandoned him when he's a child. The gentle attitude and caring he showed towards his grandmother, even though she mistook him for his useless father, brought me to tears.
MC's genuine concern for his grandmother is a rare sight among youth. Even though she hid all the medicine that he bought specifically for her with his hard-earned money, he stuck by his grandmother. Sometimes even adults would have just left their ailing parents in a nursing home somewhere.
Acting: Very good considering MC and grandmother are amateur actors. Their characters are believable because of their acting.
Music: Average.
Rewatch value: You don't really need to watch this more than once. Especially when it's such a sad story.
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An ode to motherhood
When the Camellia Blooms is a romantic comedy and crime/thriller drama but at its very core it’s a love letter to motherhoods—every form of motherhood actually. The good, the bad, and everything in between. I’m not a mother but that does mean the messages that was conveyed didn’t hit me hard. It made me sit back and reflect on my own relationship with my mother and for that I’m thankful.That being said my high rating kind will mostly be based on my own personal feelings rather than the logistics of the plot. I felt that it really delivered on the crime/thriller part but I know people had issues for me. However, the mystery of the killer was not something that had me anxiously awaiting each episode, no it was waiting to see if Dongbaek will stand up for herself or what the rest of residents of Ongsan are up to. That being said it’s obvious that while I personally liked how the mystery unfold it only played a small factor into my high score.
My high score, as I stated before, relied heavily on my personal emotions and oh boy did I feel strongly about this show. It’s true that I didn’t care about the crime/thriller plot-line but I’m a romance enthusiast so even if I found the focus on motherhood fascinating I needed a pairing to root for. And trust me I was rooting for Dongbaek and Yong Shik early on. It’s no surprise that the cast gained recognition and awards for their roles because you can tell how much attention went into crafting these uniquely human characters. Dongbaek as our protagonist really did grow although some would debate on that fact since there was so much flip flop going on. Yet I was not bothered because in those twenty episodes I was really able understand the core of her character and I know realistically that people don’t change over night.
Yong Shik is hands down my favorite male lead in a kdrama I’ve ever seen yet. Sure he’s incredibly persistent and in your face but he’s such a genuinely nice person that I can’t help but adore him. He’s very an all or nothing kind of guy which I admire and if you are looking for a puppy ML whose feelings for the FL does not waver one bit Yong Shik is the guy for you. Without giving away spoilers I want to shine light on this gentle giant who whole heartedly loves Dongbaek, her son, and the rest of the residents in Ongsan with all he got.
The side characters were all very interesting and I found myself rooting for even the ones I labeled as “the worst.” I thought there was a good balance between the leads and side characters too. By the end I felt almost as if I was apart of that little town because the audience was able to get to know them so well. Kudos to the child actors/actresses for giving it all they got. I thought that Dongbaek’s son, Pil Gu, was a very likable character who unfortunately felt like he had the weight of the world on his shoulder.
Finally I want to address the running themes of motherhood. When The Camellia Bloom shows how difficult it is being a mother. Since there are so many different characters and stories you are able to get different perspectives. There’s a high chance that you’ll be able to relate to one of the stories involving mothers. I thought it was interesting to show how beautiful and ugly motherhood is; how mothers can be selfless and selfish. I was hesitant at the beginning but by the time I reached the final episode I was sold on the idea.
Anyways, When The Camellia Bloom made me feel so many different emotions whether it’s happiness, anguish, anger, amusement, frustration, etc. I’m someone who rates according to what it made me feel and since this drama really had an impact I had no choice but to give it 10 out of 10. I’m sad that it’s over but I’m happy I stumbled across this gem. I’m aware it’s not for everyone but it ended up hitting every little check on my “perfect drama list” so obviously I’m going to praise it. The OST also enhanced the scenes rather than distracted me. This drama will definitely go on my list of favorite dramas of the year.
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Gripping and intense
This drama really dished out the gritty police world as they try to wipe out drug trafficking in Yunhe (and subsequently to other parts of the country).Beautiful cinematography that leaves everything to be desired, makes it seem like one long movie spanning 32 episodes. So well-done as it really adds to the mystique of the story and sublime plots.
I love the blend of young blood and veterans in the acting cast, I came for Wang Yibo and stayed for everyone. I had already seen Chen Xiao in A Dream of Splendor so I know he has the acting chops.
