The story of this movie was cliche, but who the heck cared. It was entertaining and fun to watch. And it contained one of my favourite themes childhood love *swoon*.
Acting I gave it a 10. Moon Geun Young, that girl knows how to act. She played the 15 year old so well (when the movie was shot she was actually 17, I calculated it out of curiosity). Kim Sae Ron, he was soooooo funny in this movie. One of favourite part with him was when he confronted the guy that Boeun was dating, that was just LOL. OMG and the scenes involving them two, were just hilarious.
Music I gave it a 8 because seriously I wasn't paying attention to it. Though at the karaoke scene where the each leads sing a song was no coincidence. Production crew I see what you did there.
Overall I gave this movie a solid 10/10. And I would rewatch it again for sure.
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From the not predictable story which is really rare to do with k-dramas because you generally always know how it's going to end; to the superb acting done by everyone, especially Kim Myung Min (he will for me be one of the best male performance in drama this year with Lee Sun Kyun and Ji Jin Hee). Not to forget the OST that mixed really well with all the scenes!
I don't give it a 10 because this drama had a little problem, like some people said in the comments, there was a little disappointment with one of the character story turn, he was quite important in the beginning because we saw him quite often but after we didn't saw him at all, so I was like why did they introduce this guy to us if at the end they don't even matter?? (people who watched it will know about who I'm talking).
I don't think everyone can like that kind of drama because a lot of people prefer to watch basic rom-com with young actors most of the time (and ofc I like it too), but I wish people would watch it, not many did thought it was really really good! If you like family, romance, fantasy and funny-tragedy (I don't know if this exist) you will really like it.
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Cinematic, beautiful, and a realistic story
I'm surprised that the rating for this isn't as high as it should be. The story was really shot beautifully and the cast was amazing. There was something really special about this drama that kept me going. The storytelling is really realistic and deep dives into the relationship of two best friends that evolves as they meet new people in their life. It's not your typical romance, more so its a coming of age that highlights the society's issues around LGBT relationships, families, and so on. This one was really beautiful and special to me and I'm really glad I watched it.Was this review helpful to you?
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It didn’t need 20 episodes
This drama really didn’t need to be a 20 episodes one. Started strong with potential but became flat at the end.It is supposed to be more romance-centric yet there isn't enough romance after the first half of the drama. The focus shifted to some weak power struggles and became unnecessarily draggy.
The last 6 episodes especially, the storyline really gets dragged out. Suddenly there’s an addition of Ha Kyung and her one sided love towards the king (whom she doesn’t know is a lady). The whole ha kyung + king story is really a bad filler, with no value adding to the whole storyline.
Towards the end, the drama tries so hard to inject more complications and depths by bringing in lord Wonsan (who wants the throne), forcefully putting back lord changun (who came back from afterlife briefly and died once again) and injecting more “power struggle” plot into it but imo has failed terribly. The petty little acts to expose the FL as a lady by lord wonsan and people around her just seem… lame? Instead of putting in more power struggle plays with bigger plots and schemes, they focused on the whole exposé of the FL’s gender.
The whole “evidence collection” to bring down lord sangheon also gets so dragged out and got very slow which after a while began to feel exhausting to watch.
The ending? I don’t even know where to begin. The writer could include pointless brief scenes like the dream of FL & ML getting married but they can’t even be bothered to explain why the FL survived the “poisoning” scene but her grandpa died. We can probably infer from the earlier scene that it most likely got to do with the pill she ate before drinking the tea, but isn’t it important to include a short explanation to bring the whole story to a full circle?
I also cannot grasp why they didn’t expand the backstory of ML’s dad (inspector jung seok jo) a little. Granted, the ML's dad is not the lead and this drama is to be more of romance but I mean throughout the drama, there were many parts where they hinted that there’s more to this than meets the eye regarding why the ML’s dad is so cold hearted and so compliant towards lord Sangheon? If they are not interested in expanding his character then those scenes were quite pointless. There were many scenes that hinted viewers about his past, where he mentioned about how the choice is only available to people born in nobility and not people like him. And how he showed sadness when his old friend commander yoon got killed (he even told his subordinates to stop firing those arrows)??? And the scene where he was dying, ML SAID HE HAS STH TO TELL HIS DAD THAT HE HAS NEVER GOTTEN TO, but there were go again, it stops there and the ML NEVER got to reveal what he wanted to tell his dad? What’s with all these little missing details???
