Reviews

A superb blend of action, suspense, and romance combined with terrific acting performances and a plot so thorough, I wish more Kdramas were like this. Who knew Lee Joon Ki was more than just a pretty face? This is the drama of a lifetime for me. To classify this as a simple spy/revenge tale would be an outrage to this nuanced and near-perfect drama. Borrowing a few familiar and almost standard Kdrama tropes , TBDW takes them beyond the conventions of just about any other drama. The characters feel real, not pre-written hollow shells, throw on the emotional angst. The levels of character development and moral ambiguity here are so prevalent, I get chills. Did I mention that you get to see LJK play both good guy and extra hot baddie?? Such a fantastic watch!

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Covid and Social Media bringing out the boys to the yard...

If you want a short but sweet drama with not too much fuzziness to itself..this is the one for you.

I'm a sucker for effective storytelling that doesn't drag unnecessary drama or uses old tropes as plot devices. I'm also it seems a sucker for stories centering around COVID times and how social media plays a central role/platform in the story.

This mini-drama had it all. Two dudes that liked each other. Supportive friends, a female character that wasn't too caricature or villainized, and a straight (no pun) to the point script.

Aaron Li is such a sweetheart. I've always had a soft spot for him since HIStory days and I'm happy to see him getting work. He was so adorable and dorky in this and I was really surprised with his Japanese level of speaking. Seems almost natural (perhaps he lived in Japan before?)

I really enjoyed that bilingual script (being multilingual myself) it is so nice to see how they jump from one language to another which makes it so relatable for us who do this every day.

The chemistry was actually there too! Which can be hard if the actors are not in the same room throwing lines. I liked the way they were awkward as well because it was a new thing for each of them. I love supportive friends! I mean that is the best takeaway from this drama in my opinion. Both male leads had friends who seem to be ride or die types and we need more representation like that in BLs.

in the end, watch it if you want something quick and enjoyable (get out of the gutter)

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Watch for special effect

Wow wow wow just watched the movie in theatre and must say worth all the time and money I had no expectations just wanted to watch Mark chao and Deng Lan didn’t knew Wang Dou is in this
I am surprise they have written him as supporting role but he is the main character he looks so handsome and his acting is good too
All actors are good Good looking and fitting to the role
Cinematography is just awesome you can just watch it for that
Only one complaint there is no element of mystery some questions are raised but immediately answer is displayed
Go and watch in theatre

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Genuinely Surprised....definitely worth the watch...

This ended up much longer than I planned, I am sorry for that. I don't normally write a review on the shows I watch. No matter how good or bad it was. But after reading all the negative comments and even some negative comments in reviews, I decided to sit down and watch it. I'm someone who has a hard time focusing, and Thai dramas (any Asian drama really) give me the chance to fall into another world and ignore the real life around me for a bit. It brings me back to calmer state of mind. From episode 1 to episode 12 I couldn't walk away. Feel free to skip to Paragraph 4 which begins my actual review. And please remember, this is MY opinion, I don't expect many to agree with it.

I can understand where people are coming from with the negative comments about this show. Yes, there was some cringy and just plain cheesy dialogue, yes, there were parts that didn't make any sense, I do tend to find myself asking "why?" and "wtf?" multiple times while watching any Asian drama.

I've learned over my few years of watching Thai dramas as well as any Asian drama. What I as an American see as cringy, cheesy, inappropriate, embarrassing, and just plan horrendous writing, not all Asians do. Our ways of life are different. So naturally we have things that Asians may find embarrassing, inappropriate, cheesy, and cringy as well.
I've learned to watch Thai dramas with a different mindset than I do American tv (on the rare occasion I watch it). Therefore, though I find myself covering my eyes, feeling embarrassed and just laughing at the ridiculousness of certain things, I've accepted it's just a part of THEIR culture and writing.

We also have to remember, this is Domundi. Not GMMTV, not Change 2561, Not Idol Factory, Not Me Mind Y.
So why compare them? Naturally what's written, directed, and produced, IS going to be different. Domundi delivered what is considered their...style? genre? Everyone says Tutor and Yim get Zee and NuNew's scrapes or the scripts they didn't want. But even Zee and NuNew's series are of the same quality. I find myself cringy at certain dialogues and scenes with them. Same for any Thai drama I've watched. Thai writers are different to what we're used to, so why bash so much?

