The actors were definitely seasoned and I have just added JKH to my list of best actors. I liked him in Heartless City but now I am in awe of his acting ability.
I liked the music because it had a patriotic feel to it which I felt went well with the story plot.
As for re-watch value....quite a difficult one for me to rewatch because it is such a depressing drama.
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The film made me rewatch the anime
"Cells at Work!" is a refreshing and imaginative anime film that takes viewers on an extraordinary journey inside the human body. Adapted from the popular manga series by Akane Shimizu, this film brings to life the bustling activities and epic battles of anthropomorphised cells dedicated to keeping the body healthy and functioning. At the heart of the story are the main characters: a diligent yet somewhat scatterbrained Red Blood Cell, responsible for transporting oxygen, and a brave White Blood Cell, charged with defending the body against pathogens.The film skillfully blends educational content with entertainment, providing viewers with a unique insight into complex biological processes. Each cell is portrayed with quirky personalities, making the scientific concepts more relatable and engaging. The narrative is peppered with action-packed sequences as White Blood Cell battles various invaders, delivering a thrilling experience akin to an epic hero's journey.
Visually, the animation is stunning, with a vibrant colour palette that vividly represents the bustling world inside the human body. The character designs are both whimsical and scientifically accurate, maintaining a balance that appeals to both anime fans and science enthusiasts. The attention to detail in depicting bodily functions and cellular interactions demonstrates the creators' commitment to delivering an experience that is both educational and aesthetically pleasing.
The film also weaves in elements of humour and camaraderie, with its characters forming unlikely alliances and friendships. This adds an emotional depth to the storyline, making it more than just an educational film. The movie’s ability to explain complex scientific concepts through engaging storytelling is commendable, making it suitable for audiences of all ages.
"Cells at Work!" is not only a visual treat but also an educational tool that encourages viewers to appreciate the intricate workings of the human body. By turning the inner workings of our anatomy into an epic adventure, the film leaves its audience both entertained and informed, fostering a deeper appreciation for the marvel that is the human body. It successfully transforms a textbook subject into a thrilling narrative, making it a standout in the world of educational entertainment.
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Just a filler drama
The plot revolves around the romance between a hotel trainee and the boss. I was expecting stories about customers and everyday encounters of trainees but that was minimal. It was mainly around the couple. The first half was good - cute and fluffy. The second half was tiring - annoying unreasonable characters and the FL being over dramatic. The drama lacks plot but compensates by fluff (but I've seen better fluff).The acting is very average. I like Eden Zhao and he's the reason I got through. But apart from that the other characters were not well developed. The FL was very unreasonable at times, which was hard to watch.
It's an okay watch. I would recommend this only if you're in between dramas, and need a light hearted -no plot- kind of watch. The direction had some issues. The scenes felt like clips put together at times. Made you doubt if you've missed a scene in between.
Plus Point : Fluffy. Cute and non-toxic ML. Never gets very angsty.
Negative points: Only focused on main characters and other characters (though plenty) were under-developed. Too many cliches.
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Slapstick Bromance not BL
Overall, it was quite good. However, there were a few things that I didn’t like about this.The first thing I didn’t like is how short the episodes are, the actual content is quite good but there is just not enough of it.
The second thing I didn’t like is that there are some errors in what I presume is the editing wherein the screen just cuts black for a second.
And, finally, the only other issue I have, which is only really a minor problem, is that the description gives off the impression that it is a romantic relationship between the two characters but it is actually more of a brotherhood.
The acting is over exaggerated but that is just part of its comedic value. The characters show a refreshingly fun relationship and there are many moments where you can just burst out laughing.
This is a good fairly lighthearted comedy and is definitely worth the watch. However, if you are looking for a serious bl romance like it seems this may be from the description and category tags, this may not be the one for you.
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This review may contain spoilers
meh. I hate that they made a big deal over HER (stopped before it was too late and when she was super vulnerable) indiscretion when he was a cheatin' asshole. MEH. That ruined it for me and honestly I hate it when the original couple stays together after the hell his "mistake" put them through. I would have rather her ending up with ANY of the other guys in the show. ICK. I gotta say that chick was a crazy one though. YIKES. Until the very end she was creepily stalking and ruining lives. I'm also of the super firm belief that basically 0 relationships will ever be the same after a cheat. There is NO way you wouldn't have some sort of worry in the back of your mind that it wouldn't happen again. Does he smell like perfume? Was he really late just because of traffic? Business trips? noooooope. Once that trust is broken it may be glued back together, but the crack will always remain. And the relationship with be fragile as a result of that crack.
