Reviews

This has a very 'independent movie' feel to it. The reason I gave it so high a rating is not really because the cinematography was unique or that the story was so different, but rather that this seemed to be a personal story for the filmmaker, that was told well.

The story is about a boy who feels isolated. Some of the kids in the school know he's gay, and they single him out to pick on him. What drives him more into isolation is the fact that he is in love with his one really good friend, and can't say anything to him because he's afraid of his reaction. While he's riding the train he sees a gay couple, then follows them curious about their lives. The rest of the movie is him figuring out who he wants to be and if he cares how the world perceives him. There is also a plot line about the gay couple themselves, and how they feel like they are being treated by society, and their families.

The acting wasn't very good, but they didn't seem to be any really professional actors in the bunch so it was more them doing the best they could. It wasn't ever glaringly bad, like it dragged the scenes or made it seem like the actors were uncomfortable saying the lines. It was more of actors looking at the camera every once and a while, and a smile while they were trying to get out dialogue.

The "sexy scenes" were a little more awkward that the rest of the movie, but thankfully there were only a few of them and easy to fast-forward through.

The music was okay for the most part, nothing to really pay attention to, but there were one or two parts where it just turned weird for no reason.

Overall I would recommend this movie to anyone willing to give an independent movie a shot. It was charming and was made really well with what little resources they seemed to have.

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Fake marriage turned out to be fluffy & cute romance with cliffhanger ending.

This is a very typical cdrama which involved in fake marriage turned to real romance with 3rd party wheel involvement.
Since this cdrama has a total of 15 episodes with 30 mins / per episode hence I will not reveal any spoiler over here but to comment on the story, casting & OST.

Story - If you like romcom then this cdrama suits your taste as you may find quite a number of skinship of the main couple over here. Another thing was there is no side couple which we can't make any comparison to the main couple but solely on the main couple that is the ML - Bai Li / Lord Qian Sui acted by Luo Zheng & the FL - Chen You You acted by Ji Mei Han. Luckily both of them managed to create the on screen chemistry considering both are quite young & amateur's actor & actress. Nothing much I can comment on this story & plot as I feel there will be another session of continuation as this story ended with a cliffhanger.

Acting - On the ML by Luo Zheng as Bai Li / Lord Qian Sui, I feel he has improved in his acting skill compared to his earlier cdrama "Cry Me a River of Stars" only thing is his face, personally I feel like he has undergone plastic surgery which in this drama labelled him as the most handsome or good looking person. For me, I feel his look is more suitable to be a model than an actor as for the FL by Ji Mei Han who played the role of Chen You You, certain angle she looks similar as Zhao Lu Si. Even the way she acted & talked in this drama is quite alike Zhao Lu Si too. Another role that I quite enjoyed watch is Bai Li right hand man - Gu Tian He acted by Hu Wei as he has acted in quite a number of cdramas as supporting roles but over here his role was really humorous & funny ones. The rest of the supporting roles too did a great job in portraying their role such as Chen Ming Hao who played the Royal Highness roles who loves to bake biscuits or delicacies.

The OST - I like the opening OST songs it seems nice & pleasant to listen even the ending OST too was good.

Since this is a low budget cdrama so I don't expect it to be very good but overall it was above average to me except the cliffhanger ending. So if you're considering whether to watch it or not then you need to be prepared for the ending or else everything seems to be fine (for me!).

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SO, I've finally finished Master's sun and feel like writing a review.
I used the term "finally" but it doesn't mean it was boring, it's just this one was my first Korean drama to watch while it was still airing so it was a bit of a tough ride (having to wait each week for the next installment with all the cliffhangers)

Right into the review then.


Story (9):
Stories about ghosts and the ability to see them seem to be the trend in Korean dramas the current seasons, but it's safe to say Master's Sun was the first among them (as far as I know).
It was publicized when they first announced the drama that it was a brand new genre "Comedy/Romance/Horror" and it certainly felt NEW.
The story was quite fresh and entertaining, not free of flaws of course but still very enjoyable overall.

