I kind of liked it? It wasn't extremely special in some kind but it is a really good lakorn in it's genre. These days the theme internet gets more and more attention in movies, series and books. And this lakorn was about it. Facebook, Instagram, Line and Tinder (!) were the means to get to know each other to communicate with each other. You could see yourself in the characters.
They were ordinary stories every could relate to one of them or more and the actors did a good job, as everything seemed really natural, they were just some students who felt lonely in this society.
The music was good for those pats that I listened to them, it didn't disturb the flow or was annoying (like in some tw & k-dramas).
You should watch it if you want more GMM, youth dramas, light fluffy dramas :D
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Well, Goddamn. I Struck Gold!
I'm a big fan of wlw shows and since I discovered Thai GL, I made it my mission to see everything I can find. But, I've never been moved to give a full review until now.Blank is the best GL series I've seen yet. The casting was perfect. The actresses managed to sell one of the most problematic tropes in queer shows. Age gap pairings are increasingly brought under scrutiny (and rightly so), so I'm glad a few details were changed from the book. There's only so much toxicity I can stomach, delusional as I can be.
Faye and Yoko brought a slow burn romance to life in Blank. I went into it with mixed feelings, but they pulled me in. I found myself empathising with their struggles; one was determined to give the love she felt and the other was determined to ignore/squash those feelings. The push and pull. The internal conflicts. The mess that was their history and familial connection. Everything pulled me in.
I think it also depicts the fevered enthusiasm of young love and how starkly it contrasts with older love which is more cautious from knowing the many possible troubles that lie ahead. Watching this series reminded me of my first crush on an older woman and how it had felt like a living, breathing thing inside me. It had taken all my willpower to keep it locked in.
I've already started seeing the second season and it only gets better. The emotions run deeper and the chemistry burns hotter. Their conversations are very stimulating too as they have to find ways (words, and actions) to communicate across their generation gap. As is expected of Gen Z and Millennials, their priorities are different too and they have to find a balance between prioritising their happiness or prioritising the comfort/desires of their families.
I'm rating this a 10/10. The actresses are amazing. The production is beautiful. The storyline is new and just the right amount of chaotic.
I highly recommend!
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Huge potential, poor execution and disappointing ending
Let me preface this by saying this was one of my most anticipated dramas of 2021. From the trailer, it looked like we were finally getting a good sapphic love story with an actual, intriguing plot. I was so, so wrong.The story revolves around Beth and Cindy, an online couple with thousands of followers. They seem to be the perfect couple in their fans, the Umamis, eyes. But unbeknownst to others, every thing they post is a facade of what they want other to see, with one cheating and the other exploiting their relationship for likes/subscribers. When Beth finally snaps and demands they call it quits so she can move in with the person's she's been cheating with, Cindy reluctantly agrees. Right before they can announce their breakup, fate sends them a message that could change everything. They could earn millions — only if they can convince others they are head-over-heels in love, and therefore deserving of the cash prize in a relationship goals contest.
They only have to pretend for 10 days to achieve this. What could go wrong? A lot, as this drama properly showcased. What could've possibly gone right? A lot, as this drama didn't showcase at all.
This was one of the most toxic relationships I've seen in a series. There wasn't a single moment in the show where I wished they'd end up together. All I wanted to do was put them on opposite sides of the Earth and wish they never interacted with each other again. Cindy was extremely manipulative and never really expressed remorse for her actions. Making bad decisions without thinking was Beth's strong point, as she proved continuously over the span of 8 episodes. At the penultimate episode, there was a small glimmer of hope — maybe they were about to do right thing for once. But the ending completely crushed my hopes. It felt unsatisfying and abrupt. In a way, it also filled me with dread. Every lesson they had learnt was suddenly un-learnt. There was no point in this drama at all.
They tried to distract us from the weak plot and irritating characters with a dash of humour every now and then. Unfortunately, it didn't work. I didn't really notice the music in the show because I was too busy seething with rage. Rewatch value is 1.0 only because MDL doesn't allow a lower rating than that. I wouldn't touch this drama again with a 10-foot pole.