The bodyguard character and his backstory also showed so much potential. Kim Ga On got close to the FL (&her father, the ex king) to assassinate them to revenge for his father (the royal preceptor whom the king and crown prince (FL’s twin brother) had loved back then) who was framed for treason and executed due to lord sangheon’s schemes. After finding out that the king and the FL’s twin brother had loved his dad, he ditched his assassination plans and helped the FL instead. The initial build up to him was interesting where there was some mystery to his identity but the final great reveal really fell so flat.
But then again we have time to go through Ha Kyung’s life as a commoner at the end… for? By this time I’m sure most viewers already forgot about her existence since she has already been granted leave from the palace after her dad has been found to have colluded with lord sangheon. But no, the writer HAS TO include her again where she mentions about why she prefer being a commoner??? This bit of airtime could have been used to help other stories develop / come to a full circle.
In all, the drama started rather strong and showed great potential with but ended up getting flat towards the end.
I did enjoy the first half of the drama though. The kid actors did well with their acting. The king’s chubby eunuch was a joy to watch too!
The goods:
- great main FL, they really casted the FL well. She’s a major girl crush! She can look so fierce and suave in male clothing and then so beautiful in her female clothes!
- good OST
- first half of the drama was well paced
- they managed to keep good characters like court lady Kim & bok Dong from dying
- consistent support provided by lord jaeun who stayed true towards FL
In all, if you Stan rowoon, and appreciate good acting and great FL, this is a drama that you can pick up but probably need to bear with some draggy parts towards the end.
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Came for KhaoFirst but JoongDunk stole the show!!!!
I wasn't going to watch it cause from the trailer, it felt like somewhat like "only friends" but ngl it was good. I loved the OSTs (specially Joong's song & Dunk's song)And, the story was cool.
Bison's cuteness, Kant's devotional Love, Style's Sexy body and Fadel's Character!!
I was hooked and completed it in a stretch.
I would say if you like lovey dovey action and thriller movies just go for it!!
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Good comedy
I was so lucky this movie came out in theaters while I was on vacation in Thailand! I had a great time.The story is funny, the actors perform well, and the scenes are well-paced. The plot isn’t too complicated, and there are nice messages of tolerance throughout, which is a plus.
I recommend it!
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all my senses tell me I'm attracted to you
Let me just say. This drama feels more like a film project than a kdrama, and that is all meant in the best way.
I can't emphasize enough just how aesthetically pleasing this show is. The cinematography right off the bat is stellar, this drama simply isn't shot like any other k drama. It is done in a way that emphasizes scenes to be more intimate, intense, vulnerable, etc. With two episodes alone, and even with a first few seconds to the opening alone I can tell how every scene, every look, every thing is intentional in this drama. All the way around this drama is impressive because of that. I feel a lot of time and care because of how good the cinematography is, it feels intentional and that because the scenes and camera shots are.
For example of these scenes where it really shines is the shower scene, the changing room scene... I would get into them but I could go on and on all day.
This is just me telling you I feel bad for you if you don't watch this drama. It came out of no where it seems but it has a great start to it.
The acting is done so well and feels natural. The chemistry is so intense that I find myself holding my breath with most scenes between the two leads. Especially from the freshman, Ji Hyun. This is his first drama and he fits this role so well that I am watching without telling myself it is acting. It feels so natural and real, and Jae Won is the same. I can tell they both are attracted to each other, and I will see how they get together....... there is a lot I'm anticipating for this drama...
This is just a short and sweet review telling people to watch. This show I don't see as a BL, meaning to me it doesn't have the tropes and isn't selling itself out just because it is two males who will be together. This drama is like any other and is honestly better than most long k dramas I've seen. I don't even know what genre to call this other than excellent.
Let me just talk about the shower scene to emphasize how well done this show is:
So it is Jae Won's attraction that tells him to go. He isn't aware exactly what kind it is yet, but he wants Ji Hyun to shower with him and it gets across why pretty clearly.
The fact he tells Ji Hyun to come over tells me he is growing aware of how different his feelings are for him at this point. He tells Ji Hyun what is he going to do in the military if he is shy between them. To him they are both men, but also Jae Won just got out of the military. He just got done having no problem showering with other men, but now with Ji Hyun there is a problem. As soon as he realizes this he just leaves, and I found it so interesting because he was acting so confident before.. when he wasn't. I really thought the idea of him bringing up the military was so brilliant because it tells several things at once, it's efficient. That is why this drama doesn't drag on right now. It doesn't have to tell you in your face that Jae Won is curious and is getting confused about his feelings for Ji Hyun, because you feel them with him.
