Reviews

Romance Based in Historical Realism or Road to Nowhere?

I went into The Red Sleeve fully expecting to love it. I'd been waiting for Lee Jun Ho to be widely recognized as a phenomenal actor since Just Between Lovers, so I was happy to see the praise he received for his performance here. I'm a fan of sagueks too, whether they're the traditional kind or not, and I'm always down to watch an angsty romance between tragic-faced lovers. In a fit of drama-watching naivete, I thought, what could possibly go wrong?

And, in the beginning, nothing did!

Lee Jun Ho brought his usual intensity and attention to detail, to say nothing of his aesthetics. Lee Se Young is convincing in any historical role, since she genuinely looks as if she's stepped out of a portrait from the past, while her poise and graceful bearing reinforce the ladylike impression. The supporting cast is similarly strong, the production quality was high, and the introductory episodes felt refreshingly grounded and realistic.

As the story progresses, real cracks emerged. The first issue is how self-aware this show is of itself as a "feminist" narrative, which would've been fine, if that theme had been handled with care and nuance. But it isn't. To boost its girl power credentials, it introduces a secret organization of female palace insiders, but almost immediately undoes its empowered message, by depicting the network as poorly led and one-dimensional in its villainy. Rather than showing women band together for a just cause, it pits the women against the (morally pure, more sympathetic) female lead. To add insult to injury, this outlandish women-fighting-women chapter is distracting and jarring against the tone of the rest of the drama, which had been, up until this point, based in historical realism.

But the biggest problem? The Red Sleeve chases two rabbits, catching neither. All along, the narrative has brought out wonderful tension in the juxtaposition between Sung Deok Im's quest for self-determining independence and her love for Yi San/King Jeongji, which would lead to her dependence on him, as well as strict confinement to the inner palace. The show insists, she must make a choice! [Please don't get me started on how clearly this mirrors the redundant dialogue around women having to choose between career achievement or motherhood. It's so tired, ugh.] By forcing its female lead to choose freedom or love, it also forces itself into a corner: will the story's conclusion confirm Sung Deok Im's self-liberation or her devotion to her lover? In the end, the answer is neither. If the point of this drama was to illustrate how terrible women's lives were in the past, I supposed it achieved its goal, but that's a disappointingly simplistic take on the historic experiences of real women, as well as a frustrating and futile endpoint for a drama that promised to be so much more.

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absolute male written garbage

this is the exact reason that men should not be allowed to directed, write, or produce gls.

this movie is an absolute disgrace. it is an hour and a half of straight porn targeted at male audiences. heard of the “male gaze”? well this is a perfect example of that.

not only do the female characters get raped repeatedly with no justice, the indulge is downright disgusting and atrocious sexual fantasies such as period sex and literal necrophillia.

the age gap alone is enough to turn anybody off from this movie. it is the perfect male fantasy of an older woman and a schoolgirl, too bad everything in this movie is illegal and unrealistic.

horrible. the maker of this film should be ashamed of himself and quite frankly should be put on a list somewhere. xoxo

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UNDOUBTEDLY THE BEST BL OF 2023!

When you cast the right actors and put them with the right director and writers, YOU WILL GET A MASTERPIECE!

Highly recommend this show if you are looking for the following:
• Impeccable Period Drama.
• Impressive characters development.
• All types of couple (Has BL, GL, and even Straight).
• Complex and unpredictable storyline.
• Excellent acting of the cast.
• Amazing chemistry of the three couples and the whole cast.
• Realistic and un-sugarcoated life during the 1920's.
• Angsty and heavy drama.
• Right amount and right timing of comedy.
• Excellent songs and background music that fits a period drama.

Anyone who loves BL and Period Drama should watch this show. Nonkul and Bright are both spectacular in giving life to their characters.

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It claimed to my #1 romance drama

Zhao Lu Si's micro-expression game in this drama was top-notch, elevating it to a whole new level. She absolutely nailed every scenario. Chen Zhe Yuan did a good job too, but perfection might be a stretch. Personally, I found Zhao Lu Si's chemistry with Yang Yang and Leo Wu even more captivating than with Chen Zhe Yuan. It's those subtle expressions that made the scenes come alive. Everyone played their part well.

