When I first started watching the drama I was a little sceptical, because of the many main characters, and because I'm not so strong in political dramas. However since the first episode I was drawn in by the theme. There may have been some things I have missed, based on how political it is. However I think that after some time everything I was unsure about, got cleared up in a simple way, so pretty much everyone could understand it.
It takes a while before the story really starts to develope, but once it does it's really great, and it certainly got me emotional more than a few times.
I would recommend this drama if you're into chinese historical/ political dramas.
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Now, this crime thriller has one of the most well thought out plots I have ever seen. Throughout the entire detective process you're left knowing hardly more than the main character, Kyeongyoon. And talk about a number of plot twists. It will keep you jumping from one person to the next as you try to figure out who-done-it.
Now, this movie doesn't only focus on the brutal scenes. As Kyeongyoon is trying to solve the serial murder case, we begin to see more and more of his personal life. He is getting married soon, but his job keeps taking away from their time together. His past also begins to cause a rift in their relationship, as he begins to spend more and more time trying to find out what happened to Lee Yoonsuh, who was at one time close to Kyeongyoon.
This is where beautiful cinematography comes in. Scenes from the past often take on an almost dream-like quality, with brightened lights and shifting images. This is definitely an experimental move, but it really caught my attention. It gave an almost chaotic feel, which closely mirrored Kyeongyoon's own feelings about his past.
However, the troubled relationship of the engaged couple doesn't begin and end with Kyeongyoon. His fiancée, Soojin, has a shocking past herself. It was quite honestly a jaw-dropping moment when you discover her secrets.
Overall, there are plenty of shockers in this movie and absolutely nothing was done without a purpose. I too was gasping multiple times during the last fifteen minutes as everything was unfolding. A couple viewings of this film might be needed to fully grasp all that happened, but it is well worth the second, third, or in my case, fifth watch.
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Potential but Underwhelming
The series is related to accounting and for those unfamiliar with the terminology will feel lost because there really isn't much explanation. You'll have to read up on it to enjoy the show because there is a LOT of tactics and plays based on that. You can ignore and try to get the gist of things.The story is about a high school graduate who joins an accounting firm in order to take it down because his adopted father's company was run to the ground which resulted in his death. The story felt had so much potential but right off the bat I didn't exactly enjoy the first couple of episodes. A lot happening but hard to make sense of it. But the actual story develops quite slowly. Makes sense because it's not easy for someone who has no idea of the inner workings of an accountancy firm to do any real damage so the first few episodes are just him trying to learn the ropes. I only started to enjoy the show midway when a lot of exciting things were happening - both good and bad.
Until episode 11, I was finally enjoying the show and happy with how things were being resolved. Episode 12, however, was a big let down. When you think of all the crimes committed by a certain someone and the way they let things play out, it feels like a betrayal to the time I, as a viewer, put in. Some like of think of it as realistic but we aren't exactly watching a documentary. And even if we talk about realism, the director seemed to want us to experience some kind of empathy for a horrible character. Are we supposed to forget the people who lost everything including their lives? I don't see how the male leads can be happy considering the circumstances. It doesn't feel real to me at all.
Overall, I just feel disappointed.
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This review may contain spoilers
two sisters, fall in love with different men and their court story
This drama was better than i anticipated, normally 40 episode ancient drama can be a drag. This one was not too bad!Characters-
Female lead - is the older sister of the Fu family. She has the the wits and the beauty. She is calm and collected.
Male lead- is the prince, who eventually becomes the King. He is smart, handsome and persistent in loving.
Second female lead - is the younger sister in the Fu family. She is the opposite of her older sister. She is feisty, impulsive, hot head and knows martial arts.
Second male- is a good friend of the prince. He's noble, smart, observative, and loyal.
