Real Passionate Kissing Scenes
OMG! This is the only Chinese drama I’ve ever watched with so many passionate kisses. Other Chinese dramas normally have superficial kisses like a peck on the lip or cheek. But this drama goes all the way out to capture real, passionate and sensual kisses. The male and female leads don’t seem to have enough of those kisses and with each other!This is a light-hearted drama. It’s funny, and the plot is straight forward with not many twists. I like the chemistry between the lovers, as mentioned earlier, they don’t seem to have enough of each other. I also like the relationship between the Prince and his buddies. Their silliness is the most hilarious things to watch and I really love watching them teaching each other the art of “conquering” women.
Overall the acting is good, especially for the new comer Ling Mei Shi who plays the Li Ming Yue character. She is cute, beautiful and works very hard in bringing us a very convincing princess. Alen Fang is very good looking with a cold and arrogant look, fitting the role of Li Qian very well. As Li Qian, despite his intelligence, he is repeatedly fooled by his own wife, the princess, over and over again. Together with his buddies, Si Kong Zhen and LiXun, they seem to have some kind of bromance with each other and the overall effect is funny, sweet and heart-warming.
Overall, things fall into places well and no loose ends, and the pace is just good.
If you want something light and good for a laugh, this is a good drama to follow.
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A fairy tale about a marriage of convenience.
A captivating, fun, and romantic story with a fairytale vibe. Rose and Din have great chemistry; I found myself yelling for them to kiss several times. However, for me, the highlight of the series was the cousins, especially Lom. Believe me, I'm not saying this because this character is played by Freen Becky; I'm not a number one Freen Becky fan, but I must admit she's my favorite character. Lom is giving a charismatic performance. There's humor, fun, and suspense too. I liked the villain of the series and the serious issues it addresses. I hated him and was afraid of what he might do to the protagonists... In other words, I loved him! That's how a villain should be.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I love musicals, and music based dramas, thus my main reason for watching. If you want to hear great music, THIS is the drama of 2013 for it! The greatest thing about Monstar is the OST (though I hope they give us more songs for purchase). Summary: The acting was good, and surprisingly so with many "newbies" to drama acting. It was nice to see scenes of musicians playing instruments and actually know how to play them... very refreshing. The music, as mentioned before, is top notch. There is a piano duet of J. Pachelbel's Canon that is amazing, as well as a haunting version of Nocturne with just guitar and cello that sticks with you. The story is the weakest link of the drama, which is likely why it was only 12 episodes. It wasn't a bad story, but light and lacking true depth as a drama. This could be best labeled as a light romantic musical drama, but does have entertainment value.
Details: There isn't much to put in the details without spoilers, but I can say that you will likely purchase the OST if you love music. Watching "new" actors was also nice, it gives me a few more people to put on my list of "ones to watch". I have to give a special mention to GLAM's DaHee because her role was awesome and she played it well. I fell in love with her character the most and she just tended to steal scenes when she was in them.
Rewatch value is listed as high as it is because the music will make me watch this again since the OST doesn't include all of it. Should they make all the music spots available for purchase, it would go down I think.
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I just completed this drama half an hour back and I'm already missing it. Believe me when I say that one of the things I avoid doing the most is touching any currently airing drama. Suspense and waiting for the next week is like taking multiple gun shots! Initially, I did that with Pinocchio, until the 7th or 8th episode. When suddenly saw netizens storming on about Pinocchio, I couldn't run away from the temptation! And ended up making stupid promises to myself such as ' I'll just watch the first episode, see how it is, and give it a full run from the 2nd episode onwards until it ends'.
But boy oh boy, I watched all the 7/8 episodes aired by then, in one day and took a stab for realizing that now I had to start waiting for another damn week. Hard times! (if you're a drama addict, you know what I mean :P)
I'll go by the rating table. Story? Here let me ask you this, what do you think would come out of the drama written by the same team of writers who gave us "I Hear Your Voice", teaming up again with Lee Jong Suk? Yes, a great story with all the elements one expects after watching the trailer. Actors? Honestly, I had few concerns about Park Shin Hye but I'm glad she lived up well to her character of Choi In Ha, a character outline I liked when I read about it on various websites. Lee Jong Suk was awesome as always. I liked Lee Yoo Bin since "Innocent Man" and liked her even more in this drama especially, her character's story with Hwang Gyo Dong (Lee Pil Mo). It was very cute and I think it was a good idea to add such light comedy to the drama. I liked everyone's acting from both MSC and YGN news company. Kim Young Kwang moved me in the last few episodes, trust me. Special mention to Kim Hae Sook as Park Ro Sa (Seo Bum Jo's mom) who portrayed the character of a villain pretty well.