I've gotta shout out the director for honing in on those little details. Chinese romance dramas often struggle in this department, either due to budget constraints or a mismatch between comedy and emotion. But credit where it's due, this director nailed it, making sure those small things were on point. It's these nuances that often get overlooked, but they can truly make or break a romance drama. Props to the director for getting it right.

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*TAKES DEEP BREATH*

Final Verdict:
7.5 Stars out of 10.
-1 Star for insane pacing.
-1 Star for the 1000 over-the-top villains & their ridiculously over-the-top personalities.
-1/2 Star for the time skips(not one but TWO of them), which are a personal hate factor for me.
I wanted to love this show, my complaint would be the pacing. If they put a little moderation in everything this show would be beyond brilliant. Instead everything is a wee bit over the top.
Bad Guys:
Princess is a psycho.
Queen is a psycho.
Almost-married-to-Prince is a definite psycho.
New concubine/princess/whatever? Yup. Fo Shizzle a Psycho.
The characters are too "much" to be believable. On top of that the sheer number of almost-got-murderized-but-didn't traps is dizzying.
Got caught in a trap. Prison. Almost died but didn't. Got caught in a new trap next episode. Got beat THEN sent to prison and almost died a traitor but didn't. Next episode got caught in a trap in order to trap someone else in a trap and got beat and sent to prison and released again in the nick of time.

*TAKES DEEP BREATH*

Anywho... my personal opinion is that if there was some build up & story-telling in between these 100+ traps, some more in depth character building rather than Characters 1-10 = Psychos, Character 11 & 12 = Good Guys, & Characters 13 & 14 random wishy-washy peeps, then this show would be at my top 5 of all time in C-Drama land. For now, it's enjoyable to pass the time, but too fast paced & too over the top with its characters to quite become something super special. But I'm still going to watch and enjoy this show for sure.

ETA 02/19/19:
Soooo I've been cheating and watching the raw videos in advance. I'm pretty far in and pretty sad about how things are going since I'm not a fan of "time skips" because I don't feel they're ever done well. Hao Lan has two time skips. 8 years and the next one soon after another (at least) 8+ years. I'm not a fan and from what I'm watching it's a LOT of heart ache in the show constantly without much to "look forward to" as a viewer. I'm going to watch it in its entirety, but I can tell already this will not (unfortunately) be leaving a good taste in my mouth. I hate that because it has everything that SHOULD make it amazing... but the most important thing and that is believable pacing and viewers connection/investment to & in the characters.

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It’s a Jackie Chan movie. And it’s a silly thing, sillier than usual, even for Jackie Chan. Seriously, there are CGI hyenas in it, I kid you not. But there’s also Yang Yang, so there is that, true.

And, gosh, action stuff really suits Yang Yang. Like really. He looked and moved like a real soldier. But even though his character was a bodyguard, he sure was the damsel in distress in this movie. First, the heroine shot him with a tranquilizer by mistake in the middle of a fight so when he got her away from the bad guys, she had to take care of him and get him to safety because, well, he fell asleep. And then, when they were attacked again, he got hit over the head protecting her and they were both captured. And then, he got put into a bomb vest, just for the kidnappers’ kicks. So... yeah. I guess the filmmakers realized that Yang Yang suffered nicely. Or something.

Overall, the movie is nothing to write home about. There’s just way too much CGI. Even most of the car chases are CGI. And because of that, the most adrenaline fueled scene is the one where Vanguard comes to save Yang Yang’s character and the girl because that’s mostly genuine, old-fashioned action. Too bad, it could’ve been a good one. Oh well...

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this is a MUST WATCH! A simple but pure and enchanting story about -

a first young love that will melt you!

Every time I think about this drama I just happy/sad squeal inside! This show had me staying up till 4am because I simply couldn't stop! Having to put down my absolute obsession into words is almost impossible. I am currently watching it for the 3rd time and get so sad every time it ends, it's that good!

