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Draggy towards a happy ending
Title should've been Love of Irrational Beings. Spent almost half the show watching draggy scenes of irrational people go through the motion of falling in love.Starting with the FL's bestie; what's with her attitude towards relationships? Like it's should come with expiration date, end it before it expires...
Or the FL's irrational choice to choose to work for the ML's nemesis over and over again. Or the ML's decision to push the FL towards her dreams, even if it meant pushing her to work for his nemesis, it's sweet but a little to much..
Anyway actors were ok, OST too. And it has a happy ending so it's all good. Rewatch, not likely though.
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This review may contain spoilers
If you LOVED Sweet Home then you’ll LIKE this
Firstly I want to start off by saying that I finished this series in a day which is a first for me. It’s not a story that kept me at the edge of my seat but it’s still entertaining enough that I continued watching even when the characters pissed off, and many of them did.Our female lead Su In is actually such a sweet girl who went through a lot of traumatic events. She’s introverted, self loathing and lives a pretty mundane life. It was nice seeing her go from that to a mutant badass who fights for what she believes in and learns that she’s not unlovable, she was just around a lot of toxic people. Male lead was very unconventional for kdramas. I kind of liked his development from the cowardice and selfish gang member to the fearless, loyal and trusted companion. I won’t say much for the other characters because while they all had good development too, they annoyed me for 90% of the drama.
In comparison to Sweet Home this kdrama places less emphasis on its characters due to its shorter length of only six episodes. Instead, it delves deeper into the world of monsters, which I found refreshing. I appreciated the focus on the monsters forming their own organization, showcasing their intelligence and adaptability. Their dialogue is noteworthy, featuring engaging social and political commentary. It was intriguing to explore their perspective, although unlike SH there isn't much sympathy for them as they are *mostly* serial killers. The monsters who aren’t simply killers, are just like most humans, trying to survive and learning to navigate complex emotions.
To be honest the last episode was a bit underwhelming, but I can understand because this not a very climatic drama. The monster fight scenes were a little funny sometimes (they kinda look like giraffes fighting 😂). The cast’s performance, music and CGI (for a kdrama) was good too, no complaints in those departments. All in all, a good watch. Would’ve loved if it was longer. 8.5/10
PS: I did not read the manga!!
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Well crafted and underrated legal drama
"Out of Court" is a tightly woven legal drama with superb acting, directing and scriptwriting. Intricately crafted, the story unfolds in two chapters, both of which primarily centre around the legal procedings and investigations of three death penalty cases. The first part is six episodes and takes place over the span of 16 hours, while the second part is told over 14 episodes and takes place before and after the events of part one. Xia Yu's Lu Nan is the main protagonist in "Blind Spot", while Luo Jin's Qiao Shaoting and Jiao Junyan's Xiao Zhen are the main leads in "Drowning Man" ("The Last Straw" in English). Both male leads appear throughout parts one and two.Out of Court is more than a legal drama, however -- there are mysteries to solves, side cases to crack, and some action thrown in as well. While the story doesn't waste much time getting into the personal lives of the characters (except for perhaps Qiao Shaoting), the ensemble cast still somehow comes across rich and nuanced through their actions, anecdotes of their past, small details sprinkled throughout, and subtle scene elements that might convey anger, arrogance, indifference, compassion, etc. For the longest time, viewers are left guessing as to the motivations of some of the characters (in a good way) -- are they a villain? Ally? Somewhere in between?
As for Luo Jin fans, Qiao Shaoting is a great character, and he plays him with the coolness of Harvey Specter but with a lot more grittiness.
I also found the drama to be an interesting glimpse into China's modern legal system, which dates from the late 1970s following the Cultural Revolution, but really did not gain a footing until perhaps the mid-1980s. (Prior to that, during the Mao period after 1949, law schools and courts were all shut down, with lawyers out of a job.) The story makes references to when certain laws were passed, and at least one side case is inspired by true events. It is impossible for me to gauge how accurately everything is presented; at the same time, viewers should not judge its “accuracy” based on Western civil and criminal laws (as I saw in some of the comments), since even the broad strokes in some legal areas and roles may be quite different.
