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A romantic comedy that executes itself with maturity and few cliches. Park Min Young and Kim Jae Wook had overflowing chemistry. The looks in their eyes could deceive you for off-screen romance with their multitude of kisses being passionate. This drama had the most mature couple I've seen in a drama that really understood each other and helped each other achieve their own happiness. Park Min Young is truly a great actress, proven by her years in the industry. No noble idiocy, no misunderstandings - this IS the perfect couple everyone wishes to have in real life. The side characters like Cindy and her mom had a nice character development, and even our 2nd lead didn't get too caught up in his love triangle and redeemed himself. The story wasn't anything special, but the writers pulled it off so well. The OST is also fantastic and fit every scene. Was this review helpful to you?
However, having said that, I loved this movie. It fits perfectly to the "slice of life" genre, a glimpse of real life, and in this case real life is just a little bit funny to boot. I love the main character, and how she is portrayed by the main actress. I love the easy-going mood throughout the movie, the breezy and fresh theme of renting cats to lonely people.
The music and the cinematography elements of this movie are both important reasons to why I enjoyed it so much. It's beautifully done, shot, and persecuted. It also gives the feel of japanese traditions, the japanese life style that we all know and love (at least I do).
Lastly, because this is such a lay-back sort of movie with no particular goal or end line, I feel it's the kind of movie I could watch and re-watch many times.
Basically, I would recommend this to anyone that adores the slice of life genre and of course, if you adore cats, or mori style (because in my opinion this movie has a very mori-ish feel to it).
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This review may contain spoilers
Clever and fun for most of the story.
(I rate vertical micro dramas on their own sliding scale). General spoilers only.I'd give the first 2hrs 10 mins a 9/10 and the last 30mins a 4/10. So... 8/10 overall because I think the majority of it is still worth watching as it's more clever than many vertical historical plots. Also nice to have a solid happy ending for a transmigration story; that's rare!
Consistently very good until the last 30mins (2 hrs 40 min total). Then everything was tied up so quickly and a bit ridiculously, the well-crafted tension dissipated, and the final culmination of the romance wasn't as satisfying as it could have been, in my opinion.
Too bad because the first 2 hours is full of smart people making smart plans. Plenty of mini triumphs for the good guys but still needing to navigate challenges because the bad guys were smart too. It was awesome how the lead couple worked as a team, with both of them coming up with ideas, but mainly the FL. And the ML obviously respected and admired her for her cleverness, and also for her kind heart. It was a slow burn romance and secondary to the plot, but the magnetism was always there. A couple lip presses with small movements near the end.
Some lightheartedness throughout nicely balanced with more serious moments. I liked that the FL was NOT infallable, and would have her moments of weakness and doubt, but ultimately was determined to not give up. She was easy to root for.
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Brutal, Heartbreaking, Bleak, but somehow still Beautiful.
Watched 26/10/2025 at opening weekend.Before going in to watch, I happened to see the director had said that she wanted to showcase the harsh realities of rising poverty amongst youth, an issue not often enough highlighted in modern Japan. The main symptom seen of this in media is the rise of so-called ‘yami baito’ in the news - in English, effectively ‘crime part time’ as desperate youths whose backgrounds aren’t so fortunate desperately try to stay afloat to afford rent, university, and the like.
This film showcases four such people, whose circumstances leave them nothing else to turn to. I did not expect to be so emotionally moved by this film, at all. The storytelling was also cleverly done, as nothing is revealed too quickly, yet upon seeing the whole picture, there is still beauty in the humanity you can find amidst the brutality. The story is largely told in three arcs, one for each protagonist, and the pacing was exactly as it needed to be. The use of perspective was also particularly clever in the sense that you start the film through the lens of the youngest and most inexperienced of the three protagonists, which also serves as an appropriate introduction to the world of yami baito for those unfamiliar with it. Acting was spectacular and gut-wrenching in exactly the ways it needed to be.
