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Following your fate blindly or having a bit of courage to challenge your fate, which do you prefer!?
What is it that you actually want to happen in life if you had the choice to choose from:1. Allow your life to unfold naturally; fall in love with the person who is entwined with you by a crimson thread of fate; and accept the outcome that fate has planned, happy or tragic.
Or,
2. Even if you are aware of your fate and the one that awaits you, muster some bravery and fight against it in order to have a happy ending and spend time with your loved one—not the one that is predestined.
Now, if I talk about this drama, what I actually enjoyed is:
1. The best female character written in kdrama history.
FL, Oh Baek Ryun knew from the get-go whom she liked, what she wanted from him,who was interested in her at the same time,how to make someone fall for you, how to handle third-party interest without playing with their emotions,how to sacrifice for your soulmate,how to fight against your destiny, and lastly, how to wait, praying for your one and only loved one.
I know it's super rare to find someone like her as your partner, but if you find one, you should thank your luck for meeting her.
2. ML, Chun Sang Hyuk. When I first started watching, it seemed like he was constantly falling for different ladies in different decades, all of which ended horribly. He was even warned against falling for any woman, but if he does, it'll end in tragedy. So I was actually worried about how the current timeline would end up. But after knowing that he had unknowingly fallen for the same soul in different decades,I had no choice but to admire his character wholeheartedly.
Although he was reluctant to openly date anyone after his first tragedy occurred, when he came to know that FL was actually the girl from back then, he let go of all other warnings, etc., and finally started to follow his heart to pursue his hidden feelings.
He also fought against his destiny, remained heartbroken for decades with a huge guilt in his heart, fought again against his destiny after learning the truth behind all of the tragedies,died as a fairy, and got reincarnated as a human to live the life he wanted with his loved one.
3. Chun Dong Chil, aka A Bad Day to Be a Dog. He practically carried most of the story as a major supporting character.
I'm not going to say much about him here; you should watch to find out more.
Now let's talk about what I actually hated:
1. Chun Dong Koo, aka the dumbest irritating fairy amongst the four. A man with a personality like his is a menace to society. His story is only here as a filler. If we can cut his subplot, I guess it'll easily be a super exciting 12-episode drama.
I just find it a shame that after spending so much time on him, the script writer wrote that horrendous ending for him, which makes no sense to me, like, WTF! Why spend so much screen time on him if you already have that shitty ending for him?
3. Seo Jae Hee, the most self-narcissistic delusional freak I've ever seen. He's the second-most pathetic SML I've seen in recent times! A man thinking of him makes my blood boil.
I never liked his character for my own specific reasons, which I shouldn't put here in words.
This feeling only cooled down almost at the end of the drama when he slowly started to let go of his obsession over FL after learning the truth from his past life, which can't completely wash away the fact that I was frustrated with him in the past episode, so kindly bear with me.
3. Chun Dong Pal, Lmao, he's a filler. That's it.
There are also other little but point-worthy things that I liked and disliked in this drama, but I can't include them in this list as it is most likely already very long.
Overall, I believe I will remember this story for a very long time, which makes it well worth my time. If I consider the re-watchability of this drama, I believe once a year is sufficient to reminisce about the leads' fascinating chemistry.
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Its cute and fairly casual.
I really liked the storyline, if you are a fan of Ki Kwang then you will love this!
Nothing really dragged, but I think its partly because its really short!
It isn't a type of drama that you will get bored with, more like you want to watch it again.
There isn't much to dislike about this drama...
Oh yeah, its really funny! I watched this on a school night and I couldn't stop giggling. In the morning my parents were angry because I was giggling too much and apparently they couldn't go to sleep! XD
Anyways, overall it was very cute and sweet! The songs were nice and enjoyable.
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When Male Leads Have Personalities of Two Wet Socks
I werent planning to write a review but once my casual comment on this drama reached some lenght, i decided to turn this into legit-ish review post.As a long-time fan of contract relationship stories, i am willing to let slide stupid plot set-up for the sake of my entetainment. Entering contract marriage for newlywed loan and revenge? Why not! Basic premise and set-up was okay. The problem is it took way too long - instead of some nice co-habitation/pretend scenes between female lead and fake-husband (which we got only at the end of the drama as flashbacks?!) we were given infinite amount of nice scenes of FL and ex-boyfriend. Which endcouple were we really supposed to root for? Literally no couple had enough chemistry to overpower the other. Also?? Was the /big reveal ™/ during art exhibition really surprise to someone? No, then why was FL so shocked? It could be much better if she realized it earlier once she knew who the artist was.