The drama has a well-deserved Douban rating of 7.7 (at the time of this writing); but by that scale, this really should at least be in the high 8s on MDL. I couldn't decide whether to give it an 8.5 or a 9, since I think it belongs somewhere in the middle, but I opted for 9 to counter the current 7.7 on MDL. (Albeit with just over two dozen ratings only so far, I am not giving too much weight to the score just yet. I will be interested in seeing where it lands once at least a few hundred viewers have weighed in.)
"Out of Court" is not a drama you can watch "in the background" -- I really needed to focus and pay attention to the great dialogue, and if I had more time (which I sadly don't) I would rewatch it again to catch everything I missed the first time.
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Pretty boring with a large cast of evil characters
I was looking forward to this because I loved Rosy Zhao in Dating in the Kitchen. I was so disappointed! This drama could have been greatly improved by cutting the number of stories and the number of episodes. It seemed to go on and on forever. They have GOT to work on the dubbing! The thing that I noticed most in this show was everyone's footsteps, whether they were wearing tennis shoes or dress shoes. Why? I have no idea.The concept for the story was cute, but it didn't feel cohesive to me. I understand that you have to have a "bad guy" in these shows to create drama and problems. Why were there so many in this show?
I didn't find the lead actor very attractive, but I loved the height difference between the two. There were some good kisses and some really bad kisses, but I didn't find the acting very good at all.
This was one of those dramas that, while I was watching it, I was wondering when it was ever going to end. And once it did, I was so glad!
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Story line: Nothing surprising or intriguing. I'd say it was rather boring. I won't spoil it, but the plot seemed interesting at first, but the plot just started slowing down and nothing was actually happening each episode.
Acting/Characters: I'd say everyone's acting was pretty decent, with Dilraba's being the weakest (I hope she continues growing as an actor though!). However, their characters were written in a way that didn't give them much to work with. For example, I think Zhang Bin Bin is a promising actor, but he was limited to the same, one-dimensional character during the whole drama. I was expecting the director to let him finally say/reveal something that would break my heart, but he really was like a stagnant river the whole drama (like, he was GOOD at the role he was given, but that role sucked!).
Idk. There was so much potential. Again, this is another example of a drama that could have really won the crowd over, if only it was a good drama in the first place.
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One of the better High School BL Dramas - cute and sweet
Completed - 12/18/2021I can see why this drama has so many good reviews. It's a somewhat realistic high school BL drama with a lot of cute and fluffy content. It's really short that you can binge watch in a few hours. It's a good palate cleanser in between more serious dramas. Let's start with what I don't like about this drama.
What I don't Like:
1. Over-dramatic acting - This is personal taste as I don't usually enjoy the over-dramatic manga/anime style of live acting. I felt that our male lead, Aoki, is a little too much and I get annoyed with him at times. I understand he's made out to be a contrast to our other male lead, Ida, who is a little more serious.
2. Repetitive doubting - For such a short drama, Aoki doubted his relationship with Ida too much. After his confession and they started "dating", every episode following that, he's been questioning whether Ida likes him or not, or if Ida really wants to date him. I understand the uncertainty but it feels repetitive after a while.
What I Like:
1. Ida - I enjoy Ida's character. It's nice to see a quieter and more serious character that is not the traditional cold and mean male lead. He's just different and expresses himself different. He's serious in considering his answer and cares about others. I enjoy watching his slow discovery and realization that he does like Aida. I like how he protects Aoki through quiet actions.
2. Ida + Aoki - They do make a very cute couple. Their contrast in personality makes for a very enjoying and fun experience (albeit the Aoki's overacting). You can't help but smile when you see the together and they have great chemistry.