Soundtrack? Instead of doing an online search on the OST list, I waited for all the tracks to play in the drama which made me like them even more. "Non-fiction" by Echo is my favorite track. (:
What more should I do to actually/ literally tell you that this drama is worth watching for its story, cast and music because I rated it a 10, both for Rewatch Value (I don't rewatch much) and this drama as an Overall?
If you're into stories such as this one, it'll be worth it. Enjoy! :)
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1A good adaptation
Considering there are so many topics the drama cannot depict (ie. BL, gore, senseless violence, ghostly retribution), this is a pretty good adaptation of the novel. The story flow makes sense. There is no moment where I thought, "Oh, they should've just skipped that part instead of twisting it into something it's not." But at the same time, the changes make the stories less frightening and more generically appealing.The actor who played Lin Jiushi is their weakest point. He cannot do emotional scenes, except the one where with he was disappointed by his estranged mother. His outbursts, either grief, anger, or horror, felt as if they came out of nowhere and rather superficial. Other actors, while still mediocre, are more relatable than him. My fav character is Zhuang Rujiao. She is like the seasoning that makes them taste better. 'Cuz once she showed up, all the main characters seemed somewhat more engaging.
In theory, the drama can go on forever. And I wouldn't mind watching another 100+ more episodes of their adventures through the doors.
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it's cute
I think this gets to much hate but I thought it was so cute OK it wasn't that original but still very cute and I love joongdunk they are such a funny pair I do like this two better off screen there chemistry is fire 💗Was this review helpful to you?
An enjoyable watch despite many irritating factors
I have a love/hate relationship with this drama but decided to review it for a few reasons.1. The actors did a fantastic job in portraying their roles.
2. The production was high quality with noticeable wardrobes quality and set design.
3. Most of the main characters weren't two-dimensional but more realistic and relatable despite significant limitations.
This drama's storyline is quite a departure from the original online novel that it was adapted from, so much so that some parts were unrecognizable. Some were good changes; others were questionable. I always wondered why scriptwriters chose to change so much of the original story that the value of the original work is lost? I would hesitate to re-write Louis Cha's novels because people love his wuxia story so much. That's how he became famous as a story writer. A scriptwriter is in no way a novel writer. Scripts are meant to bridge and adapt the storytelling effects between conventional novels/storytelling to movie production without losing the original, entertaining value of the story. Unfortunately, this is lost in this drama. I felt the scriptwriters lost their place and thought of themselves as authors of the story itself. Despite this significant drawback, the acting is still entertaining. The actors portray the characters in the drama well despite its limitations of character development and major story plot holes. The actors did a good job bringing it to life with realistic portrayals as best as they could.
I enjoyed the story despite some noticeable flaws in character development that felt illogical and rushed. I enjoyed the OST (but wasn't too happy that it was censored and copyright claimed all over youtube that most of it are not released). I'm impressed with Tong MengShi's acting and portrayal of the ML. I saw him before in Joy of Life and noticed him, but he had a minimal role in that drama. His role in this drama gave him more grounds to expand his acting chops. He brought the main character to life, expressing emotions in a restrained and controlled manner. The character itself wasn't complex, but his portrayal made it complex and interesting to watch. I couldn't say the same for the FL. In the first ten episodes, I found her portrayal annoying, and I was ready to drop the drama. Still, I persisted, and she eventually developed to become a more realistic and relatable character. I attributed this major dramatic annoyance to one part by the overacting of the actress and the other the significant departure of the script from the original novel. The character in the story was more deliberate, calm and careful than it was portrayed in the script adaptation.
