Reviews

Capital Scandal is a fun period piece drama set in the 30's during the Japanese occupation of Joseon. In this mix are the rebels who wish to free Joseon from Japanese oppression and immersion, The Japanese police and their ilk and the middle grounders (I made that term up), the people who just want to live under the radar, embrace the fun of the times and the modernization of Seoul. It is at its core, the story of a playboy who has run from all forms of obligation for most of his life and how the love of a woman changes him. And while this may be an archetype that Kang Ji Hwan has played before, I found myself loving his character anyway. I've seen him step away from this type in movies and I hope he does continue to stretch himself in the future.

I liked how deep this story became as the episodes moved along. There are nuanced and complex relationships that flesh themselves out completely and are not left hanging. While not every character gets a picture perfect conclusion, you do get the satisfaction of ends tied up nicely. There is a lot of fun, smart and snappy dialog in this drama that I don't feel was lost in the translation of the subs. The love story between the two leads was very sweet. I liked their antagonistic start, middle and end. They had a kind of old Hollywood Hepburn/Tracy feel to them.

The cinematography, color palette, clothing and music were all added delights of enhancing the feel of the time period. The Concubine Cha Song Joo had so many costume changes my head was spinning; but it was wonderful!

It struck me as I was watching Capital Scandal that even as it must have completely stretched the truth of the Japanese occupation of Joseon, (it was much worse, of course) if not over westernizing the time period; this drama speaks to the sense of pride Koreans have of their long, ancient history as a people. They deserve to feel that pride. When I think about all the ancient civilizations that remain intact, I hazard to say that Asian cultures seemed to have remembered if not kept their traditions better than most. As an American mutt, I envy the purity of that tradition and the ability to go back thousands of years tracing your family and owning your people's history. After I watched this drama I dug a little and found out just how close Korea came to being lost by that occupation. God Love Ya Japan...but I'm so glad you lost that war.

Capital Scandal is not perfect but it is a fun show. Lots of intrigue, funny situations, intense drama and a lovely little romance wrapped up in Kang Ji Hwan's special brand of bad boy comedy.

Give it a try!

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I'm quite difficult with dramas and this one... wow. This is just my opinion, you should watch it to be sure, i'm apologetic of watching it, not only reading it coz a lot of people can have different opinions.

Anyway, for me, if you're watching this because of Mike He forget it. Just forget it. His character brings shame to him. He portrayed it well, as always, but it just doesn't fit him. You know his magic spell, that one he always had in his other dramas? This drama is only saved by his presence bt yet it doesn't even let you see that sparkle of him. His character is really low, at least for me.

The main actress too... she doesn't know how to act. She's too automatic, and doesn't fit with Mike He. I heard opinions saying that was because she was not used to good girls roles but still, it's awful.

The drama scenes doesn't seem real and the character feelings as well. They didn't really develop the story and thats a pity.

For me it was not a worthy drama. Ive been looking for more opinions, thought.

The first episode is quite okay but later it just gets worse and worse.
There's not emotions, I can't feel anything from the drama and i think the things we get the most from dramas and make us like it more are the feelings the drama gives us.

I'll quote here a review of blog.dramafever.com: "Calling for Love is not a bad drama. It’s even fairly charming in its own low-key way. But a cast of talented actors seems wasted in a drama that can best be described as inoffensive."

I don't really like to tell people bad comments that make them not watch it.. but after this drama i cant think otherwise.

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totally wrecked Zeke/Fifth (watch ep 1, 2 and 13)

Overall: I liked Zeke and Fifth in My Story because they were flirty and sweet. In this season the writer totally ruined their characters and relationship. I was actively rooting for them to NOT end up together. Our Story is the third in the trilogy (season 1 is My Day which is not needed to watch to understand Our Story, season 2 is My Story which shows the beginning of Zeke/Fifth as a couple and is helpful to watch but not totally necessary) 13 episodes about 37 minutes each (taking out the built in commercials at the end). Aired on Oxin Films YouTube channel.