3. Supportive Friends - How nice it is to have such supportive friends of their relationship. It's a stress-free drama where you don't have to worry about jealous and mean-spirited friends.
4. Realistic Concerns - Even though this is a sweet and fluffy drama, it also addresses the issues facing a young same-sex couple, esp. a couple who never thought they could be attracted to someone of the same sex. Aoki is concerned about others knowing they are together and that is very real, not just in high school but in life. We have a teacher who is conservative and doesn't know how to deal with the knowledge of Aoki being with Ida. All these issues were handled well in the drama.
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This review may contain spoilers
A short healing episode...
MDL put a page for the special episode here... so I watched that nearly a month ago... What I noticed, it was a rushed production, because they had a lot of Sasaengs following them and they nearly did not film this at all. This is a nice healing episode which heals both of them.It seems they had problems getting a free location, so they had tourists looking at them while filming, but I'm happy enough, that they at least finished this short episode. So at least it feels more real with people gawking at them, because oh my god, two men are kissing on the beach! 🤣
This is a nice finale, so if you have watched the series, you should not skip it.
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ML can't act but I adore him anyway!
Actually I adore both the ML and FL! As individual characters, they were likable but as a couple, they were endearing and inspired relationship goals. Also they were simply gorgeous to look at.Why Women Love is a May-December love story done right! It is not often that we get a romance between an older super capable manager and her young assistant (who was actually her boss' son), let alone a good one. If you are looking for something light, lovely, fun and fluffy, this show might just do the trick.
Honestly, there was no real plot, but there was character development. The FL learned to open up her heart, and become brave in facing the unknown of love, and the ML grew into a man who wanted to protect and give his love a blissful and happy home. I love that even though the ML became more matured, he did not lose sight of his dream of being a motorcycle racer. The best part is that he still reacted like someone in his twenties but carried himself well to be worthy of the FL.
Gina Jin is beautiful and she did well as Zhao Jiang Yue, a reserved, over-achieving manager. Absorbed with her work, always focused on doing her best, she was labeled as being incompetent in love. As she gradually fell in love with the ML, one can see her loosening up, and becoming more carefree.
Wang Zi Yi as Gu Jia Xin was a total idol in this show, with his avant-garde outfits, and being a newbie, could use more acting lessons. However, he was still able to pull off charismatic and lovable Jia Xin, and I truly enjoyed watching him charm his way into Jiang Yue's heart. Plus he can kiss!
There were 3 other side couples and I enjoyed watching 2 of those relationships progressed. As for the 3rd couple, I did not think that Xu Ning Yuan and Li Yan Ran were a good fit and there was no chemistry between them . Xu Ning Yuan was supposed to be the second male lead and was also Jiang Yue's first love.but he did not really put up much of a fight, other than being "compatible" with her.
Overall, the cast was great, and there was a fun rapport among them. I did find Li Yan Ran annoying and clingy but at least she could still separate her obsession with Jia Xin from doing the right thing.
The OST was awesome. I never skipped the intro because of the song, 'Love It' sung by Wang Zi Yi and Gina Jin. The closing song, True Love by Zhu Xingjie was catchy too. My favorite was Upside Down by Chen Xueran, the romantic song that heightened the emotional scenes for me. For posterity, I listed the song list at the end of this review.
Overall, do give this show a try - all you have to do is sit back and be prepared to smile and laugh as you gush over the cheesy, delightful and satisfying romantic journey of the main couple.
Track list: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDkvOpX-XEAS7ux-N5WjgI5m6cKx3ngIt
Love it - 金晨 Gina Jin & 王子异 Wang Ziyi
True Love - 朱星杰 Zhu Xingjie
Upside Down - 陈雪燃 Chen Xueran
错了 Wronged - 曹杨 Cao Yang
中意他 Like Him - 彭雅琦 Peng Yaqi
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I have to say when I started watching this I had no idea about the plot and I'm glad that was the case because I feel it made everything more intriguing than it already was.