The acting, especially from both male leads, was atrocious. The female lead really tried her best and i enjoyed her for the most of the time (quite frankly, she carried the show), but the dudes showed literally no emotion whatsoever. You could use carboard cutout of these guys and we wouldnt even know (except for the scenes in rain. i suppose they would bend slightly). All the characters were criminally underwritten and honestly... most of them didnt even have one personality trait so i can imagine it was perhaps impossible to perform sufficiently.
The shaky camera during the dramatic scenes was so bad it gave me motion-sickness. Other visuals were pretty nice and OST was fitting.
Overall, this was... empty. Nice to look at but in the end there wasnt enough chemistry to carry the drama /somewhere/.
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Pledge of Allegiance vibes, but straightforward and no betrayals
(Note: I didn't use English subtitles for this short drama, as I understand Mandarin.）A wonderful little short drama to watch while eating or just on little breaks, or as a treat before bed.
The acting from the two male leads was surprisingly good, and really carried the whole show for me. It doesn't hurt that they're both very pretty to look at, which is always a plus - good acting and good to look at. I hadn't heard of either of them before or seen them in any other shows previously, but they're both actors I'll be on the lookout for or will click on a drama for just to check out if I see them in anything else. Simon Chen (Su Cheng Xi) stood out a little more for me acting-wise, and also seemed a little more natural besides, although this could also be chalked up to his character's more carefree personality than Li Pei Yang's character Sui Han Bai, who is a bit of an ice-cold face. Swen Xuan's Zhao Yin was also pretty good, as was Yin Rui's Zuo Han Qin. Zhou Wei's Yue Xiao Qiao was perhaps the stiffest among the cast, but overall, the acting was very good.
Story was pretty good considering the length of the episodes and overall, nothing to write home about but also nothing to sneeze at, and didn't feel dialed-in. The twist of who the masked man was at the end genuinely surprised me, although I'm not sure if that says more about me than it does the show... Nevertheless, despite its short length, it didn't feel rushed nor like it ended prematurely, although it was definitely streamlined and left out the finer details, that would likely have been more fleshed out in a longer format. The length also left no room for filler, which I appreciated; and the story always picks up where the last episode left off and gets right to the point. My only gripe was Miss Zuo's character seemed unfortunately left hanging somewhat and was never quite completely fleshed out as a character in her own right.
There wasn't much music to speak of, but the ending song felt very appropriate to the brotherhood and loyalty/action vibe of the show.
Finally, I'd say this is pretty rewatchable, as it's both short and again, no major flaws to be found at all, at least in my book. Whether it's for looking at pretty people solving crimes (kind of) and doing things or just to watch the relationship between the two male leads, I'd be happy to watch this again or have it on in the background while doing something else.
Overall, I really enjoyed this, so gave it an 8 - MDL suggested an 8.5 based on the overall subscores I suppose, so on account of how much I liked it and how easy it is to watch, upgraded per its recommendation.
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Worth Considering
I think it's very cool. There are layers, it's like being trapped inside your own head and beating yourself up... trying on different faces, different identities, different modes of artistic expression... but it's not a linear progression. Sometimes we beat ourselves up even while others congratulate us. But in the end, finding the confidence to embrace our self(s) lets us walk free, and continue on.Perhaps I missed the mark, but that's how I felt about it. It's an incisive psychological exploration.
Anyway, I enjoyed it. It's not the type of artsy thing I would usually watch, but anyone who has struggled with self-doubt, self-hate, self-esteem understands the battle of trying to get outside that... I think they might relate? I'm not artist, but I can't imagine having to create and put a very personal side of me out for the whole world to judge.
How do I rate this? It feels unfair, because it seems to fall outside the normal boundaries. It's not super polished or anything, but I think achives what it wants to be.
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How to sell unfolding love with Chae Soo Bin at her finest.
