Reviews

An incredibly intense espionage thriller

Before getting into the review, here is some historical background for the film:

The film is set during the Second Sino-Japanese War and WWII. There are several powers in play at this time: the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese Nationalist Party or Kuomintang, and Imperial Japan. Imperial Japan invaded Manchuria (located in northeastern China) in the early 1930s and established the puppet state of Manchukuo. It was here where they hoped to establish a base from where they would continue their expansion into Asia.

In 1937, after many years of conflict, Japan occupied Shanghai, Nanjing, and Beijing. The Nanjing Massacre occurred at this time. After the fall of Nanjing, which had been the capital of the Republic of China at that time, the Kuomintang moved the capital west to Chongqing, under Jiang Jieshi's leadership. During this time, the Chinese Communist Party and the Kuomintang formed a temporary alliance, suspending the years of civil conflict between them, although their vie for power continued.

In 1940, Wang Jingwei, who was once a member of the Kuomintang but had always been in opposition against Jiang Jieshi, collaborated with Japan to establish the Wang Jingwei regime. They claimed to be the leadership of the Republic of China, when in fact they were a puppet government of Japan, overseeing the Japanese-occupied territory in eastern China, under Japan's control. They established their capital in Nanjing and used the Kuomintang flag. The Axis powers recognized the Wang Jingwei regime, while the Allied powers still recognized Jiang Jieshi as the leader of the Republic of China.

From 1937-1941, Japan had left a few neighbourhoods in Shanghai unoccupied, because that was where the American-British joint settlement and French Concession were located. Many people fled to this area to live at that time. After Pearl Harbor in 1941, the entirety of Shanghai became occupied by Japan. Many cities were bombed during these years, including Guangzhou, which experienced bombings for 14 months in 1937-1938.

During this era of war, which is also called the War of Resistance in China, espionage networks were established to try to undermine the enemy. Hidden Blade tells a story about these individuals.

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Even without knowing the historical context, Hidden Blade presents a visual feast of vivid characters and imagery. Cheng Er uses a non-linear narrative approach to reveal the stories of these characters. The main characters, Mr. He (Tony Leung) and Mr. Ye (Wang Yibo), are both enigmatic and morally ambiguous. We meet Mr. He, the charming man who hides intimidation behind a pleasant smile, and Mr. Ye, a rootless man who does not shy away from violence. Tony Leung does not disappoint as the veteran actor that he is, as the man who can tell stories with just his eyes or a slight smile, and he delivers a charismatic performance that reaffirms why he is such a revered actor. Wang Yibo delivers a phenomenal performance to match. Mr. Ye is a compelling character who is mesmerizing, perplexing, suave, and incredibly human at the same time. Wang Yibo does a fantastic job of portraying this complex character with mysterious motives, who seems to hide much more than he lets on behind his cool and composed appearance. He excels at playing a character whose inner turmoil is silently repressed.

The cast of side characters are also worth mentioning, with memorable performances from all of the actors. I take half a star off only because I feel that the female character stories could have been explored further. Zhou Xun makes a special appearance as Ms. Chen, and although her part is brief, she captivates the audience from the moment she walks onto the scene with her package of pastries and she leaves an emotional impact on the audience even in the short time that she has on screen. Jiang Shuying (Ms. Jiang) and Zhang Jingyi (Ms. Fang) are both charming as well, however their opportunity to showcase their strengths is quite limited.

The cinematography is well-executed and the attention to detail is remarkable. In one interview, Cheng Er reveals that even the ties that are worn by the characters are all actual ties from that era that have been collected. The music also compliments the scenes beautifully, adding further to the tension which Cheng Er builds so skillfully throughout the film. The choreography of the fight scenes is also top-tier and will not disappoint.

As a movie depicting times of war, there are several scenes that are difficult to watch and Cheng Er does not shy away from showing the cruelty of what people may have experienced. General content warnings without spoilers include torture, suffocation, death of an animal, implied rape (not depicted), as well as genre-typical violence that one may expect from an espionage war thriller.

