Reviews

Disaster

Honestly, the only reason I stuck with the show was to see her finally face consequences in the end. The ending wasn’t that terrible, but definitely not what I wanted or expected. The start was strong, but I was least interested in her journey. Sure, her character was unique and acted well, but I kept hoping she’d finally fall into someone’s trap or get manipulated for once. I still don’t get why everyone keeps helping her and feeling sorry for her.
Jun-seo’s character felt a bit underdeveloped. And the actor — whether it’s Penthouse, Shooting Stars, or this show — he just gives similar vibes every time. Even if the characters are written differently, his acting always feels the same.
Looks like there might be another season coming, but I’m not looking forward to it.

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A Heartwarming Love Story In Tokyo...

30sai made Dotei dato Mahotsukai ni Narerurashii is one of those dramas which will probably be avoided by most mainstream drama watchers from its surreal , seemingly unrealistic and “ sexual “ concept of a 30 year-old businessman, Adachi Kiyoshi ( Akaso Eiji)who can suddenly hear other people’s thoughts simply because he has never lost his virginity.

Yet against all odds of its bizarre premise, 30sai made Dotei dato Mahotsukai ni Narerurashii’s greatest strength was representing the relationship of our two main characters- not simply because they are a part of a “ same-sex pairing ”, but as flawed and independent individuals in their own right (something which only a minority of recent and contemporary romance dramas have been able to portray in the same manner of depth) .

Akaso Eiji was undeniably brilliant within channeling the meek- mannered Adachi, who is naturally perturbed after receiving his new abilities by being able to read the thoughts of anyone he makes contact with . To make the scenario worse for Adachi , he is surprised to discover that his popular male colleague Kurosawa Yuichi ( Machida Keita) has been harbouring complicated romantic feelings towards him for a long time.

Initially Adachi is hesitant to help out Kurosawa at work or grow close to him. Yet as Adachi reads more about Kurosawa’s thoughts and feelings both towards him and as an individual , viewers actually get to see in the process Adachi making sense of his own feelings towards Kurosawa as well. In one particular scene, viewers learn that a lot of Adachi’s problems with wanting to start a relationship with Kurosawa aren’t entirely homophobic, but a consequence of self-esteem and confidence from his past. It is only when Adachi is actually able to start respecting himself ( an important stage in any relationship) that he is able to start falling in love with Kurosawa also.

On the other hand, this also moves us on to one of the biggest flaws of the drama ; its inability to capture actual attitudes and thoughts of Japanese society towards the LGBT community in Japan. Whilst it can be said that not every drama should always be a political and radical message towards society, there’s no lies within saying that Japan has always had a complicated relationship with LGBT rights. Although undeniably a lot more progressive and liberal than some countries in the world and a lot more than the past, there’s no sugarcoating that open- homosexuality or being in a same sex relationship is still sometimes a cause of shame and prejudice amongst some members of Japanese society.

For a drama which specifically tackles these difficulties, it felt a bit out of place not to openly cover some of these pressures and expectations such as in Adachi and Kurosawa’s workplace upon their sexuality and the forced image of “ manliness” often imposed upon men of all cultures as a consequence. This is a flaw which could have easily been shown in the drama and therefore meant that 30sai made Dotei dato Mahotsukai ni Narerurashii was lacking in some genuine and realistic approaches to homosexual relationships in Japan.

On the other hand, my biggest praise must be given to the scriptwriters Yoshida Erika and Okazaki Satoko within the manner in which Adachi’s feelings and attitudes are portrayed. Although he comes to grow accustomed to his own feelings being more than platonic for Kurosawa , it was finally refreshing to see a case where Adachi as a romantic lead is not suddenly head over heels for Kurosawa either. Adachi is finally shown as a protagonist who learns to develop his relationship with Kurosawa over the whole course of the series as a slow and gradual process, rather than a sudden rush for them to suddenly hook up at the ending of the drama.

In a similar manner, Machida Keita was equally brilliant as Akaso’s costar within his role as Kurosawa. Although initially portrayed as overly extroverted and a little too optimistic at times within the drama, there’s no denying that Kurosawa’s reasons for liking Adachi do follow some typical romantic cliches. On the other hand, Adachi’s abilities reveal that Kurosawa is very thoughtful and respectful of some boundaries within their relationship as well as his own feelings towards Adachi not getting too out- of -line. As opposites within their progressive and complicated relationship, Kurosawa and Adachi’s connection isn’t overly presented with beyond salvation cliches nor is it an easy ride; it is more a case that both characters learn to walk through their differences as individuals.

Our side couple, partial- hikikomori ( shut-in ) Tsuge Masato ( portrayed unrecognisably by Asaka Kodai ) and cheerful delivery boy Wataya Minato (played by Goto Yutaro ) was a complicated portrayal for viewers to say the least.

Undeniably both Kodai and Yutaro were just as brilliant as our main actors within their roles, but both their characters respectfully in the beginning of the drama felt a little too much like our main characters within their roles of the “ less confident” and “ socially awkward” guy and the “ popular social butterfly”. Yet perhaps my one note of praise for their relationship comes later in the show , where a sincere revelation by Minato, opens up Masato’s tightly-closed shell and his own feelings as well. On the other hand at this point in the drama, there is sadly also little time to actually focus upon the same depth of their relationship as our main leads, making their progression seem a little too rushed and consequently lacking in the same emotional investment.