Notes: I watched most episodes but skipped a few because I wanted to poke my eyeballs out, I kept up with comments/what happened overall though. I suggest watching episode 1, 2, episode 9 part 3 at 7 minutes (nsfw scene), episode 10 part 3 at 10 minutes (nsfw scene) and episode 13

Content Warnings: attempted suicide, past suicide, parental abuse, intimate partner abuse, homophobia, non con picture taking/sharing, alcoholism, depression, sexism, gaslighting, manhandling

What I Liked
- Zeke and Fifth were cute/sweet/flirty (ep 1 and 2)
- GL rep (though the pacing was odd/not enough screentime)
- it was too frequent but the innuendo jokes were fun
- Xion Lim (director) played an assistant as Easy Ferrer (writer) as the other assistant
- Zeke's supportive mom (though she was a bit too involved at times)
- opening song and ending credit song

Room For Improvement
- the writing destroyed Zeke & Fifth both as individual characters and as a couple, Zeke said how he was hurt that he was called toxic while he screamed at his boyfriend was terrible writing, Fifth's actions make zero sense to me, so many characters did total nonsense things
- abuse was handled really poorly, Fifth said "he {dad] beat us" and the response was "that means you still matter to him", like WTF?!? and then later Jelai says his ex-boyfriend who was abusing him is awesome and Jelai apologizes to his abuser?!? what year are we in?!? akldfjkslajkdljaidla!!!!!!!
- way too many couples (6 couples/love triangles) and I somehow didn't like any of them
- exposition dump/voice over to start the series
- so many nonsense/unrealistic plot things (I'm not even going to try to write them all out) example 1: that a significant other didn't know of a life threatening food allergy until 6 months of dating, example 2: that a hospital didn't have any A+ (30% of the population has this blood type) or O negative (universal donor) blood?!? they should have had Zeke have AB negative blood because a 5 second internet search showed that number of people with: O positive: 35%, O negative (universal donor): 13%, A positive: 30%, A negative: 8%, B positive: 8%, B negative: 2%, AB positive (universal recipient): 2%, AB negative: 1%
- the comedy sound effects
- toilet humor
- super dramatic thing happened at the end of episode 11 and then the majority of episode 12 we have no idea what is going on, just random side character plots happening?!?
- in the final episode, did Zeke ever apologize for all the awful things he did?!? why was just Fifth apologizing?!?!!!!!!

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Beautifully made.

This was kinda long since it's an 82 eps drama but I wanted to give it a try. And I'm glad I did.

It may be boring in the first episode or maybe two. But DO NOT drop it.

The relationships between all the cast are really attaching. Specially the MAIN LEADS.

A lot of romantic scenes and hot kisses that it makes your heart flutters.

They pretty much got chemistry. I even wished they were dating in real life, because their acting deceived me.

The plot is really good. Every episode got something special. So you can't skip an episode because you'll get the feeling you'll miss something important if you do.

The acting is REALLY good. They made me laugh with them, cry with them, and fall in love with them.

P.S: You'll envy such a love story. I totally wished somebody will love me that much. T_T

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Like so many other reviewers, BBJX was my first Chinese drama. I've tried parts of others many years ago, but promptly dropped them because of dull plots, bad acting, and atrocious CGI. This time though, I've been moved to tears by both the story and the acting. CGI was kept to a minimum, which was nice, but bothered me a little whenever it came up.

Story: T_T Beautiful and tragic. It starts fairly lighthearted and easygoing, but gets very heartbreaking. The main character maintains the mentality of a 21st century girl, and I think that's something new to time-travel dramas. She (the main character) desperately tries to protect the people she loves, but in the end can't change history, so she can only stand by and watch things play out before her.

Acting/Cast: Perfect casting? It's definitely fairly close to a perfect casting, honestly. Liu Shi Shi (the main actress) starts off fairly weak, since this is her first starring role, but she soon gains the depth and emotional connection with her character that she needed to bring her character to life. The other characters, all of them, were great as well!! The staff and cast all had great chemistry on set, and it shows through on the screen.

Music: Completely heartbreaking songs, once you hear the lyrics. As for the instrumental tracks, I've always had a thing for traditional Asian music, so perhaps my bias is showing.

Rewatch Value: Things get sad, things get long. Well-developed characters make any story far more interesting, so I would actually really enjoy watching it again. In fact, feel like it DESERVES or NEEDS a rewatch, so that I can actually understand where each character is coming from. Maybe after my heart recovers...

