Reviews

Cliche, Cheesy, Candy (Eye) with a Cold CEO

Sometimes the sum of the parts are just not the whole. when i put the starts for Story/Acting, etc... the recommended rating for this is 5.5, but I rate it 8. Nothing about this drama drove me crazy and nothing thrilled me beyond usual. It was simply just a drama for leisure time - perfectly fine... so 8 is the enjoyment rating for me... because of those cheesy lines that made me smile because they were so cheesy...
If you are like me and you sometimes need a fluffy bit of pretty to mindlessly consume, this is just fine.
Of course: if you can't stand the same old same old , than this is not for you.
It is essentially a predictable romcom with a "flash" of fantasy - actually it is a shame they did not make use of the fantasy elements a bit more.

What I mean by predictable:
-cold CEO finds one true love and becomes best boyfriend
-FL is the only one who can cure ML
-mandatory amnesia storyline
-ML has 1 or 2 other women trying to break them up!
-FL has another suitor - love triangle but not
-FL and ML have to spend 24/7 together for some reason
-FL works for ML
-meddling grandparent
-leads are either orphan or from a single parent family

What I mean by "flash" of fantasy-
-2ML has a moment early on where he reflects on his journey - then nothing until the final episodes and that time they just gloss over who he is without explanation on why, when how!
-FL can cure ML - but then later the explanation of who she is does not really explain why?

But all of this is indicative of the drama itself being bits of other dramas of its genre - just put together with cringy moments and lots of "skinship" to keep you watching. And they did keep me watching all the way to the end. I was in the mood for the silly stuff. So if you are too, it is certainly fine to skip through 🥰

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female lead soul gets into a famous actress

Seriously these mini drama thinks we are idiots lol, like how all of a sudden can a person soul go to someone else... but besides that point the drama was pretty good .

Female lead originally was a news reporter, she gets hit by a car and wakes up as a upcoming star's body. The male lead is a young actor. The male lead and the the famous star( the female) are in a contracted marriage. They dont want anyone to know that they are living together. The male lead starts noticing how she is becoming different. He uses the excuse of acting on set and keeps on kissing the female lead ( because now after the female lead's soul came into the celebrity) he starts getting that feeling of a pounding heartbeat.

They have pretty good kissing scenes that are cute and sweet. which is surprising for a mini drama. however the ending got me pissed off... SO i hope there is a season 2. They cant just leave us hanging like that. No bueno!

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Totally underrated

I'm writing this review just because i think the ratings are really unfair with this one.

Ji chan wook nails the character so much, that you can see a diferent, well built and totally relatable person.
The heroine is strong, determined, soft hearted and beautiful, she is not anoying, nor naive and doesn't feel like a victim even though she actually is. The character development is so deep!!

THE SUPPORT CHARACTERS are so amazing that make you forget about the main couple, and sink into their reallity even if you havent lived anything like that (I mean episode 10) it's brilliant acting combined with emotional impact and values... something you dont see coming and that is not common to see on tv.

100 % recomended, you have the comedy, the action, the romance, the interesting and fresh plot and don't pay attention to the critics and bias referring to this title, just watch the first 2 episodes and you'll be hooked on it.

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Romance Based in Historical Realism or Road to Nowhere?

I went into The Red Sleeve fully expecting to love it. I'd been waiting for Lee Jun Ho to be widely recognized as a phenomenal actor since Just Between Lovers, so I was happy to see the praise he received for his performance here. I'm a fan of sagueks too, whether they're the traditional kind or not, and I'm always down to watch an angsty romance between tragic-faced lovers. In a fit of drama-watching naivete, I thought, what could possibly go wrong?

And, in the beginning, nothing did!

Lee Jun Ho brought his usual intensity and attention to detail, to say nothing of his aesthetics. Lee Se Young is convincing in any historical role, since she genuinely looks as if she's stepped out of a portrait from the past, while her poise and graceful bearing reinforce the ladylike impression. The supporting cast is similarly strong, the production quality was high, and the introductory episodes felt refreshingly grounded and realistic.

As the story progresses, real cracks emerged. The first issue is how self-aware this show is of itself as a "feminist" narrative, which would've been fine, if that theme had been handled with care and nuance. But it isn't. To boost its girl power credentials, it introduces a secret organization of female palace insiders, but almost immediately undoes its empowered message, by depicting the network as poorly led and one-dimensional in its villainy. Rather than showing women band together for a just cause, it pits the women against the (morally pure, more sympathetic) female lead. To add insult to injury, this outlandish women-fighting-women chapter is distracting and jarring against the tone of the rest of the drama, which had been, up until this point, based in historical realism.

