This review may contain spoilers
Season 1 was far better
Why I liked the drama?- THE FEMALE CHARACTERS! Usagi, Kuina, and Ann. Honestly, they carried the whole show. Their relationships were interesting and each was independent and badass. They didn't need men to survive the games, in fact the men needed them. It's not everyday that you can find a survival story where the female characters took major controls.
- Chishiya! He's so interesting, more than the MC himself. His laid back personality was the opposite of his brain capabilities. Honestly, I'm glad he had his own screen times to finish two games. And he did it perfectly alone. Chishiya be like: Me, myself, and I.
Why I disliked the drama?
- Arisu's characterization. Suddenly, his characters got weaker than previous season. All of the time, he needed Usagi to take care of his ass because his mentality dropped down drastically. It's like he lost his confidence and never got it back lmao -.-
- Aguni and Heiya's relationship. It's disturbing that Heiya, a girl in high school (definitely underage, no?!), was head over heels to Aguni. Their age difference made me fume with madness. On the other hand, Aguni didn't seem to take it seriously, but who knows what the writers had in minds.
- Plot armor too visible. During the King of Spades', the main characters should've died multiple times, but no. They're invincible to the bullets, except the extras. Others got killed by ONE shot, our main characters could survive from ten thousands shoots to their bodies. Hooray to the armor!
- The ending. Such a shitty ending -,- people can make theories about the 'borderland' but I personally think the ending was not satisfying. On the Queen of Hearts' game, Arisu and Usagi made a whole speech to each other, but in the end, I was left with disappointment. This season's storyline was definitely too rushed.
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A perfect ending
Not much write the perfect ending like this one.This special episode dedicate to tell the ending for Ji Xing & Han Ting. How they steer the relationship in married life. How they end up having kids & a little glimpse about their children. And really the ending of their life...
Short word. Some closer that sometimes some drama actually needed. And I'm really happy I can watch this special episode...
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After having her son kidnapped, top actress Jung Hye In (Kim Ah Joong) starts filming a reality show on the kidnapper's demands to save him. Every episode starts with a mission which she has to complete. As the story unfolds you, like Jung Hye In, will learn how everything is connected to each other. It's fair to say that every episode keeps you on the edge of the seat. As the search for Hyun Woo continues, you want to know what the kidnapper's motives are.
The cast is made up of a lot of familiar faces. You might know some of the actors/actresses from their previous work as they have acted in well received drama's. Kim Ah Joong plays Jung Hye In, a retiring top actress whose son get kidnapped. As someone with a public image, she has to go through ordeals to secure the safety of her child. It's not easy to put up a front as she's a top actress & worrying mother as well. The amount of emotions are portrayed very well by her. She acted out her character pretty good. Uhm Tae Woong does a good job playing Shin Dong Wook, a PD who is fired before he gets the chance to make an influential show. He gives off a stern & cold vibe that goes well with the character Shin Dong Wook. Ji Hyun Woo takes on the role of detective Cha Seung In. He surprised me with his acting. In 'Angry Mom' he played a righteous but somewhat pushover teacher. Didn't expect him to play a determined, righteous & kick ass detective but he pulls it of very well. Every character (even the support roles) has his/her background story that fits in with the development of the plot.
It's not very uncommon for thrillers to use anything beside ambiance background music. That being said, Wanted has a total of 4 OST's and the songs aren't that bad. It's a shame they couldn't be implemented someway (e.g, ending credits) so be sure to give them a listen. You don't want to miss out on a song like Yezi & Jung Chaeyeon's - Shadow.
Wanted is a thriller with a great cast, a steady pace and intriguing story. There are things that could have been done better to live up to it's "promising" plot. It's a pity but not too disturbing. The drama is somewhat thought provoking and the suspense only leaves you wanting more.
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Amar é cuidar e cultivar
Eu consigo entender por que o primeiro diretor quis desistir dessa história. Uma história de amor em que o homem (nem tão) mais velho se apaixona pela irmã do melhor amigo, a qual ele conheceu quando ela ainda era muito nova, realmente é um enredo difícil de não cair no desagrado do público. Porém, estou feliz que não desistiram desse projeto, pois o resultado foi simplesmente lindo!Sobre a protagonista feminina: apesar de gostar de alguém mais velho, em nenhum momento o seu tempo é desrespeitado. Ela não buscar fingir ser mais madura do que o que de fato é, ela não pula etapas pelo relacionamento que quer ter. E, embora a família a trate com o cuidado dado a crianças, ao reservar ela se mostra muito madura emocionalmente - sem deixar de ser meiga, delicada, atenciosa e muito fofa.