I'd only seen one of the actresses in a movie before but I have to say the entire cast is superb; they all give the right emotion and present each story flawlessly.
It hit all the right notes and since it's only an hour long I'll definitely watch it again because it's one of those dramas that gives you a lot to think about long after finishing it.
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THREE WORDS: "Boring But Interesting", you may be like "What? That doesn't make sense!" At first I was like that, but then I begin to get used to it. You'll get used to it.
STORY:
The story was pretty good, I enjoyed it. It was pretty brand new to me. There were some plot twist, revenge, romance, and etc. For the first few episode, it's going to focus on Miao Miao (Kitty) and then to everyone.
ACTING/CAST:
Honest, the whole reason why I watched this was because I wanted find new drama with new faces, i'm kinda tired of seeing the same actress and actor (I.e Aaron Yan, Chris Wang, Sonia Sui). That's why when I was scrolling, this drama caught my attention.
Nown on to acting:
They were pretty new to me, and they amaze me. To me I feel some of their acting (Kitty, Dragonfly, and etc.) I'm really looking forward to some of these actors's/actress's new drama.
MUSIC:
The MUSIC......... The first time I listened to it, it got me alright. But as I was watching, they keep putting music like always. I was pretty tired of hearing the same songs. The only notable and worth listening to was "Be Yourself" by Genie Chuo and I don't know the other one but it was catchy.
Sometimes though, the music will foreshadow what's going to happen next.
OVERALL:
Pros:
+New Faces
+Catchy song ( only 2 though for me)
+Story is interesting, kept me thinking and excited for the next episodes
+Plot twist got me like "WHAT.......?"
Cons:
-Dialog drag the story a bit, they talked for about 10-30 minute during some episode
-Some characters are darn annoying
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Plot: Nothing new here: bold serial killer taunts the police to play his game and try to catch him, but the execution of the series was great. How each crime is slowly linked to the major mystery behind who the main killer is and why he is on this 'seemingly' random killing spree was interesting to watch. I love it when there are subtle clues for the characters and the audience as to the main motives behind the villains. Gives a series more depth and gets me even more invested.
Acting/Cast: Sooooo good! From the cops to the crazy criminals to the unfortunate victims, it was all well done. I can't think of anyone I'd replace.
Music: All I can say is that the tension was felt in every scene and the fear for all of the characters was only enhanced because of the music. It wasn't overly dramatic and it fit every mood and scene well.
Rewatch Value: Normally I would say that the rewatch value for a mystery is low because once you see it some of the thrill of uncovering it is gone. That is not the case here. Because of the individual cases that all end up being connected to the major plot line you might pick up some points you might have missed the 1st time around. Plus the cases themselves are so 'creative' I wouldn't mind revisiting them again!
Overall: I highly recommend this for and crime/mystery lovers. Be warned though, there is NO ROMANCE or even a hint of it. At best you'll get a nice warm feeling from the loyalty and friendship between coworkers. The focus is entirely on the mystery. And I'm fine with that alone (for once ;-)
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Angsty, fast paced plot with enemies to lovers vibe.
Thankfully, I started this drama when I had symptoms of drama slump. Turned out it was because I did not find that one drama that suit my mood at the moment. So when I finally found it, I can't stop watching.So here is my review:
✅️ Very engaging, angsty & fast paced from beginning to end. I liked that the plot was unpredictable at times and every minute details have significance to the story like you would think they're unimportant but later they did have a meaning to it.
✅️ Excellent acting from all cast. I enjoyed FL's acting. She can acts in emotional scenes so well despite only have less than 3 years of experience as an actress. This was my second drama of Zhao Yi Qin and he did not disappoint too. He was perfect as Helian Xi . His character tugged at my heartstrings. I feel for his anger, anguish ,loneliness and sadness so much.
