"And if german guys ask you 'DO YOU WANT A BEER?',sprinkle hot sauce on them! "
Aghh,so this is how a good kdrama felt like...MY FIRST perfect 10 THIS YEAR. After watching the first episode i already knew i was going to love the story and i deeply wished to not be disappointed after a couple of episodes (like many other dramas)
And i definitely wasn't. The characters are very deep and you slowly get to understand each one more as the story progresses. Each one of them have their own unique characteristics that i won't be able to forget. For example,Jennifer. She's now on my list of fav characters. There's not one character i didn't love,that's how amazing the cast was.
And the plot of this drama speaks out to you in many different levels. In both comical and serious tones,i laughed most of the time but man,the last episodes were hard to get through without crying. I even cried because it ended. It was an amazing ride that i won't forget.
Conclusion: It doesn't take long before you get hooked on to this show. It's my personal top drama of the year. 100% recommend
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+/- Plot:
Is anyone feeling the trend of reincarnation this season? I mean the two most competing shows (in my opinion) of Winter '16-'17 both had this weaved throughout their storylines. I love the idea of reincarnation and how our fates are continually interwoven, especially how romanticized it is in the KDramaWorld. I also liked the fantasy aspect of the drama with Jeon Ji Hyeon as a mermaid, I could see there was a lot of mermaid theorizing that went on behind the scenes and I appreciated that as I felt that it was a nice touch. As for the actual storyline, it's main focus was the romance of course, but they also tried to add an element of suspense/thriller at some points and I felt that was the additional route they wanted to take they should have had a bit more background on Ma Dae Young's character and why he had such grievances against the world. Although they slightly touched on this in one of the last few episodes I wasn't completely satisfied.
As for the romance and the light-hearted areas of the plot I thought they were well planned out and came full circle at the end. I will say that there were some pretty funny/cute moments that make the drama memorable.
+/- Acting/Cast:
Jeon Ji Hyeon is the reason I actually started watching this show. I think she is amazingly beautiful and innocently comedic, a rare combination to come across. I love how she's not afraid of putting her beautiful image on the line to pull out some comedy. She's slightly reminiscent of Mary Tyler Moore, which I greatly admire. Not only does she have beauty, she's also very talented as an actress in my opinion. Although her character wasn't too complex, I think she played it very well and it was fitting.
I'm sorry to say it but I'm not a fan of Lee Min Ho, there's just some aspects of his acting which I find subpar. It felt like he was crying every other episode, and not that I object to a man crying (he had just reason to), it's just that I didn't feel the conviction or the heart throughout the scenes. I probably would've been more moved if they didn't have so many scenes of him bawling his eyes out making his make-up splotchy. And when he performs his 'cutesy' romantic scenes he just doesn't make me swoon like other actors, it just doesn't feel genuine.
Unfortunately, I wasn't a huge fan of the romance between Lee Min Ho and Jeon Ji Yeon. I felt that there was just something missing between the two, they didn't quite have the spark as some other small screen actors. I had much more favor for Ji Yeon and Soo Hyun in Love from Another Star.
As for the other characters, they did pretty well as a whole. I throughly enjoyed Lee Hee Joon and thought he played his part extremely well; he really kept me questioning him through the end. And Shin Won Ho was especially adorable throughout the show, although he didn't have many lines he still made me giddy with his smirks. (I admit, I was initially opposed to his ending, but I'll accept it since I wanted a happy ending for Cha Shi Ah too).
As for the bad guys, I will say that I was put off by Kang Seo Hee and Ma Dae Young, but I've had more burning hatred for other characters in different dramas before. They were fitting for the roles, however, I felt they could have taken it up a notch. And ultimately, I just felt sorry for Lee Ji Hoon's character. I wasn't in love with him, I just slightly felt for him and his circumstances. Sad to say on Lee Min Ho's part, but Ji Hoon's final moments in the show might have been one of the only times when I was even slightly close to tearing up.