Overall there is no denying that although there are several flaws with some characters , cliches and avoiding certain area topics (such as some general attitudes by Japan towards homosexuality), 30sai made Dotei dato Mahotsukai ni Narerurashii is a surprisingly progressive and heartwarming Tokyo romance, portrayed by a brilliant cast, as well as the focus upon the two leading characters as individuals, rather than mere plot devices as well. Definitely a drama watching.

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First I must say that I was nice with my rating! Why you may ask:
- This drama had a great potential(for a first 4-6 episodes) but because of a bad writing it went downhill!
- Lee Jong Suk really improved in his acting, Kang So Ra was really good and Park Hae Jin was great! Their acting was that kept me from dropping it! I wanted to see their improvement!
- Oh, gosh u guys know how much I hate that annoying JSY and once again she didn't convince me to change my mind about her! She really SUCKS! >_<
- One more thing that I liked in this drama were those amazing Kang So Ra and Lee Jong Suk moments which have kept me from dropping it lol. I really liked their chemistry, it felt so real and it gave me those feels! :D

This drama SUCKED big times! As I said, I liked where the storyline in a first 4 episodes was taking, but then everything went messy and so damn confusing. I was pissed and mad at everyone >_< l was like: "What the heck are they doing?" O.o U didn't even know who to like and who to hate! The writing was really, really bad and I don't think I'll watch anything from this writer again!

Music: Woah, it was really good! My fav one was this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QusjP1V7qo
I like Bobby Kim's voice! :D I even listen it for 2 weeks and I still am! :D

So actually as you see only three things in this drama are worth watching it, but for your own good I really don't recommend you!
Don't watch it! Oh, you mean "It has a Lee Jong Suk in it so I'll give it a try", but don't seriously! Even if it's for him!
I don't think I'll rewatch this drama even if I don't have anything to watch LOL!^^

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Missed the mark just a bit...

This review contains spoilers. You've been warned. ;)

The female lead of this show is marketed as a capable, feminist attorney seeking justice against men for all the wronged females of the world with her fists of fury and clever one liners. It's supposed to be a more feminist romantic comedy, and while I think it hits some good points and highlights some of the injustices and slights women face daily... it really missed the mark in the end for me.

I would've loved more of seeing Mi-Ran growing to use the law and her intelligence to take down crappy dudes rather than her fists. Also, I really didn't like how she caved to the pressure from toxic fans and broke up with Kang-Ho, and additionally how she handled the reunion with Kang-Ho. I know she was under an immense amount of pressure, but that whole piece didn't feel true to her character. ALSO, I hated that the things that turned the tide of public opinion in the end was her ex-boyfriend's defense of her on that sleezy celebrity gossip show. I mean, was it an incredibly sweet gesture? Yes. It totally made me tear up that her law firm bros defended her like that. However, in the end of this "feminist" drama, a man had to explain the situation to save the day. Also, they end the drama with her chasing those cat-calling drunks down the street? Mi-Ran, with all that is now at stake, please use your words as weapons instead.

Anyway, it may sound like I hated this drama. I really didn't. But all of that did really bother me about this one, and will keep it from being a rewatch.

So things I liked? All four main leads were incredible and well-cast. Kang-Ho's gentleness and loyalty made him an absolute dream. It had some truly hilarious moments (Kang-Ho's face after he kicked his sandal into something breakable off-camera had me gasping). I loved the bromance. I loved the 2nd lead's romance. Kang-Ho's first confession made my heart flutter. Soo-Jin was an absolute QUEEN, and all of her outfits were absolutely incredible.

Anyway, in conclusion. It was a drama that was a lot of fun, but I think some of the drama's messages didn't quite land in the end.

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Malevolent lies or...?

Usotoki Rhetoric. This drama has a lot of things to offer. Perhaps the absolute best drama I've watched this year. 10/10.
I don't have to love EVERYTHING about it to know that I've loved this drama deeply from my heart. One thing I would like to mention before the review is that this drama takes place in the early Showa era (presumably 1930s-1950s). The city is called Tsukumoya. I looked up the time and place while writing the review, but I ignored it in the drama. So, the details about the settings of the drama might be wrong. I'm sorry about that. And minor SPOILER ALERT.

Story and setting: 9.5/10
The story was amazing. As the synopsis says, it's about the duo- Souma sensei and Kanoko. They solve different mysteries and learn about life and people. One thing I love about Jdramas is that they tell stories from the heart, about people, about the small but important things in life. This drama is a great example of that. I cried during the last few episodes, thinking I wouldn't be able to see this fantastic drama again. Here Kanoko and Souma learn and teach things about people and life that will make people wonder about some rather important things that we might not have thought before. All of this while giving you things to laugh at and smile about. Might even make you cry. At first, the setting scared me, thinking that the language might be hard for me to understand (watched it while relying only on JP captions). But it turned out to be 95-99% similar to the Japanese language they use now. Either way, the setting is very pleasant, combining Western and traditional Japanese styles of clothing, culture, etc. 

