This drama very much fits the usual standard for Japanese dramas; a series of events, usually with a pattern, and an underlying storyline.
SPECIAL NOTE: I cried in 3 episodes. In a 10 Episode drama. Usually, the only dramas that get me crying are the epic 25 episode long ones- and even then, they have to have POSITIVELY HEART-SHATTERINGLY SAD ENDINGS. Or no tears are shed. In this way, this drama is impressive.
Story- It had a very good idea for the story, but I don't know if I agreed with how it was executed. There were definitely some loose ends I would like tied up, and the ending wasn't satisfactory.
Cast- I thoroughly enjoyed the cast, I think they all did very well. :) The lady that plays Momoko is a very good actress; I'm currently watching her in another drama and she plays the polar opposite character of Momoko, to the extent that I can barely believe it's her.
Music- I actually remember a lot of the music from this one, which is a little bit of a surprise (in a good way). It was really quirky and it always fit with the scene. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and sometimes tense. The intro song is beautiful as well.
I wouldn't watch this drama again any time soon, although I enjoyed it. It simply isn't a drama made for rewatching is all.
Overall, it's a little bit of a frivolous drama, very funny (I legitimately lol'ed several times) and heart touching. Don't watch it if you're looking for romance, a completely sensical and complete storyline, or a particularly unpredictable or serious drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
they saved the best our skyy 2 episode till last
this episode.. i don't even know where to start, it had my crying multiple times but with tears of happiness, it was everything i needed and more.we got to see many more sweet earthmix moments we did not get to see in the bad buddy crossover which i am so grateful for. whilst i did not wait as long for this as other atots viewers did, as i did not see atots for the first time until last year, it was still a long time to wait to see tian and phupha again and it was definitely worth the wait to see their happy moments together.
if you have seen the cross over episodes with bad buddy you will see this one has a bigger focus on their sweet and loving moments, which i suppose is obvious and bound to happen since this was now their 'own' episode but it was not expecting that much sweetness given how phupha was acting in those cross over episodes.. it made me so emotional :')
this episode has some of the most beautiful moments out of all 16 in the our skyy 2 series, and is potentially my favourite out of them all, i urge you to watch this if you like a tale of thousand stars, earthmix truly deserve all the love and support for this episode, as well as the cross over episodes (however i much prefer this one..)
the ost they sung for this is great, and sung beautifully by them both as always!
Was this review helpful to you?
Culinary Alchemy: Cooking up self discovery with side of food and formulas!
Fermat no Ryori—where culinary arts meet math, two things I'm about as skilled at as a fish on a bicycle. Yet, surprisingly, this quirky blend managed to hook me in with its mix of food and formulas.Onto the main course—the food and math combo. The series isn't just about cooking up dishes as I expected but it emphasized more about cooking up some self-discovery. Our main leads Gaku and Kai are as complex as a recipe with too many ingredients.
Their attempts to adapt to each other's ways, followed by failures and subsequent self realizations kept me hooked. The narrative emphasizes on the importance of personal growth within any kind of relationship.
Honestly I came here looking for all the food talk (which I did get) but stayed for the stories of those who made it.
While it was an unconventionally tasty and intriguing concept, sometimes it felt forced and a bit gimmicky. And speaking of issues, the pacing was a bit like Swiss cheese—full of gaps. I don't mind a slow-paced drama, but at times it felt a little draggy.
The bromance between Gaku and Kai was the dessert! It was entertaining to watch especially the hug where Gaku comforts Kai. As for the ending, it was happy and melodramatic, but that smile while cooking in the last scene made me swoon.
Overall, the drama serves up a strong premise, with execution as uneven as a lumpy gravy, but with decent acting!
Bon appétit!
Was this review helpful to you?
NOT CALM!!! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ENDING!??! I NEED SEASON 2, RIGHT NOW!!!
