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Half of a really good cupcake
Indeed this is a cupcake for two, a little to little to satisfy you but sweet, pretty and lovely as it has lots and lots of sweet moments (literally) .Had it been a bit longer it may have gotten a 9, the characters are lovable, fun to watch and aware of both issues concerning power relations and consent. That said they do show that awareness of these issues does not always mean actually practicing the awareness... but that is a different story.This very short series, is otherwise a pretty typical office romance with the twist of a mid life crisis, not a lot of drama, some fluffy icing that does a pretty decent job showing the very sad reality that gender conventions hinder men from enjoying most of the good and sweet in the world. But I would have wanted more of everything.Definitely worth a watch, and a show i highly recommend to all rom-com lovers out there, just do not expect to get a full dose of sugar.
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180 Degree Longitude Passes through Us
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180 Degree of a 52-hertz call
This is not your typical BL drama, so i already advice here that if you don't enjoy that theatre type of dialogues or heavy philosophical introspective tones, don't watch it cause this is not a high-teen type of drama at all; and i loved every second of it.What to say about this one? It was unique, heartwrenching with a slow burn that left me with a "void-like" feeling inside of my soul; and yet i enjoyed that feeling.
The story is simple and yet so complex in it's undertones. A boy searches for the pieces of his late father while traveling with his overprotective and overpowering mother and finds a lonely man that is broken by his own decisions and self-imposed guilt.
These are not beautifully rose painted characters. These are just three flawed human beings, each feeling that their own view of what is right or wrong is unjustified by the views of the other; each feeling that they have the rights over their own choices and that they were right on making them.
The world belongs to nobody and yet each of them holds their own "world" in their hands as if they are made of glass, unwilling to part with it or to let anyone with a different view go inside or to let anyone that is unwilling to stay, leave.
180 Degree longitude passes through while a 52-hertz call is made on each side, never able of actually meeting.
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Which is strange, because when I started watching it was like: OMG, why do they play so poorly? What is this with the dialogues and faces? But somewhere around episode 3 or 4 it really took me in. In the end I really enjoyed it and would love to see the continuation.
Maybe the actors needed some time to roll in as well. I liked the girl, who in the end sounded and looked really sincere, when talking to Takane, and I liked this superfluous way of speaking that Takane has. Though the drama is really short, you manage to understand the character of each of the 4 main leads. They are all different, and though due to lack of time in the series they are all quite schematic, you do see the difference. That is more, than many other dramas can boast, in which charachters often seem to be made by one sample.
Besides, do remember that Japanese have very peculiar sense of humour, which you should also be ready for while watching this drama. Hope you'll enjoy it too!
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Where as Paul has a different personality lol, let's say ugly duckling turns into a swan after swapping places with his twin, it's hard for Paul as a straight man living together being in close skinship with a beautiful woman.
it's quite funny, it has got romance, everything except revenge, slap kiss & rape. :)
The things is the plot is a bit slow.
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You'll fall in love with all of the members once again, laugh at their quirky personalities and amazing English skills. It is essentially a story of their success, hardships and a way to the whole western music world. By the way, these are some of the most iconic memes and jokes of BTS that are jumbled into 8 episodes. so if you're staning any member, you NEED to watch this. My favorite thing was the interaction between the group members and the American artists. You can really spot the cultural differences and how 2 separate cultures can merge into 1. As much as every episode was enjoyable and totally amazing, in my opinion, this show needs a season 2!
An entertaining series worth the watch that will put a smile on your face!
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This review may contain spoilers
A Silent Attack with a Minimum of Dai.
Everyone knows I love me some Dai Gao Zheng but, this drama, while not bad, and not that good either, left a lot to be desired. Don't expect any kissing because there is none. No romance. He has one hot tub scene because he is healing. That gives us our usual "ab" shot, he is so famous for showing.This drama revolved around Lin Hong Er who received a new name and face due to a lookalike stealing her real identity. She is saved by Shen Tu Yu (aka Dai Gao Zheng) a mysterious healer. She then becomes Hong Lin Lang (aka Yu Cong) seeking revenge against the powerful family that destroyed her life and to get her lost love.... Xiao Xian (aka Cao Jun Xiang).