If you've made it this far, I appreciate it, I will now share my actually review of the show.
In my own personal opinion, this is absolutely by far Tutor and Yim's BEST performance. I love Tutor and Yim, they are amazing together and have amazing chemistry. I personally didn't like The Middleman's Love. Something just didn't seem right with them playing those parts. Don't get me wrong, it was obvious they showed up and put in the work to bring the characters to life. It was obvious those characters just weren't for them and that's exactly it. They were not the original pair for those roles. It's no ones fault, life happens. And I can appreciate the director giving Tutor and Yim the chance and opportunity to Lead.
I can say I had moments during my viewing of Battle of the Writers, that I did try to picture a different pair playing Shan and Ob-aun, and I just couldn't. It didn't matter how ridiculous the line may have been. It didn't matter how cringy worthy the situation, Tutor and Yim gave their best. They showed the world they are ready and capable of more serious stories. I still cannot get over Tutors ability to speak with his eyes. He reminds me of V from BTS with his ability to use his eyes to capture one's attention. Yim did incredible, I don't know how to describe it, though his character showed moments of immaturity, he didn't full on whine like many characters do. He was able to get his emotions and feelings across with just a look. His eyes are his windows. He expressed his emotions in a way that made me feel what he was feeling.

And oh lordy, I wasn't too sure what the plan was for the NC scenes, but can I just say Tutor and Yim DELIVERED!!! There was no shyness. There was no hesitation. They. Went. For. It. I had moments where I felt like maybe I was intruding. This series shows these years they have spent together have been filled with building trust and comfort. They have cultivated their chemistry to bring an amazing performance. I cannot wait to see what they do next.

Lastly, can I just share my appreciation and excitement over seeing Mark with a partner? I have never cared if he was paired with a woman or a man, but anything I've seen him in he's either single, or he's in a relationship, but the other party is never shown. I just want to hug him and tell him he is loved and appreciated so much. So, seeing him interacting and having a relationship on screen just tickles me so much. I love Mark, I don't know what it is, but from the first time I saw him on screen, he's become my major bias. He did excellent work in this drama. That man's bedroom eyes are something else too.

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This movie is about love triangle, friendship put to the test and fulling hidden dreams.

Story is about choices we need to made in our life to be truly to ourselves. Just like Sang-ina decides to become chef and leaves corporation office to start everything anew. Like Mo-rae needs to decide is she ready to leave her safe place and stop being little girl all the time. She meets Him and every touch is natural and passionate. Young stranger brigs with him salvation and degradation to both Sang-ina and Mo-rae.

Joo Ji Hoon acting is adorable, he seduces Mo-rae in most delicate way. But in every step his closer to Mo-rae and further form Sang-ina. I enjoyed Shin Min Ah acting, maybe she was a little to greedy and that made both men miserable but in the end she was fair.

Sometimes movie was a little unclear, ending was good I like unsaid and open endings. Music just great, all instrumental parts of the Ost were so warm and calm. Joo Ji Hoon even sings in french ^^

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This is my very first review so bear with me.
Long Love Letter was one of the most unique dramas I've come across. Not only did it cure me of a vicious drama slump, but it also made me debate whether to choose sleep or the next episode. And, I chose the next episode even when it was 4 A.M.

Just like other reviewers have stated, don't let the synopsis trick you! It definitely wouldn't prepare you for the nail-biting and the nerve-wracking. Just when you think you've seen it all, Long Love Letter hits you with another shock! The plot literally takes you to the most unexpected places and it doesn't shy away from posing some serious questions about the dark nature of human beings. For me, Long Love Letter's brilliance was in its heart, its ability to create a 'home' amongst the insanity and the chaos, and its optimism in the direst situation. I liked how the young cast grew in front of my eyes from kids to mature grown-ups who learned to fully accept responsibilities in the end.

That's not to say that Long Love Letter doesn't have its flaws. Admittedly, it had its inconsistencies but I'm willing to forgive it because we're already thinking outside the box from the start. Also, it felt a tad too preachy at the end. However, what bugged me the most was the so-called Sekiya-Sensei. This character felt like a plot device in the sense that the writer brought her up whenever s/he needed conflict and had her completely disappear when she wasn't needed. Also, her conclusion at the end was laughable not to mention unbelievable.

The acting was superb! The most profound and touching scenes were done in the simplest ways. And, the romance was so sweet.

The cinematography wasn't exactly great. Some scenes felt randomly glued into each other. Whether intentional or not, the sloppy direction helped to reflect the mood of utter chaos and insanity.

The music was serviceable, average at its best. Sometimes, it played at awkward times.