I without a doubt loved this show.... which is crazy to me because I never planned to watch it. Mostly because the whole concept screamed "Inside Out" to me and I'm not really hip to the whole coattail thing, but I gotta admit, they did a amazing job with this and I'm obsessed with all the cells! Hunger cell is my purly my reason for living. Lol
I remember seeing a post (that I really wish I could remember what it was about) and it made me more curious about the show than anything and I thought "eh why not" so -- I looked it up and only intended to watch a few minutes of it just to see what the hype was about.... It quickly turned into a binge watch black hole. Lol I mean, when your opening scene has a shirtless Minho, who in their right minds can turn that down? LOL!!!
But in all realness, I get it now. This show -- I have no words. Least none that cover how mind blowing awesome it was.
If you saw any of my updates, you know for a fact, I want to fight Woong and Sae Yi should maybe meet her match of the white truck of doom. I SAID WHAT I SAID!!! These two drove me up the wall with madness every time I saw them.
Yumi really didn't deserve everything Woong put her through. And gosh damn they needed to learn communication. Why is it so damn HARD to open your mouth and be like "hey we need to talk about some stuff"? or just be honest. Sheesh.
Let's just say this, the second he said "I can't lie" -- you knew, we all knew, that was a damn lie and a red flag straight from hell. It was like a ominus bell of doom the moment he said that. Not saying Yumi was perfect, but she really did try. Even when she kept getting sus over Sae Yi, Yumi really self sabotaged a lot around that time but I'm glad in the end, she talked to him about it. But I'm more pissed that he defended Sae Yi literally till the last moment. I get friendship is strong and everything but come on... you know damn well what she is doing and how she feels. It's insulting to Yumi to play the way he did. "I was handling it" pshhhh my ass!!!
I still have mixed feelings because when Yumi and Woong were happy together and had those great moments, I would forget how much I hated him.... of course, it would quickly get squished when he would pull some shit again. It was like a yo-yo constantly. back and forth and every now and then a trick would have you spinning around, then back to back and forth. Lol
I really hope next season we get to see more of Minho and Jin Young's characters. Which I feel like we will see more Jin Young, but not sure about Minho. Kinda want to see where his love life will be going. Lol Though can we all agree it's a little weird Minho's character and Yumi's ex kinda had the same character name (Ugi/U-gi) lol
I would even love to see where Ruby will be headed in the story... mind you, I couldn't stand her at all through most of the show but close to the end she grew on me a bit. Not sure why. Either way, if she is in season 2, I hope she grows up a little.
I think I have blabbed incoherently enough X_X what I'm trying to fully say is, if you're curious about this show, WATCH IT NOW!! Trust me, the cute cells are totally worth it and are what made this show what it was (for me). Can't NOT love hunger and lust cell. lol -- I seriously want to see other character cells in season 2. (that sounds weird to say hahaha)
Was this review helpful to you?
“Nature or Nurture?”; The Ultimate Question of ‘ Hwayi:A Monster Boy’
Director Jang Joon Hwan and screenwriter Park Joo Seok’s attempted to delve deeper into the ultimate debate of “ nature vs nurture” with ‘Hwayi: A Monster Boy’ - a savage action-thriller that is expedited by its gratuitous fight scenes. Despite Jang Joon Hwan’s film bringing forward TV star Yeo Jin-goo’s first silver-screen debut, the film’s scant insight into the motives and drives of its odd ensemble of characters alongside shoehorned storytelling and dialogue, will likely test the patience (at times) of action-genre enthusiasts and casual watchers alike.
The movie focused upon the titular main lead Hwayi ( Yeo Jin Goo); a high-school boy who was kidnapped as an infant and brought up by a gang of sadistic thugs. From a young age Hwayi has been reared into becoming a perfect killer by his five “ dads”: Suk-tae (Kim Yun-seok), Jin-sung (Jang Hyun-sung), Ki-tae (Cho Jin-woong), Dong-beom (Kim Sung-kyun) and Beom-soo (Park Hae-jun). However after turning seventeen, Hwayi is soon forced to face the reality of his upbringing as questions soon rise towards his birth parents against his violent nurturing and environment.