Sobre o protagonista masculino: que show de atuação! Senti muita sinceridade nas cenas dele, em especial quando o assunto era a sua família. Gostei que ele foi construído como alguém que aprendeu a ser uma boa pessoa, apesar de tudo. Gostei, também, de como ele se mostrou decidido uma vez que entendeu que seus sentimentos pela prota mudaram de cuidado para amor, que é um detalhe que faz toda a diferença nessa história.
Os protagonistas mostraram que o amor é cuidar do outro, mas é também cultivar no outro felicidade, conforto, confiança.
É um dorama simples, no fim das contas, mas que mostrou personagens como pessoas reais. Nem perfeitos, nem caricatos. Os pais tem suas questões quanto aos filhos, os irmãos brigam, quem se ama tenta dar o seu melhor pelo outro, e é isso.
Muito grata a atriz principal que deu o melhor de si para fazer esse projeto acontecer, valeu a pena cada segundo gasto.
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I read in several different places that people only enjoyed this film because MinHo was in it and that in fact the film was mediocre. Well, it is not a work of art, that's for sure. Especially since the editing of the film is a bit odd - this was made in 2010 but I felt like I was watching something from 2003 or something. And that, for me, is pretty much the worst thing in this drama.
The story isn't, again, an art work. We have two characters who are somewhat lost in their own routines. When they meet eachother is actually like a breath of fresh air. Overall, it's a pretty story, romantic and somewhat inspiring. It's about overcoming your own fears but also working hard for your dreams and even having those dreams - because everyone should be allowed to do so.
The cast consists mainly of five or six people, being the main ones MinHo and Ji Hye. Ji Hye's acting is good enough and convicing, without being exagerated or the opposite. The same goes for MinHo. As someone who watched "To The Beautiful You" and is currently watching "Medical Top Team", it's obvious this was MinHo's first work in acting, but I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I actually felt this character fitted him better than Tae Joon. So, overall you won't find any award winning performances but none of the main actors have bad acting either.
As for the music, that was my favourite part. Since this is all about pianos, the music was mainly classical ou neoclassical, which, curiosly enough (since I basically spend most of my time listening to pop nowadays), is right up my alley - and what could fit better in a film called "Pianist" than some piano pieces?
To complete, "Pianist" is a medium film that you'll enjoy accordingly to what you expect. If you decide to hate in this simply because MinHo is in there (because, yes, there are people in this world that hate famous people just... because!), you'll probably think the film is crap. If you decide to watch the film as the best thing ever, you'll also be overreacting. However, if you go as neutral as possible trying to see what will come out of this, you'll be able to enjoy it - and you'll see it's a pretty okay film.
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THE EMOTIONS ??
I don't know how to explain this but I cried a lot during this series and I loved it! The actors are fantastic and we have drama until the end!!! 💗💗💗 I know one day I'll watch it again! 💗💗💗For me, the "icing on the cake" was the main protagonist. She knows exactly how to convey the emotions she's feeling and we feel the same with her. You laugh when she laughs and cry when she cries. I won't give any spoilers, but there is such a distressing moment and the actress conveys that emotion perfectly. I was constantly wiping my glasses with the cloth because of the tears. The title is a bit misleading and gives the impression that it won't be a very good series (at least that's what I felt) but it surprised me in a positive way!!!
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A dark erotic Mess
Well, this isn’t the typical drama series and has to be seen more as an avantgardistic Art Project. And with art, people either love it or hate it, and both opinions have merit.But what this series is not is definitely the typical BL. It's very EXPLICIT, dark and disturbing. So for all you fans of super cute guys who adore each other, this is not your series! Please stay away from it.
But if you're into blood, vomit, drugs, suicide and lots of NSFW-scenes, this might be your series.
That being said, the acting and cinematography are on a good level and I appreciate the physicality of the actors.
But if you're expecting a logical and engaging story, you'll probably be disappointed.
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Drama Special Series Season 2: Ordinary Love
12 people found this review helpful
I really loved the story and couldn't help but getting excited for just one single moment that the main characters acted as a couple. Their acting was extraordinary just like their ordinary love ;). The only thing that I really hated was the ending. Like really, Okay even though the ending was pretty bad I still recommend this drama. IT'S A MUST SEE.