First, let me say that I don’t speak a word of Korean. When you rely on subtitles, the acting and facial expressions are even more critical. I’ve watched thousands of romantic based movies and TV shows because it’s a genre that fascinates me. Maybe I’m one of those eternal romantics. With that foundation, this is my review.The Strongest Deliveryman unfolds a unique storyline of two vastly different delivery people. Choi Kang-soo (Go Kyung Pyo) a strong-minded man who moves from place to place with a dream to become a CEO of a delivery company and Lee Dan-ah (Chae Soo Bin), whose only dream is to leave the country. These two characters drive the storyline and deliver one of the best shows I’ve watched in a while.
As you watch the interaction between these two, you begin to wonder how they will ever get together. But wait, how did I think these two would get together? Because of the facial expressions that changed as the story unfolded. Chae Soo-bin is one of the most compelling actresses I’ve ever watched. I don’t know if she has any MMA background, but she sold that part to me. Her portrayal of love emerging was mesmerizing. Her eyes seem to talk, and her smile lights up a room. I found myself watching her even when she was in the background. The acting was great all around, but she pulled it together with her very presence. The Strongest Deliveryman is a must-watch show that carries you through drama and love that will move your heart.
To give you an idea of how much I like Chae Soo-bin’s performance, I decided to watch some more of her work. So, I watched: I’m Not a Robot, Where Stars Land, A Piece of Your Mind, Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People, Love in the Moonlight, and If We Were a Season. That’s a total of 125 episodes I watched back-to-back. She didn’t disappoint me. Watch the Strongest Deliveryman and tell me if you see what I saw.
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I Didn't Expect a Filipino Film to be this Good
1. The movie was well-written, all elements on the film have their own part that contribute to the main story, no elements were used as fillers. At the start, you will have some questions like "who is the person who sent that thing?" and others. It will not feel at first that it will be answered later at the story. However, trust me. All your questions will be answered.2. I like how the film progresses, from time to time you will feel that the film is nearing its end because there are many scenes that are worthy to be the ending. However, you will find out that the movie still continues.
3. It was filled with unexpected surprises and twists that will shock viewers. Take note that the revelations were scattered at the different parts of the movie. That's why every time you will feel that the movie is nearing its end, but before you know it, there will be another unexpected surprise.
Overall, I like this movie on how well-written this is. I like also the foreshadowing of the writer. You will be shocked at the story, but I advise that you pay attention to all of the elements displayed because those are the clues of what might happen. I will support the writer of this film; I hope that they will write for a short TV series with the same formula as this movie.
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i wasnt going to write a review- simple/short spoiler free
i watched the 5 ep ones before i watched this and i have to say they did a great jobyinwar acting got so much better compared to the older one despite everything that happens in the eps i really did enjoy both vee and mark character even though there were times i wanted to kill vee.
music was a lot better the comedy aspect of the series was actually funny and not forced. the plots still good it gets a bit repetitive but honestly the chemistry is so good that i didnt really care they started the series strong and ended strong i look forward to more dramas they will do either together or alone.
very re-watchable give me like a month until its out of my system id come back to watch it again
im sad that i didnt get into this earlier( started at 8 eps) i highly regret it and will miss it very much.
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Masterpiece....
Dr. Cheon and the Lost Talisman is an absolute cinematic gem that effortlessly blends supernatural elements with laugh-out-loud comedy. This Korean film is a rollercoaster ride of emotions, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats while simultaneously tickling their funny bone.From the moment the film starts, it grabs your attention with its intriguing premise and vibrant characters. The portrayal of Dr. Cheon, a charismatic fake exorcist, is nothing short of brilliant. His on-screen presence is magnetic, and his witty banter with his sidekick, In-bae, is pure gold.
The film’s masterful blend of horror and humor is a testament to the director's skill. The suspenseful moments are genuinely chilling, while the comedic relief comes at just the right time, preventing the film from becoming overly dark. The special effects are top-notch, immersing the audience in a world of supernatural wonder.
Every aspect of this film is executed to perfection. The pacing is impeccable, the storyline is engaging, and the characters are relatable. It's rare to find a film that delivers on all fronts, but "Dr. Cheon and the Lost Talisman" undoubtedly achieves this.
If you're looking for a thrilling, entertaining, and unforgettable cinematic experience, I wholeheartedly recommend "Dr. Cheon and the Lost Talisman." It's a 10/10 in my book.