The Story mainly concentrated on the couple and Tae Yang's abbility, but there was that second plot that was going on at the background (the mystery behind the incident in the male lead's past that left a trauma), and while it was very interesting and intriguing at the beginning it started to drag just a tiny bit later, but thank God it was cleanly settled early not in the final episodes.
As for the extra episode, it might have caused the last few episodes' story to become a bit stale, but thankfully didn't destroy the drama, on the bright side you can say it gave the viewer more time to enjoy the main plot free of that one side plot.

As for the characters, I personally loved the character development in this one loads.
It's not the usual over-used pattern, where a spoilt chaebol with issues gets attracted to the perfect hard working poor woman and that love makes him change into a more mature person, rather it's a story about a couple who both had their own issues to deal with and their love each other gives them courage to face them and deal with them eventually making them grow into more strong characters that know just well what they want to do and decide on their own how to realize that.

I also want to admit how I was afraid at first that there would be resemblances in the characters with Greatest Love (might be because Gong Hyo Jin was common actress and how So Ji Sub's acting and hand gestures seemed a wee bit similar to Cha Seung Wons' Dok Ko Jin) but was I totally mistaken. There were very few scenes where you're reminded of Dok Ko jin but Joung Won's definitely a different character.

I especially liked how both characters were fast on realizing their own feelings not the "what is this feeling?" kind of idiocy that's elaborated in many Korean Rom-Coms but rather they were smart enough to acknowledge how they were attracted to each other and went right away to dealing with that (in a bit of an eccentric manner but any how)
ADORED nearly all the side characters in this one especially Secretary Kim and Joung Won's Aunt and uncle Not much the light-mouth security guy and didn't particularly enjoy his relationship with Gong sil's sister.

Acting (10)
PERFECT!!! I don't want to say it this way but Gong Hyo Jin stole all the lights in this one, imo. She was soooo convincing, lovable & cute at times and scaring clingy at others, witty and playful at times and heart-wrenching lonely and sad at others. I have to congratulate the producer on his choice, no other actress could have delivered Tae Yang any better.
So Ji Sub on the other hand, it's my first drama of his and well I can say I was satisfied with his acting. I know it's got nothing to do with acting but on a side note I hated most of his outfits in this one save for a few casual ones near the end. How can a CEO of a large department store have such a terrible fashion taste!!! But he was still attractive to be honest :D

Script (7)
Here comes my problem with this drama. I'm not saying I didn't like it and also I've always considered myself a Hong Sister's fan, but to be honest that witty and heavy on the metaphors script that's considered their forte or signature can be a bit boring, especially if one's watched several of their dramas. In funny moments it's fun, but using too much metaphors in even serious scenes besides aaall the characters feel like they share the same conversation skills it feels a bit unrealistic at times. It might be just me though.

Directing (8)
It was over all fine, nice camerawork as well. though sometimes it felt distracting with all the close ups on hands and off the topic stuff (clothes and such) and there were some mistakes with sequence in some of the scenes (clothes changing all of a sudden) but those were all small things that definitely don't waste a drama.

Music (10)
I wanted to reduce some points coz some of the vocal songs kept playing at always the same type of scenes that it felt a bit
repetitive, but I just couldn't bring myself to. The OST in this one is just MARVELOUS TAEBAK! I love all the instrumentals and also the vocals, and wish all Korean dramas' OST cover all the songs played in the drama this way(I know it has to do with he production budget but it's just so frustrating to find the long-awaited OST missing your favorite BGMs like in IHYV)


By all means, please do give Master's Sun a chance, especially if you're a rom-com lover. If you're not much of a rom-com fan,....then there's a high possibility you've never watched a hong sister's drama, then I think you should watch this one all the more. It will definitely feel fresh.