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A brother's visit disrupts an established couple's life
Overall: It's so refreshing to see an established couple instead of the pursuit part of a relationship. I wish this was a whole series (but that they don't pretend to be roommates for too long). The couple can become more spontaneous/carefree and the brother can learn to be more responsible/pick up after himself.Content Warnings: none?*
What I Liked
- an established couple
- the sound effects and music enhanced the story
- I laughed at several parts like the suitcase falling down the stairs, the brother listening in at the door, etc.
- always happy to see supplies for safe sex :)
Room For Improvement/Questions
- disliked when the brother *slapped his brother, it's fine to be angry but don't punch/slap people and he didn't even apologize
- I wish the phone conversation at the end was a bit more clear, I think "couple" was supposed to be translated to "partner" or "boyfriend" (the later would have made things very clear)
- is a 1 bedroom apartment in Seoul only $420 USD per month? Or maybe Taeho is paying less than half? Or is it a subtitle error?
- did I miss the reference to another Strongberry film? I noticed that "Sweet Curse" has a reference to "Some More" which has a reference to "Long Time No See" which has a reference to the Strongberry website... It's always fun to spot the references.
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狗血!! Revenge! scheming drama
I can't believe i finished watching is. The chinese website i watched it on said 38 episodes but other places said 40 episodes is the end?Ya'll after watching this drama you need to breathe!!! OMG SO FREAKIN FRUSTRATING!!!WANT TO SCREAM and hit THE Beeps.... in the drama!It felt like i watched like 60 episodes. so much hatred. revenge, evil, scheming, bullying . take advantage of. This is one negative drama, its like torture on the female lead.
Like where do i begin?
Female lead is a super sweet, but takes everything in kinda girl, she is appreciative for the Li's corporation CEO for helping her get through school and into the fashion industry. She is also know as the shadow designer. Li's CEO has a daughter who basically grew up with the female lead. She is also known as a deisgner, but its just all her name. She cant design and has never designed, only using the female lead's design. Other people in the company dont know and think she is just a cleaning lady ( super sad right?)
Male lead is the son of the Chao fashion corp. Chao and Li are competitors.
The back story of why they are competitors... While Li was young, she knew Chao's wife. Chao's wife was in charge of a warehouse that caused fire and killed people and losing the clothes they made. Long story short, turns out it was Li who was behind it, causing Chao's wife to commit suicide because she couldnt pay back the workers. At that time the Chao's had a baby boy. Chao ended up losing contact with the family that took care of his son. Chao swore to take revenge for his dead wife and his lost son.
Fast Forward... So the male lead is the adoptive son of the Chao's and Chao made the male lead to thinking it was the Li's who was responsible for the death of this parents and also his missing sister too . Turns out it was Chao who locked his sister up and was trying to use the male lead to help him knock down the Li's.
I feel so bad for the female lead, she literally had to go through so much shit!!! Like first, thinking the Li's is a benefactor but it was just that so they could use the female lead's designer and let the Li daughter call it her own. I didnt understand why the daughter is not named after her. lol her daughter is named Tang Guo er.
2) the person she loved had to marriage her best friend.... and she just let it go like that.
3) Losing her child and her mother's also suicide. so much hurt is done to her..if i were her i would go crazy already... ( which later towards the end she was hospitalized for..
4) having her designed copied by another person ( who was someone she trusted that betrayed her)
Her daughter is such a despicable character, so rude, selfish, arrogant, spoiled full of her self !!! Literally wanna say all the swear words at her . She is a true bitch !!! Like she and the female lead were suppose to be best of friends.
In dramas I always love the male lead but this drama I hated him ! He went for his own interest in the sense that he just followed the orders of his adoptive dad. He loved the female lead but it was so limited. Like which side are you on? He even sided with the evil best friend, when he found out that the Li's was not the culprit behind his parents suicide. He was never really there for her and didnt support her enough...
Sorry this is more of a rant than a review haha!
watch at your own risk if you like revenge, scheme, bullying, torment ....
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Conditional vs. Unconditional Love
This drama should go by the title 'Pure Love Dissonance' and not just 'Love Dissonance'.The Japanese title 'Junai' translates to 'pure love', a specific type of love usually associated with Unconditional Love or Agape, also known as 'selfless love'.
Many forms of relationships and types of love exist in this drama. Relationships between lovers, friends, family, and not-quite enemies but definitely rivals. Various types of love are present in just about every form except for Erotic love. It could be a result of the innate censorship of the drama because of the rating or because it's from Japan a conservative country, but there are moments when the drama mentions Erotic love. However, it's just never mentioned about the main couple unless someone believes that that is the reason the main couple is together.