Cast and characters: 10/10
Kanoko and Souma might go down in the history of Jdrama for being one of most entertaining comedy/mystery duo while maintaining the right amount of subtlety. The most significant thing that made me stick around is their relationship. The perfectly platonic superior/subordinate relationship is just so precious. Why perfectly platonic? Before watching this drama, I thought these 2 might get involved at some point, but that never happened, nobody even possibly had feelings for the other one (un)till the very end. Nonetheless, delightful performances by the cast. I've seen Suzuka Ouji before in dramas, but this is the first time I loved one of his characters this much. This is the first time I've seen Matsumoto Honoka in a main role of a drama and she did a great job. Katayama Yuki is made for comedy; hoping she gets more of them in the future. Another amazing thing about the drama was the pleasantly surprising guest stars, notably Kitano Kie (so much that I wish she was a regular cast member) and Hamao Noritaka, the most mysterious character who I thought was gonna have a bigger role before the finale.

Music: 10/10
The BGM goes perfectly with the drama's setting. I really am curious to know what that English-sounding song they play during the happy scenes, cuz I didn't see them name that song in the credits. The ending theme was also great, after the first few episodes, I got emotional every time the song played near the end of the episodes. And I think this drama gave this song a new meaning overall. 

Rewatch value: 8/10
I don't rewatch dramas a lot. But this is pretty high up. I'd definitely be willing to rewatch this one. Why not? It's a mystery drama after all.
Overall: 10/10Mathematically, the overall score isn't accurate considering that I didn't give all the different aspects 10/10. But that doesn't stop me from saying that I 100% recommend this drama. As a side note: Fuji TV has given me not 1, but 2 memorable Jdramas this year. And both leave me craving many more episodes and another season. Because Usotoki Rhetoric also has some loose ends, 1. Kanoko and Souma's relationship and 2. Hamao Noritaka's oh-so-mysterious character (you CAN NOT drop a bomb like that without further explanations!!!) And while they're major cliffhangers, I think my level of disappointment for this drama not getting a season 2 will be nearly as high compared to the disappointment I will feel if Geeks doesn't get a season 2.
Bottom line, who doesn't love a little bit of comedic mystery in their lives? Go ahead, give it a watch. I believe that you won't regret it.

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Amazing drama. AMAZING. I was hooked from the very beginning. And what it is best, the last 3 or 2 episodes are not boring or dragging at all (something that I've been dealing with with the last doramas I've watched). Everything was excellent in this dorama. Excellent.

This is the first time I see a period drama (a Japanese period drama, that is). I learned so much. First, this character, Sakamoto Ryoma, who is one of Japan's hero (although you would not believe it in this show... he was more like a comedy relief, but I've read some text about him to be more informed). And then, their life styles. This is the 1862 year.

Top-notch things about this wonderful dorama:

- Cast: many familiar faces, but also some new ones. Ayase Haruka has never failed me. She is amazing in everything she does. I think I will like whatever she is in. She plays the daughter of an important family, and she wants to be a doctor (which was not possible in that time, for a woman). Needless to say, she looked gorgeous as Saki-sama, in her kimono and fancy hairdo. Her brother is Koide Keisuke, another actor that has never failed me. He may be a little to tamed here, but I liked him so much he could have said two words in the entire show and I would have still liked him. Other actor that I've recently started to like is Kiritani Kenta (as the doctor Saburi). He has such a funny face, and boy he can act! He was wonderful as the new doctor who practiced his studies with prostitutes. And then it is Nakatani Miki, as Miki and the courtesan Nokaze. WOW, what a pretty, elegant lady. I have seen her only in one movie ("Densha Otoko") and I wasn't impressed. She was too plain, in looks and in acting. Boy did I change my mind! She is beautiful, she moved me with her acting as both Nokaze and Miki. She was so elegant and lady-like as the courtesan. Everything, from her voice to her little movements, were majestic. OMG, even her little feet were elegant. I love her smile, I can't believe I once thought she was plain.

The new faces, for me, were first, Ozawa Takao as Jin. Excellent his role as the doctor. I don't think I will be able to see him in another role, he WAS Dr. Jin. He traveled in time, from present time to Edo time. It was not hard to put into his shoes. Everything he did -every life he saved, every person he met- could change history, and he was afraid of it. But more than anything, he was a doctor, so of course he changed perspectives; his and the people he met. I could understand why two strong females, like Saki and Nokaze, fall in love with him. He was just, he was kind, he was skillful. On the other hand, I could not take sides. I loved Saki, she was an independent woman who was interested in medicine. I loved Nokaze, who had a very sad past and wanted her freedom. I loved Miki, Nokaze's great-great-great-granddaughter and present girlfriend. I could understand why Jin was so aware of the little photograph he took with him (where he and Miki were posing. With every change he made into history, the photograph changed). I don't know how this will end... and although I hate love triangles -or love squares- I wish Jin all the happiness and wisdom to chose a woman among these wonderful women.

At first I thought the actor had a funny face... a bit weird, since his eyes are very apart. But with every laugh I liked him more. He had those tiny wrinkles that made him attractive, he has a nice body and nice teeth. On the other hand, he has a huge Adam's apple (is it weird to take notice of that??)

The actor who played Dr. Ogata was also wonderful. First time I see this man. He did a good job playing the most important doctor in this little town. I was moved by his tears. And I was convinced of his importance and intelligence.