Thanks for reading my extra-long review!

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Watch when your bored

This show was not good. The main character was a junior in college but acted like a 12 year old most of the time. The second leads were way better than the main leads. The female 3rd leads were a waste of time. They barely had a story line although the little they had was better than the main leads.

What I liked:
-The soundtrack music was decent
-The actors were cute
-The second leads nc scenes were good

What I didn’t like:
-The acting was awful by the main leads
-Nom Jed’s character was too immature for his age.
-Nom Jed drinking milk all the time at 21 years old
-Flirting with milk is a terrible idea and it was not incorporated well in this series at all
-The last episode was a disaster (I skipped through most of it)
-The nc scenes between the main was not done well. The first one wasn’t too bad. Not sexy or romantic at all.
-The leads sitting on a bull trying to create the mood was awful.

Star Hunter you’ve got to invest more in your actors. You are doing them wrong with the terrible directors and scripts and overall productions value. Maybe some of the actors need to jump ship to have a decent career.

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Birth secrets (that really don't stay secret long), kidnapping, murder, attempted murder, redemption, etc. are in this drama. I do think it is a little slow and they could have done this in fewer episodes, but it is written well. I have seen my share of melodramas, but I don't think I have seen one that has taken the direction that this one did. It has the typical aspects of Korean melodramas, but from a different perspective. I even liked the ending. If you are looking for typical romance, then you won't find much here. It is very low key, but there are some deep feelings. It has it's funny parts too.

Kim Jae Won is one of my favorite actors and he doesn't disappoint. He is very charming as Eun Joong. He has a subtle way of eliciting emotions from the viewer for his character. Ki Tae Young was also really good as the other Eun Joong. His characters emotions are written all over his face which to me is a sign of a good actor. Jo Jae Hyeon as Ha Myung Geun and Park Sang Min as Jang Tae Ha were just excellent. Kim Hye Ri as Go Joo Ran/Jang Jo Ha's mom is too funny at times. Her interactions with the other actors are usually comedic even when she is trying to be manipulative and serious. The other actors are good also.

There is some decent music in this drama. The Position's "Last Love of My Life" really fit well with the drama theme.

I probably won't rewatch this.

If you like melodrama, then this is a good one...just a little slow.

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This movie is all sorts of cute, sweet, and romantic. It was neither draggy nor boring. I love how direct to the point this story brought its viewers. Simple yet heart-warming. It had a good mixture of sadness, and happiness. Most of all it had a happy ending! I definitely recommend this to people who are looking for a light fluff movie!

The actors are great, there were only few characters involved but acting wise, it was very well executed. I especially liked Iitoyo Marie's acting here.

For those who liked manga based school-romance drama this one will be perfect for you! Will definitely re-watch this again!

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Lee Minki, just wow. So dark and messed up, I seriously ended up hating the brother after everything he did for the older brother, he couldn’t wait to stab him in the back, quite literally. There's this coldness in Minkis eyes that makes you feel both terrified and thrilled at the same time. The indifferent way he reacts to killing especially that chopsticks scene is still in my mind. Honestly, I'm a fan of Go Eun she's great in Goblin but I found her so annoying in this! I don't know if it's just that character probably, but still it was hard to relate to her. Still it's a nice helping of sociopathic serial killer and the revenge of a not so normal girl.

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Plot: The special “Fukunaga VS Yokoya” transmits the same surrealistic and mysterious vibes as its prequels due to the use of the original OST and setting.
The game itself is sufficient to mildly entertain you for an hour but it’s not up to Liar Game standards.

The main problem revolves around the question who’s going to take the lead now that Akiyama’s gone. In the first third of the special close attention is paid to Fukunaga, but later both protagonists are depicted the same, distant way, which let’s the question arise:
Why would I care?
With nobody to sympathise with left the tension drops quickly.