The trio of Chen Yu, An Ran and Yang Yi are bold, fearless and eager to perform their duties. Wang Yibo especially is always passionate in everything he takes on, he was already excellent in Chen Qing Ling and he was also excellent in this drama. His transformation from an eager beaver police officer to a passionate person trying to uphold law and order is wonderful to watch.
I especially love all the bits of Yibo’s screen time with Chen Xiao, the push and pull in their relationship is interesting.
The world can be ugly out there especially in Yunhe but you can trust the police force to try their utmost best.
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Lesson in Love ... plot twists and karmic connections ... don't be fooled by face value
This series is a wild water ride of tragedy, plot twists, karmic connections and misdirection. It starts slow but keep watching as it will take you on a ride that you least expected.For me, this was 🌟 EPIC 🌟 storytelling. Don't be mistaken thinking this was a story of a sordid little affair between teacher and student ... there is far more to the story than the description lets on ... the plot is a complex one, the psychology runs deep across multiple characters and yet it flows seamlessly ... it takes you very slowly at first and then before you know it, around half-way, you hit dramatic 'white water' and then things get really rough ... there are twists and turns and hidden rocks below ... what you thought the story was about ... is not what the story is about.
Your emotions are going to get a beating, but at the very end of that intense 'white water' ride of a drama ... the waters suddenly slowed to a gently flow ... at last you could 'float'. I had tears at the end as well, but these tears were of a different kind.
"Lesson in Love" ... yes it was ... and it was a lesson for many of the main characters in this series ... including the viewer watching it. It is a series about people, their pain, their loves, their hidden stories and drivers ... it is a story about unexpected degrees of separation between everyone ... it is the story about the 'face' value of someone's life and actions and the fact that people are definitely not always what they seem to be and because of their hidden lives and/or because of their failure to communicate, it is all too easy to jump to conclusions and 'see' someone's life and what they do to be something that it is not and "kill" them for it.
I have two MVPs in this series. The first is the ML Zhang Yi Xiang ... he is a character that runs deep and is far more that his public face value ... he is so he is 'pure' even when the whole world is against him. I admire that kind of integrity and tenaciousness ... age is not necessarily an indicator for these attributes. Edward Chen did a stellar job with that character.
My next MVP is Yi Xiang's Pa ... not only was he a hot Daddy, but he was just gold in how he respected his son's self determination and saw through the game plays of people around him. I so agreed with him when he said: "if you are not hurting anyone, why would I oppose it." ۹(^ᴗ^)۶
AWESOME series ... I am glad I watched to the end ... I am glad it was not what I thought it would be when I started watching it. It was brilliantly acted, the script was amazing ... nothing was irrelevant at all ... the art of misdirection was superb ... WOW what a ride ... and best of all a HE ...۹(♡´◡`♡)۶
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I watched this movie think it was going to be a sci-fi movie from the title. I tend not to read much about something and just watch it. I'm actually glad it wasn't. It had a nice psychological feel to it and I would definitely watch it again.
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This one's getting filed away under "What Happened?"
Another one with a superb start that made me think I was going to have a new favourite but went off the rails. First five episodes were pretty stellar and then it gets messy. The pacing is off, it drags a lot, there are inconsistencies in the characters as well as from one scene to the next, the plot is okay but for added drama and angst, some of the characters' reactions are unreasonable and disproportionate. Don't have characters break down crying just to make it seem like it's sad when it's just... not that big of a deal?In terms of talking about the BL industry, yes, it's great. You've got multiple talks of consent and a lot more which I think vastly explains the high ratings despite the fact that it's kind of a mess.
However, I really did love Gene and Nubsib. Up and Kao's chemistry is pretty unreal. I had very different expectations of Nubsib, turns out he's the cutest of the cuties! Gene is the type of characters that I love and he's also super cute so there's that. Out of all the couples I discovered this year, they're easily nearing the top.
With Tum and Tiffy, I thought, finally a straight side couple I adore! But then their first drama is fairly silly (although I will admit I understand they're trying to break stereotypes and that's great, however it was way too long) and then the second one, once again, I just straight up didn't understand the big deal... and suddenly everything's better but literally nothing happened or changed?
In terms of acting, it's pretty good. I really loved Up, Ken, and Kao; Bruce not so much.
The ending? Too long. The first of the three scenes is very cute but it should have stopped there. At some point I was like ok is this ending today or...?
Overall, I'm pretty sad. I was super excited about that one but after the first five episodes, they lost me a bit. Anyway, I hope to see more of Up, he's a highlight of the series for sure.