But the biggest problem? The Red Sleeve chases two rabbits, catching neither. All along, the narrative has brought out wonderful tension in the juxtaposition between Sung Deok Im's quest for self-determining independence and her love for Yi San/King Jeongji, which would lead to her dependence on him, as well as strict confinement to the inner palace. The show insists, she must make a choice! [Please don't get me started on how clearly this mirrors the redundant dialogue around women having to choose between career achievement or motherhood. It's so tired, ugh.] By forcing its female lead to choose freedom or love, it also forces itself into a corner: will the story's conclusion confirm Sung Deok Im's self-liberation or her devotion to her lover? In the end, the answer is neither. If the point of this drama was to illustrate how terrible women's lives were in the past, I supposed it achieved its goal, but that's a disappointingly simplistic take on the historic experiences of real women, as well as a frustrating and futile endpoint for a drama that promised to be so much more.

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absolute male written garbage

this is the exact reason that men should not be allowed to directed, write, or produce gls.

this movie is an absolute disgrace. it is an hour and a half of straight porn targeted at male audiences. heard of the “male gaze”? well this is a perfect example of that.

not only do the female characters get raped repeatedly with no justice, the indulge is downright disgusting and atrocious sexual fantasies such as period sex and literal necrophillia.

the age gap alone is enough to turn anybody off from this movie. it is the perfect male fantasy of an older woman and a schoolgirl, too bad everything in this movie is illegal and unrealistic.

horrible. the maker of this film should be ashamed of himself and quite frankly should be put on a list somewhere. xoxo

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Too much happening for such a short amount of time

I’d say the episode zero is a must watch before watching this. It’s a short episode but it give some background information for the opening scene of the series to make more sense. The series looks realistic, both the characters and events. I do like the production value as well, there are certain scenes that are just so beautiful to watch.

But what’s with all the couples?! This is an extremely short series. All episodes combined and it’s still less than 90min long. I don’t understand why the story needs to be told by a girl who we don’t really know much about. She is simply telling the story of the other two couples to her lover. There is not nearly enough time to really develop all the storylines, so it does come across as quite choppy and rushed. I did like that the flashbacks were quite clearly separated from the present.

Damien & Hayden: there is not really much to say about them. We got a few snippets of them spending time together and apart, but I don’t think we really got much information on either of the two. Damien is heartbroken, possibly Hayden too. But that’s pretty much it. They do form some sort of connection, but the intensity doesn’t really correspond to what we see otherwise.

Kelvin & Archie: their story is heartbreaking. No matter how you look at it, someone will get hurt. And the person who might end up suffering the most, is the one who is the most innocent one in this whole mess. I do think that Kelvin is really trapped. And say what you want, but what he had to go through and is still going through is not something a good person does to another. Especially if they care about that person. No, that is what an abuser does.

All in all, I think there was just too much to be resolved for such a short series. It would have greatly benefitted from focusing only on one couple or having a few more episodes.

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UNDOUBTEDLY THE BEST BL OF 2023!

When you cast the right actors and put them with the right director and writers, YOU WILL GET A MASTERPIECE!

Highly recommend this show if you are looking for the following:
• Impeccable Period Drama.
• Impressive characters development.
• All types of couple (Has BL, GL, and even Straight).
• Complex and unpredictable storyline.
• Excellent acting of the cast.
• Amazing chemistry of the three couples and the whole cast.
• Realistic and un-sugarcoated life during the 1920's.
• Angsty and heavy drama.
• Right amount and right timing of comedy.
• Excellent songs and background music that fits a period drama.

Anyone who loves BL and Period Drama should watch this show. Nonkul and Bright are both spectacular in giving life to their characters.

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It claimed to my #1 romance drama

Zhao Lu Si's micro-expression game in this drama was top-notch, elevating it to a whole new level. She absolutely nailed every scenario. Chen Zhe Yuan did a good job too, but perfection might be a stretch. Personally, I found Zhao Lu Si's chemistry with Yang Yang and Leo Wu even more captivating than with Chen Zhe Yuan. It's those subtle expressions that made the scenes come alive. Everyone played their part well.

I've gotta shout out the director for honing in on those little details. Chinese romance dramas often struggle in this department, either due to budget constraints or a mismatch between comedy and emotion. But credit where it's due, this director nailed it, making sure those small things were on point. It's these nuances that often get overlooked, but they can truly make or break a romance drama. Props to the director for getting it right.

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Pretty good, although I did get bored and took me a year to watch the rest

Right as the title says, it was pretty good. But I did get bored around episode 13. Was watching when it was airing but completed it at the beginning of 2023 and I'm now writing this. Anyways it was a very nice K-drama, very funny the comedy wasn't too much it was the perfect amount (wish I could add emojis I sound incredibly dry rn). Now I wouldn't say that this series was boring, it really wasn't but I get bored too quickly. The acting was great and Kim Minjae really suited Mohak's character a lot lmaoo. And DALI WAS SOMETHING ELSE BRO I LOVED HER. She was so elegant all the time and so beautiful and should be the definition of a strong female lead. And Park Gyuyeong delivered that so perfectly. The plot was very interesting as well so we love thatttt. Tbh I don't think I'm gonna rewatch it anytime soon for now. And I'm sorry but the OST was straight up ASS, only one single song that I liked and it was a rap song. And I don't really focus on OSTs I only really notice if I like them or despise them, and sadly she got the wrong type of recognition. Although I did praise it a lot I didn't give it a very high rating, idk it just didn't feel right or honest to rate it higher, nor did it feel right to rate lower. So I think a 7 would be good enough. I think it's because they were dragging it on too much.