+/- Music:
The music was decent, I mean there was nothing that stood out about it. I would say the only song that really stood out to me was Lee Sun Hee's track, which is because I'm a big fan of her. Other than that, there was nothing outstanding, but the OST did it's part in the drama.
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HOT ML ALERT!!! ROMANTIC KISSES AND MAKING OUT IN YOUR AREA!!!!
The plot revolves around our female lead (FL) and male lead (ML), and how they transitioned from being young and affectionate lovers to experiencing a tragic adult romance filled with misunderstandings. FL mistakenly believes that ML murdered her entire family when in reality, it was Z, a deceptive and unsuccessful man, who committed the crime. ML, on the other hand, misunderstands FL and her family, believing that her relatives were responsible for his parent's death and the ruin of his life.ML and FL find themselves entangled in a war of emotions, with FL frequently losing and regaining her memories. ML initially treats FL with a mixture of coldness and warmth, making their relationship tumultuous. As is common in many love dramas, after enduring various hardships (such as ML nearly being killed and FL partially saving him), ML and FL begin to appreciate, care for, and love each other more deeply.
Gradually, ML and FL genuinely develop romantic feelings for each other. However, FL loses her memories, prompting ML to be exceptionally kind and promise eternal love.
Eventually, ML kills Z, the person responsible for FL's family's tragedy. FL regains her memories and harbors immense hatred towards ML, leading her to shoot multiple bullets at him. She then attempts to end her own life but miraculously survives. Similarly, ML survives the attack. When ML encounters FL again on the battlefield, they exchange a loving smile. The story concludes on this note.
The male lead's actor is widely regarded as attractive - HOT HOT HOT đ„” . The End.
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Great Acting, Great Writing
Don't let wild rumors about this being a propaganda to discourage you from watching. Otherwise you will miss such a good drama with great writing, presented by a great acting.Hirowareta Otoko is a slice-of-life, semi-fictional biography drama about Matsuo Satoru, the actor we see all over Jdramas but we don't bother to remember his name...LoL. In this drama we got to see his journey of becoming an actor as well as his psychological complex during childhood that later contributed to his sour relationship with his family members.
I don't know how good the original source material is, but the writing in this drama was presented in such an interesting way with many beautiful and smart dialogues. I liked how the writer used time jump and flashback effectively in the story telling without making viewers feel lost of the plot. The first half of the drama was full of comedy and coming of age naivety but be prepared for a more serious emotional ride in the second half if you ever choose to watch this.
The performance of the cast was another key factor that made this drama great. Nagano Taiga did an extraordinary job at portraying Matsuo Satoru in my opinion. We could clearly see that he gained few Kg of weight ahead of playing this role. He was versatile enough to easily changed from quirky to serious. As a main character he knows how to attract audiences sympathy.
Kusanagi Tsuyoshi, while doesn't get that many screen time really did well in conveying complex emotion of his mysterious character. He could have done better with his English conversation, but that's minor downside and we understand the difficulty of Japanese actors with foreign languages. I only wish they wrote a sentence that sounds more natural for a non-native speaker instead of "Cool American English" that can't be delivered (or understood).
Other actors also did well in carrying the whole drama and supporting the main character including the US cast. I would say the casting department really did a good job in this one If you're wondering about Ito Sairi, she did well too but her character was more of a supporting one than a main role (as oppose to what is stated in this MDL page).
All in all, Hirowareta Otoko was a wholesome drama that has the right amount of everything; laughter, anger, curiosity, sympathy, and sadness. It's about chasing happiness and self discovery with strong elements of family bonding and brotherhood as well as accepting one's fate whether it's good or bad. If you're looking for a slice of life drama with warm characters this is a must watch!!
About US propaganda mentioned by other reviewer.
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The following section may contain some spoilers
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Since this is a Jap-US joint production, there was an "American Arc" that's focusing on MC's stranded brother (Takeshi). Few US actors were added in the arc and it changed the feel of the drama a bit. I mean from Japan-mode to Western-mode overnight....yeah that kind of feeling. This could be a letdown for many viewers apart from the allegedly US propaganda thing that I will explain below.