I wouldn't rewatch this one soon because its scenes are still haunting my memory at the moment. Honestly, I don't know if I want to re-live this magnificent experience twice.

I would recommend this work to anyone because I think it truly had something for everyone.

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A STORY THAT MADE THE EP 11 CURSE BREAK.

So this is my honest review, i was so into ohmfluke and lately their series are like confused plot lines. So i believe this will be a better as it from the same people who did ECLIPSE THE SERIES then i started watching it in hope that from each and every episode my hope was like the budget drop line.. It was hitting the bottom upto the 10th episode, i lost all hope.. Then just today i watched the climax episode, can you believe a budget like can rise to the top in 1 episode, but they did it without much vulgarity! I loved the climax most and it was satisfying and understanding!! And the sister character mint she did such a great act in this episode even her role was something that must be appreciated!!
And other than that what i wanna mention more about this series will be of course its OST & BGM!
Especially the opening track and bgm played in the episode they're one of my favorite! Lke favorite about this series, something that actually make me to not lose hope!!
Wish they'll get more and more good storyline!!

Normally ep 11 is considered as the cursed episode in all BL but here episode 11 dod did a good magic maybe because it's the final😅.

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I really enjoyed this drama. I've seen a few medical dramas, and I thought this was an excellent one. I liked the plot when I first read the synopsis, and generally, this was the same throughout the show but I thought the plot in the last 3-4 episodes was a bit slow. The side plots added really well to the show- but one of them was left unfinished, I felt.

All of the cast were excellent- I loved the chemistry between the leads, and I thought the secondary characters were great also. The cameo in episode 3 made me laugh SO MUCH :D

I really liked the music throughout the show- especially Choi Jin Hyuk's song :3

I'm giving it a re-watch value of six, only because I'm not likely to re-watch this drama, anytime soon.

Overall, I really liked this drama- it was definitely one of the best so far this year~!

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Starts strong but falls apart midway

I had high hopes for this one but despite an engaging start it kind of petered out and I started to get bored in the final stretch. Others have already mentioned the use of cliche tropes, which was clearly intentional and not necessarily a bad thing when deployed well. But in this show I don’t think they pulled it off.

The drama started strong, with the past timeline with the teen versions of the characters a particular bright spot. I found their story utterly charming and the actors were great.

Unfortunately the adult story line was a mess, despite strong performances. The pacing was off, with plot points dragged out unreasonably long and side stories that added little to the main narrative. There were multiple points in the story when I didn’t understand why the leads were behaving a certain way - and it was clear that the only real answer was the plot demanded it. Worst of all, despite being about 3 hours longer than it should have been, the show didn’t even provide satisfying resolutions to many of the conflicts and questions it introduced (I felt this most keenly wrt the FL’s mother, who was never taken to account for her interference that resulted in years of misery for everyone involved). And the choice to drag out the reunion until the last 15 minutes of the final episode meant we saw precious little of our couple actually together.

Lastly, I’ll just say that I thought the overall tone of the drama was a mismatch for the story. The main narrative was about a couple who were deeply in love losing 25 years together mostly because of outside interference, but the characters never seemed to get angry or feel any resentment about it. They were actually pretty chill most of the time despite the absolute tragedy of the story, and the tone of the whole drama was curiously light. A second pass on the script to tighten up the writing all around would have served this drama well.

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Capital Scandal is a fun period piece drama set in the 30's during the Japanese occupation of Joseon. In this mix are the rebels who wish to free Joseon from Japanese oppression and immersion, The Japanese police and their ilk and the middle grounders (I made that term up), the people who just want to live under the radar, embrace the fun of the times and the modernization of Seoul. It is at its core, the story of a playboy who has run from all forms of obligation for most of his life and how the love of a woman changes him. And while this may be an archetype that Kang Ji Hwan has played before, I found myself loving his character anyway. I've seen him step away from this type in movies and I hope he does continue to stretch himself in the future.

I liked how deep this story became as the episodes moved along. There are nuanced and complex relationships that flesh themselves out completely and are not left hanging. While not every character gets a picture perfect conclusion, you do get the satisfaction of ends tied up nicely. There is a lot of fun, smart and snappy dialog in this drama that I don't feel was lost in the translation of the subs. The love story between the two leads was very sweet. I liked their antagonistic start, middle and end. They had a kind of old Hollywood Hepburn/Tracy feel to them.