You are confused to why he would leave and can pick up on the fact that he is sort of being a hypocrite as he has been in the same positions like showering with others before. He is calling out himself really like he's trying to deny it.
I also really liked the scene of them walking across the shoreline together. Ji Hyun matched his steps with Jae Won's and that shows he pays attention to him and again begs the question why? It is curiosity I wonder how far that curiosity will take the both of them.
:
Now to sum it up... I really need a continuation of this story. It is amazing as a standalone, but there is so much potential that has been set up in this season that can be continued upon. I think the creators are aware of the demand and am anticipating any continuation from them and everyone involved.
Watch this show as a melancholic romance. It has mellow vibes and isn't campy, but it has its fun moments. It isn't over satirized on one way or the other. It's realistic, moving, thought provoking, and smart.
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The beginning and end of this show feel disconnected. The first half of this show was almost entirely focused on Lin Qian as the main character, but the at some point it felt like her story line became second to all the other story lines they tried to introduce with many of the secondary, and even tertiary, characters. The second half og the drama felt like a handful of smaller story lines with no common direction. Story wise I think that it started strongly. Part of the initial story kind of surrounded Lin Qian trying to figure out who saved her. I actually think that this issue, among other initial incidents, was resolved too soon, causing the rest of the episodes to kind of branch off into less interesting stories. I also feel the issue of Li Zhi Cheng’s brother was glossed over a little bit. Like, it could have been a little bit more prominent and deeper than it was.
I did enjoy the fact that this drama avoided a few overused tropes. -There were no extenuating love triangles. -No extremely overbearing parents (mostly, Li Zhi Cheng’s father could be a little much sometimes but in more reasonable ways.) - I really loved Lin Qian’s relationship with her brother. He is super protective of her. Despite having his own opinions of what would be best for Lin Qian’s life, he is generally accepting and respective of her own decisions. They argue and butt heads but just about always make up.
The best part of this show: there are a lot of of fluffy romantic scenes between main and secondary characters respectively. Many of the characters have really great chemistry.
There are two characters towards the end of the show that show up a lot that are not Chinese. I am pretty sure that, like most Chinese shows, this show was dubbed over. But I really have to give it to the two actors and who ever did their voice dubs because I hardly found times were the voices and the movements on their faces did not match. They did a really good job. The voices also fit the characters nicely.
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Encapsulates all the lovable aspects of Korean dramas
Into the Ring is built on the solid foundation of its excellent writing, and it endears itself to the viewer with each and every episode. Although it is missing the typical ingredients for commercial success (e.g. top-tier actors, veteran staff), Into the Ring continuously challenges us for our attention and respect, much like the Female Lead. There is just enough romance, comedy, and drama for a well-balanced drama viewing experience just shy of perfection.Story:
The award winning merit of the newcomer Moon Hyun Kyung’s screenplay is undeniable. The diverse characters and dynamic relationships are a highlight. Consider these two side characters - a manchild who earns his elected position with his daddy’s money and a working mother who refuses to “sacrifice” either her personal or professional life. The relationship between them and the main leads is hilarious (like when the FL turns the manchild into a whimpering puppy with her assertiveness).
Even the political setting delivers laughs as we witness the ridiculousness of each politician’s pettiness. ITR transitions from this comedy to heartwarming romance to drama seamlessly. Scenes are often layered with all three, which keeps the pace refreshing and the story engaging. The drama’s journey is consistently pleasant from beginning to end, and the careful and deliberate screenwriting is what makes it all possible.
Acting:
My mixed feelings about the main cast changed quickly with Into the Ring. For instance, I know Nana for her kpop career with After School rather than her filmography, and the general attitude towards idol-turned-actor is lukewarm. However, Nana exceeds expectations not just with her comedic timing and romantic chemistry but with her nuanced portrayal of empathy towards others. Park Sung Hoon actually appears with Nana in Justice, which I did not watch. I did watch Psychopath Diary where I found his acting uncannily funny. To see PSH in a completely different character is eye-opening and impressive.