The little boy... waaa, I had tears in my eyes when he was crying for his mother. At first I thought he was a bit annoying and not a good actor, but he proved me wrong with the scene with his mother.

Oh, and Kohinata Fumiyo has a small role as well! He was, of course, wonderful. WOW the number of roles he played so far! One of the most prolific Japanese actors.

The man who played Ryoma-san was good, first time I see him. I just did not like his role that much, mainly because of the way he talked, and also because I just couldn't make up my mind that a guy like him has been the most important guy in Japan history. He was just too... he took things like a joke, which is fine of course, but as Ryoma-san... not so much I guess.


- Setting: the backgrounds were beautiful. The houses -so Japanese-, the gardens! The little red district... the trees! Houses were wide and so clean.

- Costumes: Saki's kimonos and Nokaze's... O_O WOW, beyond gorgeous. Their hairstyles, Nokaze's high shoes, her make-up. I loved one of Saki's kimono which was pink. Or another that was blue with little flowers. Scratch that, I loved ALL her kimonos! From the top of their heads to their tiny feet... everything was pretty.

- The surgeries: I am one of those people that cannot see blood... and since Jin is a doctor who has to perform surgeries -brain surgery, skin surgery, breast surgery...- everything looked very real. I was like O_O OMG. And of course, praying that Jin could save his or her life. It did not always happen -obviously- but I was so happy when he did.

- Soundtrack: the ending song not so much. But the opening and the one that accompanied the most important scenes (by Takami Yu). It was sweet and a bit sad and just beautiful. I loved it and I am currently searching it to have it on my playlist. One of my favorite dorama songs.

Before I decided to watch it, I've read several reviews in order to decide. Most of the reviews said that the end was not good. I think it was good, a bit of a cliffhanger but not a life-or-death problem. It ended like it was supposed to end. Some get their happy ending, some get a HFN. A perfect way to continue a 2nd season, but for people who did not like it so much, it can also end here.

Rewatch value is 100% since I have watched it already twice.

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A well executed drama about the underworld, revenge and fighting your way from rock bottom to the very top. More than a regular drama this rather feels like an extended gangster movie with its sleek appearance and somewhat mellow atmosphere. The raw violence and ruthless reality are well portrayed but, at the same time, some moments are very tender. You definitely get the movie vibes, also thanks to scarce (or then just super well placed) product placements. This is not your typical idol drama and you can definitely feel the maturity in it.

The acting was good and bad. As usual, the female cast was extremely weak and their characters lacking. I liked Mi Joo's story but Na Ra was really boring. She didn't have enough screen time either. From male cast, my favorite was Park Won Sang as Jong Goo, definitely my favorite character, he came alive on the screen and his story was the most interesting. Lee Bum Soo was great too but his character Heung Sam could have been more neurotic and special. He was kind of too ordinary. What comes to the main character Tae Ho, Joon Kye Sang was okay but Tae Ho was not that well written as a character. At first, he definitely was the main charter but later became dimmed by Heung Sam and Joon Go to the point I kind of stopped caring about him. He was too vague and at some point I wondered if he was working on a plan or if he was just turning bad and thinking about betraying everyone. I wish he was explained better in the story. He definitely changed and grew as a person, I enjoyed watching all the stages he went through but I really wish his character had been stronger.

Another one who really impressed me was Kim Hyung Kyu, he truly was a ruthless killing machine yet somewhere under all that cold surface he actually had a soul. I loved to watch him slightly change thanks to Tae Ho's influence. Somehow his character was really fascinating and also really well acted, I applause. Lee Chul Min made a good gangster too, he always looked like he had something on his mind and really stood out from all the rest. In the end, it seemed like he had learned something after all. I enjoyed watching his facial expressions.

I feel a bit conflicted about this drama. It was well executed and the plot was really polished. There was almost no repetition and everything was perfectly planned to the smallest detail. There were many interesting fighting scenes, the cinematography was good and the flashbacks were mostly different, they were like sneak peaks to the past displayed here and there to intrigue the viewer's interest. I was really amazed that for once they didn't display those same damn flashbacks again and again and again. The story was interesting even if there were slow moments, there wasn't much romance but I didn't miss it. Truthfully speaking, the chemistry was close to zero and I was glad there was more of plotting/gangster stuff. I guess, Last would have been a lot better if it was shorter and more compact, anyhow, it still became one of my favorite dramas.

I wish Tae Ho had been a better written character, I wish there had been more comradeship between him and his group of friends. I wish there had been some episodes about them bonding and I wish he had spent more time with them. I was left missing the friendship part, that part that I usually love about these kind of dramas. I also thing that Heung Sam trusted Tae Ho way too soon and too easy, but perhaps he was just too blinded by greed. After all, others warned him but he ignored.

But okay, this drama was a bit of distant, mellow, and somehow just really hard to approach. It's entertaining if you happen to love gangster stuff, plotting and scheming. And definitely this drama has a soul, it's very deep. There were no simply bad or good characters everyone had a reason to be what they were and that's what I really liked about Last. It makes you wonder about many things on a philosophical level. In fact, I guess the whole plot was not about Tae Ho but he was sort of thrown into a bigger picture and he was the driving force between the other characters like Heung Sam, Jong Goo and Mi Joo, their story was bittersweet and beautiful + it had that feel of the old dramas from 90's and early 2000, that bittersweet atmosphere which actually has the power to pull at your heartstrings. The title Last makes sense and I think it fits this drama PERFECTLY. Because when everyone else had numbers Tae Ho didn't. Why? He was the last one.