I was blown away from the moment I started watching this, there was no drama, no fill-in scenes, amazing acting, and realistic circumstances. I was watching a full mature chinese drama that wasn't only 'okay' but was actually amazing, something I hadn't seen in a long time. I kept expecting for something weird or unnecessary to happen, but it never did.

The young actress absolutely charmed me, and I had a short struggle adapting to the 'older' version played by Lu Si, but fear not, for it didn't take long for me to fall in love with this new version of the FL and ugly cry for her and her love struggles. I have now become a passionate fan. The ML was enchanting and his portrayal of emotions really pulled me into the story - to say that I wished I was the FL in this drama would be an understatement.

The music really complemented the story and was tastefully implemented, although there were a few scenes which I thought could have gone without. The cast was good, specially the FL's parents and brother.

In short and without any exaggeration, please watch this drama. For your sake and for my happiness, gift yourself 24 hours of an absolute wonderful series that will not leave you disappointed. I hope you can feel my joy and glee for this drama through your screen into your heart. Be happy, watch Hidden Love!

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This One Won’t Blow Your Mind, But You Might Finish It Anyway

Plot Review
The plot isn’t bad… but let’s not pretend it’s groundbreaking either. It’s your classic mini drama storyline—predictable enough that I could mentally fill in the blanks while folding laundry. I gave it a shot anyway because I’m weak for anything that screams revenge, and to be fair, it wasn’t as bad as I feared.

At first, I panicked thinking the FL was going to end up with the 3rd prince (don’t act like you weren’t thinking the same!). I seriously thought Huai Jin was the one who slaughtered her family. Turns out—plot twist! Wait no, never mind. There was a twist, technically… involving a bodyguard… near the end… and that’s it. Don’t blink or you’ll miss the one exciting reveal.

Cast & Characters
The main leads? Strong. Capable. Not annoying. That alone deserves a medal in dramaland. But somehow, even with all their power poses and meaningful stares, none of them really grabbed my attention. It’s like ordering spicy noodles and getting... mildly seasoned rice. Fine, but not what I showed up for.

Supporting characters? Background wallpaper. No one really stood out, and I couldn’t even be bothered to remember their names. They were just there—like side dishes you didn’t ask for but eat anyway because… why not.

Villains? I’m so desensitized from years of cdrama watching that these villains felt like diet evil™. Not threatening, not hateable—just... meh. I think I was more irritated by a fly buzzing near me than anything they did.

Acting & Dubbing
No hate to the cast. They're clearly trying. But there were moments—especially when the FL kept smirking during emotionally intense scenes—where I genuinely wondered if her lips had a side quest of their own. Like, girl… someone just died. Why are we out here giving Mona Lisa with attitude?

And oh, the dubbing. Technically synced with their lips, yes. Emotionally synced with the actual scene? Not even close. It was like hearing someone read a recipe while acting out a breakup.

CGI & Final Thoughts
The CGI was decent! A little over-slid in places but nothing offensive. Honestly, it added some flair to a pretty standard story.

Would I recommend this? Yeah, weirdly… yes. If you're into light revenge, strong leads, and don’t mind plotlines you’ve probably seen in three other dramas last month, it’s a solid watch. Don’t go in expecting your next obsession, but it’s definitely not a waste of time either.

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Summary: There was nothing exceptional about the drama or the storyline, but if you like fairytales and the fantasy realm of KDramaWorld give it try.

+/- Plot:
Is anyone feeling the trend of reincarnation this season? I mean the two most competing shows (in my opinion) of Winter '16-'17 both had this weaved throughout their storylines. I love the idea of reincarnation and how our fates are continually interwoven, especially how romanticized it is in the KDramaWorld. I also liked the fantasy aspect of the drama with Jeon Ji Hyeon as a mermaid, I could see there was a lot of mermaid theorizing that went on behind the scenes and I appreciated that as I felt that it was a nice touch. As for the actual storyline, it's main focus was the romance of course, but they also tried to add an element of suspense/thriller at some points and I felt that was the additional route they wanted to take they should have had a bit more background on Ma Dae Young's character and why he had such grievances against the world. Although they slightly touched on this in one of the last few episodes I wasn't completely satisfied.
As for the romance and the light-hearted areas of the plot I thought they were well planned out and came full circle at the end. I will say that there were some pretty funny/cute moments that make the drama memorable.