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STORY. Superb storyline. Having badminton as supposed to be the central plot, the writers explored beyond the sport. For me, it's not about badminton. It's not about autism. It's about sibling rivalry. That's the very core of the story and it was presented magnificently. There is no antagonist, only the products of mistakes from people who caused the problems and conflicts of the main characters.
ACTING. Stellar performance. I expected a lot from Tor and Sky but they have still delivered more than what I have expected. I adore their chemistry as brothers here. Tor deserves awards for portraying his role. I can't think of other actors of his generation who can do what he did.
MUSIC. I'm a Thai series fan but I can't read and write in Thai. Despite that, the soundtrack used in the series is truly remarkable. The matches became more intense because of the musical score. The nursery rhyme used in the emotional and sensitive scenes moved me. The way Dong calms Gym down is marvelous. It gives me chills up until now. That's my favorite scene ever! Whoever thought of that is genius.
REWATCH VALUE. This is the weakest spot of the story. The editing of the series is a bit scattered. The story has become predictable because of the sequencing of events. The building up of some scenes takes a bit long. There are elements that are repetitive and unnecessary. It's not as tight as I hoped it would be.
Nonetheless, it's an incredible ride. You'll get to appreciate and love your family more after watching Side By Side. For me, its pilot episode is the best Project S episode so far. It will be just difficult to top that.
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Well, that was weird!!
I'm being hella optimistic here, but what in them product placements was this?! You know how sometimes, there's a movie scene which just has to be a dream sequence? Too ill-fitting? Too plot-breaking? Damn right. It's what Work From Heart is made of, and they never say sike.Let's get to the positives:
1. I like the songs! Not enough to look them up, but they were nice distractions from the boring semi-plot.
2. The preachy parts didn't feel as preachy as they usually do. Maybe because everything was just so ridiculous, I could see it fit quite well. Might even catch feels once or twice.
3. Song-Ve. They were cute together. And even had some development.
Point 4 could be something like "good visuals" or "attractive actors", but really. This is a BL. Thai BL. If anything, they always manage to bring in pretty faces.
As for the notable negatives...phew. Do we even want to go there? Let's just say it's boring. Cringe. Occasionally uncomfortable. Not much makes sense. We see blatant discrimination, homophobia, sexual harassment... They even had a 'pretend gay' subplot! I could be actually pissed, if only it wasn't all so ridiculous. Taking this seriously would be an insulting waste of your time, so don't. If you're here for the weird, ride with the weird.
In the end, there's no sane reason to pick WfH over any other boring, no-plot thai BL of late. But I would still gladly watch a GuyFries spin-off of this, so it couldn't have been that bad!! Right?
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Probably 1 of the best Asian dramas in 2020
Japanese filmmakers are really good at using small, simple moments to tell a story. No exaggeration (unless it is a comedy) and no over-abundance of subplots. This is minimalist filmmaking. Matsumoto Hana's recent works are really good, an actress-director to keep an eye on :)Honestly, I have picked Neko to watch on a whim. I love cats and well, there is cat in the title ^^ But oh, do not be mistaken, this drama is not about cats. Rather, it is about how 2 lonely people met over a cat, how they became companions and fell in love with each other.....
The script is very honest. Right in ep 1, FL tells ML that she has brain tumor and is expected to die from it soon. He is homeless so she offered him to stay at her home, on condition that he does what a family member would-- FL is living alone and craves for companionship. Of course, they fell in love. You would watch them struggle with the love, she wasn't sure if to accept him as he would eventually be heartbroken, but he convinced her. Better to have loved and lost, than not love at all. But life is unpredictable.....
Neko is an excellent mini drama that is a role model for how with good script and cinematography, you can present loneliness, love, companionship, loss, sadness and recovery in a few short scenes. This drama is 6 episodes of 20 mins each, the length of a movie. But the production is right to make this into a drama, to present the different arcs and emotions, and give viewers time to absorb in what was shown. By the end of this drama, it would make you rethink about life and death.
I know the story seems too heavy (I suspect that is why the title is "Neko", to trick us into watching it, lol) but trust me, you would be very glad to spend 2 hours on this drama. We all love those lighthearted, idol romcoms or gritty mysteries dramas, but when such a good slice-of-life drama comes along, it deserves your time.