✅️ Romance & chemistry between leads was excellent. Enjoyed enemies to lovers concept in the early episodes. We could feel a lover vibe in their skinship scenes. Just wishh.... we get more than just one steamy intimate scene in the story ( ok now I sound like a pervert lol).
✅️ About the ending , I found it to be well suited to the story. After so much that happened to both main leads, they are free now from all the suffering.
✅️ Cinematography & costumes : 10/10 . I have no complaints. Many beautiful setting (my favourite were the house adjacent to waterfall and all snowy scenes ). Loved the costume details too .
☑️ Motive of the villains here were nothing new I speed through most of their scenes and still able to understand the story.
☑️ OST just good enough and well fitted.
Easily become one of the best short length C-Drama of 2024 and all-time favourite for me. If your soul need some fast paced, angsty & not so cliche plot with great chemistry between leads, try Hard to Find you might love this like I did.
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This review may contain spoilers
Is it possible for a show to choke?
This Show starts well and showed a lot of potential. It was fast paced, funny and really hooks you within the first couple of episodes. The leads have great visuals and are charismatic. The OTP also has good chemistry and their love line is quite swoon worthy. Throw in some unusual litigations and messy family dynamics and we have a nice smorgasbord of stories. What more can you ask?Everything was humming along and plots are developing nicely. The love story of the leads are progressing well. We even have a psycho antagonist which really spiced up the proceedings. That is why it is so baffling when the story telling seemed to goes off the rails at the last 1/3 of the show.
The cracks starts to appear when Team Law Cafe took on a sexual harassment case.
It is set up nicely, all the background stuff was dip fed to us. Very troubling but impactful. The veiled threats and actual dangers are there to heighten the tension. Everything is set for a multi-episodic arc with a David vs goliath style battle both in and out of the courtroom. What I didn't expect was a seemingly rushed conclusion to that storyline just when it got interesting and the tension is rising. It just feels underdone.
Yes, it does set up the big showdown with the main antagonist but the handling of this key plot felts arbitrary. It sounds like the back of a napkin type of writing rather than a finely tuned one.
Next, the hostage scene at the church is laughable. It was really illogical. We are talking about a dozen or more armed police with guns drawn standing by while the antagonist stood in plain sight waving a knife and threatening the hostage. He stood like that for minutes while ranting at the assembled police. The sorry saga only ends when the injured ML tackled the antagonist single-handedly. Yes, we get the heroic act but it really defies logic and looks farcical. Not sure how that passed script review. That was the moment the Show jumped the shark.
The acting on the whole was good. The antagonist did a very good job of portraying an unhinged person. The FL was bold and sassy and she really had fun with that. The ML was low key and conflicted. He feels out of sorts around the FL and is over protective. It worked well in the early stage of the Show but it does get a bit tiring towards the end.
I enjoyed most of the show and loved the spunky FL and the OTP's cute interactions but the weird misstep in the story telling did give me pause and took me out of immersion. The last episode is pretty much fan service. I can't rewatch the whole show but a highlight reel will not be a chore. Peace out.
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Team Alex
So like most of us, I'm here cause I fell in love with Pearl's spunky personality and beauty from the prequel Gameboys. She brings all the spice here as well and I loved it! I had an issue with the run around the story created but that's legit due to my own personal beliefs and feelings on relationships. Visuals all around and I think even straight people could learn something/enjoy this series lol I think the acting was better than the story itself but I'm glad the story wasn't anywhere near as basic as I had prepared myself for. This is definitely worth the watch and the ending was so much better than I expected. Enjoy...Was this review helpful to you?
It was nice, it made me cringed and almost made me puke due to the over endearing cuteness of these two...
All in all what I like about it is the story, somewhat believable if it was less dramatic but at the same time it was cute which didn't make me hate it.
I really wish they made it a real drama to make it longer because it was an amazing watch.
Another thing I liked is the natural skin ship of the main characters. It reminded me so much of Coffee Prince and the kisses, OMG how I love the kisses...not saying anything more but it was really good.
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