Reviews

My heart....

I don't know if any show has affected me the way Hidden Love has. I watch with a smile on my face and I even cry through the sweetest scenes. First of all, the age gap is not an issue at all. He is only 5 years older and there is nothing inappropriate in any of the 25 episodes. Please do not be put off by any of the negative comments because you will miss out on a beautiful experience. I rewatched all the episodes while I waited for more episodes to be released. Now that I have watched all 25 episodes, I am so sad because I will miss Jia Xu and Sang Zhi! I also loved Sang Zhi's brother Sang Yan. I read that there will be a sequel with Sang Yan's story called First Frost. I am hoping to see the same actors play Sang Jhi and Jiaxu in First Frost.

Sang Zhi grew up in a loving family. Her parents are kind and generous. Her brother loves her and is protective of her even as he bickers with her. It is still so touching to see how much the brother and sister love each other. I enjoyed watching the beautiful dynamics of Sang Jhi's family. If you enjoy watching sibling relationships, it is another plus for Hidden Love.

Duan Jia Xu had a sad family life, and he worked hard to pay off his father's debts. What made his relationship with Sang Jhi so beautiful is that even though he didn't have money to spare, he always took care of Sang Zhi and refused to take money from her or allow her to pay for anything when he was around. And even more beautiful was the way Sang Zhi cared for Jia Xu by protecting and taking care of him. He never had anyone to rely on and instead took on the burden of taking care of his mother and father. It was so beautiful to see the emotions as he felt Sang Zhi's love for him.

Both Zhao Lu Si and Chen Zhe Yuan are the magic key to Hidden Love. Zhe Yuan expressive eyes...sigh. Just watching him play Jiaxu is enough to convince me that a 17-year-old girl would have a crush and fall in love with him. Lu Si was perfect for Sang Zhi. You just need to watch to see. The BTS clips provide information on the scenes and be sure to watch the extra scenes at the end of each episode. The strawberry scene at the end of episode 13 was one I had to rewatch immediately. I absolutely love this show!!! There is nothing quite like it.

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runs on vibes instead of plot

Overall: I really enjoyed the beginning with a unique premise and the color themes, but similar to other GMMTV productions, it runs on vibes and poor communication instead of plot or realistic character actions. If you aren't a vibes person, then I suggest watching the first two episodes then skip to episode 8 part 4 and watch from there. Watched on GMMTV's YouTube channel. Later re-released on Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/39523c-vice-versa

Content Warnings: beaten up, death (off screen), stalking, animal blood

What I Liked
- several cute and funny moments
- the color themes and prop integration
- supportive friend groups
- that this wasn't enemies to lovers but two guys figuring things out
- mentioning societal issues like marriage equality, expensive public transportation
'- several cameos/guest roles: Force, Book, Perth, Mix, Tay
- reference to 2gether/other BL series
- decent kissing in later episodes
- the two side characters and the vet stuff was cute (but they needed more time, had like a 5 second scene in the final episode)
- (neutral) comedy sound effects

Room For Improvement
- pacing was slow, characters went in circles (for 2 years!!!), I think they needed a fast burn side couple
- poor communication for grown men
- characters do not act realistically (the film crew in episode 11 was an example of this), characters do things because that's what the writer said not because it would make sense
- thin plot with a lot of product placement
- poor world building/plot holes
- that whole not name telling thing
- there were a few scenes that jumped a bit much, we were in one place and then suddenly somewhere else (the beach at the beginning was one)
- the cliche swimming issue in the beginning, wish they'd have come up with something else

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1-The reason I watched this : I had nothing better to do at that time, I had about 50 dramas choices but I end up watching this after seeing five minutes drama's preview.

2-Storyline/Plot : The drama's background was one of the kind since I haven't seen any other dramas in a ranch before.
As for the story, I don't believe it was any special because there are tons of dramas and films about a former married couple. However, it was kind of cool to see how fate can mess with their hearts and bring them back together under hard circumstances .
Certainly, there were too many slow and boring moments in this drama (especially in the middle) so I had to skip many parts in order to make events go faster.