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*TAKES DEEP BREATH*

Final Verdict:
7.5 Stars out of 10.
-1 Star for insane pacing.
-1 Star for the 1000 over-the-top villains & their ridiculously over-the-top personalities.
-1/2 Star for the time skips(not one but TWO of them), which are a personal hate factor for me.
I wanted to love this show, my complaint would be the pacing. If they put a little moderation in everything this show would be beyond brilliant. Instead everything is a wee bit over the top.
Bad Guys:
Princess is a psycho.
Queen is a psycho.
Almost-married-to-Prince is a definite psycho.
New concubine/princess/whatever? Yup. Fo Shizzle a Psycho.
The characters are too "much" to be believable. On top of that the sheer number of almost-got-murderized-but-didn't traps is dizzying.
Got caught in a trap. Prison. Almost died but didn't. Got caught in a new trap next episode. Got beat THEN sent to prison and almost died a traitor but didn't. Next episode got caught in a trap in order to trap someone else in a trap and got beat and sent to prison and released again in the nick of time.

*TAKES DEEP BREATH*

Anywho... my personal opinion is that if there was some build up & story-telling in between these 100+ traps, some more in depth character building rather than Characters 1-10 = Psychos, Character 11 & 12 = Good Guys, & Characters 13 & 14 random wishy-washy peeps, then this show would be at my top 5 of all time in C-Drama land. For now, it's enjoyable to pass the time, but too fast paced & too over the top with its characters to quite become something super special. But I'm still going to watch and enjoy this show for sure.

ETA 02/19/19:
Soooo I've been cheating and watching the raw videos in advance. I'm pretty far in and pretty sad about how things are going since I'm not a fan of "time skips" because I don't feel they're ever done well. Hao Lan has two time skips. 8 years and the next one soon after another (at least) 8+ years. I'm not a fan and from what I'm watching it's a LOT of heart ache in the show constantly without much to "look forward to" as a viewer. I'm going to watch it in its entirety, but I can tell already this will not (unfortunately) be leaving a good taste in my mouth. I hate that because it has everything that SHOULD make it amazing... but the most important thing and that is believable pacing and viewers connection/investment to & in the characters.

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It’s a Jackie Chan movie. And it’s a silly thing, sillier than usual, even for Jackie Chan. Seriously, there are CGI hyenas in it, I kid you not. But there’s also Yang Yang, so there is that, true.

And, gosh, action stuff really suits Yang Yang. Like really. He looked and moved like a real soldier. But even though his character was a bodyguard, he sure was the damsel in distress in this movie. First, the heroine shot him with a tranquilizer by mistake in the middle of a fight so when he got her away from the bad guys, she had to take care of him and get him to safety because, well, he fell asleep. And then, when they were attacked again, he got hit over the head protecting her and they were both captured. And then, he got put into a bomb vest, just for the kidnappers’ kicks. So... yeah. I guess the filmmakers realized that Yang Yang suffered nicely. Or something.

Overall, the movie is nothing to write home about. There’s just way too much CGI. Even most of the car chases are CGI. And because of that, the most adrenaline fueled scene is the one where Vanguard comes to save Yang Yang’s character and the girl because that’s mostly genuine, old-fashioned action. Too bad, it could’ve been a good one. Oh well...

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this is a MUST WATCH! A simple but pure and enchanting story about -

a first young love that will melt you!

Every time I think about this drama I just happy/sad squeal inside! This show had me staying up till 4am because I simply couldn't stop! Having to put down my absolute obsession into words is almost impossible. I am currently watching it for the 3rd time and get so sad every time it ends, it's that good!

I was blown away from the moment I started watching this, there was no drama, no fill-in scenes, amazing acting, and realistic circumstances. I was watching a full mature chinese drama that wasn't only 'okay' but was actually amazing, something I hadn't seen in a long time. I kept expecting for something weird or unnecessary to happen, but it never did.

The young actress absolutely charmed me, and I had a short struggle adapting to the 'older' version played by Lu Si, but fear not, for it didn't take long for me to fall in love with this new version of the FL and ugly cry for her and her love struggles. I have now become a passionate fan. The ML was enchanting and his portrayal of emotions really pulled me into the story - to say that I wished I was the FL in this drama would be an understatement.

The music really complemented the story and was tastefully implemented, although there were a few scenes which I thought could have gone without. The cast was good, specially the FL's parents and brother.

In short and without any exaggeration, please watch this drama. For your sake and for my happiness, gift yourself 24 hours of an absolute wonderful series that will not leave you disappointed. I hope you can feel my joy and glee for this drama through your screen into your heart. Be happy, watch Hidden Love!

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