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Magical; GMMTV's best BL yet
I think everything good has already been said in the other reviews and in the comments. We waited more than a year for A Tale of Thousand Stars to air, and I am so glad to say, the wait was definitely worth it. I only have the following takeaways:1. Before ATOTS, Earth was never in my radar as a leading man material. He's got the body, yes, but acting and appeal wise, I thought he had none. ATOTS changed my perspective of him, and I could not imagine any other actor from GMMTV's slate that could play Phupha better than he did. It is his best work, and his performance is definitely one of the greatest I've seen. What I loved the most about his version of Phupha is he does not really communicate through actions but through his eyes. Earth did it so well, and very few actors can do that.
2. For Mix, I would say that he's still got some room for improvement, but that does not mean his performance was bad. In fact, he carried the show so well. It wasn't hard to sympathize with Tian because Mix just transformed himself into the role smoothly. But there were still some moments in the series where I felt he was lacking. However, if GMMTV can give this guy more opportunities to improve, I have huge faith that Mix will turn himself into one of the studio's most treasured leading men. Just watch the old trailer of 1000 Stars and you can see how much he has improved in the span of a year.
3. ATOTS was a refreshing take on the Thai BL genre, which after 5+ years of feeding us student-student relationships, has grown quite bleak and tiresome. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is probably the first GMMTV BL that is not set within university walls? The point here is, ATOTS highlights that the idea of making a boys love series not involving students can actually work. I am very excited in seeing how ATOTS' success will impact the studio's future lakorns. Will we finally get our wish to see a BL between two grown men? A BL set in the workplace? We'll just have to wait and see.
4. I think 1000 Stars had the best set of supporting characters and actors. I loved how they utilized some actors on the GMMTV slate that have not been getting any good roles lately. For instance, I haven't seen P'Champ in a series since My Dear Loser: Edge of 17, and that was way back in 2017! I like the fact that despite not having much lines, he was still largely present throughout the show. There's also Nammon, who played Dr. Nam, probably the best character in the entire series. This is another guy I do not see often lately. It is unfortunate that he already left GMM, but I find it amazing that he gave the studio his best work in his very last project for them. It is such a fitting ending to a career he's held with GMM for many years. Drake was given a surprisingly small role, too small that they did not even bother including him in the show's poster. This was a guy who had been getting main roles in the recent past, I wonder what made him settle for less? I don't have much to say about his character of Rang because his time in the series was just too limited. Nevertheless, Drake can give a solid performance if he is given the right material, you can check out Cause You're My Boy that was aired back in 2018. P'Thanom's performance as Khama is very reflective of his long experience in the industry. His last scene in the drama where he was on the verge of tears was my favorite moment of his. Aye and White, despite their very short screen time, were also effective as Torfun and Tul, respectively. And Khaotung, thank God he rebounded quickly from that Tonhon Chonlatee travesty. His performance as Longtae is so far my favorite of his own work. Although I think he is getting a bit typecast as that caring, sensible friend to the show's leading man. And we should not forget about Tian's students. Each of them had his/her own charm and was completely indispensable in the story.
5. I don't care much about songs, but ATOTS's soundtrack is too incredible to be ignored. Among all the songs linked to GMMTV series, I only liked two: Gun Napat's title song here and Gawin Caskey's song in Dark Blue Kiss. Gun's song may even move you to tears if you understand the full context of the show that it goes with. Moreover, one thing I noticed about P'Aof's past series is that he tends to overuse silly sound effects. I guess he learned how those SFX can ruin the mood of his dramas, so he minimized them significantly in ATOTS, which I truly, truly appreciate.
6. The location was shot so beautifully, it almost feels as if you have been transported to Pha Pun Dao. I noticed that P'Aof does out-of-town scenes particularly well. From In and Sun's episode in Our Skyy to ATOTS, not only did he capture what the scenario looks like but also how it feels to be there. What contributed to this feat was that the ambient sounds in the mountains were captured very well. I also loved the lighting for the nighttime scenes, which does not look artificial (in itself, this feat is superb because lakorns (at least from what I have seen) usually suck in making nighttime lighting look natural!). The production design was just the cherry on top. Heck, this is the first time I actually commented on a lakorn's production design! That just shows how groundbreaking this series was!