3-Acting/Cast : The lead male and the second lead female were the shallow reason that made me finish this drama. Lee Yeon Hee has always been a good actress for me but her character was really annoying to watch.
The supporting roles weren't that great plus the second lead female was the usual dumb character that we find in other Korean productions.

4-Music : It was a normal drama's music, I don't really remember it because it wasn't that special.

5-Rewatch value : No, I don't believe it's rewatchable.

6-The ending : Kind of cool, i was expecting more and i wished it lasted a little but anyway it was nicely done.

7-How did it affect me : No special feelings while i was watching this, i was just following the events. Even after it ended, i didn't have any kind of feelings for it but it wasn't that forgettable either.

8-Overall : This drama isn't brilliant or special in any aspect; only the ranch element was appealing.

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Started off well but.....

The first 15 episodes were mind-blowing. The plot twists, the story, EVERYTHING WAS SOO GOOD. I saw some people saying the story was very confusing and a mess. I’m sure they must have tried to watch the drama while it was still airing (2 eps per week). But trust me this story is FAR FROM BEING A MESS. My advice for you is: binge-watch the whole drama in 2-3 days.

But I feel like they could and should have ended the show with 16 eps because after ep 15 the show took a down slope. Ep 16 to 20 were very slow. Nothing important happened and most of the plot twists they brought in in these eps, were stuff we already predicted in the beginning.

Eg: 1. We already knew JBR and SYH were ‘lab mice’
2. That JBR must be HSG’s real son and that the babies must have been switched
3. That the presidential secretary was involved in everything

But anyway I like how the drama ended. The last episode is about 1hr 40 mins and it takes it's time to finish off every main character’s story. I saw that some people were not happy about the ending Jang Ba Reum got, but let’s be honest. Even though he is the main character he IS a murderer and we already knew that he wont get a ‘happy ending’.

Lee Seung Gi does an amazing job portraying his character but who really caught my eye was our detective Go Moo Chi (not gonna elaborate cause you'll get it when you watch it).

Oh! and that scene after the credits in the last episode!!!!! Another brain surgery? So JBR and SYH were not the only lab mice? They were experimenting on other psychopaths too???

So here's the sum up:

If you're in to detective-psychological thrillers, Mouse is a definite must watch!

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What a cute movie.
This is one of those movies where you will say things like OMG, cute, I wish it was me. Because there is loads of eyecandy here. I liked the story, it is easy to follow and sometimes cheesy. But the cheesyness really belonged here in this movie so it is acceptable. I did had a hard time with the female lead because I wanted her to be a bit different than she had to portray in the movie.
The acting was really good, especially if the female lead got on my nerves for her acting here, she did her job wel. The male lead is easy to love and I thought his acting was great. Also the chemistry they have in this movie is incredible!
I would rewatch this movie because it is so darn cute and this movie just has something about it that I want to rewatch it.

Watch this movie if you like cheesy, cute and romantic movie.
Skip this if you don't like romance of much cheesyness.

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Disaster

Honestly, the only reason I stuck with the show was to see her finally face consequences in the end. The ending wasn’t that terrible, but definitely not what I wanted or expected. The start was strong, but I was least interested in her journey. Sure, her character was unique and acted well, but I kept hoping she’d finally fall into someone’s trap or get manipulated for once. I still don’t get why everyone keeps helping her and feeling sorry for her.
Jun-seo’s character felt a bit underdeveloped. And the actor — whether it’s Penthouse, Shooting Stars, or this show — he just gives similar vibes every time. Even if the characters are written differently, his acting always feels the same.
Looks like there might be another season coming, but I’m not looking forward to it.

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A Heartwarming Love Story In Tokyo...

30sai made Dotei dato Mahotsukai ni Narerurashii is one of those dramas which will probably be avoided by most mainstream drama watchers from its surreal , seemingly unrealistic and “ sexual “ concept of a 30 year-old businessman, Adachi Kiyoshi ( Akaso Eiji)who can suddenly hear other people’s thoughts simply because he has never lost his virginity.