The cinematography, color palette, clothing and music were all added delights of enhancing the feel of the time period. The Concubine Cha Song Joo had so many costume changes my head was spinning; but it was wonderful!

It struck me as I was watching Capital Scandal that even as it must have completely stretched the truth of the Japanese occupation of Joseon, (it was much worse, of course) if not over westernizing the time period; this drama speaks to the sense of pride Koreans have of their long, ancient history as a people. They deserve to feel that pride. When I think about all the ancient civilizations that remain intact, I hazard to say that Asian cultures seemed to have remembered if not kept their traditions better than most. As an American mutt, I envy the purity of that tradition and the ability to go back thousands of years tracing your family and owning your people's history. After I watched this drama I dug a little and found out just how close Korea came to being lost by that occupation. God Love Ya Japan...but I'm so glad you lost that war.

Capital Scandal is not perfect but it is a fun show. Lots of intrigue, funny situations, intense drama and a lovely little romance wrapped up in Kang Ji Hwan's special brand of bad boy comedy.

Give it a try!

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If you are here to watch this show, then it will be 90% bcoz of Cha Eun-woo. Yes me too. I want to make you all know how you can watch something short and sweet while fangirling over the handsome Mr. Cha.

This show shows us how Dream can be true in drama. She wants a handsome boyfriend and she gets Mr. Cha from the ad cutoff. He comes out of the cutoff and he helps her to date. But he falls for her instead.

And the ending makes you realize how it can be true that her dream comes true. Lucky she.

Can be rewatched for Mr. Cha’s handsome smile and face. Loved it.
Overall 8/10.

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totally wrecked Zeke/Fifth (watch ep 1, 2 and 13)

Overall: I liked Zeke and Fifth in My Story because they were flirty and sweet. In this season the writer totally ruined their characters and relationship. I was actively rooting for them to NOT end up together. Our Story is the third in the trilogy (season 1 is My Day which is not needed to watch to understand Our Story, season 2 is My Story which shows the beginning of Zeke/Fifth as a couple and is helpful to watch but not totally necessary) 13 episodes about 37 minutes each (taking out the built in commercials at the end). Aired on Oxin Films YouTube channel.

Notes: I watched most episodes but skipped a few because I wanted to poke my eyeballs out, I kept up with comments/what happened overall though. I suggest watching episode 1, 2, episode 9 part 3 at 7 minutes (nsfw scene), episode 10 part 3 at 10 minutes (nsfw scene) and episode 13

Content Warnings: attempted suicide, past suicide, parental abuse, intimate partner abuse, homophobia, non con picture taking/sharing, alcoholism, depression, sexism, gaslighting, manhandling

What I Liked
- Zeke and Fifth were cute/sweet/flirty (ep 1 and 2)
- GL rep (though the pacing was odd/not enough screentime)
- it was too frequent but the innuendo jokes were fun
- Xion Lim (director) played an assistant as Easy Ferrer (writer) as the other assistant
- Zeke's supportive mom (though she was a bit too involved at times)
- opening song and ending credit song

Room For Improvement
- the writing destroyed Zeke & Fifth both as individual characters and as a couple, Zeke said how he was hurt that he was called toxic while he screamed at his boyfriend was terrible writing, Fifth's actions make zero sense to me, so many characters did total nonsense things
- abuse was handled really poorly, Fifth said "he {dad] beat us" and the response was "that means you still matter to him", like WTF?!? and then later Jelai says his ex-boyfriend who was abusing him is awesome and Jelai apologizes to his abuser?!? what year are we in?!? akldfjkslajkdljaidla!!!!!!!
- way too many couples (6 couples/love triangles) and I somehow didn't like any of them
- exposition dump/voice over to start the series
- so many nonsense/unrealistic plot things (I'm not even going to try to write them all out) example 1: that a significant other didn't know of a life threatening food allergy until 6 months of dating, example 2: that a hospital didn't have any A+ (30% of the population has this blood type) or O negative (universal donor) blood?!? they should have had Zeke have AB negative blood because a 5 second internet search showed that number of people with: O positive: 35%, O negative (universal donor): 13%, A positive: 30%, A negative: 8%, B positive: 8%, B negative: 2%, AB positive (universal recipient): 2%, AB negative: 1%
- the comedy sound effects
- toilet humor
- super dramatic thing happened at the end of episode 11 and then the majority of episode 12 we have no idea what is going on, just random side character plots happening?!?
- in the final episode, did Zeke ever apologize for all the awful things he did?!? why was just Fifth apologizing?!?!!!!!!

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