Despite the significant flaws in the main characters, I found the supporting cast/characters immensely talented and rich with depth, which rescued many of the script's shortcomings. It made me root for the scenarios around the characters and invest in the drama. Overall, I still enjoyed the drama, and it was worth watching, but don't have high expectations of it in character development and storytelling values. If you're not that picky in this regard, you'll enjoy the drama.
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At last ... it ended.
I start with the first part of episode 1: A rich boy is in love with a boy who he met on a dating platform. Today is the day to meet and the "office worker" met the rich boy at the most elaborate and expensive location imagable. Because the rich boy is not especially clever, he never asks himself how the office worker could afford that. Of course the "office worker" is also a rich boy....That's how the story begins and that's the quality the screenwriter put into their script. How this got funded is beyond me, it was boring as fuck, unlogical as fuck and the drama was there just to have drama in it.
At least camera work was stunning, so this gets a bonus point for that, but even with that, it's one of the worst Thai shows we have seen this year. I am just a bit sad that all the actors/actrresses had to put up with such a show.
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Both actors were showing great acting skills and you could actually feel the chemistry between them. I like it when you can´t quite grasp a character in the beginning and the actor is able to change this feeling during the movie and you can feel how you get closer to the character. Both actors defenitely accomplised this task.
The sript was well writen, the right words at the right time, not too much drama or never ending dialogs. Same goes for the music. Quiet, smooth, necessary but without getting on your nerves.
In the end the movie tourned out to be realistic, sad, life-affirming and quiet, but still chaotic and a tiny bit crazy. The right amount of everything, well composed and put together. And even the ending matched.
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The plot was fantastic and left me intrigued after every episode.
The overall vibe of the drama is strange with tons of dry humor (totally Odagiri's style).
Odagiri and Kuriyama portray an attractive detective duo, who have solid chemistry and plenty of bickering between themselves.
The ending left me wanting a second season.
Also, upon visiting several forum discussions, it seems that there is a lot of cultural symbols and subtle messages in this drama that hint at certain things. A re-watch of this drama after some research/pondering is definitely suggested.
Overall, this is a twist to the typical police/mystery drama with tons of crazy characters and dry humor.
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This drama has great actors and actresses. They did their job well, especially the one who acted out the character of the fake In Joo, which I think she did justice to the role because I hated her character too much. As for the 3 main leads, Seong Yoo-Ri, Lee Sang Woo, and Joo Sang Wook, they all did well, although I can say that the writer should have put more depth on JSW character as Jae Ha, such as giving us some background on Jae Ha's childhood on why he grew up with his grandmother, where are his parents, etc, in that way we could have had more empathy and connection with his character, unlike the character of Do-Yoon. Maybe that is why I feel more connected with the character of Do-Yoon aka "Haemil" and leans more towards the love angle between Do-Yoon/Haemil and Joong-Ho.
Furthermore, although I least expect the ending of the drama and quite dissatisfied with it, too much open ended and not enough closure on the characters, overall it is still a good drama to watch.
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A Simple but Beautifully Well-Done Drama
My worst habit is watching/binging c-drama half way through & dropping it cold turkey (whether if I loved it, if it dragged, long drama, or short drama). This drama kept me through the very end without skipping or 2x (another habit I do). Honestly, the 2 main lead’s chemistry was what made me came back to the drama despite the storyline being predictable at times.Cast: The 2 leads did great for their roles (They were a total eye-candy/pleasant visual with no overdone makeup). The male lead had me screaming through the screen (literal green flag). There are a lot of close up shots & the way their facial expressions & gestures just makes your heart flutter. They don’t say much but their facial expressions says it all. If I really had to nag much, the female lead’s facial expressions on some scenes were a bit stiff BUT she did great for her 1st lead role & a BETTER job than some top-tier actresses in the industry. The elder princess pulled off her role well (You could feel her bitterness). Same goes with the 2nd male lead and the male
lead’s family.
Storyline: Some plots were predictable (like you knew none of the main lead would die) but the story as a whole is straight to the point. You don’t feel like it wastes your time (no misunderstandings, no running in circles). This drama is limited to it being a short drama & pretty tight budget but they managed to pull it off. It wants to tell their love story, a political power struggle, gender roles/hardships, female empowerment, a fallen rising family, top/rich male lead & poor/servant female lead. Its touches base on the surface level with some topics but I am glad it mainly stuck with the main lead’s dedication, love, & hardship.