Yet against all odds of its bizarre premise, 30sai made Dotei dato Mahotsukai ni Narerurashii’s greatest strength was representing the relationship of our two main characters- not simply because they are a part of a “ same-sex pairing ”, but as flawed and independent individuals in their own right (something which only a minority of recent and contemporary romance dramas have been able to portray in the same manner of depth) .

Akaso Eiji was undeniably brilliant within channeling the meek- mannered Adachi, who is naturally perturbed after receiving his new abilities by being able to read the thoughts of anyone he makes contact with . To make the scenario worse for Adachi , he is surprised to discover that his popular male colleague Kurosawa Yuichi ( Machida Keita) has been harbouring complicated romantic feelings towards him for a long time.

Initially Adachi is hesitant to help out Kurosawa at work or grow close to him. Yet as Adachi reads more about Kurosawa’s thoughts and feelings both towards him and as an individual , viewers actually get to see in the process Adachi making sense of his own feelings towards Kurosawa as well. In one particular scene, viewers learn that a lot of Adachi’s problems with wanting to start a relationship with Kurosawa aren’t entirely homophobic, but a consequence of self-esteem and confidence from his past. It is only when Adachi is actually able to start respecting himself ( an important stage in any relationship) that he is able to start falling in love with Kurosawa also.

On the other hand, this also moves us on to one of the biggest flaws of the drama ; its inability to capture actual attitudes and thoughts of Japanese society towards the LGBT community in Japan. Whilst it can be said that not every drama should always be a political and radical message towards society, there’s no lies within saying that Japan has always had a complicated relationship with LGBT rights. Although undeniably a lot more progressive and liberal than some countries in the world and a lot more than the past, there’s no sugarcoating that open- homosexuality or being in a same sex relationship is still sometimes a cause of shame and prejudice amongst some members of Japanese society.

For a drama which specifically tackles these difficulties, it felt a bit out of place not to openly cover some of these pressures and expectations such as in Adachi and Kurosawa’s workplace upon their sexuality and the forced image of “ manliness” often imposed upon men of all cultures as a consequence. This is a flaw which could have easily been shown in the drama and therefore meant that 30sai made Dotei dato Mahotsukai ni Narerurashii was lacking in some genuine and realistic approaches to homosexual relationships in Japan.

On the other hand, my biggest praise must be given to the scriptwriters Yoshida Erika and Okazaki Satoko within the manner in which Adachi’s feelings and attitudes are portrayed. Although he comes to grow accustomed to his own feelings being more than platonic for Kurosawa , it was finally refreshing to see a case where Adachi as a romantic lead is not suddenly head over heels for Kurosawa either. Adachi is finally shown as a protagonist who learns to develop his relationship with Kurosawa over the whole course of the series as a slow and gradual process, rather than a sudden rush for them to suddenly hook up at the ending of the drama.

In a similar manner, Machida Keita was equally brilliant as Akaso’s costar within his role as Kurosawa. Although initially portrayed as overly extroverted and a little too optimistic at times within the drama, there’s no denying that Kurosawa’s reasons for liking Adachi do follow some typical romantic cliches. On the other hand, Adachi’s abilities reveal that Kurosawa is very thoughtful and respectful of some boundaries within their relationship as well as his own feelings towards Adachi not getting too out- of -line. As opposites within their progressive and complicated relationship, Kurosawa and Adachi’s connection isn’t overly presented with beyond salvation cliches nor is it an easy ride; it is more a case that both characters learn to walk through their differences as individuals.

Our side couple, partial- hikikomori ( shut-in ) Tsuge Masato ( portrayed unrecognisably by Asaka Kodai ) and cheerful delivery boy Wataya Minato (played by Goto Yutaro ) was a complicated portrayal for viewers to say the least.

Undeniably both Kodai and Yutaro were just as brilliant as our main actors within their roles, but both their characters respectfully in the beginning of the drama felt a little too much like our main characters within their roles of the “ less confident” and “ socially awkward” guy and the “ popular social butterfly”. Yet perhaps my one note of praise for their relationship comes later in the show , where a sincere revelation by Minato, opens up Masato’s tightly-closed shell and his own feelings as well. On the other hand at this point in the drama, there is sadly also little time to actually focus upon the same depth of their relationship as our main leads, making their progression seem a little too rushed and consequently lacking in the same emotional investment.