Yoo Da In’s character is surprisingly nuanced for what some may consider a “side” character, but YDI’s acting ability is clearly at the level of “main role” actors. I remember Han Joon Woo from his great but small role in Be Melodramatic. Unfortunately, it is a similar case in ITR where he plays an interesting character which does not receive much screen time for a “main role”. Veteran actor Ahn Nae Sang adds another quality appearance to his long filmography.
Music:
Compared to the strengths of the story and cast, the music is not as critically noteworthy for Into the Ring. The subdued backing tracks are a safe choice, a mix of kpop and ballads. The music is actually a good parallel to the overall drama, which is excellent in its strengths but not quite a masterpiece in its entirety. (One last comment - I am a sucker for OSTs sung by main leads though)
Rewatch Value:
As I happily followed along with the weekly episodes of Into the Ring, I did not envision such a high overall rating because of a lack of some jaw dropping scene or enthralling plot line. Instead, ITR makes its appeal piece by piece, and its beauty is fully appreciated when considering the entirety of the drama. After 32 episodes, I can confidently recommend Into the Ring as a solid romcom in a relatively dry 2020.
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Never thought about falling deeply in love with you? plus complicated revenge story?
To be honest wasnt quite sure what to expect of the drama before watching it. I saw some reviews that said it was bad, but after I have watched it, overall was good but towards the end I would skip. I almost contemplating dropping it towards 36 ep because it started not to make sense... but the overall drama is acceptable. Although this drama has some traces of revenge , it wasnt the main factor/drive behind the story, a good chunk was about their job and being a financial headhunter, that make the story more breathable, but towards the end they kinda stretched the story a little too much.Male lead is Gao Shan. He is in the financial business. He has a complicated past. His father committed suicide from having not enough money to pay the people in his warehouse( i think he also went bankrupt) Gao Shan saw his father's suicide and his mother became mentally unstable. He completes to find a job in the financial industry, more over he wants to investigate what actually happened to his father. He meets the female lead Lin Wo, she is a financial headhunter. Their jobs are to find the perfect candidate to fit the financial job opening offered by the company. Lin Wo is smart, confident. Initally Gao Shan doesnt know that Lin Wo was the suspected person that was responsible for his father's suicide. Of course Lin Wo and Gao Shan fall in love. After he finds out about her identity, he attempts to break up with her.
He eventually gives up his revenge for her which I find sweet. I mean love can overcome hatred!!!But then the story gets weird and introduces to a character named Bei xiao rong. He was someone that Lin Wo took care of when he was younger. He use to have autism when he was younger... This character is introduced at a bad time and the introduction of his just makes the rest of the drama unbearable... He also complicates things and does things to ruin the relationship between the leads.... just because he likes her...
As for the romance between the lead, I felt they had a decent chemistry/passion. Although I wasnt the biggest fan of all their " punch kisses" ( lol term I made up) All their kisses were so forceful, like they plant the kiss in their face with force like punching someone lol. Can't they just be gentle?
Can we talk about the choice of clothing for the female lead? some formal outfits were so opened and low cut? ( something we dont really seem much in Chinese dramas)
Im so glad it wasnt just revenge driven or else it would be a very negative drama....It honestly did better than I expected.
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Choppy Editing, Multitude of Inaccuracies, Too Much Propaganda (Even During the Leads Wedding)!
I first added this to my watchlist when it was first announced, 4 or 5 some odd years ago. I had seen both leads in at that point one drama each (PA for him & CQL for her); since then I've seen him in one other (Parallel World) and her in a few others. While he is good as both the protagonist and antagonist roles, it's better if she stuck to the former. While I don't know the SML or most of the support, I have seen SFL in one drama as an antagonist and I've seen the TML in several dramas where he was just very good. Everyone else is come and go. Unfortunately, though this drama had potential, I'm sure it fell prey to choppy editing, multitude of inaccuracies, and too much propaganda even during the leads wedding in the very last episode.Pros: Favorite characters were ML, SML, CY, little head navy guy, third couple, all parents; thankfully no toxicity; Brigadier and his family. I would have to say that the pros of this drama, other than the music and the overall obvious camaraderie of the soldiers and friendships. It also had a lot of people that were funny like the parents of FL and in small moments, you had a lot of little learning curves and teachable moments for everyone combined. I like the fact that they had these clubs in groups and what not for soldiers families and wives clubs and I'm guessing also husband's clubs if they so chose to join because that was real. I do appreciate the fact that they did show sad moments like toward the end, when two of their trusted captains had to either discharge completely or get reassigned to another unit due to pretty bad injuries. Those were honest. I personally like all the gadgetry like helicopters and ships and drills and all that other stuff. The villains a.k.a. big bad dad and his son and the international guy William or whatever were OK but I really wouldn't call them anything to cry home about in the villain category. However, the majority fell into the cons.