+/- Acting/Cast:
Jeon Ji Hyeon is the reason I actually started watching this show. I think she is amazingly beautiful and innocently comedic, a rare combination to come across. I love how she's not afraid of putting her beautiful image on the line to pull out some comedy. She's slightly reminiscent of Mary Tyler Moore, which I greatly admire. Not only does she have beauty, she's also very talented as an actress in my opinion. Although her character wasn't too complex, I think she played it very well and it was fitting.
I'm sorry to say it but I'm not a fan of Lee Min Ho, there's just some aspects of his acting which I find subpar. It felt like he was crying every other episode, and not that I object to a man crying (he had just reason to), it's just that I didn't feel the conviction or the heart throughout the scenes. I probably would've been more moved if they didn't have so many scenes of him bawling his eyes out making his make-up splotchy. And when he performs his 'cutesy' romantic scenes he just doesn't make me swoon like other actors, it just doesn't feel genuine.
Unfortunately, I wasn't a huge fan of the romance between Lee Min Ho and Jeon Ji Yeon. I felt that there was just something missing between the two, they didn't quite have the spark as some other small screen actors. I had much more favor for Ji Yeon and Soo Hyun in Love from Another Star.
As for the other characters, they did pretty well as a whole. I throughly enjoyed Lee Hee Joon and thought he played his part extremely well; he really kept me questioning him through the end. And Shin Won Ho was especially adorable throughout the show, although he didn't have many lines he still made me giddy with his smirks. (I admit, I was initially opposed to his ending, but I'll accept it since I wanted a happy ending for Cha Shi Ah too).
As for the bad guys, I will say that I was put off by Kang Seo Hee and Ma Dae Young, but I've had more burning hatred for other characters in different dramas before. They were fitting for the roles, however, I felt they could have taken it up a notch. And ultimately, I just felt sorry for Lee Ji Hoon's character. I wasn't in love with him, I just slightly felt for him and his circumstances. Sad to say on Lee Min Ho's part, but Ji Hoon's final moments in the show might have been one of the only times when I was even slightly close to tearing up.

+/- Music:
The music was decent, I mean there was nothing that stood out about it. I would say the only song that really stood out to me was Lee Sun Hee's track, which is because I'm a big fan of her. Other than that, there was nothing outstanding, but the OST did it's part in the drama.

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Great Acting, Great Writing

Don't let wild rumors about this being a propaganda to discourage you from watching. Otherwise you will miss such a good drama with great writing, presented by a great acting.

Hirowareta Otoko is a slice-of-life, semi-fictional biography drama about Matsuo Satoru, the actor we see all over Jdramas but we don't bother to remember his name...LoL. In this drama we got to see his journey of becoming an actor as well as his psychological complex during childhood that later contributed to his sour relationship with his family members.

I don't know how good the original source material is, but the writing in this drama was presented in such an interesting way with many beautiful and smart dialogues. I liked how the writer used time jump and flashback effectively in the story telling without making viewers feel lost of the plot. The first half of the drama was full of comedy and coming of age naivety but be prepared for a more serious emotional ride in the second half if you ever choose to watch this.

The performance of the cast was another key factor that made this drama great. Nagano Taiga did an extraordinary job at portraying Matsuo Satoru in my opinion. We could clearly see that he gained few Kg of weight ahead of playing this role. He was versatile enough to easily changed from quirky to serious. As a main character he knows how to attract audiences sympathy.

Kusanagi Tsuyoshi, while doesn't get that many screen time really did well in conveying complex emotion of his mysterious character. He could have done better with his English conversation, but that's minor downside and we understand the difficulty of Japanese actors with foreign languages. I only wish they wrote a sentence that sounds more natural for a non-native speaker instead of "Cool American English" that can't be delivered (or understood).

Other actors also did well in carrying the whole drama and supporting the main character including the US cast. I would say the casting department really did a good job in this one If you're wondering about Ito Sairi, she did well too but her character was more of a supporting one than a main role (as oppose to what is stated in this MDL page).