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MUST WATCH THIS DRAMA GUYS
The ending of this drama really satisfied me. All the questions of the story from 17 years ago finally got discovered and answered. The storyline and plot twist arranged perfectly and does not confuse me at all. At first, I felt weird when ML fell in love with FL who looks exactly like his sister but eventually I got to understand. There must be some differents from his sister because even the twins also have some differents. So I just accepted the flow of the story.I fall in love with the chemistry between ML and FL and everytime they appeared I screamed loudly because their scenes really excited, intense, anxious and blushing HAHAHAHAHA! I love how ML protect and encourage the FL in the earlier episodes. I kinda felt touched when FL always preserve, consistent, and stronghold their relationship. She always stay by his side no matter what and support him ups and downs. She made him feel being loved again and not leave him alone. I love her character for being such a strong and supportive girlfriend.
I wonder why there are so many people commented bad about the actress? I think she really good in acting. She also expressed a lot and I dont feel cringe at all between the actor and actress even she is older than him. I love how she characterized both of the characters. I believe it is so hard to visualize two different characters at the same time but she did it very well. For the ML, I adore him so much since Our Secrets and he is genuinely good in acting. He has so many facial expression and when his face turned into resentful expression, I screamed so hard because he was so hot and handsome!!!
This drama will let you feel like a roller coaster because each episodes are really exciting and thrilling. If you guys wondering should watch it or not, I recommend you guys MUST watch it. This drama kinda like a hate to love relationship. It's worth in every episode. I'm not regret watching this drama and definitely will repeat to watch it again ><
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Phenomenal casting
I admittedly am not a historical Cdrama fan usually. but I am a fan of Liu Yuning, so I started watching this drama for him. Needless to say, he did not disappoint. What truly drew me in however, was the caliber of acting from this whole crew. Of particular note for me was Song Zuer, Xuan Lu, and Li Xue Qin. I'm used to seeing the first two in modern dramas, and while their performances have always been solid -- this drama allowed them to showcase the depth of their skills and range. Song Zuer embodied her role as the ethereal yet strong maiden perfectly; and Xuan Lu was her equally compelling counterpart -- a woman who appeared strong on the outside, but was so fragile and desperate on the inside. I rooted for one, and hated the other -- which meant that they all portrayed their roles 1000% convincingly.Li Xue Qin blew me away! She's well-known as a crosstalk (Chinese stand-up) and Chinese variety show star -- but she absolutely held her own in this drama, and was adorable as Xiao Tao. She was expectedly funny as always, and I was absolutely heartbroken for how her story ended, but the depth of emotion she brought to the role was astounding. So incredibly talented!
This drama was the first time of only a few where I was immersed into the olden world of these characters, and didn't want it to end. I applaud the casting director of this drama. Putting the right person into the right role makes for a phenomenal story!
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I am not watching thai drama but tis lakorn teach me to watch thai drama than kdram and taiwan ...
The story was great its all about sacrifice and love for their loves once and for the country.Even they betray their love once in they end they still care and proctect theme. The cast are awesome especially Kamin who sacrifice his love just to serve his country and the Royal family, He care for his country even in death and he protcet the women she love and for Mattana even she is spoiled brat but in a good way she know what she wants .Mattana is very brave lady she fight for her love but still she considered the consequence on her action what will be effect on her love once and her country.She sacrifice her love to proctect the man she love and for her family.I love to watch korean drama but when i watched this lakorn whoa i got addicted to it.Even this is 2014 lakorn i enjoyed watching it . Hope more Lakorn for this two main cast ( Min and Weir).
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Certainly this drama has become quite dear to me!
Saiai is the first drama I have seen this year. It was an amazing series. Very entertaining and emotional. The drama revolves around many themes. The English title of the drama is 'dearest', one of the main themes of the drama is how much a person can sacrifice something for a person who is very dear to them. The story is well written, though it had a few inconsistencies, it still managed to keep me at the edge of my seat till the last moment. Every episode is narrated by different characters in the show.The three main characters were very intriguing. Yuriko, Kouhei and Iura-san have given a very good and promising performance. Special mention to Takahashi Fumiya as Yuu and Tanaka Minami as Tachibana Shiori. I loved them here.
The music is wonderful as well, the ending theme gives me chills at the end of every episode.
Its not surprising that saiai was produced by the same director behind jdramas like MIU404 and Unnatural. All of them were interesting, emotional and amazing character driven dramas. Definitely a must watch for all jdrama fans!
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