Overall: Beautiful, complex story--you can't see what's going to happen next. For those who like to ship couples, you'll find yourself jumping ship at LEAST once. If you've never watched a Chinese drama, this is where you ought to start. Please forgive the CGI. ;-;

Also, can I just say, GORGEOUS COSTUMES, SCENERY, PEOPLE.

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One of the loveliest romcom ever!

When I first started this, I didn't expect to like it this much. They skillfully maintained the comedic elements from the beginning till the end.

I must be in the minority who didn't dislike the FL. Actually, I loved the FL very much. Mi Kyung's nagging was actually another form of caring and showing love to people who mattered in her life. She was a devoted lover, true best friend and a passionate potato enthusiast. No way could I dislike or hate her character.

Baek Ho is the smartest, handsomest dimwit in this potato universe! No matter how much he tried to look cool, in the end he ended up being silly again and again. Loved his character arc. His transition from a stern, solid and emotionless career-oriented man to a "softie sweetie" smitten with love won my heart. His cold interior and exterior were melted by the love and affection he never got as a child.

Leads' chemistry was off the charts. They've become my favorite couple. Loved their bickering, loving and caring sides. Them being friends in real life makes it feel more natural and entertaining.

The side characters were also very entertaining. They kept it all together. No character seemed extra or could be skipped. All of them were equally lovely and supportive of the MLs.

Once in a blue moon, I got to enjoy a romcom without nitpicking little details and fully indulging myself in the laughter and fluffiness of the characters, and it was that kind of drama. Not complicated, no murder mystery, pure comedy and romance as the cherry on top! Delicious ^o^

Overall, if you are looking for a brainless and enjoyable light romcom, then this is definitely for you

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Just forget it. If you’re not going to respect the source material, don’t even bother adapting it. The ORV live action is an insult to the original work. You really thought you ate? Be serious. It completely derails the core plot, waters down character arcs, and loses all the nuance that made the novel special. Kim Dokja feels like a background character in his own story, the pacing is all over the place, and the worldbuilding? Nonexistent. This isn’t a tribute—it’s a cheap cash grab dressed in flashy effects and hollow drama. Fans waited years for this, and what we got is a shallow imitation with no soul.

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An adaptation of the original Nevertheless but with a different vibe and anticipated changes.

Everyone says this is the infamous Nevertheless remake but really it's not 100%.

One major difference is that the ML is NOT a student but a subtitute teaching assistant. That changes the relationship dynamics portrayed.
The FL is not blinded by love like Nabi in nevertheless but more like she is lost, so does the ML. You don't get to feel that much toxicity here but more like mature adults who are very lost.

The characters are indeed based on the original Kdrama but they all give off different vibes and feelings. There is the lesbian couple but they are not really like the ones in the og. The other couple is also similar in some way.

The aesthetics and everything in this drama is exactly the Japanese type but with insipiration and elements from the original story, and as the saying goes this drama is very aesthetically pleasant!

overall, a decent drama so far. Concluded decently as well.

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Holy Crap! I can't believe I almost didn't watch this show because of some poor reviews. This is a masterpiece! Sono Sion is a god among men when it comes to film making. I guess a lot of normies watched this, and got angry because it didn't fit a nicely packaged storyline, but Sono Sion's films aren't about that. They're art, very visceral art, with lots of symbolism and dialogue that ask hard questions about existence and society (mostly Japan's modern society). For example, didn't you wonder why Yamada was so mad at his politician father? Maybe the isolation inside a small hotel with a dwindling population while the youth long for the "outside world" represents Japan's isolationism and birthrate decline. The walls of the "hotel" are made up of people who have given up on fighting for a change. And that's just one example of how you can interpret it. And that's what art often is, a beautiful chaotic mess that is left open for interpretation, i.e. Tokyo Vampire Hotel. The visuals were stunning. I cinegasmed every time the characters walked into a monochromed room. The characters were enthralling. The story was exciting and gripping. The music was great. I loved the opening theme by Tricot, and the bump in the night song was fun for the ending theme. Overall it was just freaking amazing! I highly recommend it to anyone who is ready to look deeper into a dark, violent, fun film, rather than your average run of the mill fantasy story.