Storyline-
The storyline flowed pretty well for the most part. It starts off with a prophecy from the local people that one of the Fu's daughter will be a queen . Thus making the emperor, cautious. He tells him adopted son, which is the male lead to take one of the Fu's daughter to another state to get married. This was just a fake mission, so they could assassinate the other state's king, and at the same time get rid of the elder Fu daughter. With her wits, she convinces the prince to not kill her. She is saved and slowly began to develop feelings for each other. The younger Fu sister starts liking the general ( aka second lead) .During all this time there is a conniving aunt of the king who doesnt like the fact, that the king likes the adopted prince so much. She believes her son , should be king and plan against the prince. Stuff happens and the prince ends up marrying the second sister. The story then focuses on how the prince eventually becomes prince. How the second sister faked her death to get out of the marriage with the prince who turned king. I wasnt as fond of the last part because it got more political >_<
Points I liked
1) Although the second sister at times can be annoying and naive, but she still cared about her sister and her family. I liked the sister relationship. I hate dramas when its sister turn against sister.
2) I liked the overall friendship and trusted of the two male leads despite still having some problems.
3) I liked the Fu's father. He was a noble and righteous official
4) of course I loved the elder sisters wits
5) love how the king devoted his love for the older sister, he never changed.
Things I didnt like
- the sister of the prince turned king who turned evil, and tried to kill the queen
- the concubine/empress who tried to help poison the queen. I dont even get her storyline, or like where she came from?
- I HATED THE EVIL OFFICIAL aka the king's cousin. He was just as evil like his mother.
Romance- Between the second lead pairing, i would say there is more development/screen time of them shown developing their relationship more than the elder sister and king. Both pairs are cute :) The drama has a good amount of romance. The king's and the older sister was more sad and slower/slightly tragic.
That reminds me.... wth is the ending? I thought she got healed from the poison ? so did she die , or did she leave? too open ended lol
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Simply adorable.
The 2 leads have carried this show so perfectly that i don't even mind the lack of actual plot and the inconsistent writing. Parker Mao and Xiao Hong are one of the best couple i've seen onscreen in recent days. They are just so great together and their chemistry is so incredible that i would not mind watching another 10 or 20 episodes of sweet delightful nothing, just to see them interact and their build up of sexual tension without even having to do anything special. The looks, the small touches, the laughs just drag you into the world they are creating.I truly hope to see them work together soon again.
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A must see. A gem & they should all be very proud
A must watch. It's slow. It's quiet. It is superbly acted. The locations and sets are full of emotional jarring sound ever so quietly. What a gem. I cried out loud.There are multiple POV's/versions of one man's moment in time. It is great story telling. It shows you how you never really know the whole story no matter how much you think you know the person.
This is about survival by more than one person. About how one person makes a difference. Both good and bad. How one decision changes your course.
Most of all,
My wish is one world where we can be at peace, happy and proud to love and be loved as our hearts and minds see fit.
Thank you to all those that made this film.
Please leave encouraging comments to the actors page. They read it!
Thank you.
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This review may contain spoilers
Sweet Silly Fantasy Special Episodes with Plotholes
I have to say that the transition from a bodyguard/boss story into a fantasy-themed one with reverse reincarnation is shocking! Maybe because they only have 2 episodes or about 100 minutes to make up the rule of the fantasy, give explanations on how it could happens, and not to mention the actual story in the past itself, the overall plot seems to be full of holes and there are some questions as well. But considering this is a special and the fact that I have bias for BL series, I'll just try to enjoy the overall theme and story without thinking much about the plot holes.I could enjoy the historical theme more, if they explain or give rough descriptions on what time period they were reverse reincarnated to. Love the role reversal where Palm becomes the lord while Nueng is the servant and how the power dynamic is shifted according to their new roles. Love the moments where they talk about their plans for the future and when they have differing opinions, they can talk it out (although I think you would need to talk more than that especially discussing important matters like that). Also loves it that both Palm and Nueng shows they have each their own good and bad quality but they still stick to each other despite of that. Last but not least, loves that Palm seems to make decision at the end because it's what he wants as well and not because it's what he thought would be the best for them
Side couples come as a surprise to me! Even though they only have a few minutes of screentime, apparently I was too invested in their story. I unexpectedly shed some tears when in the current era, Phum (Petch) and Kan (Kla) are boyfriends too. It feels like they got what they deserves, even when they couldn't be together in the past era.