Shen Tu Yu, we find out much later in the drama (close to the end) that he is the former crown prince. At the royal banquet, someone poisoned him with Gu poison. By the time he figured out he was poisoned every inch of his skin began tearing apart and festering. He had to learn medicine under renowned physicians. He ordered his subordinate to take him to his master's hermitage. Through studying ancient texts, he discovered a vicious self-preservation method. Fighting poison with poison. By biting others to transfer the poison out, thereby reducing his own poison. He transferred it to, you guessed it...Shen Tu Yu.
His subordinate, turned into the crown prince. Those chasing after him, knew about the Gu poison so they mistook his subordinate for the crown prince, captured and imprisoned him. Hence, him becoming Shen Tu Yu leading a life of seclusion.
After he tells his story, the county princess comes out and admits everything. That she did poison him so that he would not have succession to the throne. Upon hearing this, Xiao Xian comes out and has the guards take the county princess.
Hong Lin Lang's lookalike, well, she went cray-cray and decided she really had nothing much to live for, so she let herself burn up in a fire.
Hong Lin Lang never was able to get her original face back. That was not possible, but she did get her name and identity back due to Xiao Xian asking the emperor to do so. He and Hong Lin Lang part ways.
As for Shen Tu Yu, and meets up with Hong Lin Lang, gets off his horse, smiles at her and she smiles at him as they lead their horses.
Yes, that is it. Nothing more.
Again, Dai needs to get much stronger dramas. He was barely in this one to tell you the truth. If you have nothing better to watch, go for it. But this attack was a silent one really.
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Let's start off with the story. At first, it seems like another cliched nice girl-bad boy falling for each other story. To say briefly- this is the real story. Yet, so different and likable. This drama dared to used heavy cliches but twisted and turned them in such a way that it was hard to get bored. One aspect I loved was that both leads- Yi Lei and Mei Le were characters with real depth. Generally, the romantic comedies tend to have shallow characters and their behaviour is hard to contemplate. Here, the guy and girl are both damaged in their ways and they always give us the reason for their behaviour. And the excuse doesn't seem silly. It is actually believable.
The main girl seems too perfect and boring at the beginning of the show, but after she meets Yi Lei her flaws start showing. And on the first few encounters Yi Lei seems predictable and the typical bad boy who never changes. But eventually he starts softening up because of Mei Le. I think this is the first time in any drama that I have understood why a super rich, super handsome guy fell for an ordinary girl. Mei Le is really unique and a hard worker. She strives to do her best in every thing and gives it her all. Because of this, she also manages to win over Yi Lei. Both characters manage to break the image that they first created as the story progresses. Also, I love how they both bring out a different side of each other. When they are together I felt like they were an actual couple! The depiction was so realistic.
As for the secondary characters- Yi Feng is, and remains an idiot (till the end) who cheats on Mei Le and goes for an insufferable girl like Xuan Xuan. I actually empathized a bit with Xuan Xuan at the beginning but after that I wanted to yank off her stupid woolen hats. She was very annoying. Then there are the brother and sister of the main couple who very cute together. Again- the first time when the second love story was equally likable. There was also the mother of Yi Lei who was a completely nasty and horrendous. I hated her the most. The actress also overacted and her angry expressions were almost comical.
Now- the relationship between Yi Lei and Mei Le. Where do I start? I love, love, love their relationship together. Here, instead of the girl the guy falls for her first. He managed to completely win me over by the second or third episode. Mike He in the role was an added advantage because of his good looks. I won't say he is the best actor in the world and he definitely overacted at times- but he was so cute! Especially the actions of Yi Lei and what he felt for Mei Le was FANTASTIC. I also love how the story gives them time and the perfect opportunities for them to get to know each other before falling in love. I had some issues with Mei Le denying her feelings, but she confesses the reason for her behaviour too and I felt like it was forgivable. Cyndi Wang is an amazing actress because she managed to make a naive, clueless, pushover sort of a girl into some one who was easy to like. And this is a record where I was hardly annoyed with the main girl.