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If your here for romance, you get a few scenes but the majority is plotting, misunderstandings and poor choices.
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But let me tell you what's the most appealing about this show : firstly, the story begins with Shu's family, He shows us around how he is living with his older brother and parents, at first sight it seems to be a good home with lovely people, but something is wrong, cause he still does not know what is his place in society, as if his future is uncertain and still obscure and in some way I can totally relate to his character and that's probably the reason why I love him so much.
So with the help of friends, Kotomi and Keiko (who were his classmates) he will finally be able to find a purpose in life and the answers to his questions.
What I loved the most, is the strong bond between Shu, Kotomi and Keiko. They are from different world but it did not prevent them to enjoy life and having fun together. Okay, Shu is the only guy between two girls but he simply wants to share his happiness and daily issues with friends, it just happened that Kotomi and Keiko were asking the same questions as him and wanted to find happiness and see if there is a future waiting for them. Shu sees them as confidants and trusting persons with whom he can tell anything about life, family and work.
It was simply a pleasure for the eyes seeing them experience what is the true meaning of ''friendship'' and enjoying all these little moments of life.
I do really like Shu's family, his parents and brother are really funny and always putting him in some embarassing situations when his friends come and visit them. I loved how his parents are really open minded and let people coming to their house and discussing about anything freely ;)
I was also really surprised to see how the scriptwriter managed to deal with suicide, divorce and dismissals without making the story too heartbreaking. Of course I felt sad for the characters, as they have to cope with their own problems because nobody can do it in their stead but they never wallow in self-pity.
The music was great too and I always appreciate when Japanese insert some American songs in their shows, it makes it even better and ''California Dreaming'' was appropriate for Yume no C. as for the ending song I liked it too, it is a Japanese ballad style, like I love them.
To Sum it up, it was a great show about friendship, just a bit slow. I expected a lot from this one and I ended up to be a little bit disappointed because I found the first three eps to be really amazing and then I don't know why but the show lost some of its magic. So that's why I'm only giving it an 8 score.
PS: I was so happy to see Kudo Kankuro, crazy as always. Anyway ''craziness'' is his trademark and it is always a pleasure to see him in dramas too.
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This review may contain spoilers
I would definitely recommend this to anyone! This Chinese Variety show is basically a dating show whereby the people (contestants/contenders/competitors for&of love) live in the same house. By living together, they would obviously start interacting with one another. Everyone starts out by keeping a lookout on their love interests and then proceeds to the courting and etc. I don't wish to spoil so much... but I would give a tip of advice for those who are planning to watch this, there really are certain times where you would hate or dislike certain people (the contestants) in this show. At the same time, there is kinda like a panel of judges (they're all celebrities) and they give love advice or talk about a lot of topics concerning the idea of love and of relationships... It's quite fun honestly, watching them somewhat debate on various topics pertaining to love, makes someone like me, a hopeless romantic and also somewhat of a love expert feel envious because I ALSO WANT TO JOIN THE PANEL!!! Besides that, there's also free ice cream on every episode for the contestants living inside the house and the judges in the panel... damn it...
Also, in this season, there's actually a season 2 already, I'm currently watching it, the panel of judges have largely changed but the main three still remains to be the main hosts for the second season. Ok on to the main point, in this season, the contestants or contenders for love are actually ordinary-but-not-really-ordinary-people at the same time. You'll know once you start watching the show. But don't worry it's not scripted or anything. It's just that "majority" of the contenders are actually ELITES... or could be considered as they're all pretty successful on their own. By successful, I meant career-wise. Really, it's very exciting!!! It's like watching an actual idol drama but without the scripts and with a lot more realism to it as well as the subtlety (or maybe not) of a typical love story one might possibly experience in their time on this planet. And throughout this journey of watching this show, you'll get to have your ships sailed and on the way only to end in the Marianas Trench or whipped by a thunderstorm called the "third-party". With some being like the Titanic, it seems like sunken transportation with no hope of seeing the daylight... but no, no, no my dear people. If you remember carefully, even though physically, Jack didn't and Rose did. Jack went to heaven or nirvana or whatever place you believe a person goes to after their time on Earth. So technically they did move on and have a new life... What do I exactly mean by using this analogy or comparison, you might ask. Well, I'm basically giving you an overview or a sort of foreshadowing. I won't explain because it not only might ruin your fun in watching this show, it would also ruin my fun in making this somewhat suspenseful spoiler/review... idk honestly... but yeah!