Jang Joon Hwan’s 2003 success ‘ Save The Green Planet’ was a work that combined graphic violence, fantasy and social critique to create a daring result. In many ways ‘ Hwayi: A Monster Boy’ shared a lot of similar themes with its predecessor- bloodlust gore and themes revolving around captivity and humanity blooming to life in an attempt to hook and intrigue viewers. However, whilst ‘ Save The Green Planet’ was a movie that possessed tactful multilayered themes and topics, ‘ Hwayi: A Monster Boy’ struggled to sketch-out the same depth as Joon Hwan’s previous work due to a notable key issue; writing.
In theory, Hwayi’s complicated relationships with his five fathers should have been the backbone of the entire movie. However, their character-drives and definitive personality traits were so ineptly draw together at times in Park Joo Seok’s fictional and niche microcosm of convicts and killers, that it was often difficult to truly differentiate them apart. Aside from Suk-tae acting as the boy’s main rearer and as the leader of the group( who is revealed to have his own motives in a twist which whilst climatic, lacked pretension, )and doltish Ki-Tae who sincerely showed affection for the boy , the other men’s reasons and personal motives for bringing up the boy and corrupting Hwayi were rarely tackled or given convincing explanations.
Playing Hwayi as a character pushed over the edge, Yeo Jin Goo could admittedly often lack an air of subtlety by overstating his character’s angst. Nonetheless Yeo Jin Goo gives the main lead an edge of complex fragility, instability and sympathy for audiences. His budding romance for classmate and potential love interest Yoo-kyung (Nam Ji-hyun), one of the few female characters of the movie( who lacked definitive qualities) , acted as a lighthearted respite from the movie’s downbeat narrative.
Costarring alongside Yeo was Kim Yun Seok. The venerable actor added a running streak of brutality and viciousness to his onscreen persona Suk-Tae. Nevertheless despite the brilliant dynamic charm of Kim Yun Seok onscreen, tedious dialogue exchanges against lukewarm chemistry between him and Yeo during scenes rarely instilled tour de force moments when ambiguous feelings of love and contempt became apparent in their final conflict.
In terms of pacing the narrative is filled with adrenal energy- suspenseful and expedited by its violence, but given the myriad of action sequences and locations shown throughout the film, the pinnacle conflict of the movie was climatic yet slightly incoherent also . ( Especially due to sporadic editing at times.) A notable issue which should also be addressed within ‘ Hwayi: A Monster Boy’ was its presentation of female characters. Whilst it is arguable that Joon Hwan and Joo Seok may have been trying to present a critique towards the infringement of gender stereotypes within South-Korean society, the lacking scope for female archetypes aside from the nameless, abused wife of Im Hyung Taek ( Seo Hyung Hwa), and “ love interest” Yoo-Kyung, served little purpose or depth exploration aside from being plot devices to keep the storyline moving.
Of course it’s wrong to entirely critique the movie. Admittedly well-mounted cinematography served as aesthetic eye candy for viewers with inventive and intuitive choreographed fight scenes paired together with a subtle yet momentous score.
Overall ‘ Hwayi: A Monster Boy’ was a film which will likely appease and irk audiences alike. The notable cast lineup did not disappoint and whilst the polished and slick fight sequences and gruesome violence will likely appeal to many fans of the genre, the bogged-down dialogue against cliche-ridden characters and plot will test genre aficionados and casual watchers alike. However, whilst the ending certainly helped to wrap up several key plot points, the end outcome of ‘ Hwayi: A Monster Boy’ was a mixed-result of gory and hare-brained carnage against some insightful delves into nurture, crime and parenting along the way.
Was this review helpful to you?
A more relevant and modernized version of a classic story done amazingly well!!