Plus, the chemistry between Mike He and Cyndi Wang was too good. When they kiss or hug, it ends up giving you a warm feeling. I really loved how they were able to understand each other completely. You can really compare the relationship Mei Le had with Yi Feng and the one she has with Yi Lei. I was almost wishing like I could be in their fairytalesque story too. Both characters have their shortcomings and they way they manage to make it work irrespective of that is amazing. My shipper heart was happy all the way upto episode 10.
Now, the last 4-5 episodes were kind of lacking in romance. I wasn't too thrilled with the reappearances of Xuan Xuan and Yan Shao. The sister-pretension plot was silly, but it managed to be an alright plot device to drive the main couple apart. Plus here there was another more of a sensible situation than a dumb ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend breaking up the couple. I have seen enough rom coms to know that separation is always inevitable. It happens here too. But it is amazing that the story managed to remain interesting enough to watch even after driving them apart. I had a few issues with the last episode because every one was crying so- I suggest you skip the depressing parts.
I don't know why every one complained about the ending. Okay, they didn't show Mike He but I actually liked how they concluded it. Plus, it was a happy one so what's there to complain? Rom coms never have perfect endings either.
So, all in all- it is one of the many romantic comedies, part-melodrama. Yet, I think it was different and definitely more enjoyable than the ones I have been watching till now. It has ended and I feel like I parted with a friend. I am happy giving this drama a try and it definitely goes in my favourites' list. Highly recommended!
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Kamo, Kyoto e Iku (Kamo Goes to Kyoto) belongs to an unusual subset of dramas. While a plot exists and the story is passably well-told, everything ends up feeling rather educational. We see the beautiful city of Kyoto, complete with its landmarks and various traditions. We see how the ryokan is run, right down to maid etiquette, ofuro cleaning, and the composition of kaiseki (traditional Japanese cuisine, a staple of these establishments). This aspect is much stronger than the script itself, though even that remains enjoyable if somewhat simple. And if you like themes of modernity vs. tradition, you may discover another layer of appeal.
Should you actively seek out knock-out performances, continue your search; this drama will not offer them. However, nobody does a poor job either; most characters are pleasant and, at the very least, reasonably acted. Matsushima Nao might be most memorable, headlining as Ueba Kamo: seasoned finance official and Kyoto anti-fan (she even hates her name, originating from the famous river which runs through that city). Her elitist portrayal is believable, as it is when she switches gears. The exploits of this character lead us through the events of the drama, and the operations of the ryokan itself. Though she also has a cute side, mostly shown through her morning exercise routine.
Music follows a similar tack as acting. Everything is suitable and works in most scenes, but very little stands out. However, Sheena Ringo provides the striking vocal theme ("Iroha ni hoheto" or "Even Blossoming Flowers") definitely worth listening to again.
I would mostly recommend this drama to Kyoto-lovers, or those seeking cultural enrichment. Coming into this drama for other reasons might lead to a lukewarm experience. Don't be discouraged though! Kamo, Kyoto e Iku might have a lot to offer potential viewers of any kind.
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With each loop, it gets better!!
The time loop continues every time Tol dies and so does their story right from the very beginning. When I first watched the series I didn't have much expectations from it but damn it I was hooked from the very first episodes. It's just so good from the storyline to the cast, everything... like every single thing. The first time I read the synopsis of Triage I thought it would have a lot of loopholes and it does have a few but very minimal that it can be easily ignored. It's a very interesting story. It keeps getting better with every episode. The characters are well portrayed and it such a fascinating watch plus a unique genre in the BL world. And my god Tae and Tee make it so much more better. It feels so good to see them together again in a series. Moreover Sing and Gap are adorable. It's definitely a must watch.Was this review helpful to you?
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Not too good but super cute!
I can't rate the drama highly but I really LOVE every single frame of it!The cinematography and the music are amazing. This is the first reason why you should watch it if you just simply want to relax and nothing else. I mean every scenery is so beautiful with the lighting, the choice of shot size, camera angle and movements. As Ye Xi Yan (FL) says, Lu Ming Yu (ML) does know how to enjoy his life, doesn't he? He live in a place including the village, the tea garden and the beach. Every song used is nice, so are the funny sound effects.
The tone is comedic, romantic and peaceful, which is totally opposite to the dramatic synopsis. The director chose to show us more about the countryside life than the city work life. I'm glad I saw the drama for its posters, not its synopsis. By the way, the posters are really different, they're full of green, the color I rarely saw in other dramas' posters.