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Can be found on YouTube under the caption: “After letting go of her crush on brother, the powerful CEO fell for her and pampered her” or “She was asked by her brother's friend to be his secret lover”.
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It's really cute and funny, especially for a DBSK fan.
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Male Actor Playing a Transgender Woman
This movie was so cute and sweet, but as a queer person I can't help but hate the fact that a cisgender male is playing a physically transitioned transgender woman.I understand that it's sometimes difficult to cast trans actors, but in that case, they should have hired a cisgender woman to play Rinko. Despite the hidden transphobia in the casting of Rinko, Ikuta Toma did do an amazing job portraying her.
As often LGBTQ+ films do, this movie is no fail to the trope of trying to show queer people they can't have happy endings.
All it's faults aside, this movie is an incredible, understated, gem. I'd recommend anyone to watch it, and look further into the lives of trans people, and the everyday struggles of passive aggressive discrimination we face.
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The best Joseon romance of recent years
Among the current sageuk offerings, dominated by the fluffy romantic comedy fusion sageuk trend, The Red Sleeve is a drama that shares certain elements found in such sageuks, but is truly a melodrama rather than a comedy, and thus, despite some light-heartedness in the early episodes, has a predominantly serious tone. To those tiring of the fluffy trend, The Red Sleeve may prove a welcome respite that offers some of the gravitas of a more classic sageuk, yet it is also enough in the realm of the romance-focused, youth-oriented sageuk that it will likely appeal to those who are fans of the rom com in period dress genre. It is not likely, however, to satisfy fans of political sageuks, as this is a drama primarily concerned with its romance.Lee Jun Ho’s portrayal of Yi San was truly excellent. This was quite a nuanced and multifaceted character, and I found him compelling in all aspects. Though this character is certainly an idealistic, intelligent, and benevolent man, who has a strong sense of duty regarding his role as a ruler, he is not the sort of adorable, fluffy Joseon royal I have seen in many sageuks of late. There is a real edge to this character that at times borders on genuinely scary. Lee Jun Ho succeeds in both bringing some sweetness and charm to his character as a besotted lover as well as imbuing his portrayal with enough power, command, and charisma to be a convincing ruler. He made me feel this character’s pain acutely, whether that was heartbreak or the suffering of a traumatic family situation. And he had a superb intensity in some of the romantic scenes, conveying to the viewer a very palpable sense of his attraction.
I liked Lee Se Young as Seong Deok Im. I think her mannerisms and bearing are well-suited to this sort of period piece in a court setting. However, compared to the male lead, both she and her character left somewhat less of an impression. This is not to say she was bad in anyway. I definitely thought she was good, just less of a stand out. I did have some trouble getting a sense of this character at first, in part due to not immediately realizing that when Lee Se Young was initially introduced, she was playing a 15-year-old. (The male lead was also only 16, but his character was significantly more mature, thus his behavior felt less mismatched to the actor’s age.) The character does mature, though her core traits remain the same. (I think both actors did a good job and subtly aging up their characters over the course of the drama.) She is bold, principled, and strong-willed. At times her behavior is not really congruent with what I would expect from a Joseon court lady. The drama finds a balance between making these aspects completely anachronistic and unbelievable and making it seem somewhat plausible in her specific circumstances (e.g. her young age at the beginning, leeway afforded her due to Yi San’s favor).
The second male lead is an interesting character, though perhaps not a very likable one. However, I felt he was somewhat underutilized. I think they could have done more to show the viewer the bond between him and the male lead, and it seems we may have lost some of his character development in a time-skip. Although Kang Hoon’s performance did not particularly stand out to me, I have no complaints regarding his portrayal.
Along with Lee Jun Ho’s Yi San, the Lee Deok Hwa’s Yeongjo was the performance that had the most impact on me. This character had a duality, sometimes a kind, grandfatherly old man, sometimes a dangerous ruler prone to bouts of rage and suspicion. The gravitas Lee Deok Hwa brought to certain scenes and the relationship between grandfather and grandson was one of the most engaging aspects of this drama’s early episodes.
Regarding the story, it has earned a place on my list of favorite historical romances. The romance does start off with some rather standard tropes, but it’s a well-executed version with a lot of charm. As the relationship developed, I felt that it began to differentiate itself from the tropes and offered up incredible chemistry as well as some truly memorable scenes. My emotions definitely became caught up in this relationship, as it succeeded being both heart-fluttering and heart-wenching. This drama really put me through a lot, but I take that to mean that it was very successful in drawing me into the story.