Actors/Characters: Yokoya doesn’t appear as mystical and especially reserved a character as in previous episodes as the entire special spotlights only upon him and Fukunaga.
Suzuki Kazuma acts well but keeps up a surreal feeling thanks to his unnatural white hair, x-ray eyes and choice of clothes.

Mushroom/Fukunaga is as crazy and cunning as ever and Kitamura Soichiro’s performance is satisfying.

Music: ¡Estupendo! The original Liar Game tracks are outstanding and magnetising as ever.

Rewatch value: None. Unless you are either having troubles following the story’s progress or enjoy watching the special from a different perspective.

To make it short: It’s an agreeable but unnecessary supplement that’s mildly entertaining but lacks the originality and cleverness of the original series starring Matsuda Shota.

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Before you decide to watch "Blue Spring",you should know it's not your typical troubled school kids movie.It's a deep,realistic and shocking glimpse in the hearts of those with no future or hope.

Story: The plot is pretty simple,or so it seems at first.A bunch of bored teenage delinquents playing a life-risking game in order to prove their courage.But,of course it's not just that.Behind the "clapping game" hides the desire of the students to prevail over their classmates,to gain a place in that depressing,cruel reality,showing us how fearful power can be and the dreadful consequences of it.In contrast to this,we are also shown the strange and fragile friendship amongst the boys,their doubts and decisions for their lives.It may be slow-paced at some parts but it's ideal for creating the atmosphere and our image of the characters.

Acting/Cast: In my opinion,they couldn't have picked better actors for this movie! Matsuda Ryuhei and especially Arai Hirofumi are just perfect for the roles of Kujo and Aoki-they brought to life such complex characters! The rest of the cast were very good too.

Music: The soundtrack truly completed the movie for me."Drop" at the end and also "Akage no Kelly" brings me back many memories of this beautiful movie!

Rewatch Value: This is also a 10/10.Rewatching "Blue Spring" is a must!Especially since many important parts/messages of the movie could be easily missed and you'll be left confused.Going back to study the characters and to understand their way of thinking will help you understand why things turned out the way they did.

Overall: "Blue Spring" is not flawless and there are some things that could be added (such as more background stories about the students)or explained better in order for the viewer to get a complete understanding of the situation.However,this could be the intention of the director-to get us thinking and if that was the case,I have to admit he succeeded for sure!The atmosphere was very fitting and artistic too-I really enjoyed everything.

An excellent movie but definitely NOT for everyone.

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Fun and thoughtful spy drama that deals with relationships

Likes
1. Yes!! This felt like an actual spy drama and had similar vibes with My Secret Terrius. But this one is different because beyond the spy and action, there were a lot of discussions on love and marriage. Actually it is like a relationship drama under the guise of a spy drama.
2. I loved the 3 main leads. Jihun, Ahreum and Derek had so much chemistry together as a team and separately as couples. The stark contrast of the marriage between Jihun and Ahreum vs Derek and Ahreum were both so beautiful, i actually got confused who she will end up with. I was team Jihun but i wondered how they will get back together without Derek in the way. I liked how they resolved this.
3. The bromance between Jihun and Derek was also great. They both loved the same woman although they had different ways to show their love. Hated Derek's character at first but came to also like and pity him in the end. I hope he is having a good life like he wanted.
4. Although Jihun loved Ahreum he never crossed the line and waited until the time was right. They were too young when they got married but now they grew up, got to know each other more and found out thy actually worked well together. They looked like the korean Mr and Mrs Smith in the last episode. Really loved the acting of Eric in this drama.
4. Ahreum is one of the best female leads in 2020. She was smart and tough, yet feminine and compassionate. She fought Tinker and slashed his leg with a pair of scissors, she made a sweet deal with Kim Dong Ran and helped take down Helmes boss. I actually thought she would get out of the wedding dress business to be a full time agent in Jimin's team but being informant is way better!
5. Yonggu and Seora 🥰

Dislikes: The bad guys didn't get what they deserved.