Overall, the cast and crew have created a incredibly intense thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you thinking about many scenes even after finishing the film. There are many parallels drawn throughout the film and it is a film that only gets better with rewatching as one lets the details marinate. At the end you're left with a lingering admiration for the individuals who struggled to free themselves from the oppression that they lived under. In doing so, they have sacrificed their own lives, their relationships, and even their own values in their effort to forge a path forward, towards a future where the nameless ones might once again stand in the sunlight.

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It's okay but not a must-watch

A fast paced drama that will keep you entertained, but the end is a bit messy.
The first part was interesting and really well done, but then Bongsu shows up and that's when the show starts derailing. Now I must say that I find Bongsu a very fun character to watch, the problem is that the initial story has nothing to do with him. I feel like the first part of the show is about Seong A struggling with being a shaman and having a personal/school life and falling in love with Gyeonu, the unlucky boy that hates shaman and Seong A is trying to save from dying. The second part of the show is about Bongsu and they just forget about Gyeonu's problem.
I just feel like it could be two different stories or maybe a longer drama. And they definitely should have cut-off a few characters, not that I don't like the side characters, but the time used on them could have been used for other things.
The acting was nothing ground breaking but still good and the actors had a quite good comedic timing.

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Don't miss it

The reason i created an MDL account is to tell everyone not to miss this gem. This is one of those dramas that you think you'll just overlook since you think you already watch far too many school dramas. And you thought you can start it because theres no other thing to do on your spare time.

But then you'll realize what a big mistake you've done because you havent start it sooner. The story of how you overcome challenges and see the world in a new light is what makes this drama so close to realty. The romance is not overbearing, its fluffy highschool love. Theres a strong sense of camaraderie and there are no unrealistic villains or unbelievable evil arc.

The OST is the best, i have not been impressed with cdrama OST since Go go squid until this one. And I know i will rewatch this again...

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What strucked me the most when I started watching this awesome drama is that everything felt so real : the setting, story, acting and all these awesome discussions between the beautiful Hu Family, I was always smiling when they were all at table laughing or listening to JunShan yelling at his brother and Sister in law- Xiang Xiang & Xiao Man, those moments were priceless and magnificents.
Honestly beside Huo Wallace I did not know any of these actors and I have to admit that they were all doing a great job and their portrayals were so convincing and natural.

I'm not going to dwell on the synopsis cause it already says the most important but we surely all know the damages Wars cause(d) and I think it's interesting to see how Chinese people were living during those terrible times and what they had to go through. The drama focuses on the Hu Family and their son in-law Xue Jun Shan, how they coped with the constant Japanese attacks in their Changsha town. And even if my knowledge about the Sino-Japanese wars is weak I think this drama was really well done even the music here fitted perfectly with the general atmosphere.

Many things crossed my mind when I was watching the drama, first I said it earlier but I have to repeat myself everything was realistic and that was my very first thought, I loved to see that even if the Hu family was living a pretty good life (without being super rich either) but they did not wear extravagant and exquisite clothes they simply lived in harmony , enjoying their life in their house all together, eating, working, taking care of each other etc.

Frankly speaking the character that surprised me the most was Xue JunShan, he seemed to be very harsh with his in-laws but actually that was the opposite he cared for them he protected them, he loved them to the point to sacrifice his life for them, he considered them as the most precious things in his life and that is the reason why I loved him so much and why he is my favorite character + I have to say it, I have a thing for older men I found something very appealing about them and that is the case for him too <3
Now it's time to say a few words about the Hu family, Xiang Xiang was my favorite especially the way she evolves throughout the drama and I think that war would change everyone and according to me she's the one who changed the most, she became an outstanding and respectable woman, I have nothing bad to say about her, definitely lovely, bright, cute and very strong but she has a weakness and that is her twin brother I mean their sibling bond is so deep and unwavering, at least that's how I perceived them and I guess that is probably the same with almost all twins of the world.
I loved rhe other characters too especially Gu QingMing( I seriously fell in love with Huo Wallace in this drama, I liked him before but this time he blew me away &lt;3), the grandma, XiangJun, Liu Minghan Xiu Xiu and the rest( I will stop here so if you want to find out why they are fabulous people just watch the drama you'll surely like it as much as I did ). I can't even count the tears I shed for all of these characters, I felt like I was part of their family, that's why Battle of Changsha broke my heart even more than other dramas.