That being said, this romance might not be to everyone’s taste. Firstly, despite the more light-hearted tone at the start, overall, I would describe the drama as “nearly continuously angsty.” I’m a sucker for the emotional torture, but for those looking for smooth-sailing, happy romances with minimal pain or conflict, this is not the place to look. Even the happy moments sometimes have a bittersweet tinge. A second point of potential discomfort for certain viewers is that there is a very large difference in status between the leads. Although the male lead often treats the female lead as more of an equal than their respective statuses would dictate, he does not necessarily view her as one and is not entirely above using his power over her. This is a dynamic many period romances tend to ignore, as it isn’t congruent with contemporary relationship ideals. Personally, I think the way this drama walked the line of not being too offensive for a contemporary viewer while also not entirely disregarding the power imbalance between a ruler and a court lady is one of this drama’s selling points and something fundamental to the themes it examines. Perhaps for some, though, it would cross the line. The third and final point is potentially a bit spoilerly, depending on what you consider a spoiler, so skip to the next paragraph if you’d like to avoid. Although it is up to interpretation, I think this is, to a certain extent, a story of a one-sided love, which is not to say it’s entirely unrequited, but I’m not sure the degree of feeling was equal on both ends. I think this is something interesting to explore, but it makes this relationship less idealized than the standard romance offering. If you're looking for a "perfect" couple, this isn't really it, but I think the story is better for that.
Now for the aspects of the drama that I felt were weaker … At the beginning, I thought the politics had some potential. They were not the main focus, but things were gradually developing in the background, and doing so in a way that seemed well-paced and well-conceived, if pretty standard. But at some point the plot just became something of a mess. It spices things up with intrigue that, to me, felt unnecessarily over-the-top, and yet it pretty much skips over major events that I kinda felt like we should have seen. There definitely were moments of true suspense and excitement, but also parts that completely lacked any impact, because we weren’t given proper development (or shown them at all). These aspects surely would have been better had they just followed the history. Truthfully, I think this drama was essentially using the politics to create situations of character conflict, with little regard for the merits of the plot points themselves or the overall trajectory of that story aspect. It also seemed averse to introducing any plot line where the female lead could not somehow be inserted into the political maneuverings, despite her lack of status and power (a choice which seems somewhat contradictory to the drama's larger theme of how little agency Joseon palace women were afforded). I can accept this, as I knew from the beginning that this was primarily a romance, not a political epic, but it does somewhat lessen my regard for the quality of the drama’s overall execution. I would have preferred it to simply avoid dealing with politics, rather than give them some focus, but not enough to do it right. Still, it certainly didn’t stop me from obsessing over the main couple and anxiously waiting for the next episodes. If you’re looking for a romantic drama, rest assured, this one will not bore you with lots of scenes of old men discussing tax policies. I also think there was some lack of clarity regarding the timeline. It is not always easy to tell how quickly time is going by and at one point I realized that many more years must have passed than it had felt like when watching the drama. Since this drama covered such a long period of time (pretty much the entirety of the lead characters’ lives), I think it probably could have been longer.
It was definitely a visually appealing drama with beautiful costumes and lovely cinematography. The composition of certain shots was quite striking. Although the soundtrack did not leave a profound impression on me, there were scenes I felt were very much enhanced by the music choices, and I don’t remember any point at which I felt the soundtrack didn’t fit.
This is a drama that had some outstanding moments where all the elements came together to create a breathtaking tension that kept me completely captivated. What happened between those scenes is starting to blur together a bit for me, perhaps because some of the conflicts could be repetitive. Still overall, this is not a drama I will forget anytime soon. Despite its flaws, it was entirely successful in bringing across the emotions and making me invested in the romance. Moreover, Lee Jun Ho’s Yi San is now my standard for idealistic Joseon royal males that all future depictions of this character type will have to live up to or be somewhat of a disappointment. I definitely recommend to fans of historical melodramas.
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The only thing about it is that I really wish that the director made it longer in episodes. With only nine episodes, I feel like it had too much going on in the plot and too many characters for just nine episodes. It's hard to focus on all that's going on in a short matter of time. Other than that though I really love the plot. At first, it seems predictable and generic especially with the main character Natsume. But there are plot twists that happen and things that make it more interesting along the way.