It's not. It's way deeper than that.
The main couple - in comparison to every other dynamic, pair, or relationship in the drama - represents selfless love. Unconditional love. The type of intimacy that is only present in those who have experienced 'infinite empathy' for another person.
Masaki and Sae met each other at one of their lowest moments in life and helped each other overcome their personal struggles and find comfort, support, and sanctuary with each other.
The explosive argument in the 7th episode between Manami and Masaki highlights that. She illustrates to Masaki that she would refer prefer Masaki and Sae just sleep together instead of emotionally cheating.
It was the first time I'd seen a portrayal of Emotional Infidelity. Very well done.
"What I can't stand is the heart! I can't stand the fact that you two are connected at the heart!"
Masaki and Sae have infinite empathy for each other that seems to last the test of time and circumstance. Despite almost everyone's attempt to break these two apart, even Masaki and Sae.
At times, the image of doves hounded by a circle of vultures comes to mind when I see more drama plied on to break the main couple apart. It was almost like they were the innocents and collateral damage to the world's expected forced expectations and eventually fallout for everyone.
The photo that ruined their reputation was of them consoling each other after a few days of constant emotional and mental exhaustion. Either from their toxic parents, inability to embark on achieving their dreams, or just from society pulling them away from each other for the sake of the status quo. No kisses, no sexts, no brazen behavior at school, and no explicit form of physical intimacy between them.
Just a 'shoulder-to-cry-on' mentality. Nothing more. However, the situation they're in is inappropriate. The backlash from the photo made the situation less ideal than it was in real life.
Sae is very candid, blunt, and level-headed. I adore Smart Leads because their actions have logical reasoning behind them and they usually acknowledge the consequences of their actions as well. Sae - in comparison to Masaki - is braver and more emotionally mature than her counterpart in the drama. Masaki may be the Sensei but he has much to learn from her when it comes to being true and honest to yourself, despite what life throws your way. She didn't 'fix' him though she did inspire change within him. He acknowledges that near the end of the drama too. Sae is the reason he's decided to treat himself better, be more honest, and live more honestly too. They bring out the best in each other simply the fact that they both just want to be happy living their dreams, together or not. Selfless love.
Manami represented obsessive love towards Masaki. All or majority of the parents were just Narcissists and toxic people. Treating their children as extensions of themselves and denying those children basic human rights like deciding their own path and their privacy rights.
When Sae's mother came to school to read her daughter's novel out loud, I was truly disgusted. Then, near the end of the drama, I choked up a little when her mother told her daughter to be different from her and therefore better than her. 'Go be with Masaki', she was saying in her own petty way. I laughed too but was happy that the mom was finally ready to not be selfish.
Another aspect of the drama that really hit home for me was the parent-child bonds. There's Masaki and his parents. Sae and her mom. And then, Manami and Hokuto with their father and Manami's mother play a part too. The type of love between parents and children should be Agape or Storge known as 'familiar love'. However Agape still trumps all other types of love.
Sae and Masaki's love reigns superior to everyone else's, especially at the beginning of the drama.
The other characters' relationships - between other people and within themselves - eventually and fortunately change for the better good near the end of the drama. Even the criminals in the show have a change of heart and/or redemption arc that I'm okay with. Everything that happens in this drama relates to someone's desire for love or in the name of love.
Masaki's statement to Manami's father in the last episode was profound and brutally honest. "So long as you shackle people with conditions, no one will become your family. Family comes at the price of no conditions, whatsoever." The difference between Conditional Love and Unconditional Love is how you love. Manami's father didn't understand until he lost just about everything, in every way.
I like the little details too. The music and sound design. The editing, cinematography, acting, and how this drama exceeded my expectations in every way. I love the time jump, the repeating topics of living without regrets, loving yourself before being able to accept love and knowing when to let go of what or who you love because you love them.
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Does not have any plot holes
Flower of evil is one of my favourite dramas.. A good cast and good acting. The story is awesome and it was well taken from the start. The climax was well shown. I watched this drama due to the cast and teh reviews. Naturally i Expected a lot and this drama fulfilled me.. I usually drop the drama if its boring in between but this drama made me want to watch it till the end. I recommend this drama a lot..The thing i liked the most is that this drama does not have plot holes and it is really amazing..
(Lol, this review was for the drama but I have given it here by mistake XD)
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Better title "Why Me?" As in, "why am I stuck watching this show?"