And the thing I liked the most about this show was that it didn't try to moralize or show what is right or what is wrong. Both Heung Sam and Te Ho only wanted to have their revenge but the point of the show was not to show that revenge is a bad thing, it only showed us how greed can destroy people. Who was once a good person could turn into a monster because of greed and one who was greedy in the beginning could turn into a human after abandoning that greed. Revenge, well that's all about the goal I guess. If greed is the driving force it could swallow and destroy you, if the goal is to save something precious then revenge could be the only thing that's worth to fight for.

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I started and finished this in one day, and, to me, it was a frustrating ride. I was patient initially, but I began losing it near the last six episodes.

The drama is certainly engrossing... to a point. Gosh, where do I begin?

The writers successfully built the suspense, mostly by beating around the bush just so to stretch out the length of the drama. Some characters came - like the cute, awkward ex of the FL - and vanished; very frustrating and unnecessary. The cinematography was good, adding to the dark theme the writers intended, but it made me feel detached to the story. Furthermore, the painstakingly slow pace of the conversations with extended silences in between made me skip a few seconds. Perhaps my watching it in a day led me to be so impatient, so take my opinion on the pace with a grain of salt if you don't plan to binge-watch.

The music was good. It was hardly out-of-place and complemented the character of the drama. However, they could have added music to a few moments to add life to the story. Good music always enhances - this feature was slightly underused.

For acting, I will start with the positives: Park Sung-Woong and Seo In Guk did great as main leads (the side actors were good too). In Guk embodied Kim Moo-Young's character well enough for me to be creeped out by him. Personally, however, Sung-Woong stood out the most - he portrayed the various colors of Jin Gook amazingly. After his moment of insanity with Moo-Young, Jin Gook's internal numbness felt real; I felt for him despite my disappointment. Jung So-Min did not really convince me as Jin Kang, or perhaps she did (if the character was meant to be what I got from it). Her expressions were usually blank; for example, when Moo-Young mentioned her "gentle eyes" or "look of pity", I genuinely could not see it on her face. She usually gazed with curiosity or disbelief (the latter annoyed me greatly), and that's it. I feel like an exception since I'm unable to see how great of an actress she apparently was here.

The characters? Goodness, their antics made me want to rip my hair out, especially our FL. She pretended to be so morally upright, turning out to be the opposite in many ways. I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her. She could accept situations easily and move on, which is certainly commendable, but, gosh, don't start sleeping with your late friend's boyfriend who was a total asshole to her. How she could be so disloyal to her friend is beyond me. While knowing that the ML was deceiving her, she kept quiet and let out an "Oh" as a warning, which clearly didn't do the job. Forever talked about ending aquaintancehship with the ML but never lived up to her words. It offended me how easily she forgot that her new boyfriend actually led her bestie to her death. The FL mentioned her older brother in a fond light, felt she owed much to him, but her actions were so selfish, it hurts. I was unable to empathize with her struggle with guilt over being a burden. I understood, but it never convinced me to root for the character. I won't even comment on the ML, since he was obviously not stable, but the poor writing apparently wanted him to be regarded as a misunderstood being. The brother seemed reasonable enough, not being swept by people's words, but certain actions of his in the end sometimes disappointed me. In my opinion, the writers tried too hard to paint the characters in grey, and it backfired. In my opinion, grey does not mean justifying wrong by narrating sob stories - grey means to see the reasoning behind actions and thought process, and letting the viewers empathize.

I genuinely wanted the toxic relationship between the ML and FL to be shown in an un-romantic light, but it seemed the writers wanted us to cry over the tragic end to their brief period of infatuation. I'll admit, some scenes were touching at times, but should that change the nature of the relationship?

The interactions I enjoyed were the brief moments of sibling bonding and healthy friendship - Jin Gook and Jin Kang had great banter; and Jin Gook and Tak / Cho Rong. The ML's false memory of his father being a policeman searching for him was bittersweet when it was revealed who he was actually thinking about.

The plot ties together well in the end. We get to see many things, after much wait, and some questions aren't answered, like the ML's motives with the first murder case (or maybe I missed it in my skipping spree near the end). The potential to greatness was there. The idea of "love conquers all" led to its downfall. They should have shown how, realistically speaking, such ideas play out in toxic relationships and sociopaths. If the writers intended to tell us that what was unfolding between the leads was poisonous, they did a poor job. What I saw a weak attempt at redeeming the ML and FL (her decisions, to be precise).

I just feel sad for the brother: he did not deserve this.

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So i sat down on my toilet seat and started analyzing this show.
When the show ended, i felt good, but there were lingering feelings of wanting more in the background but i didn't pay much attention to it. I finally did a thorough self reflection and found why that was.

THIS SHOW IS NOT 9.0+ MATERIAL
There are so many points in this show that make you think " why?! " but then you forget about it because the story moves on.
The show is great, do not misunderstand the review.
This show belongs in the 8.5-8.9 category at best.