P.S. love the eye refreshments scene *wink
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If you like novels like 1984, Lord Of The Flies, The Giver or Hunger Games...You may like watching Ikigami, The Ultimate Limit. Set in an unknown but familiar looking future time; the population is contained and controlled by random selection. Children are inoculated when they enter school and sometime during their young adulthood; the 'chosen to sacrifice for prosperity' are given 24 hours notice of their death. The story begins here for the viewer. We get to follow one man (Shota Matsuda) who's job it is to inform the chosen that their death is nigh.
I found it incredibly interesting; the different reactions people had to this news. This story is more about the human condition, human reactions in the face of death with nothing left to lose. It is not a rousing tale of the populous rising up to over throw the oppression. It is dark, sad and really touching.
The color pallet of the film lends itself to this feeling. Dark blue lighting, cloudy days, windowless rooms and dank underground work places. There are glimpses of light just as their are glimpses of hope in the lives of those lived and those left behind.
I've never read the manga but I am curious now. I recommend this film highly and not just because I am a rabid fan of Matsuda Shota. But I am a fan for a reason besides the superficial. He is a great actor, with a rubber face, fearless emoting and the ability to go very dark. He can turn it on a dime and be comedic too but for that you will have to watch some of his other films and dramas.
The whole cast was stellar. I particularly loved Yuta Kanai and Yamada Takayuki. Their acting was amazing and their stories touched my heart.
This is a cool movie. Give it a try if you are in the mood for darker fare.
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I saw this movie when I was in early stage of exploration Korean movies. I didn't know what to expect from this. I watched this movie when my taste of movie was changing and it contributed very much in changing my movie taste. This is my favorite love story.
Failan has a very solid story. It’s a new kind of romance/drama story. At first glance it doesn’t look like a story which can grab you next to screen for 115 minutes and sometimes it is slow but believe me it has ability to grab you for almost 2 hours. It is a realistic story and after watching this movie many people will have a question about characters’ love.
The acting and cast is excellent. This movie is equipped with super talented Choi Min-Shik and Cecilia Cheung. Both are great and gave amazing performance.
And about ending…..I won’t say whether it is sad or happy but it’s one of the best endings I’ve seen so far. It is the most beautiful ending.
I’ve to say that this movie is not for everyone because it is really slow. But if you want to see a movie that truly touches your heart then this is the movie for you. This is really a great movie and any movie lover should watch this movie at-least once. This is highly recommended movie for those who seeks a different kind of story and new type of love story.
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This review may contain spoilers
This is my first time writing this kind of review. Im so desperate because this drama is underrated even though its such a great drama. I didnt watch it because some famous girl groups are the actors/actresses but rather the plot it has. *spoiler alert* At first, you would actually think its just a normal drama and I predicted that the teacher and the student has an affair or anything but ive been flipped off by my hypothesis, because I was wrong. The drama is great, the actors and actresses are great even though they are still young that time, the music was great you can almost feel their emotions because of its great ost. The main actor was handsome so as his girlfriend in the drama. Hope you'll watch it. There's no dull moment. It shows how cruel the society are and i dont even know if this is what really happens in Korea's society. :) Was this review helpful to you?
Her Love Boils Bathwater sets itself to be a sentimental family drama. But Ryota Nakano takes a more light-hearted approach. Instead of following a very dramatic ill-single-mother-making-her-time-worthwhile take (and it's very tempting to), he doesn't. Instead, he rallies his great cast to launch the story foreword.