Rating: 9/10

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The best Wuxia Drama since

The story line is amazing. It start of strong and how they meet was also very cute . Of course it is understandable that ML behave different, cause he need to grow and all of them are growing. All the cast did a great Job!!

I have seen many dramas and I watch all of their previous acting Drama. I would like to say that all of them has improved a lot their Acting, especially Ju Jingyi. She really work hard and she deserve all the praises. Mao Xiao Hui did an amazing Job potraying a introvert SFL. I cant say anything bad about the cast, cause tehy are very hardworking in a cancelling industry that has very high standart.

I have heard the ost!!

I dont like How IQIYI treats KIKU!! She deserves an apologie and promotion for her hard work. No to mention all the cast, cause without promotion for this Drama, they did all the cast who work very hard dirty!!

Amazing work!!! The only Drama I finished in 2024!!!

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A not bad but very good drama

Admist the title, I know that it has its purpose.

The first episode I've seen sets up the story very well. So far it provokes so many feelings and it's hard to truly find anything wrong with it so far. Lee Do Hyun is an amazing actor and is the main reason I am watching this, I find the man has no faults and is a pure soul, I support him in everything he does.. so this drama is the same for me. Although I won't be shy to point out its faults.

What I like about this drama is the setup, as that is all there is for the first episode. The characters are fully effected by the setup that has been done, and that leaves Lee Do Hyun's character, Kang Ho, resentful towards his mother for treating him harshly. There is no gaps as to why she treated him as such, she kept her husbands life work and wants more for her son. It is pretty straightforward but the acting is done so well that you don't need solid explanations that are in your face. So Kang Ho is incredibly resentful, and he fulfills her wishes, but there seems to be a twist. I like the cliffhangers at the end and its just interesting to me.

The characters are likable, but gladly they are human and have faults. Lee Mi Joo might be a sore spot for this drama, but she has her own backstory with her family that I hope she isn't fully put into a girlfriend spot, or someone that just liked Kang Ho. As of now they have had their time together, and I think she is a good friend to Kang Ho, who hasn't really got to make any friends of his own. She is interested in him because she was young and they shared the same birthday, sort of a hopeless romantic like they share some fate together. It is child-like, but I can see a more adult relationship between the two of them as the story really unfolds.

Unfortanely I am iffy about their relationship and the closure that comes to it. I don't like Mi Joo for lying about her kids not being his, I think he deserved to know. I think she is immature and their relationship is immature. I don't know Kang Ho that well other than himself being in his injured state. I think the drama spent too much time with him like that. I understood that it was to show him and his growth with his mother, but not a lot of that happened while his mind was all there and that frustrates me. The plot with the legal stuff moved too fast because of this. I liked the comedy, but at times I was feeling it was out of touch at times.

The revenge plot fell flat entirely, but I don't believe that is what this drama was going for.

With Kang Ho being left in the state he is after his accident, it is both touching and heartbreaking. The main selling point of this show is the mother and son relationship- I won’t pick it apart as I could for a while.. it’s just really good and wouldn’t be able to be that way with bad writing- and acting. So the acting is amazing (as expected). What I again see as a sore spot is Mi Joo and Kang Ho developing a romantic relationship. With things as they are I don’t see it being ok because Kang Ho is really underdeveloped mentally atm. I hope and pray to god it stays on the route it is going, that being mother and son relationship growth over any romance.

Again. What was there I wasn't too fond of.

Finishing up this drama I can confidently say that the highlight is the mother/son relationship. I also give the drama credit for going through with the storyline of Young Soon having cancer. Still I think it was dumb for that to come up, to me it was to give Kang Ho a reason to 'grow up'. I wanted to see them truly reconcile and see their relationship as mother and son more while he was an adult.

This drama did drag at times and there were unnecessary parts. It's no masterpiece or anything, but there are glimpses here and there.