7. The only negative comment I can give is related to some unresolved conflicts in the story. The one that really sticks its head out was: what happened to Sakda's men? After all that gunfire, I could not believe it just ended right then and there. There was no resolution to his story at all. In addition to that, the problem regarding the village losing its major source of livelihood was also left open. When the stocks of those teabags were burned down along with the school, the issue was not brought up again. Although I understand that we were never given closure about these two key issues in the story since the drama's priority is Tian and Phupha's relationship, these issues are quite serious and we can't just pretend they never happened.
All in all, a highly recommended show. SOTUS and SOTUS S have just been dethroned as the best BL that GMMTV can offer. It will take the studio a long time to upend this feat.
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It's a funny story with hilarious characters and predictable plot.
I wasn't familiar with the actors, but they portray their roles nice. The outro song was good too.
The one thing i really hate are the subtitle! But I know it's always the problem with MGTV dramas.
I feel like the story was okay, but the subtitles makes it unbearable.
The episodes are only 10 mins long, so i could finish the whole thing in about 3 hours.
This drama is perfect if you want a light watch and not think of anything deep. But be prepared of the cliches and terrible subtitles.
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A Shallow Pond
This one was easy to marathon because of its small amount of episodes, and with a duration of 45 min each, they kept even those kinda short.The title is dope. Can't deny this, I'm a sucker for those things. And it fits, too.
As for the story... I'm always in for a nice Sci fi plot (as a writer you can let your imagination run wild and create so many things, as long as you can make them believable) and the basic idea here is indeed interesting. But when you look at every element, there sadly is nothing new. The overall story is very similar to The Expanse (some of you might be familiar with that show) and some other interstellar movies. The storyline and the characters are very stereotype and predictable. There's the team leader who wouldn't move and wants to finish the mission, the rebellious biologist, the spy and a mix of some different crew members. The politician who is a follower of capitalism and confidentiality, and a hidden third party.
The thing that annoyed me the most was the technical execution. It's set in the future, there should be a certain digital and technical progress in everything. Some things did indeed look that way, but then again there were so many things that didn't fit in. Usually I like to overlook things like that but in these kinds of shows I want to see the progress in every little detail, no matter how small it might be. I want to admire them. I want to ~feel that the story is located in the future. Not to mention the medical parts. Come on, the doc only needs one look at a patient and already knows what's wrong with him. Yeah, right...
There are things happening and decisions made that seem weird. You want to know why they did what they did, but you don't get an exact answer.
So, with all the criticism above I couldn't decide whether the show was either too long or too short. The second half felt dragging (funny considering that it has only 8 eps in total), yet I wish they would have added more episodes to explain every single puzzle in more detail.
The inaccuracies turned The Silent Sea into a shallow pond.
I do praise the cast, they at least did a fantastic job with an otherwise lacking script. Some extra points for them, the cinematography and the idea. This doesn't mean it was a complete failure though. It had its good parts as well, I did enjoy certain things and also completed the show.
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SPARKLING CHEMISTRY OF MAIN LEADS (w/ a speck of undetailed spoiler)
I was driving along with the straight storyline and doing alright under the clear night sky full of stars, but not until I was about to reach the climax. I was staring to these two twinkling stars. I didn't expect the road to take a left turn and I fall off the cliff. I managed to survive in the end though.These two stars named Dunk (as Nuea) and Joong (as Kluen) shined so brightly. They are one of the main leads of a BL series that has great chemistry. Dunk, who looks like your average-looking actor, caught me off-guard with his charming smiles. And together with Joong, who speaks to me with his glittery eyes, made me finish the episodes 7 and 8.
What I find messy in this entire series is the misplacement of all Kluen's flashback (except the sunflower pot). They could have done the same thing to Kluen's flashback as what they did to Nuea's flashback. I lost interest in his past while he's telling Nuea about it. Also to mention Gia's BF problem and Nuea-Typhoon's relationship, who in their right mind would choose those in the climax? I mean those topics are great but they unwisely picked the worst scenarios and scripts ever. Nonetheless, the early and mid-episodes are above decent for sure with little and ignorable issues.
It could've been a must-watched series. (sigh) Never mind, I still enjoy this series. I like Dunk-Joong as main leads.
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