And that's the film's greatest strength—its cast. Hana Sugisaki won Best Supporting Actress for her role and she proves once again that she's one of Japan's most promising young actresses perhaps taking on the footsteps of the chameleon actor, Fumi Nikaido (a personal bias).
Perhaps being Japan's entry to the Best Foreign Film list is a little bit of a stretch since the film is simplistic but heartfelt, strengthened by its cast. Its little moments and character interactions are its charm. Nakano doesn't patronize these characters—he shows them as flawed ones and as imperfect beings but what's great is how that all plays out.
The cinematography is stunning, paired with lukewarm colors yet vivid. The score truly embraces the scenes. Yes, I cried.
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Story: It was like I was watching three different dramas because the plot changed so much and there were many time jumps. The first part is about Ji Sang growing up meeting both his loves and discovering he is a Seer. The second part is romance, political war, and the journey of Lee Sung Gye to be come King. The last part is tragedy central and the eventual crowning of Lee Sung Gye. The ending is bittersweet so expect both sad and happy endings for our main characters.
Acting: I'm going to start with our 3 male leads since they got the most screen time compared to the gals. Ji Jin Hee mostly has played stiff characters from the dramas I’ve seen but I got to say you haven’t seen him play a character like Lee Sung Gye. His character development was so awesome as he starts off as what seems like a crazy lunatic eventually becoming what you’d expect from the King of Joseon. I’ve only seen Ji Sung in Protect the Boss but he plays a different character in this. He did a great job portraying his character that experiences different personality changes from playful to serious/dramatic due to circumstances. Song Chang Ui played the villain well and his chemistry with Lee Yoon Ji was so great that I was rooting for their characters to get together and find their own happiness. As for the 2 female leads, they were perfect, as I would expect from them. There were MANY supporting characters and they all were able to make their characters stand out because a lot of them came and went as the plot kept changing, I found myself wondering what happened to them or I felt bad when their character was killed off.
Music: What you would expect from a historical drama but nothing particularly memorable.
Rewatch: I wouldn’t mind watching this again cause the plot was fresh but not for a while cause the drama is long and it was kind of sad.
Overall whether you like historicals or not the Great Seer will not waste your time and it’s a very intriguing ride.
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This movie should have been a typical take on revenge executed in a typical 'cat and mouse chase' fashion and cushioned with a tons of gore and sexual violence.
HOWEVER!
It managed to be SOOO much more than that. Surprisingly deep and every act of violence has a purpose and a consequence. A story ultimately about how pain and grief can push one to the edge of humanity. Lee Byung-hyun makes us weep for him and not because of what he lost...but what he is willing to forsake just to get even.
Stellar cast, incredibly well plotted and an ending that stirs your soul.
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This is a good series
Hello everyone !! Today I will reviewing about Chinese drama “Hidden Love.”Hidden Love is Chinese drama. Hidden Love is a 2023 Chinese television series starring Chen Zheyuan and Zhao Lusi.
Hidden love tells about the life of Sang Zhi (Zhao Lusi), a young girl who develops a crush on Duan Jiaxu (Chen Zheyuan), who happens to be her older brother Sang Yan's (Victor Ma) bestfriend. Sang Zhi had a crush on Duan Jia Xu when she was young, but they lost contact with each other for some reason. After she graduates, she joins the university in the city he is in, and during their day-to-day intimate and close interaction, they slowly fall in love.
In my opinion, I like this drama. Because hidden love is the best drama I have ever watched, the male protagonist (Duan Jiaxu) is a great man, and have a green flag. The female protagonist (Sang Zhi) she is a great actor. This drama have 25 episode and the drama is so good because have a simple flow. The actors can acting that play the drama clearly and have real-life chemistry as well. And the last, the focus is on the family and friends surrounding the main characters.
So in conclusion, I give rate 10/10 for this Chinese drama. I recommend for the people who is in love and to every lover of Asian dramas as a MUST watch. The effort put into making this happen is see clearly, and it's clear that female directors and writers are behind it all.
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