Overall there is no denying that although there are several flaws with some characters , cliches and avoiding certain area topics (such as some general attitudes by Japan towards homosexuality), 30sai made Dotei dato Mahotsukai ni Narerurashii is a surprisingly progressive and heartwarming Tokyo romance, portrayed by a brilliant cast, as well as the focus upon the two leading characters as individuals, rather than mere plot devices as well. Definitely a drama watching.

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Beware Tooth Decay, Brain Rot and Utter Boredom

Full disclosure. I started this because Tan Jian Ci plays the ML. I love his music, highly enjoyed his role in Under The Skin and hoped this would be just as good, if completely different. This drama severely disappointed.

Nothing happens in this drama, and that would've been okay if the main couple had had chemistry. But they don't. Literally NONE. I can't blame Tan Jian Ci. His portrayal of the perfect, doting boyfriend--while completely unrealistic--was well acted. The FL's part was horribly written. Rarely have I seen such a cardboard-cutout character. A rutabaga would've had more personality than her character. There is no depth. For the first part of the show, she can barely talk to the ML, she is literally speechless. Her 'hmm' responses drove me crazy. The main leads have exactly one thing in common--using their voice to create and entertain--and they never actually start and maintain a conversation based on that topic...or any other. They don't click, they don't mesh. She loves his voice. He loves her...I honestly don't know what he loves about her.

The OST is beautiful and the drama is well filmed, but the story lacks just about everything needed to make it good. I hope Tan Jian Ci is able to star in another modern, romance style drama at some point. One with better writing and co-lead chemistry.

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Not awful, but a disappointment.

On the positive side, the cast is really good, especially the side characters, but Prem is surprising at times and can be really affecting. I guess it's not really surprising given how much presence he had in My Only 12%. Tae Weerapat is both adorable and sexy as the bumbling Bee, Yacht and O are a great pairing, and I even like Manow's romance.

But there are two central issues. The main one is that they've taken a side couple that had 20 minutes total screentime in a previous series and stretched it out to twelve episodes, and for that to work, you have to add plot and character elements to the central pair, or you end up with a dull, repetitive, boring mess. How many times do we have to watch the flashback of Team's friend drowning? For that matter, do we need two flashbacks of every scene? If it's about something that happened at least an episode ago, fine - but sometimes it's the previous scene. If the actors can't convey to us what they're feeling about the previous scene without a flashback, you either need better actors or to trust the actors you have (it's the latter in this case).

And this problem intensifies the other one: Win & Team's relationship is icky. They don't interact as boyfriends, they interact as parent and child. Team is infantilized to the point that it's hard to see him as a man, or even an older boy - he's a small child, who needs protection from everything and constant guidance from his "dad". A power imbalance in a relationship is fine, but this is way too extreme, and not sexy, it's just creepy. The power imbalance is hot when it's physical/sexual. When it's emotional to this degree, it's disturbing.

And as if Team isn't infantilized enough, he actually sleeps between his parents in their bed. I half-expected him to breast-feed, especially as there had been a lot of cow/calf comparisons in their scenes.

I come away from it feeling like Team needs serious psychiatric help. He has two kind and loving parents, but still seeks a parental figure in a lover - he behaves like a sexually abused child. His dad seems sweet, but I'm keeping my eye on him.

There's a scene (which was one of the best in the series) where Team and the mother of his dead friend are processing their grief at a grave, and Prem plays this perfectly, showing just the right amount of grief - tears without wailing, like an adult. But then this is destroyed by him calling Win for help, wailing like a child, and he sits in the rain at a gravesite for TWO HOURS waiting for Win to come rescue him, when his actual parents are a few blocks away. This is supposed to be romantic, but it makes my skin crawl. His friend died over ten years ago when he was 8. Come on. You can still feel grief and guilt, but if you're that incapacitated you need mental health treatment.