Cons: The first thing I noticed that was completely off kilter, was the choppy editing and the scenes just didn't flow naturally be it the drill, soldier scenes or the civilian scenes. They jumped from one to another without giving the viewer time to adjust. The other thing would be that a lot of the times you could blatantly tell that they were using either news footage or documentary footage from other locations other than what was being actually filmed, also, a lot was edited out and not shown in the actual series that was shown in trailers like the leads going to Disney World or spending time together or vacations together or even that supposedly the SFL became pregnant again. They never showed any time jumps until the very last episode where we found out that the entire show basically took place within a little over two years.
The thing that I complained about the most had to be the complete and utter lack of research be it when it came to things like miscarriages (somehow SFL, who actually had the miscarriage got over it in 10 days or less both emotionally and in every other sense of the word while the SML was the one who looked like he was going to pass out and felt guilty about it. Now everyone grieves differently, but this was just completely off kilter and the fact that absolutely no one except the ML asked him how he was doing just felt wrong because in real life that's not how it works either) to my absolute worst annoyance being their scuba drills. It was like production never researched a single thing about what it meant to be a master diver or in this case since these guys were special ops and they made rookie mistake after rookie mistake or things that were literally impossible if you take into account the laws of physics underwater that just had someone like me who's a certified scuba diver cringing. Now I'm not in the military, but anyone who is a dive master or anyone who's even further advanced in scuba than I am would be cringing at this let alone anybody in special ops or who are military divers regardless of country. Some of the tests that they conducted where scuba was involved were downright illegal internationally. For people who have never gone scuba diving, if you choose to try that, my biggest piece of advice is to go with a dive master and not alone or because of what you saw on TV.
The other thing that was they brought in a 3rd wheel to be kind of a in between of the villains I mentioned up top. His whole worst thing was that he could not take no for an answer from the FL, who herself had a lot of serious lack of judgment calls, but this dude was just ridiculous & on top of that he got physical with her toward the end and that was a big no. Then he felt like he had the need to call out the ML not once but twice, even though the ML and his team saved his life like it was any of his business. 3rd wheels like that I think are completely unnecessary and just make things worse for the storyline. On top of that they never closed him out so we don't know what happened to him. They made the SFL a princess or lazy goat as the FL called her for the majority of it until the miscarriage somehow matured her, but you still didn't quite say anything. Plus, you didn't really feel the chemistry of the second leads at all. As for the chemistry of the main leads, it was kind of felt, but not really until the end either. Meanwhile, the FL sort of lost her EQ a few times and blamed him for basically telling her what she did was wrong in that hostage negotiation and her playing prima donna which just kind of made me feel all iffy about her character until she understood things a little better. It seemed to me that only ML and SML, the third couple notwithstanding and CY were the only mature dudes and when it came to being in a relationship people out of the entire situation. I called ML a lump of clay when it came to romance, but even though he himself admitted that he wasn't great at it he was certainly honest about it.
Lastly, the propaganda factor was way too much. Yes I understand this had to be with soldiers and this also had the romance thing but you do not preach Motherland, flag, military, and all that other junk when your daughter just had a miscarriage. You do not preach that junk at a wedding when it's supposed to be emotional and a romance. It got so out of hand that even the SFL's mother would talk about it in the weirdest of times. I get it when it comes to certain situations and I understood that this was part of the series, but there were many situations when it was completely unnecessary and just reduced a more powerful scene to not so much.
Would I recommend it? Honestly, this is one of those dramas where if you turn your brain off and just watch while you're waiting for something sure. And if you could get past all of the inconsistencies and everything else mentioned in the cons, you'll be just fine. I do hope to see the ML in more series in the future because I think he plays protagonist roles pretty well and we've already seen him and antagonist ones.