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If you're looking for a fun, laugh out loud comedy that will also pull at your heartstrings here and there, this is it. The dialogue is fast and hilarious and the majority of the show is all about a battle of wits between the two lead characters, and quite frankly even the trials are more about a battle of wits than finding truth. Each episode was fun and intriguing and I honestly can't think of one moment where I was bored while watching this show. The side characters become extremely lovable by the midway point, especially Yoon Sang Goo. My only real complaint is that Kang Ki Seok's storyline got very, very lost along the way. I am not even sure what the point of his character was in the latter half of the drama. Other than that, this drama was excellent and has definitely become one of my top favorites.

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An amazing show is all I can summarise this as.

This was such a cohesive plotline with an actually interesting storyline. The entire show was embellished with priceless comedy, but what really spun me for a loop was how serious it got in the final quarter. It wasn't done abruptly, but it was rather that the innocence of the show got more.... well... less innocent.

Stuff got serious, and real problems like deaths of innocent lives occurred. This forced Xu Qi' An to take a more serious role.

What was really intriguing to me was the continuity of the use of a poem that got him a place with the Guardians; "You're paid as a court official. You live off the people's resources. You can easily oppress the common people, but you can't fool the heavens". The gravity that this had within the show became more and more apparent, the more that matters unfolded. It also reflects the sad truth of real life tbh.

All in all, great scriptwriting, great acting and a great OST.

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REAL Exhausting!!!

The series started with two strong individuals that found themselves in unique situations at the same time and respected each other enough to want to help the other. But in the end, it became two individuals with no backbone that go through a constant obstacle course of abuse and torment with no peace in sight. Messy and sloppy scripting. Inconsistent character development. Over exaggeration of torment and relational links. Extra ineffective and unnecessary side storylines which makes the torment drag even more. Chemistry between the leads is nonexistent when considering what they had to endure 'in the name of commitment and love'. The 'villains' continue to have an unrealistic connection to continue tormenting the leads with everyone knowing. Are these the only 2 families in the city? This is not what anyone wanted to see. Even when the ML and FL have a 'moment' of happiness it is lack luster and more of a relief than swoon worthy. Even for a soap the script isn't clean enough to see. STAY FAR AWAY from this MESS on FILM!

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Revolutionary Sisters is a great form of emotional therapy, but not for everyone

Revolutionary Sisters is NOT for everyone, I acknowledge that. Even though I ended up absolutely adoring it, it really isn’t for everyone.

The first ~15 episodes are painful - not because they were poorly executed or portrayed poor acting, but because watching the way the characters treat each other is just awful. After the death of the 3 sister’s mother is resolved, the plot really does improve. All of the characters get fleshed out and each one grows and changes for the better. Yes, in the beginning the daughters are particularly awful to their father, but the whole story is about their growth as daughters, sisters, and women. You come to understand them, why they turned out the way they are, and witness their beautiful metamorphosis when they see the faults in their ways. Watching the sister’s feel awful toward their father upon realization of their horrific behavior is the most heartbreaking, yet satisfying part of this drama to watch.

I will be completely honest: the first ~15 episodes had me wondering if I really wanted to watch Revolutionary Sisters. The murder/mystery genre really isn’t my thing - add that on top of the despicable treatment of the father by his 3 daughters and it really was a tough call. But, as shameful as this sounds, it was the affair of the oldest sister’s husband that kept me going. At the time, I was the most angry and disgusted with her (the oldest sister, Gwang Nam) behavior. She was awful to everyone and stuck up. But the affair tears her apart as a person and it destroys her world. She humbles due to the new hardships she must face on her own and really changes into this beautiful person. I identified with her the most and I adored her story with her husband the most.
My husband and I have been together for almost 10 years. I could really sympathize with the feelings that Gwang Nam experienced in her position, as the oldest sibling/daughter and in a long-standing committed relationship. No, my husband and I have never *knocks on wood* had to deal with infidelity, but the raw feelings and struggle this couple experienced, I could feel compassion for.
To be clear, I don’t really care to watch a drama revolving around characters who are cheating, but this was so different. Maria, the woman Gwang Nam’s husband cheated with, took advantage of him once while he was black-out drunk and conceived a baby (let’s say it how it is guys). While he’s not innocent of adultery and lying, he still sincerely loved Gwang Nam, he was just stuck between a rock and a hard place of doing the right thing. And through finding out about her husband’s affair and recognizing her responsibility and role in their failed marriage, Gwang Nam realized how much she still loved her husband. But it was too late. Things couldn’t go back as they were because a baby was now involved. Watching her come to terms with the aftermath of his affair and letting each other go had me sobbing like a baby. I can’t imagine going through that, but the feelings hit right like they should. From there on, I had to know what happened to them.