The expectations generated by its 9.1 rating cause all its small inconsistencies to pop out more.

I am bad with Korean names, so i'll refer to characters are what i see them as.


The Pros.

The Comedy is good. At no point did it feel lame, everyone's character perfectly generates the comic relief you'd expect from them.
The acting was great. especially the main inmates. They portrayed emotions and reactions mostly as you'd expect someone in their situation would do.
The pacing of the overall timeline felt planned and well thought out.
Even if at times it felt like they were dragging the story with fillers, the events are connected well enough with the main story to make the 90 minute long episodes go by without being boring.
The flashbacks are something i really liked. especially Mister gangster's, when the whole screen goes into 4:3 mode lol
but there are issues here.
SECOND LEAD SYNDROME STRIKES AGAIN.



THE FRANKENSTEIN.

First and foremost the Main leads Romance.

WHY??? How did they screw up so bad i have no idea. At first it felt cute. Then the whole part started to feel like a chore to watch.
ML and FL meet, at the start they make it seem like they like each other.
Then they meet later, and ML starts to reject her, with the cliche "ᵢ dₒₙ'ₜ waₙₜ yₒᵤ ₜₒ ₛᵤffₑᵣ" mentality. He is a simple stupid character so i guess that's a bit excusable.
Then the FL starts rejecting him. The flashbacks keep showing how everything was good between them, other than him ghosting everyone when he loses, but here we are, she is just not giving a frick.
Then suddenly by the end, they miraculously get together. Without obvious events to trigger it.
There are events that happen that could have been triggers, but they happen way before in their arc. but by the end out of nowhere, they are back together.
i think the writers knew how weak their arc was so we barely see them together in the last few episodes.

Now the fellow inmates.............................

Jailbird was the exposition boy. Didn't see much more character out of him. ML saves him mom at the start, so he is a loyal fanboy now. We are led to believe he is good, but the he comes back to jail again. True to his name i guess. We get a glimpse of the HARD TO SWALLOW PILL when loony gives everyone in the audience the middle finger that some people don't change and jailbird is obviously one of those characters. In the end he is ML's Agent by the looks of it.
This char was the least impactful among all other inmates. But he ends up getting the one of the best outcomes.

Captain Demon baby. His arc felt well done, i would have loved a look at him after he was released, i have no idea why they couldn't do that.

Dr Petitioner. We go deep into his char, his backstory, his actions, and we hoped that we'll get a nice wrap up to his ark. NOPE. gets transferred out of the blue. Poor guy is never heard from again. We never know if he survives the other jail, gets out, emigrates to some other nation with his wife. He helped ML so much and that was a big slap to my face.

Mr Lispy Engineer. We don't go deep into his character till its time for the writers to yeet him from the show. However refreshing it was to see professor conman draining Lisp's wife, we never get a follow up. This part is not a big deal but knowing so little about his backstory or life, that was the only part we knew and cared about. Then they decided to take him out so a son pops up with a problem there goes one more inmate. Poor guy is never heard from again. Did he end up on good terms with his ex-wife atleast who knows. its not like the writers care.

The "Son" of Mr gangster. he was annoying, whenever he called himself the son, it was cringy and the betrayal was out of the blue. That would have been understandable if he stuck with the betrayal, but then he comes back for a cameo and we are supposed to like him again. He is mentioned when Gangster is being released and that's it.

HERE comes the biggest RED PILL of the show. Loony. They definitely did not plan his end properly. He was showing genuine signs of recovery. He was almost force fed drugs but he RESISTED. But when he gets out he gives in? His ending was felt rushed too. For most of the other inmates we see a send-off. Looney was close to plenty of people and a send-off should have happened but it just cuts to the restaurant and him being released. I don't know if the writers trolling and geniuses with his arc. One hand it feels wrong, on the other it shows a realistic depiction of addicts. But he was very capable of resisting and that was for sure. Did he sabotage his life out of anger for his mom? nothing is made clear and he is gone without mention forever. I expected to see reactions of the cursing lieutenant or the inmates but nope. GONE.

Then my favorite inmate, the reformed gangster. He sits in the background of the show much like the engineer, but at the end his story is picked up nicely. It was nice what happened with his daughter and all, but that's where it ends. where is his ending? the mother clearly likes him, she is single, he got out, but we never see any of it happening. WHY? Just why?!

So much more could have been done with this show. 16 90 minute episodes are effectively 24 1 hour episodes. That's a LOT. The camerawork is very slow at times , they could have cut some useless parts and gave meaningful endings, sad or happy to more inmates. but nope. Its all open to our imagination. There could have been short scenes with ML and what happens after a few months, maybe he tells everyone in an interview how his cellmate friends are doing. it was entirely possible but NOPE.

And what's up with those footsteps at the end of each episode? i thought they'd pay that off in the last episode showing someone walking after everything ends but naaaaa.

And did i talk about the setting of the whole show? Is this "Baseball star Fan club" or set in a prison? We get a glimpse of the real deal when cursing guard and non stop talking guard leave for a scene and this stern guard shows up. That goes NOWHERE. why was that scene in the show? to show us how ridiculous the setting is in the show? Who knows?

i can go on and on about small small issues, but ill stop now. this is what happens when expectations are HIGH. this show came out 2 years ago, has a 9.1 rating. Higher than Goblin, which i thought was the best K show of this decade. i haven't even seen it yet but now it makes me wonder if goblin's 9.0 was over-hyped as well or not.
there are plenty of shows with more problems than listed here but people do not complain as much, they are rated low and people have conservative expectations. but this show felt so convoluted.