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Romance in the middle of good vs. bad
This is a good drama to watch when you want to binge-watch something. I don't suggest watching this and coming back to it a few weeks later because to me, if most of the episodes were not available when I binge-watched this, my curiosity for what would happen next and wanting to watch more would have dropped and I might have just stopped watching. The reason is that the story gets somewhat draggy and boring in the middle making me skip some scenes. But besides that problem I had which was not that big of a deal, I loved the drama. This story focuses on Xie Xiao Nie also known as Ni Chang. She suffered from a rival family's plot. She gets back on her feet after completing school in Yun School taught by a pretty famous teacher. She moves back to her hometown and starts a clothing business. All while this happens, the idea of revenge for her family is still in the back of her head. On her journey to get justice for her family, she falls in love with Luo Prince who she once met, but he doesn't remember. This is a super sweet drama entangled with emotional and serious scenes.Story-This is a 7 because I loved the beginning and the end but the middle was a bit draggy and there were some uninteresting scenes that I skipped being the bad characters' dialogues. The story is pretty interesting and unique to me. The story starts as a survival story and Ni Chang trying to get justice for her family members' murders but turns into a romantic one soon. The drama makes Ni Chang seem fragile and kinda dumb on the outside, but she is very talented at her craft and extremely smart and brave. I liked her being super talented but rarely bragging about her craft. She also always found unique ways to one-up her opponents. Zi Yu (Luo Prince) seemed like a very righteous chill dude. He seemed not too nice but not too mean either until he meets Ni Chang. Zi Yu is almost always there to help Ni Chang with her troubles. Their love story off slow and the type I don't care about your feelings, but as they interact more, they fall into love. I feel that Zi Yu knew he liked Ni Chang before Ni Chang realized she liked him. After they realize they like each other, their love story, only talking about a love story is just super sweet. They are just so sweet together and there are plenty of kiss scenes. Of course in every drama, you must have love rivals. Su Wen Yu liked Ni Chang since he met her and he is a super complicated character. He likes Ni Chang but gets rejected every time. In more than half the story, it seems like Wen Yu is trying to win over Ni Chang. He finally stops after getting himself back together. Princes Lan Zhou has liked Zi Yu also since she first met him. She appears later in the episodes and tries to chase Zi Yu but after he says he already likes someone, she stops. I like her character better since she is not as delusional as Wen Yu. There are several couples in the story, which I think are expected especially after you have watched half the show. The evil characters made me hate them so much. Yuan Dao Cheng, I hated him throughout the entire show from start to finish and I just him to lose his power and suffer the consequences of his evil-doings. Another evil character, Yan Wen Xiu, again a complex character like Su Wen Yu. She seemed just one of those normal bullies or something, but no she takes being bad, disgusting, evil to another level. She does atrocious things out in the daylight and it could almost compare to the evil things Yuan Dao Cheng does secretly. I somewhat disliked Wen Xiu from the first time I saw her appear but my hatred for her grew more as she did more bad things. The story overall is somewhat basic with the evil people, good people, heroines, etc. There were not that many shockers or plot twists.
Acting/Cast-Let me just say, the leads and most of the characters' actors and actresses fit into the roles very well. But some of the supporting roles, fit well but not as well as I wanted. Nevertheless, all the actors and actresses did a great job with their characters. If they were a bad character, they made me hate them. If they were a good character, I liked them. If they were a complex character, then I got mixed feelings. For the specific actors:
Bi Wen Jun (Ou Yang Zi Yu)-I watched a couple episodes of In My Class which he starred in and he didn't really catch my attention but he did in this drama. He was sooo good acting like a 5-year old. He made it seem like he was a 5-year-old in an adult's body. It was also super cute. He also did great when was like a normal adult. He seemed very natural with Li Jia Qi (Ni Chang) and their sweet scenes were so cute! He had great chemistry with Jia Qi. Jia Qi also did spectacular. She was great when she was super warm and nice and she acted great when she was serious.
Sun Jia Lu (Yan Wen Xiu)- She fit this character near perfectly. One look and you knew her character was going to be involved in some problems for Ni Chang. Since Yan Wen Xiu was a complex character, one where you feel bad for, but deep down still somewhat pity, I think Jia Lu did a great job. She made me hate her character so much.
Will Song (Su Wen Yu)-He also fits this character greatly. He looks very pitiful and always having some sort of pain or problem he needs to solve. The actor character made me so annoyed with Wen Yu and mad at him yet again somewhat pity for him at the same time. Also, based on Su Wen Yu's character, I think he might have had some mental problems since he was so delusional when chasing Ni Chang.