I really hope more people would watch this!!! Great way to relieve the boredom as well as the thirst and itch for a bit of romance, especially for the hopeless romantics... lol
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A masterpiece on wheels.
Japanese have proven time and again how to make us emotional with their dramas. It's not that this drama is overly dramatic or anything, but you feel that the characters could be anyone you might know or even relate to you in a certain way.Madoromi Barmaid was a very pleasant surprise, because I wasn't expecting a drama about cocktails to be so heartwarming and have so much meaning. You can see some resemblance with Midnight Diner, as the story was more about people and their lives than it was about food. It's the same here. The cocktails just provide a backdrop for the stories to come alive, as people experience the joy that it is to drink a cocktail specially made for them.
Each episode features a unique character and their story. Most of the time, they have to overcome some problems that they might be facing in their lives, and by having a cocktail at Yuki's bar on wheels they will face their issues and feel better afterwards. The special cocktails made by Yuki are like therapy for these troubled souls. Episode 9, for instance, is one of my favorites and the perfect example of this cocktail therapy.
The girls are absolutely lovely, especially Yuki. Mai Kiryuu was perfectly cast for that role. She has this gentle aura that makes people feel at ease at her bar and talk to her. And who could forget their adorable pet piglet, Bamboo.
I also loved the music, especially the opening (SHE IS SUMMER - Bloom in the city). It's a warm and mellow song, which is a perfect match for the whole drama and what is about.
Finally, I just want to say that this is the first time I felt compelled to write a review for a Japanese drama after having watched about 400 of them. It's one of the loveliest dramas I've ever watched, and despite its name and premise, I hope more people who are on the fence about watching it to just don't hesitate and experience this wonderful drama.
I'm only rating it as a 10, because that's as high as it goes here.
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But I like to make exceptions on some hidden gems like this one. (My only written review is about the family drama "Lee Soon Shin is the Best/You're the Best, Lee Soon Shin" with IU and Jo Jung Suk) I don't claim that these 2 dramas are the best or perfect, but they hold their own and has more to offer once you started watching it. Simply put, I'd like to promote this kind of dramas that were underrated or were overshadowed by more popular dramas.
The Flower in Prison may not be your typical epic historical saga, but It's beautiful and satisfying, nonetheless. For me, TFIP is about REVELATION!... so please bear with me while I explain my point through my simple understanding.
STORY:
First off, this is a sageuk (historical) and makjang (melodrama) type of drama, so you can't compare it's narrative and pacing to mini series with 16 - 20 episodes. But that said, It has few draggy moments but tolerable for a 51 episodes long show. The story is simple with all the usual ingredients of a historical show....but though it's a political drama, most of the events were focused on the life of the leads being ordinary people and their struggles to fight injustice and persecution. The main story focuses on our female lead, born and raised in the prison (Jeonokseo) and her journey from prison damo (tea server, translated as warden) to a spy, then merchant...and so on...and in the process, gained friends and uncovered secrets and tragedies of her birth that lead to vengeance and triumphs.
When I said a REVELATION, I was talking about the casts of this show. The cast is awesome, specially the support.... Most of the support are famous veteran actors, but the few new ones held their own against the veterans. You'll be amazed on how the support casts delivered their characters in such a natural yet memorable performances.
CASTS:
This is my first time watching Jin Se Yeon and Go Soo as leads in a drama. Although they both performed well in most parts, they were actually awkward as couples. They don't have enough chemistry to pull out the romance. But since the drama itself is about vengeance and struggles, you won't really need to focus on their romance to continue with the show. Go Soo for the male lead for me was just average.