The end result is that I end up hitting the +10 seconds button repeatedly through their scenes (you only need one second in ten to grasp it all. Actually you need 0 seconds in ten because all their scenes are the same) to get to the other much more interesting relationships.

This series is a real disappointment - I remember how much I liked them and what a refreshing respite they were in Cry Babies and Their Talking Mannequins (Sorry. I was that one guy who didn't like UWMA.)

A highlight for me was Tul & Wan, who for me stole every scene they were in - both of them were able to create fully realized and consistent characters with very little screentime, and their conclusion, which was quite sudden, worked. Because we'd seen Wan's desperate loneliness and frustration & repression throughout the series, when Tul came on to him, you could see his natural defenses try to fall into place, until a lifetime of pent-up need blasted them like the walls of Jericho. He still did the planking-sex, but at least there was some real heat between them.

Minor points: It was nice to see Fluke's hair non-mutilated by whatever sadist was styling it in Sunshine Night. Someone spiked Santa's Refreshing Tea Drink with cocaine - but it worked and I enjoyed him. Art is so beautiful it hurts to look at him and it's a crime only Aam uses him as a leading man. I love that Tae has a "dad bod" instead of the usual seme's chisled abs and pecs - he's not pefect but very sexy. Boun's hair isn't long enough to tie up and I don't like it. He looks so good when it's down.

Why do Thais allow anyone anywhere near a swimming pool? We already know water in Thailand is deadly since your chances of getting a debilitating fever if rain touches you is 100%. Your chances of drowning are 90%. That's one of the reasons why Team's past didn't really move me. If you drown within 30 seconds of entering a pool, maybe you're not supposed to live.

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First I must say that I was nice with my rating! Why you may ask:
- This drama had a great potential(for a first 4-6 episodes) but because of a bad writing it went downhill!
- Lee Jong Suk really improved in his acting, Kang So Ra was really good and Park Hae Jin was great! Their acting was that kept me from dropping it! I wanted to see their improvement!
- Oh, gosh u guys know how much I hate that annoying JSY and once again she didn't convince me to change my mind about her! She really SUCKS! >_<
- One more thing that I liked in this drama were those amazing Kang So Ra and Lee Jong Suk moments which have kept me from dropping it lol. I really liked their chemistry, it felt so real and it gave me those feels! :D

This drama SUCKED big times! As I said, I liked where the storyline in a first 4 episodes was taking, but then everything went messy and so damn confusing. I was pissed and mad at everyone >_< l was like: "What the heck are they doing?" O.o U didn't even know who to like and who to hate! The writing was really, really bad and I don't think I'll watch anything from this writer again!

Music: Woah, it was really good! My fav one was this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QusjP1V7qo
I like Bobby Kim's voice! :D I even listen it for 2 weeks and I still am! :D

So actually as you see only three things in this drama are worth watching it, but for your own good I really don't recommend you!
Don't watch it! Oh, you mean "It has a Lee Jong Suk in it so I'll give it a try", but don't seriously! Even if it's for him!
I don't think I'll rewatch this drama even if I don't have anything to watch LOL!^^

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Missed the mark just a bit...

This review contains spoilers. You've been warned. ;)

The female lead of this show is marketed as a capable, feminist attorney seeking justice against men for all the wronged females of the world with her fists of fury and clever one liners. It's supposed to be a more feminist romantic comedy, and while I think it hits some good points and highlights some of the injustices and slights women face daily... it really missed the mark in the end for me.

I would've loved more of seeing Mi-Ran growing to use the law and her intelligence to take down crappy dudes rather than her fists. Also, I really didn't like how she caved to the pressure from toxic fans and broke up with Kang-Ho, and additionally how she handled the reunion with Kang-Ho. I know she was under an immense amount of pressure, but that whole piece didn't feel true to her character. ALSO, I hated that the things that turned the tide of public opinion in the end was her ex-boyfriend's defense of her on that sleezy celebrity gossip show. I mean, was it an incredibly sweet gesture? Yes. It totally made me tear up that her law firm bros defended her like that. However, in the end of this "feminist" drama, a man had to explain the situation to save the day. Also, they end the drama with her chasing those cat-calling drunks down the street? Mi-Ran, with all that is now at stake, please use your words as weapons instead.