What I Love About the Drama: (as an avid C-drama viewer)
- Not making a love-triangle with the 2nd male lead. (He was a lovable person & a green flag. You could tell he likes the female lead but wasn’t pushy/knowing his boundaries. In an alternate world, anyone would have chose him as the one).
- The chemistry between the leads sold this drama. The mutual understanding despite being apart & having their own struggles. The glances they had at each other. Their chemistry was the selling point for me.
- The creative direction/production quality. THIS I APPLAUD TO THE TEAM WORKING BEHIND THE CAMERA. Whoever the director was brought out the best of the 2 main leads for their roles. The camera language & editing/cuts was a chef’s kiss. Their budget was well spent & the outcome was better than S-tier dramas. (I guess this came at a cost of having a fresh face cast).
- Having very memorable moments/objects & using it as references. The red bracelets, the red ribbons on the tree, the dumplings, the pearls, his handkerchief, etc.) It is symbolic of their love story & adds meaning to their subtle attraction to each other.
- The drama makes logical sense and characters have logical/reasonable feelings & decisions. You understand why each character made there choices & they had a valid reason to do so. As a viewer, the drama didn’t make me feel dumb.
What Could Have Been Better:
(NOTE: This a short drama)
- explaining the backstory to the Elder Princess’s character (She was a pivotal role more than 50% of the drama & had a lot of screen time. Had there been a backstory, viewers could empathize what lead to her tragic state. The drama already tries its best to hint at it but there just isn’t enough time/length to have its spotlight).
- The 5 years gap. 5 years just sounds like a long time & you’re telling me they just didn’t cross path till then. (I guess you can say it makes logical sense as the younger sister is getting married. Therefore she needs to be at a marriageable age.)
- Having a more complex female family setup. Yes she is poor & that is fine but you could tell the female lead’s father/brother role was written to be a hinderance for the plot.
- Same could be said for the political struggle/fight. It was the most surface level fight I have ever seen in a drama but somehow it got the job done. However, I’m glad they kept it that way. (We ain’t spending 3 episodes on a coup for the damn throne.)
However, with that being said, I still wouldn’t change much of what was presented in the drama. It is a short drama with its limitations but beautifully done. If it was a full length drama, I feel that I would have dropped it in the middle. I don’t feel cheated for my time watching this drama. Though it is predictable that the lead would end up together & neither would not have died. I watched it to the end to know/see how the production team play out the ending for the lead. This is the first drama in years that I finished start to end. I highly recommend to check the drama out.
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Perfect Kisses!
Kiss x Kiss x Kiss ~ Perfect Scandal ~ is all about kissing.It's not a drama or show or anything, just literally scenarios where the characters find themselves kissing.
You get maybe a minute or two of character background via captions on the screen, then maybe 3-5 minutes of lip-locking.
Honestly, from the straight couples to the gay couples, all of the kisses and scenarios were good.
Some kisses were better than others, but it's all based on preference.
I kind of wish they would extend the episodes to 15-30 minutes so we could get more character backgrounds and build up to the kisses. They do amazing with just the scenario and kisses, but having a little more details would make the series more memorable and give the actors a bit more time to act.
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Fake It Till We Make it !!
First off, major props for the ace representation! The inclusiveness and legitimate valid portrayal deserves praise!! They nailed it, though would have liked it if they had more screen time.Chemistry? Chemistry-ing so hard! It was on fire from ep 1 to 12 ! Great and Inn were such a good choice, really hope they team up again in another series.
The supporting characters were amazing ! Their love stories had their own flair and drama and I was all in for it!
The comedy was a bit cringey (in a good way, if that makes sense). Lots of second-hand embarrassment, but somehow it worked for me.
But the way they dragged out finally admitting and committing to the relationship was kind of annoying and unnecessarily stretched, especially when they were always so domestic ALL THE TIME . It just felt way too over-the-top sometimes! They could've cut to the chase sooner!
Overall , If you're into sizzling chemistry, drama, with a touch of cringe-worthy comedy, I would recommend this. It's not perfect, but it's definitely entertaining!
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