I rate this show 8.5 because it is a good show. i didn't feel the boredom that made me quit halfway like a lot of shows give me, even if it was so long. The characters are well written even if their endings are not. The comedy is the best part of the show. I am not happy with this show more for its bad endings rather than the character decisions.

I really like the sister of ML and daughter of gangster characters, They breathed some life into this show.

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Is this even a bl? I doubt that and they used BL word wrong. It was ashamed that the webtoon who have a lot potential just came into ruined in the hands of worthless director who can't even comprehend a simple word 'BL'. They should've search and gather materials to the internet on what world they about to dive in. Everything seems so wrong from the start to finish. Heesu is just a side character- this isn't about him. I thought it could be another semantic error, to my star, and love in the big city kdrama with a masterpiece storyline. But they only give me disappointment. Definitely will never watch and recommend this again.

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Non-spoiler review (If you wanna read my spoilerish review, it's in the comment section)

So, I finished watching Gomen, Aishiteru. It was one of the most emotionally invested Japanese dramas I’ve ever seen. It has a lot of heart and warmth in it without saying so much. The simplicity in its storytelling was what drawn me to it.

I know that Japanese dramas like to emphasize on their characters’ and stories’ quirks. Sometimes a bit too much to the point of making no sense at all. Currently I’m watching Quartet and after a few minutes in, I was already bombarded with the characters talking incessantly about lemon and karage.

One more thing I noticed is that love stories in Japanese dramas nowadays seem so dry and detached. And they also tend to glorify extramarital affairs a lot lately. Gomen Aishiteru also has the extramarital affair bit but it has been handled well. And nothing good comes out of extramarital affairs.

In addition to that, Gomen Aishiteru has that 90’s - early 2000’s romance feel that I missed so much. Granted that it was a remake of Mianhada Saranghanda and they could have done it with Japanese drama’s quirkiness. But I’m glad that they actually remained faithful to the original version and interpreted it with Japanese drama’s sensibilities. Like Tomoya Nagase said, it was more of a tribute/homage to the original version of the drama.  I also liked how the Japanese version treated the story differently. And I realized that Gomen Aishiteru was more about Ritsu’s journey and how the people around him affected by it rather than his destination.

Several changes have been made to the story which I think for the better. Its ambiguous ending is what makes Japanese dramas special. They didn’t give you the answer right away, instead they left it all to us to make our own interpretation because life is like that.

Moving on to the performances, the cast did a great job at playing their roles effortlessly. Chizuru Ikewaki was flawless as Kawai Wakana, Baijaku Nakamura as Mita Tsuneo was good, though there were moments where he was over the top which I think it’s necessary for the character. Ayaka Onishi made an impact as commitment-free Furusawa Touko.

 Kentaro Sakaguchi shone as Ritsu’s privileged and pampered but terminally ill step-brother, Hyuga Satoru who was selfish at times that he had hurt Rinka emotionally because he was so obsessed with Touko.

Otake Shinobu as Hyuga Reiko was interesting as the ‘hateful’ person which I kinda empathize for her later on because yes, she made a huge mistake but at the same time she also suffered the consequences for what she had done and I think it’s unfair.

Riho Yoshioka as naive and faithful Mita Rinka was excellent. She was the anchor of Ritsu’s and Satoru’s lives. The difference is that Satoru manipulated her for his own security while Ritsu saw her as an equal. I also liked that Rinka was someone who in someway a strong character and had the courage to move on with her life when she needs to because she knew that Ritsu wanted her to be happy no matter what.

Last but definitely not the least, Tomoya Nagase. He was spectacular as Okazaki Ritsu. He has proved time and again that he’s one of the best actors in Japan and extremely underrated. Okazaki Ritsu is the best character that he has ever played. He was passionate, melancholic, emotional, vulnerable and awkward at times when it comes to love because he had never experienced it before Rinka came into his life. There was a lot of warmth and empathy for the people around him even though he himself was suffering and had gone through a lot of pain in his life. Apart from that, the way Tomoya portrayed Ritsu and emoted through his eyes and facial expressions without saying anything were incredible. His appearance in the drama was also different from that of Fragile, his previous drama. He was unkempt and rough in this drama which implied that he was not well taken care of with only a few clothes on his back when he arrived in Japan, looking for his mother. These subtle changes are what made Ritsu comes alive.

Another thing that I love about this drama was the characters development. It was subtle change in the characters’ behaviour that moved the plot seamlessly. The theme song “Forevermore” by Hikaru Utada could have been better and I wish it was more mellow. But good song nevertheless. The cinematography was top notch. It gave the drama a melancholic feel with its greyish and yellowish tones, and as the drama progressed, the colors became even more stark and gloomy as if they were depicting Ritsu’s pain and sadness.

The directors, Ishii Yasuharu, Mizuta Naruhide, Ueda Hisashi did fantastic jobs at making the story flowed so smoothly. And I love the background score of the drama.