This film brought a range of emotions out in me, from the visceral nausea of reality to the sweetness that cannot be separated from the bitterness. This is not a film full of cheer, hope, and optimism, but it is still a film with a painfully heartwarming glimmer even at the most desperate times.
The closing song is beautiful and fitting, and other than that, the soundtrack was unobtrusive. In fact, I was so deeply invested in the story and characters I didn’t notice any music until the credits rolled, however there was most certainly music there and a composer credited.
I absolutely recommend this to anyone who can see it in cinemas, or anyone who enjoys crime-thrillers in general. It is a superbly well acted film. This is easily the best Japanese film I have seen since 18x2 Beyond Youthful Days (which I also reviewed at the time).
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Violence, Blood, Gore.
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Be true to yourself and the people around you !!
wow, amazing I got no word for the last scene just because that is a 10/10 for me. I like to make my point of view about everything and in the end no matter the final result deep down it was my choice and I can't blame anyone. this series was well made it is not just a series but an educational one that showed about (understanding, accepting your real you, learning how to be reasonable, flexible, honest with your partner, respect everyone, and only care about the people you love and not focusing on the outside opinion while some are still hiding their true self ) good job for every person that made this production possible. both seasons 1 & 2 are amazing people feel free to take a look. on that note bye bye PAPA & DADDY Series I love you. I am a big supporter of LGBTQ+. big Love ❤️Was this review helpful to you?
Superhero Lawyer Origins Story
One thing’s for certain. I don’t think I would have watched this if it hadn’t been for Namgoong Min and I don’t think I would have stuck it out to the end if it weren’t for him as well. It’s not complete waste but for many reasons it never reaches its potential. Nor does it transcend its comic booky roots. When the show is good it’s fun. Even somewhat poignant. At various points in the narrative when the show transitions from arc to arc, there’s far more filler than I am personally comfortable with. I can only conclude that this project was a Namgoong Min vehicle that showcases his versatility as an actor at home with both comedy and melodrama. The relative success of the One Dollar Lawyer largely relies on the lead actor’s ability to pull off a variety of idiosyncratic or slapstick moments and Namgoong Min does his best to acquit himself in every instance.Despite the title and the marketing campaign around this, the drama is undoubtedly a superhero origins story with detective elements. There’s very little of the legal side of things in this despite the dominant role that lawyers and prosecutors play here. The show highlights a variety of crimes but the show’s main character spends very little time in the courtroom even if he sees himself as a advocate for the voiceless. In fact Cheon Ji-hun has all the hallmarks of a superhero in the tradition of Batman and Spiderman. Indeed he is a composite of various ones that we’ve seen in the last two decades. Even the Big Bad in this instance, feels like a localized cartoon version of the Joker and the Green Goblin. Ji-hun’s above-average intelligence, perseverance and fearlessness (his superpowers) is generally what saves the day. When he leaves behind his job as prosecutor because of the death of a loved one, he immediately puts on a pair of sunglasses as if to indicate that he’s taken on the mantle left to him by said loved one. It then follows that his hairstyle, fashion sense and manner become more flamboyant as he dons the One Dollar Lawyer persona. They are his cape and cowl as it were. It’s a significant psychological moment for Ji-hun when (like Bats) the new persona becomes a mask that conceals the seething rage, inconsolable grief and the desire for revenge. But more like Spiderman, the devil-may-care personality allows him to be more ostentatious, talkative and witty. He is a man with a wound in search of a balm. There is temporary relief to be found in helping people who can’t afford to fork up for a half decent lawyer but the festering wound runs deep. In the long run the sort of clientele that he attracts as the One Dollar Lawyer serves as a reminder to him that the world doesn’t have to be that relentless battleground where the powerful run roughshod over the weak.
Much of this show is about Cheon Ji-hun’s quest to find closure and healing from the tragedies that have afflicted him in recent years. Once he gets his resolution from personally apprehending the Big Bad, this forever cements his identity as the One Dollar Lawyer. It defines him as much as he defines it. He builds the character from an empty slate and the character becomes a skin to inhabit when he transforms into the man of the people — helping those who are backed into a corner and do his eleventh hour save. It is a journey he begins because it helps him connect with his beloved Ju-yeon and her ideals. Later it becomes his own mission and ultimately a life changing decision.