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At first i thought this drama would be full of cliches romance and boring political schemes. But it turns out to be different.

I really love ZLS and YY, they look good together and had great chemistry.
But i feel like the story doesn't do them justice. The genre is romance, but romance part took so long to surface. However when they got together they're unseparated. No useless dramatic break up or silly misunderstanding.

I also like how the female lead stayed strong from beginning to the end. That's really rare to see

Usually i don't enjoy political schemes/throne intrigues, but this one were done really well and i ended up liking it.

But the development of the story was kinda weird towards the ending. There's just too much time skip and death, which makes me had to rewatch the scenes several times to understand what's going on.

I feel like they're too focused on Prince Lanxi. I wish they also show the story of Princess Xiyun, rather than just squeeze her part of story in the last episodes.

The costumes and setting looks really eye pleasing.
The cinematography, and fighting scenes were choreographed nicely.
OST were good and it fits the drama.
All the casts portray their roles perfectly.




Overall
Who Rules The World is more of a political/wuxia drama with light romance. Which is actually not my cup of tea. But I'd definitely rewatching it for the leads.

If you like historical drama with more political schemes, I'll recommend you try this.

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Ryuzaki Shinji (Tackey) and Aoi Ryosuke (Nishikido Ryo) are two sides of a coin and each blessed/cursed with a unique power. One wields the “God’s hand” and can heal people with just a touch. The other has the “Demon’s hand” with the power to kill. It should be a story that is black and white, but the demon wears white, and the angel wears black.
Aoi Ryosuke may have a devil’s curse, but he is terrified of his own abilities, while his counterpart Ryuzaki Shinji is a devil himself, with the gift of god. When they are brought together however, the game really begins.

From beginning to end, the mystery behind their powers drives the plot of the drama: just how much they know about each other and what are the implications of their gift. Is it a curse or blessing, or both, and how are they to be used? What is their purpose on this world? While a larger mythological background is hinted at, I actually appreciated how the drama focused more on the immediate repercussions. This isn’t a tale of gods and demons. It’s the story of two men who behind their powers are just as human as you or me. Their entanglement with Detective Hasebe gives this even more of a humanly-backing as she struggles to learn more about them - to trust or fear, protect or arrest.

“If I were able to change this world, would God be the only one who could allow that? If humans were able to hold God’s powers, would they be able to change the world?”

Thus begins the story as Ryuzaki stands overlooking a city drenched in rain. The camera pans down to reveal Aoi,as he walks into the nearest police station and turns himself in for murder:

“Coming here on my own makes the distinction, of what sort of person I, who has taken away that life, will become.”

The Dog of Orthros: The name comes from Greek mythology. Orthros was a two-headed dog beast (brother of the more famous 3-headed dog Cerberus), and minion to a giant. I'm sure other comparisons could be made between drama and myth, but there's not much known about the dog. Rather, it's more interesting to me that nowhere in the show does it say which man, the angel or the demon, is the actual beast. Both are just two parts of the same whole.

Not to ignore the drama’s political plotline (because, in this kind of scenario unfortunately one just has to exist), but that part was a little more on the predictable side of things – the only questionable outcome is which man, if either, would align with the greedy and power-hungry parties and politicians.

What was more subtly done I thought were many of the side characters, including Detective Hasebe’s young daughter (who often seemed to understand important things better even than her mother), and delinquent youth Kumakiri Masaru (Yaotome Hikaru).

Should you watch it?
I could barely turn away from this drama, and not even the political plotline bored me for more than a few minutes at a time. Like most Jdramas, the romance may be a tiny bit lacking, but the relationship between the three main players was anything but lacking in overall chemistry. The thriller/mystery aspects were also extremely well done (if not completely perfect) but enough that even knowing the outcome, I’d be likely to watch it again.

Read more (with pictures) on my blog:
http://shinealightrose.blogspot.com/2013/03/jdrama-review-orthros-no-inu-2009.html

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