However this arc wasn't as bad and still carrying important plot elements as MC got to learn the different side of his brother he didn't know before. He also got to solve the mystery surrounding his family for 15 years. The story of the kid (Sean) was also interesting and cute. It has more Japanese vibe than the western in my opinion.
And I DO NOT see Takeshi mentioning US as a peace place for diverse people as a PROPAGANDA. In fact it's an outdated concept of American Dream that's known by everyone already. Whether that dream is reality or just a dream is a subjective matter.
That statement by Takeshi was clearly his personal view and curiosity considering he was frustrated with their conservative Dad. Knowing that, Satoru candidly said "yeah you've found the place you're looking for". This could only be true in these brothers situation and does not apply to everyone. ...obviously!!
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Was It A Waste of Time? Yes.
Full disclosure: I actually really liked the first 8 episodes of this drama. I knew that it wasnât the best thing out there and was fully aware of how dumb it was but still enjoyed it because of how entertaining it was.Until episode 11. For some reason all the joy and amusement I felt for this drama went out the door. I watched it as it aired but ended up dropping it for three months because of how annoyed I was. What exactly was I annoyed about? The plot, the FL, and the ML, SML, and (third male lead?). Itâs pretty bad when you are more invested in the plot of two fourteen year olds, a minor character who owns a bar, the fourth male lead, and the FLâs mother. If it wasnât for them (and the 2.5 speed button) I would of never finished this. I typically try to find the good in EVERY drama I watch because I understand that everyone has different tastes but this was atrocious. However, Iâm not blaming the cast. The cast was wonderful in their roles as was the cinematography but the script was messy. I found myself wanting to reach through the screen to slap the every character besides the kids, dog, bar owner, fourth male lead, and the FLâs mother.
I feel so bad for the cast because obviously they have good acting chops but the characters they played and the script they were given was not good.
Anyways, I would have gave this drama a lower rating but I did enjoy like four characters + the OST which has a really beautiful cover of âDreamsâ by The Cranberries. Would I recommend this to anyone? No. Would I recommend this to people who like to hate watch dramas? 100%. Itâs the perfect drama to hate watch if you are in a bad mood and want to yell at idiotic characters.
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Beautiful romance that is flawless - 10/10 recommend!
My God, I thought Iâd seen the nicest man in the last drama I watched but now we have Jiaxu! He literally has no flaws!!This drama is a 10/10 for me, and I donât give 10/10 easily! There was nothing wrong with it in my eyes. Itâs so rich in chemistry between the leads. Get yourself a man who treats you the way Jiaxu treats Sang Zhi đ„°
I literally couldnât hold back from smiling the whole way through.
I loved how Jiaxu fell in love with her over time; and when he knew for sure that she liked him đ€ Ughhh I could gush about it for days!
I will admit that although I knew they would end up together, I couldnât help but feel a tiny bit weirded out in the beginning. Especially because they had a younger actress playing young Sang Zhi meanwhile it was still the same actor playing Jiaxu. Btw, the young Sang Zhi looked about 10, not 14.
The brother is so funny although it was a dog move to hit Jiaxu.
I loved how Sang Zhi stood up to the crazy girl about it not being Jiaxuâs fault that her dad died.
It was the smoothest sailing romance that progressed in the sweetest way possible. The ending was also perfect! 10/10 - a must watch!
-E
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??????
Best couple. HL popularity speaks how best YuanLu Chemistry is. Its known internationally that it reached to the haters. Well, haters gonna hate but I so loved Zhao Lusi and Chen Zheyuan.Congratulations Hidden Love and the cast, You all deserved the award!!!
Best couple. HL popularity speaks how best YuanLu Chemistry is. Its known internationally that it reached to the haters. Well, haters gonna hate but I so loved Zhao Lusi and Chen Zheyuan.
Congratulations Hidden Love and the cast, You all deserved the award!!!