His closest associates are Sa Mu-jang (the office manager) and Baek Ma-ri (probationary lawyer) who seem like an unlikely addition to the show’s primary trio. As is customary with these sorts of set-ups, Ma-ri and Ji-hun don’t get along at first because they come from different places with different life experiences. Initially it seems that the study of the law is the only thing they have in common. The practice of it, however, becomes another matter entirely. It seems to me too that the show wants to have a bet each way or leave room for a second series with regards to Ma-ri’s dynamic with Ji-hun. There’s no overt/resolved romance between them but the show teases out the idea all throughout that there could be “more” once Ji-hun moves on (or if he ever does) from his past. I’m of the view that theirs is a teacher-apprentice relationship and it’s really for the best. Clearly that’s how Ji-hun sees her. Also Ma-ri’s role in this seems to be a thankless one of following Ji-hun around, acting as a sounding board, plying him with questions and letting him show off with impunity.
Even though I enjoy much of the humour in this, the show seems to be at its best when it takes on a more serious tone. On hindsight much of the humour seems unnecessary or misplaced. There are these deliberate inserts of levity that feel random and disconnected with the larger story. Often this applies to moments where the main characters sit around and shoot the breeze. Sure, there are slow days when the trio have to wait for clients to show up so that the show can go on the road but yeah, it feels odd to have bits of random dialogue thrown in just for comedic effect. What this says to me in effect is that the world building is not as confident as it should be.
The series hits its peak at around Episode 8 and while I wouldn’t say that it goes downhill after that, it doesn’t have the same zing. It also doesn’t help that Episode 11 feels like a prolonged exercise in time wasting until the not-too-bad finale — when Ji-hun is done with his sabbatical and decides it’s time to go after the true villain of the piece.
It’s not a great show by any metric but not a terrible one either. For some it will be a hard slog in parts and some perhaps like me some will persevere to the end for the love of Namgoong Min.
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Snow during spring
"A masterpiece may be in someone's possession for a while, but once its purpose is done, it goes to the next person."Sometimes when you are looking at a work of art, many different emotions overcome you and iribito is exactly like a work of art. It can't be really explained with words. It is like a painting with vivid and dark colors that makes you feel the complexity of human nature and the beauty of human creations. Its atmosphere is unsettling and suffocating, but at the same time liberating and cruelly beautiful. Takamura Naho is mesmerizing, assertive and infatuated with art, while Shirane Tatsuru is ethereal, passionate and unbelievably creative. They complement each other in a way that resembles human creations. Those creations are made by human beings and can only be appreciated by other human beings.
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Highest quality of any BL
For sure this is the best yet of the Thai BL's. Bravo! I can't remember even on episode that I thought the story was off track or they were stalling or going on a tangent. The story developed out from start to finish logically. There were some twist and turns but not too much and not too fantastical to be believable. Earth for sure was the best actor award. He was believable playing a stern and difficult part. All of the actors including the kids were believable and likeable. That again is a great accomplishment without being too cheesy. I will really miss this one. Maybe I'll feel better about the rewatch value after a while but because it is a story with a they live happily every after and no want of a season 2. The Dr (Nam) is also an honorable mention. He needs his own series.Was this review helpful to you?