The main couple is cute and funny, green flags are everywhere. FL and ML has a lot of hug and kiss scenes. The bathroom scenes are really something I didn't expect. And I love how they have the same tone as the drama, not hot, just peaceful.
The main cast makes me surprised, how can they look so serious and funny at the same time? Especially Eric Hsiao (萧子墨), a Taiwanese actor playing Lu Ming Yu (ML), I have never seen him before. His look is average but really manly. I'm glad he got the role because he's perfect for it. I can see he has experience with action scenes.
I feel calm and comfortable watching this drama.
Despite all those good things, the whole story is quite simple and the plot development is too fast. The plot has so many plot holes. For example, why does no one doubt when Ye Xi Yan (FL) pretends to be someone they've known for many years? The villains are weak and I mostly forget about them.
After all, if you are looking for a simple and restful drama to entertain, then Love in the Tea Garden is a choice that you should consider.
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Y’all know the drill, negatives first which for me was FL. Whilst she wasn’t completely useless, she had knowledge and apparently knowledge is power. I just wish that physically, she wasn’t so weak and needing to be rescued every single time.
STORY
I had absolutely no idea what I was walking into when I started this but I knew there was Magic which I’m a huge fan of - clean not Black Magic. This is possibly the highest level of Power Struggle I have ever encountered, even more than Laila Thida Yak (last Action lakorn I watched).
ACTING/CAST
I wanted to watch this solely for the Action and I’m happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed. ML is one of the strongest I’ve seen in all the year I’ve been watching dramas in general with no signs of weakening as the story progressed so his definitely my favourite. I think together the characters worked really well and the actors made their characters their own.
MUSIC
I mostly remember the opening song since I heard sooo many times, even during the episode so it’s stuck in my head but there is one other song they played that I also enjoyed.
REWATCH VALUE
If you enjoy it as much as me I’d say yes, but if not then obviously not lol.
Whilst there is Romance here, this lakorn is almost pure Action so if you’re thinking of watching this for the romance you may be disappointed. The Romance is so little you may not even notice it but if you’re a fan of Action then this may be right up your street. As I pretty much enjoyed this all the way, I can’t say if this dragged or not so I’m not really qualified to comment on that. I do hope Thailand come out with more lakorns like this one.
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Story 8/10 - Spies! Kids! Spy kids! Yeah, the story is a good break from watching melodramas or rom coms. Don't be too disappointed if the cases aren't that hard to figure out since the detective team is made up of young kids but its fun. I felt like a mini Sherlock whenever I watched this drama ^^. I know the drama is supposed to have serious moments, but this is one where you should have fun with it and not be too concerned with the main storyline. If you immerse yourself in each episode and become a detective with the kids, time flies
Acting/Cast 8/10 - Shida Mirai! ^^ The entire cast is really young in this, so their acting isn't as developed as older actors/actresses. But Shida Mirai is extremely cute in drama, adding her own style of quirkyness in each episode and shining when there are serious moments.
Music 6/10 - Jdrama OST's never really hit me, but the suspenseful music during murders help set the mood.
Rewatch 5/10 - Once was good enough. If you're able to solve all the cases without being shown the culprit, good job! You're on your way to becoming Sherlock Holmes~
Overall 8/10 - A fun and quirky drama mixed in with serious and mysterious cases. Watch an episode or two whenever you wish to take a breather from those serious melodramas and kick back while you watch 5 kids run around and solve mysteries
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Beautiful cinematography and excellent acting - but slow at times with many timeline switches
Completed - 5/22/2022 - 8.25 ratingI have not read the book, so I am going into this not really knowing what the story is about. "Pachinko" tells the stories of the hardships endured by commoners from the 1920s to the 1940s in Korea and Japan. We saw our characters struggled to make a living or to have a decent meal during times of turmoil and war. A big part of the drama also depicts lives as second-class citizens when you left your home country and lived abroad - whether you moved to or returned from Korea, Japan or the United States.