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Generally speaking, I liked the drama and the main lead actors but Ella's acting was a serious flaw since it can be overdone sometimes.
If you want to like this drama you have to stop comparing it to the 2007 japanese version; They may share the general story and characters but there are huge differences between them so watch this without previous expectations and you will love it; just feel the events like you've never watched the japanese version and you're going to fall for it.
However, the ending sucked: it's a warning for endings lovers, if you want to like this drama forget about its ending.
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My favorite Mr Gu drama
So far this is my favorite Mr Gu drama there is. I did watch 3 out of the 4 Mr Gu dramas and one is dropped and the other one is on hold (Miss crow and mr lizard). This drama is very simple in terms of story line but both main leads acting is amazing. Shen Yue has improved so much on her acting since Meteor Garden and Jasper is very sweet and caring so the chemistry for me is amazing.The female lead is very simple , there are no clumsy scenerios , no jealousy or acts likes shes dumb. Male lead makes his mistakes here and there but they dont become toxic behavior or too much to handle. Both of them make a good couple in the drama and I enjoy that alot. Plus in comparison to the korean version this drama wins by far. The lead is not abusive nor rude to the main lead which was a problem to me in the version. I think all sweet scenes between both leads gave an amazing warmth feeling and made me love them together in the drama.
Second lead couple
I love it , bodyguard/ chofer with love story with a rich not spoiled girl is amazing. The thing with all couples in this drama is that the issues they have are not dragged to 5 episodes but for atleast 1 or 2 which I love. I think the 3 couples in this drama acted well.
Probably the only issue I have is the second male lead which was annoying. I think his character or maybe his actions very unnecessary instead of him making some sort of tension he became very annoying and actually toxic. This drama is not real all scenerarios are pretty impossible but he is another level of crazy. Definetly no second lead syndrome
This drama is not out of this world but is a sweet short drama to watch just to get the feels of a good day.
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The first part had Yeon Woo Jin and he was simply amazing, I started that drama already crying, but it gets so good and the end was amazing and touching. I sincerely watched more for him than for her, but they made a cute couple and I liked the way she was willing to fix her mistakes to make him happy the way he did for her.
The third one had Bae Soo Bin and Han Seung Yeon and I loved this part, the girl was an amazing actress, even though the end made me cry, she has talent and I would love to see her acting again. This story was different, but it was so sweet, it could be seen as a one sided love, but we've our answer in the end and they made a cute couple.
The fifth part was only good because itâs impossible to hate Chang Wook falling in love and looking at the girl with those eyes, the way he looks, OMG, Iâm starting a goal in life to find someone that looks at me like he looked at that girl, gahhh, he kills me. He made that last part watchable, because the girl's character was very annoying and stalkerish, she gets better in the last episode, but still made some things that made me want to beat her.
So, even though all parts were good, the 2# and 4# part didn't touch me that much, because of the main couple. The forth made me cry my eyes out because of her father, so he was good, but I didnât care for the leads, the second part I didnât love and didnât hate, it was just there, but I really, really recommend the complete drama, with great male leads and great stories.
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In the foot steps of The Confidence, with a twist!
Having watched The Confidence in June 2022, I was happy that Unexpected Falling came out recently. The cast consisted of almost the same actors as The Confidence. Cai's performance was remarkable as she used alot of her facial muscles and eyes to speak her thoughts. Peng grew into his role to put up a good performance. He initially reminded me of Feng in The Confidence. I enjoyed watching their interactions as both of them had alot of lines with each other. I liked that they spoke their own lines while a few others had their voices dubbed. Peng and Cai have good voices. I also like the music and songs particularly the ending song sung by Cai and Peng. I found out that Cai did train as a singer in her early days. The older actors were all veterans and their performance did not disappoint. Sadly one of them had passed away during the production.Both The Confidence and Unexpected Falling have male leads that are imposters. But in Unexpected Falling, the male lead was hired to investigate the financial scam and eventually he unmasked his fake role as he loved the female lead who was kind and righteous. The male lead became himself to win the love of the female lead.
