This movie can be really harsh at times. Meaning it's not for the weakhearted. I loved this movie. It was exciting from beginning to end and left me sitting on the edge of my chair. The acting was great. Kang Dong Won is a really good actor, and I loved how they used foreigners (who spoke fluent Korean, yay!).
I would definitely recommend this movie. Unless you are weak of heart of course ;)
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Beautiful
"Sing My Crush" is an absolute gem of a Korea drama that captures your heart from the very first episode. The engaging storyline, delightful characters, and stellar performances by the cast make it an unforgettable experience. The plot intertwines music, romance, and personal growth, leaving you eager for each new episode. The show's OST is a masterpiece in itself, perfectly complementing the emotions conveyed on screen. Whether you're a K-drama fan or not, "Sing My Crush" is a must-watch, as it beautifully showcases the magic of Korean storytelling and keeps you hooked until the very end. Don't miss out on this heartwarming and soulful journey!Was this review helpful to you?
My Golden Blood
My Golden Blood is sweet, fun, and full of feels. Gawin as Tong is absolutely lovable, and Joss plays the perfect quiet protector. Their chemistry is so natural it had me smiling the whole time and falling for them. The “golden blood” twist adds a light fantasy vibe without overcomplicating things. It’s a short series, but the emotional moments really land. Honestly, I wish it was longer — I already miss them 💛Was this review helpful to you?
STORY: it's actually a very sad story if you think about it, even though it has some elements of comedy. I don't give a 10 just because this is too short.
ACTING: ABSOLUTELY LOVED THEM! This is what I expected from my boys Krist and Singto. Their chemistry is something wonderful. Since they did a very good job with their characters on Sotus, I knew they would do good even here. They truly are amazing actors.
MUSIC: surely helps, it's great though.
REWATCH VALUE: I already rewatched this 5 times, I don't need to say anything else.
OVERALL: this absolutely deserves a 10! If they made this into a longer drama, it'd surely be one of my favorites ever. I hope they'll film more episodes.
You should watch this! Even if you don't enjoy bl that much, the acting and the story are amazing and you'll find yourself crying after 5 seconds.
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This review may contain spoilers
It's a rather strong & quirky healing drama.
The Good⌲ The acting is amazing across the board.
⌲ The leads had fantastic chemistry.
⌲ I'm just repeating myself at this point, but OMG the FL actress is just amazing. (11/10 pretty, 11/10 chic, 11/10 acting ability, similar to Jeon Jong Seo in Wedding Impossible)
⌲ In my mind the romance is 10/10.
⌲ There is a lot of wholesomeness & wholesome healing content in this drama.
⌲ The main plot is rather interesting.
⌲ The 12 episode format works well for this show. (though I would've preferred 13.. **)
The Average
⌲ The drama had some really cool superpowers, but using them in a cool way only happened like once. (Lois & Superman scene)
⌲ Adding to the previous point: The least fun use of mind reading I have ever seen
⌲ The fake fat was not great, though not horrible either.
⌲ The sister's boyfriend/marriage plot really overstayed its welcome.
⌲ I'm not entirely comfortable with the backstory about swindling/scamming, especially thinking about FL's relationship history, basically whoring herself out at the call of her "stepmother". (This leads to fun writing, but they could have made the background story less offensive without anything else degrading in quality I think.)
⌲ While 12 years old Park So Yi did an amazing job, she is completely miscast for the the high school adolescent role, she's way too young compared to her classmates, it's just jarring.
The Bad
⌲** I'm displeased about the 5 second happy ending & how it happened. (though considering where e11 was on the emotional roller coaster, I totally expected something like this to follow.)
⌲ The drama had some slow & boring moments. (admittedly not in a huge abundance)
⌲ I'm not happy about the redemption arc the stepmom has gotten. I for one don't think what she did to a child etc. is forgivable so easily.
⌲ I feel the writers pushed the chicken and egg paradox way too far.
⌲ In this drama the characters talk a lot about how abusing precognition to get lottery payouts is stealing. While technically true, I find this sentiment really silly.
⌲ ML driving his family members around with his car = awful.
⌲ Electric stovetops exist..