Review Summary/TLDR;1. The classic plot has been revamped to make it more relevant and interesting
2. Plot holes have been fixed and details added, making the story richer
3. Well-paced episodes, that don't feel too slow or rushed
4. Dynamic and fleshed out characters, made to be more real and complex
5. Excellent character development
6. Stellar acting from the cast
7. Incredible chemistry between characters, whether it be as friends or romantic partners
8. Good music, that really enhanced the story
Overall, a great watch that will have you laughing, crying, squealing, and feeling all the other emotions possible.
Full Review
Of all the various remakes, I have to say Thailand did it best. Whether it be in production, music, visuals, acting, or anything else. I completely enjoyed watching this version of F4.
Let's start with the plot. While it's true they didn't change much of the plot, they changed it in ways that matter. They've added details, backstories, and even some new plot lines that really explain character motivations and honestly help the viewers connect and empathize more with the characters. The focus on the world of business, the harshness associated with it, and the privilege the rich get, is something extremely relevant to society today. They were able to incorporate this into the plot and make it seem like it was always meant to be there. I liked that they also aimed at exploring the power of social media throughout the show, whether it be at school or following the lives of the boys. Essentially they've fixed up plot holes and added in details, that make the entire thing fresh and new, which is exactly what it needed. Even If you have seen another adaptation of F4, there is no way you would find this boring or repetitive. It was the perfect blend of romance, humor, angst, and emotional payoff. The pacing was incredibly well done as well, the 16 episodes were structured and planned out so well, I can't think of a single thing they missed. Of course, I wouldn't be mad if we got more fluffy moments between the main leads though. If I had to complain, I should say that there were a few scenes that were much more dramatic than they should have been or plots that were taken a little too far. I think it's just something inherent to Thai dramas as a whole, and it didn't happen often, so it didn't really bother me too much.
In terms of production, F4 really outdid itself. Everything looked amazing, the cars, the clothes, the houses, the school. In addition, every scene was shot beautifully, and with meaning. Everything thing had a touch of symbolism to it, representing a bigger picture. I loved that. Even flower garlands were used as metaphors at one point. I haven't seen any other works from this director, but you can be sure I am going to check them out. They are extremely talented.
Now my favorite part of the entire series, the characters and acting. In my opinion, everyone did an amazing job, but some did stand out more than others. First of all, for this to be Tu and Dew's first series, my mind is blown. They did so well. Tu was perfect as the strong-headed FL and Dew made me swoon with every move he made as Ren. Win and Nani did great as well. I love that they and their characters were given more of a chance to shine as well. In past versions, they seemed like side characters, who were just there, but here they had dynamic personalities and actually advanced the plot. I love love love what they did with MJ, and I am a fan now. You can bet I am going to watch everything Nani is now. Even Prim as Kaning was adorable, and I enjoyed watching her relationship with Kavin develop.
The standouts for me have to be Bright and Cindy though. Oh my god. Bright is already a well-established popular actor, and as always he did great, but his version of Thyme is honestly the best one I have ever seen. He isn't a single-minded arrogant bully, who was turned good by the power of love, no. He is a real person with real flaws and actual motivations that lead him to do the things he does. From the very first episode, we see a glimpse behind the curtain of his facade as a ruthless bully allowing the viewers to truly understand, empathize with him, and at one point even start caring for him. Something we never saw in other versions. Instead of just watching his journey of falling in love, growing up, and becoming a better person, it feels like we are taken along with him. We see every instance where Gorya has an impact on him and how it slowly starts to change him for the better. His personality is much more dynamic and well fleshed out, which is honestly one of the biggest reasons why this may be the best F4 adaptation. I love character development, and Thyme had the best of it.