Music- It was ok and fit the drama well.
Overall-Decent drama to pass the time or when you are just chilling
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I THINK I LOVE YOU
Sometimes you watch something that leaves you feeling so much and yet not enough, this drama was one of such works. Plot wise, after the many high school bls, this story was exactly the something different I was looking for. Though, was it really something different? Cuz this is literally the current world situation, only difference is, it comes with a side of rainbow and it has its own background soundtrack.Listen, before I start this review, I need to get this off my chest. No one but the people responsible are at fault for Victor's death. From how I saw it, nothing could have saved Victor that day, no matter what, he would have died. I saw a lot of people angry at Tanwa for not telling Trin until it was too late. People, did we watch the same thing? Did you not see the kind of character Victor was? That boy did not take no for an answer. How many times did Trin reject him and how many times did he keep insisting? And since Trin became their teacher, did he not constantly advice them against the protests, and did Victor and his friends listened to him? No, so did you think Victor would have listened to him this time? Victor was about to leave, and felt he owed it to his friends to stand with them one last time, there was nothing anyone would have said that he'd have listened. Even his mother said after his death, 'he died fighting for what he believed in,' so she knew it herself, Victor would have been at that rally no matter what.
Trin & Tanwa
So yes, I was angry when Trin took some of his anger on Tanwa for Victor's death. It hurt that after seeing the way Tanwa's father treated him, Trin hit him and then left him. Trin got Tanwa to stop running away and faced his emotions, to open his heart and love, and then, he left him, and ran back to France. And the moment he said he was leaving I dead ass went, 'Yes, ran away, of course running away is your speciality, you did it when your girlfriend died too.' So yes, I was in my feelings andwas like, yeah if those two don't end up together I'd be fine with it, let them heal and move on, Tanwa don't need to be around whatever quilt Trin is feeling. But.
But, but, I also understood Trin. It's in human nature to think we could have done something to make a difference when things like this happens. Would Trin had been able to talk Victor out of going this time, when he hadn't been able to talk him out of anything so far? Would he have reacted the way he did if he'd known Tanwa actually warned Victor, but Victor made him promised not to tell him? We'd never know. Cuz at that moment, giving the information he knew and the hurt he felt, he reacted accordingly, so I understood Trin, but it still hurt that at the end of the day, Tanwa was the one who was left behind again, cuz in trying to please two people at once, he ended up breaking a promise and losing the man he loved.
But Tanwa grew, and it was beautiful to see. We met him as this carefree hippie who didn't care about anything, just here to enjoy life and make paper cranes. But with Trin he changed and it was nice, but then everything fell apart for him again. First he broke, completely, but slowly, he put the pieces together and I was so happy for him. Thanks to his that one friend with the hair who never gave up on him. That father, all he did was be a father like he was supposed too, so he gets no thanks from me.
As for Trin he actually left France and came back home to make a difference, and he didn't sit on his arse, and actually worked on making change, though when the side he choose got hard he left again. Sure he said he could continue doing the work he was doing out of the country, and perhaps he could, a pebble thrown at one end of the ocean could make a tsunami at the other end of the world, so yes he could, but for half of the finale, I felt like he was running away, probably, he was doing both. And I don't blame him, this was the second time his pain was being written with the same ink and ending.
Personally, I think they'd both would have survived on their own if they hadn't ended up together again. But, I'm glad Tanwa learned to respect himself, choose himself, and grow before he decided to speak out and then go and try to make things right with Trin. They both needed that time to sort out their feelings and heal, and they were stronger for it when they got back together.
Krailert & Naran
I am surprised one of these two didn't die. I am not gonna lie, I watched this whole drama thinking Krailert was a coward and he was gonna die a useless death. Yes, I was cheering on him, happy when he was all in love and hating on clothes and playing piano, but my opinion of him was not much.
Cuz really, he was in a marriage he didn't want. He did what his superiors told him with little to no opposition, and most of the time his best effect was to wish the soldiers under him would listen to him, and make sure his nephew wasn't anywhere near whatever disaster was coming. Even the day that Victor died, yes he tried to save the students, even tried to send Trin out on some errand to save him, but in the end because he didn't really hold any respect or power in the army from his soldiers, after all this years, his men disobeyed him, and he ended up losing the one trusted man he had.