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Anyways, onto the main review. I've watched the Ghibli version many many years ago. What comes first isn't always better. This is just my opinion, but this live action adaptation is in no way inferior to the anime. They're both different in a good way. So, I'll break down the review into the following categories:
1. CHARACTERIZATION: I thought the Kiki in this movie was much more believable than the anime. In the anime, Kiki has always been a good girl who loses her power b/c she saw how spoiled humanity can be sometimes. In this movie, Kiki is a real human girl/witch with something called an ego --- she has that youthful pride that we've all experienced all too often when we were younger. As a result, she gets humbled and temporarily loses her powers. There is your realism. The anime portrayed Kiki as a 100% good girl, which isn't realistic. Everyone has imperfections, and this movie clearly showed the main protagonists' to us.
Also, they portrayed Osono as a very human character in this movie, who comes off as a really compassionate person towards Kiki in the way she encourages Kiki to never give up by urging her to take on the next job . In the anime, Osono comes off not as a person but a flat two-dimensional plot device whose purposes were to give Kiki shelter and give her the idea to set up a delivery service. This movie characterizes Osono so much more. She's like a surrogate mother to Kiki rather than just a Landlord/lady.
And let's not forget Tombo. He's more than just some pretty (nerdy) boy that needs saving by dangling from a broken blimp. I won't spoil it for anyone, so let's just say that Tombo is a lot more manly in this movie. Actually, he (and the baby hippo and the singer lady telepathically and Osono's encouragement) were the ones who saved Kiki's conscience. Kiki only saved Tombo with her mother's wound-healing medicine, which any passerby could have done. Nothing like in the anime where Kiki was the only one who could have flown to Tombo just in the nick of time.
2. THE CGI. For a low budget production, I thought the SFX was incredible. If you want to see really bad CGI, look no further than the upcoming Batman v Superman movie trailer. The parts where CG Batman tries to evade CG Superman's wrath looks to me like utter shite compared to the worst CG in this movie. I really thought CG Jiji could exist in real life, b/c a witch's cat is no ordinary cat! Forget that movie poster at the top corner of this page. Jiji looks nothing like that in the movie, he's got more fur textures and better lighting. Also, the flying sequences are really well done. The only part where I could visibly tell it was green screen was at the title where she's flying infront of the gigantic moon, and the light from the moon made it so.
3. THE STORY. I thought it was a refreshing change from the anime with fleshed out ideas. Parts where teenagers played pranks on each other to get even had me chuckling. Heck, I even think some of the story changes were even genius, such as ferries only come around on a set schedule, which is why they need a witch to delivery stuff between islands. In regards to delivering a baby hippo towards the climax, what can I say, the hippo was one of the four (the others are Tombo, singer lady, and Osono) who redeemed Kiki, so it's all good! It didn't feel like a plot device but rather something which advanced the story and Kiki's character! It showed her determination to complete her apprenticeship b/c she decided to become a witch ever since she could remember and flying was the only magical ability she'd cared to cultivate.
4. REWATCH VALUE. I rewatched the anime maybe once or twice so far. That's how much rewatch value that anime had! I've already skimmed over certain key scenes a few days after watching this movie. If I were to hold an annual movie-a-thon, this would be one of my top choices to add on the list for indefinite screening unto the n-th anniversary of such movie-a-thon!
5. HUMANITY. This is a made-up category, but important nonetheless! This is perhaps the reason why I gave this movie a 9.5 and not say a 7! I believe that a movie or work of fiction is special when it touches your heart. For me, it was the bicycle riding scene. Do you remember the first time you mastered riding the bike? For a kid watching this movie, it would be something trivial as they've probably only learned to ride a bike recently. But for someone a bit older it certainly brings back memories of us being bipeds (literal) on wheels for the first time ever in our lives using manpower! This movie brought back a certain fond memory of mine --- I was literally a kid again while watching this movie, which certainly isn't a bad thing!
In summary, movies are meant to entertain. No matter how critically acclaimed something is, if it doesn't entertain, then it's got no purpose existing. This movie definitely entertained and so it does exist!
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The story, well, its not something new, especially if you read the manga, saw the previous versions, and watched the anime. Even for me, I memorized the plot and characters in my head, and even unconsciously, I can point out some dialogues in the different versions. (I am a fan of the manga). If you are watching this for the first time, and that this is a new story for you, you might get to enjoy it especially if you are a fan of typical rom-com doramas. Its fun and entertaining in a way. Its sweet and lovely at many points. Its cliched and dramatic at certain levels. The stupidity and drama mixes well and goes along at each character's development in the story especially in Irie Naoki's character. The aspect that I admire the most in this drama is the character portrayal. There is something in the characters that will make you fall in love in them. They give me the feels of the manga. for example, when I watched Kin Hyun Joong playing as Irie in playful kiss, I was like "This is not Irie Naoki at all, This was more of a overacting naoki." but when I saw Furukawa as Irie, I was like "This is the Irie character I have been looking for, the Naoki that is the smart-aloof guy with serious EI problems." His character is the reason why kotoko does not seem very annoying compared to the "kotoko" on k version that is seriously annoying which literally stress me out.