I next liked the second sister, Gwang Sik. She was the best out of the 3 sisters to start. She was a little too perfect for me, but her flaws, albeit relatively minor compared to her 2 sisters, became more apparent once she became married. Her romance with the aspiring trot star was pretty adorable and left you with mostly happy feels. The way their relationship impacted the prior generation was sad, but I think it turned out right.

And Gwang Tae. I *disliked* her for the majority of Revolutionary Sisters. She was manipulative and conniving. Money was the most important thing to her and I just don’t identify nor sympathize with that. Her constant business with the loan sharks didn’t impress me either. She just came across as you’d expect of the youngest sibling: spoiled, whiny, and used to getting what she wants. BUT in the last ~10 episodes (after her huge blow out with Gwang Sik), she really turned a new leaf (and things kept happening that kept positively impacting her character, which I approve of). I personally feel that her romance was the most shallowly written as I didn’t feel the build up of emotion and feelings as distinctly as I did for the other couples, but by the end, I really liked how they grew together and supported each other despite their flaws. I especially love how she defended her brother-in-law. At least she’s loyal! :D

There are many other characters in Revolutionary Sisters, but since it’s a family drama, that’s too many to analyze in my review here. But there’s someone I’d really like to mention...

Young Hee - the woman who finally makes Appa, Cheol Soo, happy towards the very end of the series. I love her happy demeanor, her loud, but classy style, how she’s attracted to Cheol Soo and how she wants to take care of him. It was so nice to see him happy and treated so warmly considering how poorly he was treated by his wife and how unhappy she made him. I was so happy that Cheol Soo finally found happiness with someone.

The conclusion of the drama was done through multiple time jumps - 8 months later, another year later, etc. I both liked and disliked this because it was a bit odd to have so many time jumps, but seeing the sisters with their families, plus seeing how the other characters and extended family were doing was nice.
Unfortunately, there were 2 loose ends that weren’t resolved to my satisfaction:
What happened with Gwang Nam’s father? Who was he and is it really okay for Gwang Nam to think he’s passed away?
What about Aunt Bong Ja and her love, Dol Se? I know things were complicated with Gwang Sik and Ye Seul being married, but we didn’t even get to see resolution with their matching necklaces...

In regard to music, I enjoyed the music, especially the instrumentals! They were well selected and well placed to really build the scene.

So overall, I *would* recommend Revolutionary Sisters, but warn that the first quarter of the drama is truly difficult to stomach; have patience and it’ll pass. You really need that awful beginning to adequately depict the character changes that occur over the course of the story. If you can get through the beginning, it seriously pays off. I will definitely be rewatching.

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What Was This???

This series was given the wrong name. It should have been “man loves with whole heart while selfish female walks all over him”.

I stuck it out hoping against hope that the last few episodes would show both of them fully committed and making an effort to keep their love passionate and committed. But this turned into a man who loved a woman who had the emotional capacity of a six year old.

I read a couple of reviews that said this was nothing like the book, and if I was the author of the book I would be incredibly sad at how a drama that started out with so much potential fell - no plummeted to the sidewalk like an apple dropped from the top of a skyscraper.

Three of the cast were stellar. the ML (Wang Anyu), ML’s little brother (Fu Bohan) and the ML’s mother (Dong Xyan). The rest felt like they were grabbed off the street to fill a role because the actors quit. It was a miss match of acting ability, and robbed the story even further of its potential.

The music was good. Especially the OST. It’s a little haunting and mysterious, like love.

The script? It’s hard to say what it was originally like, and what ended up being edited and left on the cutting room floor by censors.

I don’t like leaving bad reviews because every persons work deserves to be looked at and recognized for their efforts, but this was poorly done. Casting, editing, chemistry - all fell short. There was too much focus on the FL and very little on the story between the couples. It held very little resemblance to its title. There were hints at resolving old parental wounds on both sides, and while the ML confronted his, the FL’s started and then just stopped. No resolution, nothing.

I feel for the author and the three actors I mentioned before. So much potential and talent - wasted.

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