Each episode is like a movie. You can see Apple pours a decent amount of money into this production. The cinematography, sets, costumes, props, houses/venues, scenes of a natural disaster - all look realistic and are shot beautifully. The background music complements the scenes, but I actually don't recall any song played in this drama. I might have just forget at it took me a long time to finish this drama.
For an 8-episode season, "Pachinko" has a large and amazing cast. This is the first time I've seen Kim Min Ha (young Kim Sun Ja). I would not say she's beautiful, but she fits the role of a tough and smart Sun Ja really well. There are many close-ups of her in this drama, and you can see all her micro expressions. Veteran actress, Young Yuh Jung plays the grandma version of Sun Ja, and of course did an amazing job as well. Coming into this, I only know Lee Min Ho, and he didn't disappoint. He's dashing and seductive in his white suit. A whole ep. 7 was dedicated to his character and to showcase his acting chops. I don't think I've ever seen him so dirty and disheveled in any other drama. I am also introduced to Jin Ha, who played Solomon. What an interesting character. Does he really speak fluent Korean, Japanese and English?? The most beloved character is probably Pastor Baek Yi Sah, played by Steven Noh. He's such a sweetheart, so gentle and caring.
The drama spans many decades and also switches back and forth between different timelines. It could be disorienting at times, as the timeline switches happen quite frequently. The pacing in the first couple episodes are a little slower. The drama takes time in introducing us to different characters from all timelines.
I heard there will be a few more seasons of "Pachinko" and will focus on other characters in the novel. However, I don't feel closure of the stories told in season 1. I would not say the drama ends on a cliffhanger but maybe a somewhat open ending? Maybe the stories of these characters will be continued in season 2?
p.s. Took me about a month to finish watching this drama, not because the drama is boring... just life circumstances. Therefore, I feel that this review might not be as well-written or as coherent.
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Are there differences?
I love how natural it felt watching as the friendly teasing turned into actual flirting. With every couple one person was a bit more shy than the other but they were both curious to figure out if the other actually meant it when they said they were being serious about wanting to kiss each other. Despite every couple acting out the same scene there were subtle differences, which I really enjoyed since to me it reflects how scenes like this might be in reality.The girls seemed close, best friends maybe considering they wear matching rings. Both seemed a bit shy, at first, uncertain where things were heading. The the guy in the second scene seemed flustered when the girl suddenly turned his joke around and clearly refused to let it go, even going as far as asking whether he actually meant it. The third scene had a slightly different undertone to it, there was a mild if probably not entirely serious threat of violence as a first reaction when the teasing tone between the two male friends turned into much more than just joking around. Though, it was clear all six people clearly wanted this kiss to happen - here I'm really happy everyone actually made sure to ask for consent, to make sure they were on the same page.
To me, these subtle similarities show that even though all the pairings/couples share the same names (Jimin and Soo Hyun respectively) there is still a difference in how people with different genders might act when first confronted with the idea of kissing someone (especially if it's someone with the same or opposite gender). With the two guys there was a hint of fear in both guy's way of behavior, showing they were both trying to backpedal so as not to be seen as the 'weird one', an undertone which I also slightly got from the two girls. Both non-straight couples seemed to portray the silent question how others would react to them kissing, so each of them had to make sure the other person was being serious, was not just messing with them as some kind of cruel joke - I might have been thinking way too much about it in the last couple of minutes but I think the person portraying the character of Jimin in all three scenes is much less experienced than the one portraying Soo Hyun. And yet the latter already seems to have a slight crush on the other as well, showing it by teasing and yet being also unsure whether their feelings are actually requited.
The uncertainty and yet the constant push-and-pull until each person had their clear answer was beautifully portrayed and as someone who happens to be part of the LGBTQIA+ community that felt a bit too real at times (of course, especially with the first and third couple in this short film): Testing the waters but not being ready to jump in, ready to deny everything once questioned just to save a friendship, yeah, that felt a lot like past experiences.
I enjoyed this short film very much - while at first I thought it would be three different scenariosit turned out all three couples went through the same scenario. Altogether it felt like having a quick glance at three different parallel universes because after all there is no real difference between the couples. They are nervous, excited and yet they communicate their intentions clearly.
Altogether I think this short film shows that despite everything love is love, no matter one's own gender or that of the person you like or want to be with. After all, we're all human.
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