Although Unexpected Falling was not as thrilling as The Confidence, the drama also kept me thinking initially if the female lead was her dead husband's accomplice, if her best friend was sincere and if the make lead was a two timer. The story unfolded gradually without unanswered gaps. I liked that there were no long, repeated flash backs. In fact, the female lead's dead husband did not even have a face although his name was repeatedly brought up in the story. He was a lead character that had died. The director deliberately kept viewers in the dark about how he looked like. I think this is a first!
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Ugh
Let's call a spade a spade: this was terrible. At no point was this something that could've been considered even remotely good.. scratch that. At no point was this something that could've been considered even remotely acceptable. What even was this?It's an insane mix of genres, no one can tell what it's supposed to be because it's got romance, comedy and fantasy, in an office setting. I don't think the writers themselves knew what they were doing, how else do you explain THIS?
They spent an abhorrent amount of time focusing on jewellery making, finances, embezzlement, and patents. After all that, they couldn't even be bothered to make it interesting. All this trade talk that was used, I have no idea if any of it was right, and the jewellery making business sounds interesting enough, but leave it to them to make it as confusing and boring as it can be.
The fantasy aspect in a word.. ludicrous. You can't conveniently have it be a plot device to further some weird jewellery competition or the romance between the leads, and even if it has to be just that, you can't have it be as lame as this.
Ignoring it episode after episode, only giving glimpses of something that seems grand and complex, only to conclude it as a means for Lin to make that gaudy necklace felt like a slap to the face. And this should be hit with a copyright by the way, the way it felt like a blatant rip off of The Sign at points, someone call Saint.
Chemistry who? The smidgen that seemed to be there after Big Dragon despite the weird vibes they had to begin with went down the drain the minute someone on the writing team decided that âKhun Dadâ was a sexy and cute nickname. Really? âKhun Dadâ. I shudder everytime I think about it, and after that point, I was either nauseous or laughing for no reason or both. Because I didn't know what else I could do. I feel for the leads, I really do because they have proper chemistry in real life, and they got stuck with âKhun Dadâ.
Such a strange relationship, Lin gets treated like an actual child, I can't figure out why they're actually into each other, but to make sure that no one doubts that they are, they're all over each other. And they weren't even good NC scenes!! The visuals I witnessed are going to be hard to forget.
You've got disapproving parents but the weird kind, over intrusive parents but the weird kind, and a parent who's son saved them but not really and it's just weird.
The two side couples were no better. Three, actually, but much like a lot of people and things in here, the third couple was merely a plot device for more Khun Dad. Of the other two, Sam and Yo had much more going for them than Pim and Prim did. I'm kind of over the âwe've known each other from before but only one of us realises itâ trope, even without that, those two didn't really do anything for me, because they didn't even have enough screentime for me to figure out what kind of connection they had.
Sam and Yo were a little better, but so fast paced and impulsive. Not as characters, as a couple. I couldn't figure out what kind of connection they had either, but at least I believed they had one.
Which is what happens when you don't give a pairing with potential proper screentime and instead have dedicated time for office gossip, catty support characters and leads riding horses.
This was.. no good. I can't even say I'm dissapointed because all I feel is anger. I'm racking my brain, trying to think of just one positive, absolute positive, but I'm coming up blank. This was just not good.
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Robin Hood Robbing Hearts
To My Beloved Thief is set during the dark days of the Joseon era. The kingdom was ruled by a tyranny whose greed knew no bounds as it caused oppression of the weak resulting in hunger and injustice. He looked the other way as his ministers filled their granaries robbing the weak in plain sight. Amidst all this madness however, arose a Robin hood by the name Gildong whom the weak praised but the rich condemned. The twist is that our Robin Hood is a she. A low-born female physician named Hong Eunjo.Grand Prince Dowol and Eunjo are the central focus here, with their lives being intertwined through an unexpected switch in bodies. While switching bodies can come off as overdone, here it serves as more than a plot point. I loved how it puts the characters in the other's shoes, forcing the prince to understand what it is like to live as a commoner, and Eunjo to understand what it's like to be trapped in a royal court where political dangers are ever so suffocating. This switch truly brings "walking in someone else's shoes" phrase to life here, and I appreciated how it is through this very experience the prince finally understands why the woman he loves became Gildong.