My first revelation is Jin Se Yeon! OMG!!! I was so amazed on her fighting skills! You'd know that she really trained hard for this role. We've seen female actors do fight scenes, but never as swift, accurate and as cool as she does. (except maybe for Ha Ji Won)..... it's like watching a female Jason Bourne!!! Most of the main fights were really planned and executed well by the directors and actors. I've seen her short romcom drama, "High End Crush" and she's completely different in both dramas. I hope to see her career grow more and becomes the next Ha Ji Won that can do both romcoms and action dramas.
The other revelations are the main support, the actors playing the powerful villain couples Yoon Won Hyung (Jung Joon Ho) and Jung Nan Jung (Park Joo Mi).... and Seo Ha Joon as King MyeongJong.
Jung Joon Ho and Park Joo Mi are veteran actors so it's not surprising to see their good performances... but not every good actors (or veterans) can really fit well and do justice to their given roles/characters. Jung Joon Ho's portrayal of Yoon Won Hyung is scary yet funny at the same time. I don't know if the characterization is historically correct, but the actor's performance will leave you hating, fearing and loving YWH. I believe the actor earned acting awards in this role.
Same with Park Joo Mi... I can safely say that her performance as Jung Nan Jung is the core that keeps me glued in this drama. She's the the perfect villain that you'll love to hate, and the actress gave us a soul crashing performance. I haven't seen her drama "Ladies of the Palace" where same characters are portrayed in the same period as TFIP, but I guess it helped Park Joo Mi a lot in portraying Jung Nan Jung. I love watching great antagonists as much as the protagonists, because I believe they bring out more of the leads character if portrayed well.... just like Lady Mi Shil in "Queen Seon Duk".
And then, there is Seo Ha Joon as the King. This is my first time seeing the actor, and am really amazed with his range of acting! You can see him being awkward, goofy, confused...then serious, dignified and commanding!.... all in a natural and subtle way. You can't help but to love his character, and empathize with him, specially in the heartbreaking scenes. His "Best New Actor" award for this drama is really well deserved!! I hope he gets more great roles.
The rest of the support casts are also remarkable, even the goofy ones in the prison office. They all gave the drama the comic reliefs and plot continuations it needed.
Overall, this drama is a good one and I'm proud to recommend this to Historical Drama lovers. It may not be compared to other dramas from MBC like "Empress Ki" , "Horse Doctor", "Moon Embracing the Sun" and the likes... but definitely worth the watch. Not sure if others wold re-watch, but I've already seen this twice.
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This review may contain spoilers
Mature show ... Love it
When i say "mature" i mean that the characters didnt act like children, arguing without listening and crying every minute. That can get old quick. There wasnt any of the normal "misunderstandings" that isnt cleared up until the end. There wasn't a rabbit chick after him, using every underhanded trick to get him. No mental breakdowns that caused a year(s) break up.The only complaint is that there shouldn't have been a second male lead. Poor thing was domed from the start.
This show is about a woman that meets a man. Man and woman has prior disagreement and dislikes each other. Their get together isnt realistic, but when they do, you can see that they can last. They are easy going and flows with it.
My favorite part of the show are the characters and how much they grow to trust one another. I especially like thst he isnt the greatest at everything. She laughs at him a lot and poke fun at him just like a real person would. Even the supporting roles were mature and realistic (maybe not the owner of the museum)
He doent save her from a robbery or a knife fight but he helps her to be able to join her two worlds and live comfortably. He comes with his own issues but i love how she show concerns without juding him. Her asking him to draw her is such a romantic part.
This show was better than expected. To think, I actually jumped it like 10xs. Im glad i finally watched it.
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A journey to become a better person.
A Fresh Start!I untangled the twisted knot.
I also took out the thorn.
Without lingering attachment or regret...
I straightened out my passion.
I let the twisted relationship go.