Cindy though, wow! We didn't really get to see her shine until the last few episodes, but every time she was on screen I was captivated by her. Her acting was outstanding, easily my favorite of the entire series. She has been acting for a while, and you can see the experience, but I know some veteran actors who aren't as good as her. She did amazing. Thyme's mother is such a complex, intriguing character. She has actual motivations and reasons for her actions, which is one of the best things that can be done for an antagonist. But an antagonist who does what she does out of love is such a hard character to play, and she nailed it. With every expression, and look in her eyes, you can see the emotion just rolling off her in spades. Whether it be hate, arrogance, love, sadness, or fear, she expressed everything so beautifully, even if I tried I couldn't tear my eyes off her. Even though it came off a little rushed, I was so glad to see her character development because it was something I was waiting for. From the beginning, you could tell, that while her actions appear selfish, her motivations weren't, and we just had to wait for her to realize what's truly best for her son.
As amazing as each actor was individually, the chemistry between all of them was outstanding. The couples were cute and made me squeal, but it was their friendship that sealed the deal for me. They had an actual bond and truly cared for each other. They were real friends that were truly supportive no matter what and it was amazing to watch. It showed that as important as romantic love is, friendship and family are just as important in shaping a person and helping them grow. Even F4s interactions with Gorya were adorable, in my head, I call them the Gorya protection squad, and honestly, that should be canon. Also, I don't care what anyone says, but Kavin and MJ are the true MVPs, they never failed to make me laugh.
Lastly, the music. It was so good, I loved it. Who am I (the intro song), is easily my favorite, shooting star is really good too, and I personally enjoyed Nani's Best Life. I am not a huge music buff, so I don't really pay much attention to the music, but F4 did an amazing job. Nowhere did I feel that the music was odd or mistimed, in fact, it only enhanced every scene it was in.
This was an enjoyable watch and my favorite part of Saturdays. Every week, without fail, I would wait to watch this, and promptly after the episode was over I would be in anticipation for the next. Without a doubt, the best remake of Hana Yori Dango. If you are skeptical about picking this up because you didn't like the previous adaptations or are worried it's going to be more of the same old thing, let go of your doubts and give it a try. I guarantee you will be hooked.
Was this review helpful to you?
a well-made drama
This is the type of drama that I like. Truly enjoy the interactions between the characters as well as their developments throughout the story. The casting in my opinion is excellent. My favorite couple is the ML and FL, but the other couples' stories are equally interesting to watch with the right amount of screen time for the romance part. Towards the last arc (the end), the story is a bit loosened and I don't quite grasp all that is going on, and the ending leaves me with questions too, but overall, each episode is well made and captivating, with music accompaniment at the right amount. This is a superb, enjoyable drama that I don't mind to rewatch again and again.Was this review helpful to you?
Everyone's personal stories were so genuine and full of honest, relatable, real humanity, respect, and unique stories I've never seen on screen(s) or read about before. I laughed or cried of worried or got angry with each character of each episode. This show is full of chaos and calm, love and heartbreak, happiness and depression, anger and kindness, respect and fear, understanding and knowledge, but most of all this show has so much honest to goodness love, kindness, respect, light, and relatable humanity! If you have the time to watch this series from beginning to end, I sincerely suggest and hope that you do!!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A more mature story on school bullying, albeit a bit green and cliche around the edges.
My curiosity was peaked by the mention of a male student enduring school bullying as I'm used to seeing more of a damsel in distress-type situation play out in Korean television with the male savior trope a little too played out. It was refreshing to see the roles switched, and I was interested to see it unfold onscreen. I'm not familiar with GOT7 excluding Jinyoung from The Devil Judge, and only because I saw the "IDOL" hashtag and realized he was a band member after the fact. I think he's a fantastic actor and has a beautiful cry face (lol). That said, I only realized Youngjae was a member because of the other reviews here exalting his performance as "perfect" and "amazing." I expected him to blow me away based on their reviews and honestly, had I just watched the show without first seeing their comments, I probably would have had a much higher rating for him. Be that as it may, I came out of the mini-drama fully understanding that he is very green still and thought he did well considering.The show itself threw me off quite a bit in the first few episodes. It starts off very silly and like a cliche-rom-com with the FL a bit too bubbly and smiley and the music too simplistic and designed for comedic effect. As the series goes on and we're introduced to the antagonists, the tone of the show becomes a bit more serious, and the music shifts into mostly calm and melodic piano. The leader of the bullies was a little over the top and felt more like an evil caricature, and I was more scared by the unhinged ex-girlfriend because of her instability and reactionary anger. The climax of the series was definitely dark (with her slicing at Youngjae's neck) and I thought that scene was excellently done. It caused the hair on my arms to stand on end, and my jaw dropped. I wish the resolution had been given more breathing room, and I thought the time-skip at the end was an overused cop-out. Overall, I wouldn't watch this series again, but I wouldn't say I didn't enjoy it. While Youngjae is certainly green around the edges (and not quite ready for heavy emotional scenes as was evidenced by his pleading scene at the end of Episode 9), I do think he has a bright future in acting ahead of him and will only improve with time and experience with his peers.