Unlike most fluffy romances, this is a romance between two people who have a lot that separates them, right down to their backgrounds. A romance where politics and social standing make a normal love story impossible. One where class, danger, and saving their country takes precedence above anything else. Their love never gets in the way of the greater crisis; instead, it strengthens the will they have to fight and overcome it.
This drama boasts excellent acting from its leads. One such example is the fiery nature of Hong Eunjo, played by Nam Jihyun. Also worth mentioning is Moon Sangmin for his role as Grand Prince Dowol; someone who has the grace and power of a prince but also enough kindness to complement her character nicely. And, while I'm at it, another commendable performance is that of Hong Min Ki as Im Jaeyi; whose cold yet warm personality was both frustrating and brilliant.
While the core plot may be somewhat cliché, its twist and turns kept it fresh and interesting. One particular thing I adored about this drama was how the second female lead, Hae Rim was well-written. She was a sweet woman who truly cares about the people; who doesn't get jealous over unrequited love and accepted her defeat in a gracefully dignified way. Better yet, the two female leads are friends and avoid the typical rivalry, with each girl offering support and strength to one another, which felt very appropriate for their respective worlds.
However, not everything was so brilliant; some parts of the plot did seem rather convenient. Im Sahyeong escaping, for example, didn't feel right considering everything he had done; a criminal being left at liberty without being guarded felt like a cheap ploy to push the plot forward. Another cliché was applied in the tense scene where the villains took an eternity to breakdown the door just so that the couple could express their undying love toward each other before they could attack them smh; one surely has to switch off their brain to stomach such scenes lol. In any case, in the grand scheme of things, those rare moments of foolishness were just a drop in the bucket.
The cinematography was okay however, there were scenes that stood out to me; like when the leads accidentally kissed under the blossoming trees and the moment the courtesans successfully escaped from the palace and tossed off their robes into air...how liberating that was.
Finally, this particular drama is like a romance novel which happens to feature politics within its story lines. It is based on empathy and unity of purposes; a love that is built through shared objectives rather than through romancing. If you seek a drama that features interesting characters, background knowledge, slow burn love, and political elements, then this may be the one to pick.
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Started strong with good chemistry then came the self sabotage trope!
This drama started with a charming setup and two leads who carried it effortlessly, only to fumble halfway by squeezing in unnecessary melodrama like itâs a full-length series. It has 5 bite-sized episodes, we are talking 8 to 10 minutes each, you would think every second would be used wisely right !!? But no, apparently not!The premise here is familiar with the "classic fake dating" trope where Zai Rong is desperate to avoid an arranged marriage and Lu Xiao is a broke uni student trying to get by.
But what starts as a transactional setup quickly shifts into something deeper. From the second these two share a screen, the chemistry is fire with those looks, the body language, the quiet tension! Nothing feels forced and it felt like they donât need big dramatic moments to sell it. Their vibe was lowkey sweet, a little awkward and just right.
Then the second half rolls in and suddenly someone decided this was the moment to throw in a dramatic ex and waste precious time on a classic meddling third-wheel plotline that added absolutely nothing
Even though the production is bare-bones, it uses its limited space well. Everything feels too intimate when the leads are on the screen.
Overall, the pacing is fast and with such a short runtime, everything from plot to characters stays surface level.
I have watched another BL "Trapped in Osaka" from this production house and loved it. The difference (not talking about the actual plot) was that they concentrated on the main characters and their stories. There were backstories and other characters mentioned, but they never took away from the screentime.
I would recommend it if you are here just for the chemistry (which is solid) but don't expect much. It's more charm over substance but since it's a mini series, there is not much to lose.
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