With a lighthearted feeling and a confident mindset...
I erased yesterday with the hope of tomorrow.
One of the strengths of this drama as it's name 'Poems' which also makes it different and unique from other dramas. It's a journey to become a better person which is represented and executed with touch of poems in very realistic way. This drama teaches us many things. 'Never judge book by it's cover' although you won't like many characters in the start but when you explore them and there backstories every character is realistic and likable. If you are finding just a typical rom com then it's not the place cause it's more than just romance...it's a warm hearting and feel good drama.
There isn't anything extraordinary or amazing in it but still it's definitely worth watching. Every episode every story has it's lesson, lesson of life sometimes even bitter truth. It was good, slow paced but I really enjoyed...
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This review may contain spoilers
The effects and graphics are very good which makes the movie more scary for some people. Also the storyline was very organized and it really takes the audience into everything. Even the exorcist scenes we're very well executed and believable. Also the story had some interesting turns which suprised me. Also I think the best part was the acting. I enjoyed the acting of the cast members (both of the main and the support) really really much.
There was too much blood and gore for a 15+ movie. Also the movie tried to scare the audience with a little too much jumpscares. The whole exorcist theme can be very unrealistic.
But all in one I think it's worth watching.
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It's a real movie.
It's not a movie where people get lucky or found true love in a blink of an eye or are very nice people without any flaws that get good things in the end. This is a real movie, about real life. About people who get lucky and unlucky, about people who are judged by society and about people who build love with love.
The story may sound cliche but it has a really unique point of view. It has a nice pace and it keeps you glued to the screen wondering what will happen next and how it will happen.
The acting is amazing! The way the characters are built, the way they interact with each other, with themselves and with society is really astonishing. Erika Sawajiri and Takayuki Yamada are really amazing.
The music is also good and touching. And I have to give 10 to the re-watch value because I have already re-watched it several times.
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Guinea Pig 3: Shudder! The Man Who Doesn't Die
7 people found this review helpful
Shudder! He Never Dies is one heck of a hilarious gory film. You didn’t read that wrong, gore films can also be penetrated by important amounts of humour especially if they’re Japanese. They always manage to insert dark humour into the bloodiest productions.
Unlike the previous two Guinea Pig’s films that skipped any attempt to create a plot and jumped to the gore itself. This one tried to build a little plot, okay maybe a tiny bit but it was somewhat meaningful. He Never Dies differentiate itself from all the other films of the Guinea Pig’s series because the main character was the one inducting pain to his own body. He realized that he’s an immortal so he can’t actually die no matter how hard he cuts his wrists, throat or any vital spot.
Having a funny take wasn’t meant to reduce the amount of gore in this film; it was actually reinforcing it with several brutal acts to one’s body. The depiction of gore was plain realistic even while showing the insides or the beheading. The special effects used for this part were pretty much convincing except some little details here and there.
As usual, the lack of a subtle plot forbids me from rating this any higher. As I said before, gore for the sake of gore don’t deserve any high appreciation from me even if this part and Flower of Flesh and Bones pleased me the most out of the whole series.
Watch if:
-You like extreme gore films.
-You like the Guinea Pig’s series.
-You like gore films mixed with dark humour.
Do not watch if:
-You can’t handle bloody sadist gore films.
Shudder! He Never Dies was absolutely the funniest part of the whole Guinea Pig’s series. But being humorous doesn’t mean it was light, the usual elements of sick gore films are still there.
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Ultimate JieJie/GreenFlag, "Blended Family" Romance
In a sea of shows featuring Red Flag MLs and Innocent FLs, this show stands different.Overwhelmingly, the show is positive and should be watched, but there are absolutely a few glaring flaws.
Biggest Negatives:
😖 The male make-up and wig glue was criminal - multiple times it broke my immersion simply because I could not stop staring at the glue and white powdery face wondering if it was hot and literally melting off?
😖 Plot holes/inconsistencies before the end were mild but within the last episodes there was one period of time where the scene KEPT switching between day and night; and the events of the last episode specifically both appear to be days AND months apart simultaneously.