And it wasn't that he didn't try to do the right thing or speak up, it was just that he held so little power, that his voice and effects meant little to nothing in the long scheme of things. Yes, he did what he could, but it wasn't enough, which got me thinking with how much power his father in law held, how the eff did he end up with none but that dude with the cigar ended up with so much? Was it because he was too kind, too nice for a profession in politics when he'd rather be playing the piano naked? Either way with a family like his wife's backing him, him basically ending up a 'yes, sir' dude at work was unfortunate. Though his ending was an unhappy trophy husband, so really, short end of the straw.
So, I was so so so happy when in the finale he grew a pair and finally spoke out, though, what good it did him, he was immediately arrested and was about to die or imprisoned for life, until his wife came in to save him. But even so, I was so happy that he decided to speak up and to tell the truth, even knowing what consequence he would face. Both Naran and I were very proud of him.
Naran, spoke a big game of wanting change, of wanting to tell the public the truth, and for a while he was passionate about it and did it, but when he kept being silenced, he allowed himself to be silenced. Sure there wasn't much he could do with a boss like that, but thinking about it, he'd write, tried to push, be silenced and he'd let it go. He knew how horrible those politicians were, yet, he didn't really talked those student out of anything, just stood in the crowd with them with his camera, taking shoots and videos that never saw the light of day. Even Victor's father's book, in the end it was actually Krailert who called in that favour for him to get it published.
Yes, he had no power when against such powerful people, but the pen is mightier as they say, so... Anyway, I was glad he quit. And also, he could have had his own publication had he lied and stayed with his girlfriend, but it was good he didn't want to add to the pain by staying with her. I was happy he came clean and let her go, otherwise he'd have ended up in an unhappy, suffocating marriage like Lert did. Though, was a one way ticket to wherever he went any better? Probably.
Was their ending sad, yes, but again, I am still shocked not one of them died and they both made it alive. Though, are they even alive? He was forced to leave the country alone without even seeing the man he loved one last time, and Lert was threatened to remained in an unhappy, unwanted marriage as a live-in sperm donor. So, I say alive with huge question mark.
Secondary characters:
Dhevi :
I was not surprised one bit that Krailert's wife was pulling strings. Literally, her hair was never out of place no matter the time of the day, of course she was silently a force to be reckoned with. Woman to woman though, does forcing a man you know does not love you, plus in this case, wasn't even intimately interested in you, ever make this people happy? What did she get out of this? A husband who is dead inside? A baby? Bishes be crazy. Naran's girlfriend hit him with a shoe and moved on, what Krailert's wife did was just cruel. Girl why? And all that to save force cuz of social norms? What was the point?
Victor:
I liked that loser. He was so adorable when he was in love, and I'd admit, I was lowkey looking for drama and going, 'you know what, just one, one tiny kiss.' I know it would never happened cuz Trin saw Tanwa one time and was a goner rearranging his bookshelf in the middle of night, but still, I was delulu and wanted something, I'd have taken a very firm handshake even, In the end, he died for what he believed in, gone too soon, yes, but he left a mark on the friends he left behind and that counts for something.
Veera:
His death hit so hard, cuz at one point I was like, hmmm he loves the wife too much, you think he'd snitch? Shame on me for thinking bad of him, cuz he didn't. In the end whether for Dhevi or Krailert, he was loyal, and died protecting them. Poor boy didn't even get to attend his fake wedding. I still feel how sad and hard I cried during that episode where both him and Victor died, and with Mile singing Dawn in the background while everyone broke down in tears did not help. Damn that episode broke me.
Which brings us to why everyone on this cast needs to win an award, especially the four main leads. Everyone did so amazing with their characters and actually looked like they enjoyed coming to work and producing this amazing series for us. And it was an amazing series. I loved every moment of it. The plot was wonderfully executed, and everything from the cinematography, direction, editing, costumes, casting, script and the music made me like it more. Speaking of the music, the original soundtrack was amazing, I saved almost all the songs on the show to my playlist. Loved them!
I highly recommend this to all bl/drama lovers out there, cuz this is so much more than just a bl drama. The genre and topic might not be for everyone, but if you are looking for a drama with good plot, direction, acting and overall amazing production, give this one a chance, it's one of the best bls/dramas that I've seen that's come out of the Thailand. I am looking forward to more from the cast. BeOnCloud, thank you!
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