The soundtrack was very very good, it really does fit all the scenes. In my opinion, it's very memorable and I love it so much. The acting was also very good, everybody played their characters well and I really loved the lgbtq+ stuff they added in this series. I really love the cast too.
I really would consider rewatching this show again. I also doubt it but I am hoping for a season two.
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really good drama, eng subs don't do it justice :(
Prior to this drama's release, I had heard about the cast and filming of it. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the drama, the cast's chemistry, the storyline, and the soundtrack. The writers did an amazing job adapting the novel to the screen, maintaining many key moments from the novel and the two main characters' relationship, while making minor changes to plot and character backgrounds for better story flow and progression. The drama covers the story of romantic, familial, and friend relationships.I think the story portrays a very realistic relationship between the two main characters. The male lead, Li Xun, and the female lead, Zhu Yun come from very different family backgrounds and experiences, Li Xun a more tragic and Zhu Yun from a loving, well-off family. The story starts as more of a friends-to-lovers trope, but it's very clear how quickly they fall for each other. Zhu Yun, having always been an obedient daughter sees a side that she desires to be in Li Xun, and by being with him, she can rebel and be her "true self." The leads are not actually together for much of the drama, however, the team did a great job illustrating the push-pull of feelings prior to the actual relationship.Both characters have flaws--Li Xun is too closed off, a bit arrogant, and impulsive, but both love each other immensely, shown through LX pushing away ZY to protect her, and ZY still trusting him all throughout. Aside from the obstacles in their relationship, The college segment of the drama was so charming; all characters were lovable and the interactions and work they did remind me much of my own college experiences.
The distinction between the college romance and workplace romance is something I really enjoyed; there was a very obvious character development and while things seem different, they still are the same. LX and ZY still love and trust each other, continuing off from before, LX is still pushing away ZY to protect her, but ZY comes back stronger and determined to help him win his life and dreams back. I really love ZY's character in the way that she is strong and does everything in her power to protect LX because she loves him. I also think that the other coworkers at Feiyang are so funny a highlight of these emotional first few episodes of part 2.
Both lead actors portrayed the characters so well, I truly believe that they were meant to play them. Through behind the scenes clips, you can tell how hard they worked on bringing Li Xun and Zhu Yun to life. Chen Feiyu and Zhang Jingyi had amazing chemistry--there were so many moments in the episodes where they improvised and their interactions felt so natural.
I watched this drama completely in Chinese and had read the novel prior, and the Youtube English subtitles don't do the lines justice, often translated too simply or cliche/cheesy. Many of the lines hold deeper references to the novel and directly relates the personality and character progression, which is lost in these translations. Lighter & Princess is so much more than your standard idol drama; there's a long time span, imperfections in characters and relationships, and growth. While I feel like the ending few episodes of Lighter & Princess were a bit rushed, I'm still amazed by the closing scene, quoted exactly from the novel, with the carousel turning back time through their relationship, the coded heart stops beating, Li Xun's breathing, up to where they first met in college--this time from Li Xun's perspective. Though it's a happy ending, I can't help but feel a little sad every time I see that last clip. I will definitely be rewatching.
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The title alone ought to be enough warning but as much as I hate to say it I actually enjoyed the movie. It riled me up, it had me on the edge of my seat, it made me mad, furious, it made me sad and emotional. It accomplished the goal all movies ought to - it provoked a reaction and emotional response in the viewer.
That said, however, this is not a light movie to enjoy between your favorite BL drama hiatus or while you're waiting for a new episode or series or even a movie with that general vibe.
"Lost to Shame" will make you upset, especially if you're part of the LGBTQ+ community. If you're heterosexual and a cisgender person you might still enjoy it and even relate to any of the characters or the plot and maybe, hopefully, get some new insight on how this community feels, but I doubt that's the case and if the movie was even aiming to do that in the first place, which it isn't, the parallels between the movie and real life would be ironic to say the least.
The movie's lead is a straight man, an actor, who's playing a transgender woman on a play - his first big role and his first breakthrough in the business. We follow this man through this journey, while he discovers a newfound acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community and in the end... it's up to you to decide how to feel about it.
I'd say this movie follows the structure of a tragedy but that might be me trying to reach too far. I felt honestly upset at the ending, not because it was bad but because it was too real...
This movie appeared as a recommendation when I wanted to follow up "Method", a movie with a similar vibe which I enjoyed a lot. Maybe because I watched "Method" first my analysis of "Lost to Shame" is a bit biased since I'd actually recommend "Method" to people and I even rewatched it, but "Lost to Shame" is a one time experience.
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