This show started out great! I was at the end of episode two, at which time I had just a couple of issues, and I texted a friend and said that this was the type of show that I could lose sleep over just to binge watch. Unfortunately, that feeling didn't last much longer. I spent a lot of time angry with the writers as I watched this, and I never felt like they redeemed themselves.I'll start with my positives:
Acting - all of the acting was good, but especially Soo Hyun Jin as Oh Soo Jae. Oh, my goodness, I hated her at the beginning. I did wonder why that, in order for a woman to be strong and successful, they have to be a complete B***ch, but the brief times of humanity were understated and suited her personality completely. The writers did a good job here, in giving us back story following some of her worst moments that would clarify what actually happened. Heo Joon Ho as Choi Tae Gook was amazing. He was the embodiment of evil. I don't like watching this type of character, especially since he doesn't even pretend to be a good guy, but he just drew me in. Then there is Bae In Hyuk as Choi Yoon Sang - he fascinates me. I've seen him in numerous things, and there's something about that little lisp he has... and, finally, Han Joo Hyun as Choi Jae Yi - what a precious little girl!
Found families - between Gong Chan and his hyungs, and the law school students working together, I enjoyed these relationships. I just wish they were developed better/further.
Now for the negatives: SPOILERS!)
1) For me the biggest elephant in the room - why the heck did they use two different actors for the male lead?!?! The younger version of Gong Chan looked older than the Hwang In Youp version! They didn't resemble each other in any way. I kept waiting, throughout the show, for the writers to give us an explanation, but that never happened. It actually seemed like one actor dropped out and Hwang In Youp stepped in at the last minute. I know that's not the case, but that's what it looked like to me. When Oh Soo Jae says to herself, "Why didn't I recognize him?"
2) Romance - They would have been better off leaving the romance out of this show, for many reasons. First, the age disparity - perhaps not so much in chronological age, but in emotional age. He was like a puppy chasing after her, and he seemed more like a high school student than a college student. Plus, the fact that she was a lawyer settled in her career already. And he liked her because she believed in him? That's it? The fact that he kept telling her she was "cool" cemented his immaturity. We had a few brief scenes with them together as a couple. The rest of the time he was either saving her, trying to save her, or holding her while she cried. This was definitely not a give and take relationship. I didn't ship them at all as a couple, to be honest. He called her "Professor" throughout the entire show. At some point in time, if you are truly in a relationship, you use first names!
I loved watching Hwang In Youp, but his character was not well-written.
3) Plethora of bad guys/evil characters. Probably a ratio of more than 2:1. There were so many names to keep straight (especially all the people in the same families), from the past and in the present. Each seemed more evil than the last. The number of things that these people got away with was astounding - multiple people get away with murder (literally), yet they want to draw attention to themselves by bringing her before a disciplinary committee?! And for all the evil done, minimal consequences.
4) Unnecessarily complicated storylines. It seemed like every few minutes they introduced a new character to confuse us. I lost count of the number of storylines that I was trying to keep track of.
5) The direction they took Bae In Hyuk's character Choi Yoon Sang - this one was hard for me to swallow. He likes her, he specifically mentions that he has finally found, in Gong Chan, someone that he can be friends with, yet he threatens pouts and blindsides these characters!? With so many bad guys, I would have much preferred he remain a constant in the ever-changing lives of the two main leads.
6) Too much drinking. Is no one able to solve problems without binge drinking?
7) Vulgar language. I don't know if these were actually the words or just due to the translators, but I don't find bad language necessary.
8) "Stupid heroine" moments. Your office has been broken into, yet you go on in. The guy that attacked you in said office runs out, but rather than leave you go to the roof?!?! What was that about!? Someone calls you to meet him at a deserted place late at night and you go by yourself. Apparently, she's never watched any type of horror film - the stupid characters are usually the first to die.
9) Wow, the labs were doing a booming business in this show. The number of paternity tests and DNA tests that were being run were ridiculous. And finding out that Choi Jae Yi was actually her daughter? I saw it coming from a mile away, and it really made me mad. It just seemed like something else to throw into this mess of a story.
Which brings me to -
10) The truck of doom. I can't even begin to tell you how much I hated this. It was just mean and could have been avoided completely if the stupid paternity storyline hadn't been introduced in the first place.
So, upon reflection, for me, the writing was where the problems were. I'd say, if you have a high tolerance for things that are implausible, watch this show for the excellent acting.
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