All in all, Hirowareta Otoko was a wholesome drama that has the right amount of everything; laughter, anger, curiosity, sympathy, and sadness. It's about chasing happiness and self discovery with strong elements of family bonding and brotherhood as well as accepting one's fate whether it's good or bad. If you're looking for a slice of life drama with warm characters this is a must watch!!



About US propaganda mentioned by other reviewer.
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The following section may contain some spoilers
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Since this is a Jap-US joint production, there was an "American Arc" that's focusing on MC's stranded brother (Takeshi). Few US actors were added in the arc and it changed the feel of the drama a bit. I mean from Japan-mode to Western-mode overnight....yeah that kind of feeling. This could be a letdown for many viewers apart from the allegedly US propaganda thing that I will explain below.

However this arc wasn't as bad and still carrying important plot elements as MC got to learn the different side of his brother he didn't know before. He also got to solve the mystery surrounding his family for 15 years. The story of the kid (Sean) was also interesting and cute. It has more Japanese vibe than the western in my opinion.

And I DO NOT see Takeshi mentioning US as a peace place for diverse people as a PROPAGANDA. In fact it's an outdated concept of American Dream that's known by everyone already. Whether that dream is reality or just a dream is a subjective matter.

That statement by Takeshi was clearly his personal view and curiosity considering he was frustrated with their conservative Dad. Knowing that, Satoru candidly said "yeah you've found the place you're looking for". This could only be true in these brothers situation and does not apply to everyone. ...obviously!!

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Was It A Waste of Time? Yes.

Full disclosure: I actually really liked the first 8 episodes of this drama. I knew that it wasn’t the best thing out there and was fully aware of how dumb it was but still enjoyed it because of how entertaining it was.

Until episode 11. For some reason all the joy and amusement I felt for this drama went out the door. I watched it as it aired but ended up dropping it for three months because of how annoyed I was. What exactly was I annoyed about? The plot, the FL, and the ML, SML, and (third male lead?). It’s pretty bad when you are more invested in the plot of two fourteen year olds, a minor character who owns a bar, the fourth male lead, and the FL’s mother. If it wasn’t for them (and the 2.5 speed button) I would of never finished this. I typically try to find the good in EVERY drama I watch because I understand that everyone has different tastes but this was atrocious. However, I’m not blaming the cast. The cast was wonderful in their roles as was the cinematography but the script was messy. I found myself wanting to reach through the screen to slap the every character besides the kids, dog, bar owner, fourth male lead, and the FL’s mother.

I feel so bad for the cast because obviously they have good acting chops but the characters they played and the script they were given was not good.

Anyways, I would have gave this drama a lower rating but I did enjoy like four characters + the OST which has a really beautiful cover of ‘Dreams’ by The Cranberries. Would I recommend this to anyone? No. Would I recommend this to people who like to hate watch dramas? 100%. It’s the perfect drama to hate watch if you are in a bad mood and want to yell at idiotic characters.

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Beautiful romance that is flawless - 10/10 recommend!

My God, I thought I’d seen the nicest man in the last drama I watched but now we have Jiaxu! He literally has no flaws!!

This drama is a 10/10 for me, and I don’t give 10/10 easily! There was nothing wrong with it in my eyes. It’s so rich in chemistry between the leads. Get yourself a man who treats you the way Jiaxu treats Sang Zhi 🥰

I literally couldn’t hold back from smiling the whole way through.

I loved how Jiaxu fell in love with her over time; and when he knew for sure that she liked him 🤗 Ughhh I could gush about it for days!

I will admit that although I knew they would end up together, I couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit weirded out in the beginning. Especially because they had a younger actress playing young Sang Zhi meanwhile it was still the same actor playing Jiaxu. Btw, the young Sang Zhi looked about 10, not 14.

The brother is so funny although it was a dog move to hit Jiaxu.

I loved how Sang Zhi stood up to the crazy girl about it not being Jiaxu’s fault that her dad died.

It was the smoothest sailing romance that progressed in the sweetest way possible. The ending was also perfect! 10/10 - a must watch!

-E

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