Obsessed with this drama now
Hii....! Thank you director for beautiful story, im so obsessed with this drama, especially ji chu & Qing...Love every episode especially episode 20 , ML the he look at qing after telling her that lets make this marriage real.. Omg, killer eyes killer look,, 🤗❤☺
Ji chu ❤ love story between two is so natural n realistic... Aah..! Love all the characters... Ji chu body guard have another vibe ❤
Blush... Blush...blush whenever qing n ji chu scene use to come... There talks, serious, funny, ❤☺🤗
Lots of love ❤ to JI CHU & QING
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This review may contain spoilers
Festival of misunderstandings and a bit of clear thinking, highly enjoyable
Misunderstandings are one of those things that completely infuriates me when it comes to dramas. We know it very well, one of the characters mishears something and then we have to watch through five episodes how it spoils relations or leads to cringe situations. Complicating plot just because two grown ups cannot really articulate what’s wrong is just lazy writing for me. Saying that, I’m so happy, that those situations, in Her Private Life, even tough happen, ale so smoothly handled by well written and clear thinking characters. That was a great relief for me while watching this drama.I’ve seen someone already writing that this series could end on 14th episode and I kinda agree. It seems like writers had the main plot finalised at this point but were bound by the contract to write two more episodes so they’ve just unnecessarily overcomplicated some minor themes making them a bit too long. This unfortunately spoils reception of the finale, but without much damage to the drama as a whole. I’d say it’s just slightly annoying. Luckily characters are cleverly written so all misunderstandings that come from this prolonged motives are quickly resolved.
The main praise I have for this drama must be characters. I’d say that this is one of those dramas that defends itself solely by the characters, making main plot secondary (what is not necessarily bad thing here). I had the same with some other series (like What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim), where action is used more for character development, rather that the action itself. With Her Private Life, feeling is similar. Characters are just so well written and interact with each other so smoothly, that watching it itself is sufficient.
But of course we have an action and we have classic drama tropes that are so repetitive sometimes in drama world, that we could make a drinking game out of them already. So one of the characters must have some sort of childhood trauma that took its toll on his adult life, we have long lost acquaintances that figure out that they’ve met long time ago very late in the drama. At least one of the parents has to be slightly unhinged (this time not even slightly, but I can fully forgive it, since the character is so entertaining in her quirkiness that it makes amazing comic relief). And of course second lead syndrome must be there, but in this case I’d say it’s here only because someone decided it has to, since it’s not very convincing and certainly we can see that it’s not gonna happen. Honestly, I’d see someone else on this position.
This all luckily is overshadowed by high quality of the drama.
Overall I highly enjoyed this drama. It’s one of those that you watch with constant grin on your face by how cute some scenes are. I don’t expect very much from romantic dramas, for me all they have to be is enjoyable and this one delivered it fully.
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Fourever You Part 2 Special EP: Beside the Sky
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This review may contain spoilers
Why does this gets a MDL page?
Ok, I thought this was the special episode... not the special of the behind the scene with interviews of the casts.MDL is very confusing... Maybe I should have read the synopsis but I never ever read it :) I just assumed.
So, this is episode 0 of "Beside the Sky" :) You get snippets of the story and interviews with the cast and that is interesting when you have seen the series. I did watch this after the series aired and it's nice enough to gain some inside of the process creating this series. I guess a must for fans :)
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This review may contain spoilers
Dont bother with season 2
I totally agree that season one is way better ! Season two is messy and unnecessary!Main couple- Zhou Shi and Wei qing
second couple- Ning fei or Xue Ning and fei fei
Third couple- Bi qiu jing and Li ming cheng
The story started some what interesting... with the fact the the male lead became blind. the female lead loses her ability to draw. The story gets kinda weird and confusing because the female lead left for two years. In this time she is taking care of ning fei aka xue ning because he lost his memory while trying to save Zhou shi from being rape.
All the lead does is bicker and obvious they still like each other, but the female lead always rejects the male leads kisses.
Also Zhou shi is in the company of Xue ning's sister, who doesnt like the male lead( Wei qing) They are business competitors. There is also the addition of an evil character which is Xue zhi's brother. ( xue shi is the older sister, aka competitor.
So many story lines going on... ning fei lost his memory... trying to remember it....
It's just too much scheming, planning to the point that i got confused whats actually happening..
I liked the relationship of the three girls who where friends since college? Dont expect a fluffy romace. Im so disappointed by this drama. The first one i watched like 2 times..
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