For me, it was that good and satisfying that I downloaded the entire drama so that I can rewatch it again. :) Patiently waiting for season 2!
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One thing I especially love about Reply 1994 compared to Reply 1997 is there is way more romance in reply 1994 than reply 1997
I really loved the diversity in each character and the difference in their dialects. Also I loved how they brought the parents from Reply 1997. Also if anybody is thinking of watching Reply 1997, watch it first because they appeared as guest role in Reply 1994.
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This review may contain spoilers
Unpredictable with plot twists. But damn, I felt my neck was stiff!
As someone who loves the mystery genre, I found this drama's fantasy part, which gives a mystery vibe, unpredictable with plot twists along the main plot. Only watch it if you're comfortable with a huge height difference.STORY:
The Female Lead Jin Xia bought her dream house, a cute old house by the sea. Once moving in, she finds that her new house is haunted by a ghostly tall handsome guy Nan Hua, a man from ancient times, who is not a ghost but can choose to be unseen by people. Nan Hua got stuck living in that house and is waiting for someone whom he doesn't remember who the person is. So we have the usual cohabitation trope with Jin Xia and Nan Hua gradually falling in love.
I found that the fantasy plot of this drama is unpredictable, as in Nan Hua's background, the person he's waiting for but doesn't remember who, how he's able to live that long, etc. I won't spoil you with the details but will spoil you with the ending if you're someone who wants to know if it's a happy ending or a sad ending (scroll after you reach the bottom of the review).
CHARACTER AND ACTING:
I have never seen Lai Mei Yun before. Her character Jin Xia is pretty and petite, independent, and career-oriented. She wants to remain single, with only a grandma and a best friend as people who are close to her. I saw the actor Wang Zi Hao in the short-length series with the time-loop theme "Secretary Bai Wants to Resign Everyday", which I thought it's quite funny. Nan Hua is a nice Male Lead, but I think the actor looks better in ancient costumes than in modern costumes. I felt like the huge height difference of 40 cm or 16 inches (see source below) between Nan Hua and Jin Xia gave me a stiff neck. So, it's understandable that others said that they saw a romance between a man and a little girl. Fortunately, Jin Xia has pretty long wavy hair, and she doesn't have a high-pitched voice or act childish.
Height difference source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy531LiwncE
OST:
The ending theme "Love Will Tame the Wind and the Rain" (爱会驯服风雨) is sung by the actress Lai Mei Yun herself.
SPOILER of the ending (Scroll down below)
A happy ending between Nan Hua and Jin Xia. He disappears because of losing energy. Jin Xia buries her engagement ring and it regenerates the dead ancient tree that was Nan Hua's source of energy. Nan Hua is reborn and he comes back to find Jin Xia. Not a last-minute reunion.
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But the story was absolutely brilliant. It had some great plot twists that were genuine twists, as in, it was actually unpredictable. Obviously it had a scientific aspect to it, but wasn't full of jargon, so you don't need to be a science nerd to enjoy this. It wasn't full of action, though there were some great scenes, but it was never blandly telling the story either. Most of the technical stuff, ie the stuff on computer screens, were in English, and for us non-Japanese viewers, it really helps to understand the plot better. All the characters were fantastic. The writers did a great job balancing out each individual character's depth and background, and so none of the characters felt false, or like just fillers for the plot.
Acting of the cast, again was incredible! there were a couple of iffy moments, but still it was good. Nino I think, did brilliant as Ryuhei, a really fascinating and complicated character. And not just Nino, all others were just as brilliant with their characters.
The music was perfect. They used several tracks, and they matched all the scenes perfectly. It was quite a long film, but it is definitely worth rewatching.
Overall, this movie is totally worth 10/10. No matter if you are a science buff, or action/thriller buff or a Nino stalker, you would absolutely love this film. Happy watching everyone!
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The romance is the fluffiest thing in the world and the couple has good chemistry, they look really cute together.
I hadn't watched a drama with Yoo Seung Ho before but I've developed a crush on him watching this it seems, he's such a good actor who portrays emotions really well. Chae Soo Bin is also a great actress, I applaud her for the dual portrayal of both characters.