Gomen Aishiteru has become one of my favourite Tomoya’s dramas of all time. I’d like to thank the people who casted him as Ritsu and tapped into his different range of emotions that are beyond his comedic ones. I can’t wait for Soratobu Tire to release this June 2018 and I’m sure he’s going to rock as Akamatsu Tokuro too.

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I thought this movie started off cute (like the other reviewers). The problem I had with this movie is that it seemed rushed. It seemed that events started to happen quickly, and the last 2O minutes of the movie dropped what might have been a 9 down to a 7 for me. The reason I say this is because it just seemed to happen randomly and the scenes went by quickly, feeling rushed. Aside from that, I think I would've liked this story a lot better as a drama, or maybe even a special, because things would've been explained more and you wouldn't get the feeling that you were missing something as you were watching it.



The Cast did a great job, though. The acting was done really well. Part of the reason I watched this was because of Jang Geun Seok haha, and he didn't disappoint. The other actors did really well, too.



The music was absolutely wonderful haha. I downloaded the soundtrack after watching this movie. I loved all the songs that he sang (:



As for rewatching...I'm not sure if I will rewatch it at the moment. I might, might not.



Overall, do I think it's worth watching? Yes, at least for the music and the acting. Well the story, too, just be prepared for some scenes to seem to come out of nowhere, especially towards the end.

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Heroes Not Afraid To Sacrifice

This is one of chinese action's series wrapped up properly that deserve the notice of drama lovers. The main story theme is about the terrorism. Not so many conflict in it but the conflicts happened stage by stage from the opening to the end.

Watchers would starting by hating all the characters before really love each of them. Their teamwork and bonds are superb. They promise us to enjoy the story and characters developments that we won't get bored and thinking of dropping it.

The songs full of spirit and heart touching will got the watchers heartcore.

It's been a few drama I didn't write review for. But because this one made me burst in tears of how heart touching their bonds, I decide to write this. This series DESERVES MORE POPULARITY!!!

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It's important to remember that the point of movies and TV shows are, primarily, to entertain. Yes, there are shows that are less than entertaining, but have plenty of artistic value and originality. But movies that entertain and take you for a wild ride are probably the ones you'd talk about and recommend to your friends for weeks afterwards. Veteran is one of those movies.

The story is not original - a good and dogged cop chasing after an elusive villain. The characters themselves are not that original either. But the cast make this script an electrifying movie to watch. Hwang Jung Min is fantastic as an everyday-man kind of cop who is passionate about his job and genuinely cares about people. Yoo Ah-in pulls you in with his performance as a villain who you love to hate, yet can't help but find out more about. Yoo Hae-jin is a sidekick with a difference and he does a great job of it, as he does with all his other roles. Special shout-out to Jin Kyung, who puts in a great performance in any show she's cast in.

You can tell that the cast are having so much fun playing their characters, and it is infectious, because this show is a thoroughly entertaining ride. Yes, you are rooting for the good guys, but you are also excited to see what tricks the bad guys next pull out of their hats. For this reason, I think this show has a decent rewatch value.

Overall, greatly entertaining with outstanding performances by the cast.

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I smiled throughout My Roommate Is a Detective. It's a bromance (yea!). It's a romance (eh!). It's a mystery in the most remedial of ways. But damn if it's not just a good watch. Lu Yao ( Hu Yi Tian), a money loving rascal, is recruited by Qiao Chu Sheng (Leon Zhang), a police inspector (once mafia boss) to solve murders. Initially based on money, the 2 develop a friendship and make quite the team. The main cast also includes Shane Yan as Bai You Ning, a reporter at a tabloid and the daughter of the War Lord, Mr. Bai, in charge of the British section of Shanghai.

As I stated the mysteries were remedial. Very little comes in the way of twists and the red herrings were more like pale pink. It was almost like watching an episode of Columbo. You know whoever he bothers is the killer. The who is a given. The how is what it's about. Unlike Columbo there is an underlying mystery/force behind all the other mysteries. The writers skim the political surface of the British annexation, racism, and ruthlessness. I wish they would have delved further. At first I had remind myself that this is Chinese drama and there's only so much one can air. After a couple of episodes the thought never crossed my mind.

The acting was very good. I loved every scene with Hu and Zhang. They had great chemistry. Yan had to be taken with a grain of salt. She is a bully and childish. The character can be great one second and completely annoying the next. Aside from her wardrobe, there was really nothing likable about her. The supporting cast was good. As a whole they were solid.

Let me take a moment to mention the production which was superb. The sets and wardrobe were sublime. Admittedly, I adore the fashion of the 1930's and 40's. The music was also great. I caught 2 modern songs that were out of place. One character was humming a song and a 30s style arrangement of "Dancing In the Streets" was played in a club. It makes me wonder what else I may have missed. The opening and ending titles are extremely good CG accompanied by fantastic songs. The opening theme "Enigma" by Chinese rapper After Thought sets the tone for each episode, while Shu Si Ding's sexy "Awake" leaves you with a sense of wonder.

While I wish the writer was more daring, I did enjoy MRIAD completely from beginning to end. I don't know if I'd ever watch it again, but I'd definitely check out a sequel. I'd like to know what's next for the characters. Overall, I'd give it a 9-9.5.

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