Was this review helpful to you?
This drama is simply genius love it
My response is correct for both seasons and all episodes, (no episode is redundant) this drama is simply genius, smart and sophisticated, realistic, and unconventional. A spectrum of emotions that are expressed in animation, the endless struggle between emotion and logic (in life in general (work, friends, judgment and more and matters concerning love and reliability), the second season with new insights with maturity and maturation, the importance of open interpersonal communication, otherwise it brings To analyze wrong situations... perfect casting of the entire team, perfect acting from the wonderful main actors to the last of the actors, a simply great drama and how I almost forgot - a great soundtrack, so adjusted and precise for each episode.The kind of dramas you don't forget so quickly
For me 10/10
Was this review helpful to you?
the issues regarding real-time keyword search was good too but it was unresolved until the end of the show so i wasn't really tuning in on that.
tbh for me what really spiked up the drama was scarlett & jihwan !! so glad they added these two to the plot or i would've dropped it half way. jaewook's first appearance was arnd ep7 and i start to continue watching the drama again. ngl i had high expectations from the reviews i've heard but it was somehow underwhelming. #JiHwanSaviour tho
Was this review helpful to you?
I'm glad it was a happy ending
I wish I could write long and heartfelt reviews like my better minded drama watchers, but I don't really have much to say about this drama, except that I strongly recommend to watch it if slice of life is your kinda drama.I think ML has a thing for FL but knows it won't float with her, so he's choosing to pretend it isn't there, what do you think?
Looking forward to FL's next drama, if it comes anytime soon, and of course, CEW
Was this review helpful to you?
For people who already watch period dramas, know that the best known stories usually involve the Monarchy, the Court and the Commoners. But this tells us a little about how the Department of Eunuchs, since when are chosen in childhood, to the highest title of Head of the Eunuchs. This is very interesting, because there are few dramas that show the importance of this class to the Monarchy. It also show a bit on the hierarchy of the court ladies, responsible for serving the Royal Family.
This drama is based on the stories of King Yejong, eighth of Korea, King Seongjong, ninth king of Korea, grandson of King Sejo and King Yeonsangun, tenth king of Korea (considered the worst tyrant of the Joseon Dynasty). Despite the plot change a little, still follows very faithful to the real story. It involves a strong friendship with childhood Chun Dong (later Kim Cheo Sun) and Yoon So Hwa. Thus we see the story develop. Thus it can be seen how power is something that seduces all around. As the fight to survive inside the palace is difficult and no one is free from being framed.
What I liked most of this production, was how they treated each character. All had their importance from beginning to end. Only I know how I cried during episodes. As care of certain details, leaving even more faithful to the historical literature.
Was this review helpful to you?
Alessandra De Rossi and Empoy did a very good job with how they showed the emotions of their characters.
This movie will definitely make you cry, laugh and fall in love.
And Kz's version of Two Less Lonely People In the World was just awesome.
I rarely praise movies or TV series from my country Philippines, this is definitely an exception.
If you want to watch something worth your time from the Philippines, this is the movie you should be watching.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