Biggest Positives:
❤️ Intricate balance of family values between old and new love ESPECIALLY with a child in the equation
❤️ A ML who isn't just a green FLAG but rather an entire FORREST
❤️ There is an episode dealing with how he deals with the the situation after he believes the FL's been assaulted and it is now probably THE best and loving scene(s) of a ML ever (*yes the scene before it could be triggering as it's definitely on the REAL end of the spectrum versus many shows doing over exaggerated "cartoonish" versions).
❤️ The conversations, arguments, and pleas characters have regarding their hopes for the future including the ending dialog (all nitpick flaws aside)
🙃So, what is the show about?🙃
Our main character is the FL; an "unacknowledged" Concubine of the Lu household, held there by her lack of status in society, her previous gratitude and devotion to her partner (2ML), and the daughter she shares with him.
The show demonstrates family politics in a realistic manner regarding the feelings of people who are in various forms of relationships with other people. It focuses on maintaining a level of distance between unmarried and unentangled individuals which means there is VERY little "true" physical intimacy between the leads. Perhaps as a bit of a bait, the show inserts two "dreams" of the MLs into first part of the show, but they are always clearly stated as "dreams".
It features a Love "Square" which includes: The 2ML in love with FL but unable to acknowledge her and often forced to humiliate her. A 2FL who is married to him but feels trapped in HER marriage. She imagines herself in love with a man she never saw the face of and so resents her husband and being forced to marry him. Our ML who is the calming and protecting force for the FL which stirs the jealousies of the 2ML. And the FL who has to let go of all her childhood devotion in order to break free of the torment his family subjects her to and embrace the new chance at life with the ML.
Within the story, there are two simultaneous plots weaving back and forth. The first is the family dynamics of the Lu family and the FL's struggle to remove herself and her daughter from their grasp and regain her independence. The second is the bringing to justice of the Lu and Xia families regarding their corruption in the present and their past deeds around the death of the Princess which saw the FL's father die as a result.
A core component within both sides of the show is family and it's role in making one step up with courage or back down in cowardice. Because of this, while all of the characters are multidimensional, the one I found the most fascinating was the one that was LEAST striking of all; the 2ML.
Chen Ming Hao had the job in this show of being unassuming, hunched, timid, someone who would fade into the background. His character calls himself a coward. Every other character has the job of being forceful and being given an actual presence to work with. Whether it's Kay Song as 2FL with her signature almost-crazy then sympathetic aura; Eddy Geng as the ML who has the "easy" time of being given the flashy "I'll protect you" and "I'm a big shot so you have to fear me" scenes; or Zhu Li Lan who's character is written with the forceful resolve to make her situation for her and her daughter better by any means... CMH had to make the audience not necessarily "hate" him... but be sad and disgusted with him. In this he excelled. He also proved, which is why the character itself is so fascinating, that when given the chance by the script, that he TOO could have stand-out scenes during which he is either confirming or denying his character archetype.
Overall this show is highly recommended with the expectation set that there ARE issues regarding timeline (especially towards the end), that the makeup/wig department with the males could be a lot better, and that there is VERY minimal physical intimacy scenes.
Final Rating wavered between 8.5 and 9 due to negatives because for ME they drastically affected my ability to enjoy an otherwise AMAZING show.
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The show was originally slated for 80 or 85 episodes but ultimately ended with 73. This show is very funny and enjoyable and you get that each episode there is something to learn from it. And you feel like apart of the family, even though you are on the outside looking in. You get to know more about each character and watch as they better themselves. There is moments when you are so used to seeing a particular character, that when you don't see them you wonder where they are ad when you will see them again.
You will laugh, worry, gasp, smile, cry and wonder. As this drama takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions. A kind of drama that will want you asking for more and wondering why not? Depending on how you take drama's in, you will either watch more then one a day, or end up going on a marathon then going omg it felt like yesterday i watched this episode when you are farther off from the beginning, and closer to the ending
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