Anyway, it may sound like I hated this drama. I really didn't. But all of that did really bother me about this one, and will keep it from being a rewatch.

So things I liked? All four main leads were incredible and well-cast. Kang-Ho's gentleness and loyalty made him an absolute dream. It had some truly hilarious moments (Kang-Ho's face after he kicked his sandal into something breakable off-camera had me gasping). I loved the bromance. I loved the 2nd lead's romance. Kang-Ho's first confession made my heart flutter. Soo-Jin was an absolute QUEEN, and all of her outfits were absolutely incredible.

Anyway, in conclusion. It was a drama that was a lot of fun, but I think some of the drama's messages didn't quite land in the end.

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Every vacuous cliché in every vacuous episode

When you’ve already hit the record for maximum clichés in an episode in the first week of broadcasting, you know where it’s going. Recycled cheese.

Accidentally falling into ML’s arms? Check: so many times I lost count.
Toilet joke. Check: in your face x 2
Mean work colleagues. Check: 100% all round.
Ridiculously unbelievable “heroism”— look no rope. Check: (give me strength).
Umbrella in the rain scene. Check x 2
Pulling FL out of the path of an oncoming scooter: Check.
FL carried bride-style for no good reason. Check x 2
Wall to wall, endless, inappropriate PP. Check.

And on and on and on…

I really looked for something original in there but totally failed to find it. (No actually, come to think of it, the fully and explicitly enunciated English language, “What the Fuck!” in Ep 8 was pretty original.) Even compared to other productions in its genre I don’t think it stands up.

The script is the sort of random mess that doesn’t have any highlights except for the obligatory stepping stones of a common or garden romcom which it forces onto the characters regardless of character integrity. It manufactures ridiculous scenarios in order to include endless PP (episode ten was unbearable, just skip it) or linger endlessly on eyes gazing longingly at each other. A teenage dream fantasy fulfilled at least once in every episode and twice on Sundays. I was just sooooo bored.

The majority of the characters were cookie cutters with no discernable defining characteristics and no opportunities in the script to show depth. Were there secondary relationships? Maybe, it was so long between interactions I’d almost forgotten who the characters were.

So is there a saving grace? Well yes there is, but it’s the only one I can find. Fantastic, sizzling chemistry and eye candy. All those years of idol training haven’t gone to waste, Jun Ho is pose perfect in every close up and Yoon Ah knows very well how to melt into an embrace (no ironing boards here). Seeing as that is probably the number one requirement for many viewers it would probably explain the ridiculously high rating for the show (8.4 at time of writing). Will it up the rating as far as I’m concerned? Well… no.

Maybe I’ve missed the point. Perhaps the whole raison d’être of the genre is to be a sucky blanket of repetitive clichés with no discernible plot to showcase pretty faces, and I’m doing that unforgivable thing of criticising something for what it never set out to be. But I’m stupid enough to live in hope that somehow this genre will one day produce something clever, witty, memorable, funny and original. Just give up why don’t you!!

I think my problem is that I really want a funny-romantic sucky blanket too. Who doesn’t? But just not like this. I want something more sophisticated and worthy of the quality of the actors that star in it. ‘Cause I’ve been a fan of Jun Ho ever since “Just Between Lovers” and consider that the guy can act and has taken on some non-standard roles. (He was the only reason for considering watching this in the first place.) I was cringing with secondary embarrassment for both of the leads at least once an episode. Jeez these guys earn their living.

Okay, next time you see a romcom on my Currently Watching list, kindly do me a huge favour and msge me a reminder that I’m going to spend the entire time rolling my eyes and pushing myself to the end of the episode, so not to bother however much I might want to consider it as a reviewer.

What may rating means: 3+ Totally unbearable, but often compulsively watchable as you really can’t believe that it can be this bad.

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