The main negative thing I could point out is how some scenes are too childish and naive.
Overall, I only recommend giving this drama a chance if you're prepared to lose some braincells and to be frustrated by the draggy episodes.
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Don't Give Hate a Chance
I decided to watch Dark Hole first because of Lee Joon Hyuk and, boy, does he look fantastic. Secondly, I am a sucker for survival dramas, especially zombie and resident alien-like themes. The first thing I noticed was the camera work, which I really enjoy, but as I continued to watch, I realized that whatever the black hole was, it appeared to feed off and grab an even stronger hold off those whose souls were darkened by whatever was buried deep within them. So, the vibe quickly changed from resident evil to more like an Age of the Ultron kind of feel where resentment developed over time over humanity's brazen maliciousness and corruption in the face of the many injustices leads one person to participate in the eradication of all those they believed deserved to be punished, acting as a judge, jury, and executioner all in one.So, in that sense, Dark Hole is not a typical zombie drama, making it an even more exciting watch. It was funny, disgusting, and at times scary -- based solely on people's emotions and perceptions. The different perspective it takes in combining zombies, mystery, shamanism, science fiction, and horror altogether that is amplified by emotions, ranging from injustice, rage, fear, anger, disgust, and even anxiety, all of which are regulated by an opposing range of emotions that clearly signify that disasters tend to either make leaders or cowards out of humans. I liked Dark Hole for what it was; it doesn't necessarily clearly articulate the how, which for me was one of the biggest questions I wanted to be answered, but it does deliver on its overarching theme, which quite befits our present-day global situation.
Dark Hole is not a drama that will win awards, but it is a drama that tries to impart quite a few meaningful messages. One of the most significant is not to give hate a chance because it may allow for the deepest desires to become the deadliest when one does it. And that humans, more often than not, are their own worst enemies, for, at times, the monsters that rise from the dead are nothing compared to the ones humans carry in their hearts. And the most powerful message of all is that whoever fights monsters should see that they do not become monsters in the process. As they say, if one gazes long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into them. I enjoyed Lee Hwa Sun and her great fighting skills but loved Lee Joon Hyuk in the role of Yoo Tae Han the most. A man of action rather than words. So different than his role in the Stranger series yet just as appealing.
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Beautiful drama. 10/10
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Amazing! Deserves All Awards!
DO NOT READ THE SYNOPSIS FOR THIS MOVIE!The long synopsis at the top of this page spoils too much.
All you need to know is: One mute guy and one girl, Japanese romance, maybe sad times ahead.
Honestly, this is one of the best films I've seen in years.
I'd say this is Yamada's best movie since Grasshopper. His performance is always solid but he excels in this; how he conveys and comunicates in this is just amazing. Hamabe, I wasn't familiar with going in but I think she was absolutely perfect too! Her acting was amazing and you could feel her emotions and her journey clearly.
The story itself is just way more than you expect and it's so beautiful and emotional and pure.
If this doesn't win any awards at the end of the year, I'll be shocked and disgusted.
***
Slight Spoilers: I cannot describe how misadvertised this movie is, and I am kinda glad it is. You go in thinking it's just gunna be your typical Japanese romance but it's so much more. I cried the entire time, so definitely prepare tissues!
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A Story of Emotions and Life Lessons
This drama has done something for me. It has proven (to me) a bit of a formula for what a show needs to have to be a 10/10 FOR ME.-Multiple storylines
-People that are written like REAL people - (not perfect people, not idealized people, but nitty gritty, do the wrong thing, say yes when they mean no, REAL people)
-Romance that is present throughout but is not the major focus
-Love "tri"angles that are dirty and messy and emotional are a plus
-This show is long.
-This show takes a LOT of detours NOT focusing on the "Main" plot, most of it consists of side plots
-This show's ML is VERY VERY VERY rigid in his beliefs and this is often at the expense of his relationship with the FL.
-FL does NOT explain herself to ANYONE until after the fact (and then only sometimes)
Ultimately, because the show focuses so much on the side stories, the main story does fall to the background with the thread popping up again every few episodes to move something forward an inch. What this means though is that if you DON'T like the side stories the show will fall flat.
Personally, I think the first was the weakest but with each subsequent one I slowly got more invested. I had tears in my eyes by the end.
----
Do you like/ not mind:
angst?
misunderstandings and doubts?
slowest of snail romance?
Low/no physical intimacy
older cgi, costumes, hairstyles/ wigs
---
Fully biased 10/10
Unbiased... 7.5 or 8 probaby
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