As for the theme song ''I'll remember you'' it is a pure delight, Yang Zi's voice blends so well with Huo Wallace's that we can't stop listening to it and we want more and more. Too bad I can't seem to find it anywhere ! Please If you know where I can download it, tell me :D

I would recommend this drama to everyone even if you're not into this genre because that is not my case and still I enjoyed every minute of this wonderful show. Furthermore this is definitely one of the best Family drama I've ever watched. Just only one thing you must know if you plan to watch it: the last four eps are not subbed and so you would have no choice but to watch it raw or wait but for how long?!

PS: the big plus is that the actors's voices were not DUBBED, what a pleasure !

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SO SO SO UNDERRATED!!!!!! EXCELLENT ACTING

DON'T TRUST THE RATINGS!!!
After so long I've come across such a nice drama, really ♥️ It's so fresh and peaceful and sweet and funny at the same time.

The leads are amazing, the second leads are amazing and the whole group is amazing.
The drama so much reminds me of When I Fly Towards You and Our Secret ♥️♥️

I initially started watching it because of Yu Cheng En as I previously watched him as Demo in Go Go Squid, I was so excited to see him in a lead role!!!! And surprisingly I fell in love with the female lead too ♥️ Even the other lead is amazing ♥️♥️
IT'S A MUST WATCH!!!!! IT LITERALLY DESERVES MUCH MORE RECOGNITION 😭

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I can't quite remember what made me want to watch this particular drama, despite it being quite lengthy, but what I so vividly recall was the feeling that lingered for awhile after having watched the drama. I still remember the pain of being misunderstood. What this drama made me realize was that sometimes we realize things once they're gone, and that truth is powerful. The importance of saying what's on one's mind and just being true, and how scary a person becomes when one chooses not to let go because of utter fear. The lack of courage, now that I'm typing about it, is what this drama emphasizes.

What I liked about the drama is that it was refreshing and very scandalous, dark, unlike the usual mainstream dramas. It got me hooked because it was dark, realistically dark, the chemistry of the main leads was awesome, and no matter what the guy did I could never seem to hate him too much to stop watching it. The Love was twisted, at certain angles pure, but truly deep. Heartbreaking but amazing!

I know a lot might resist watching it because certainly one would have to cry and get attached but that's the beauty of this drama. That is what makes it so good, the journey that both the characters had to go through, and the complicated misunderstanding, one after another, that when we're left to uncover each one, we get to see the real characters, why they acted the way they did.

So I dare you to take leap of Faith and try this drama.

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Not Your Typical Drama

Adapted from a web comic 一人之下, I am Nobody (异人之下) is not like your typical drama! This drama is interesting, engaging, and funny!! The drama seamlessly blends elements of Wu Xia, superpower elements, and fantasy in a modern urban setting. It features intense battles, intriguing characters, and a mysterious plot that explores the hidden world of 异人 (outsiders - human with with qi/ powers!)

The story follows Zhang Chulan, an ordinary college student whose life takes an unexpected turn after his grandfather dead body was stolen. From that point onwards, he steps into the the Outsiders world, along the way he grow, make true friends, and also go on a journey of self-discovery!

I am Nobody plot is fast-paced, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats - it is funny and engaging making you want to know more about what will transpire. Although fast-paced, but the story still unfolds casually and unrushed, it still explains the characters, their backstories and relationship dynamics.

Other than a fresh genre, what makes I am Nobody stand out is it's well-crafted characters. Not only the main character, but the supporting characters are equally intriguing, like Feng Baobao, Wang Ye, Zhang Lingyu, and more. Each of them has their own unique powers and motivations, their character dynamics also makes the story more enjoyable! The portrayals of the characters are also conveyed realistically, each actor manage to imbues their character with the character characteristic, nuance and emotional depth, that makes it very enjoyable to watch!!

Not only that, but I am Nobody also has great CGI and also unusual editing! Most of the CGI quality is commendable, the CGI has fluid action sequences with stunning visuals that bring their powers and battles to life. In addition, the fight scenes are also choreographed with precision and creativity, showcasing a variety of supernatural powers and combat styles.

The drama has done an excellent job in capturing the essence of the source material! This drama is probably one of the best drama adapted from the web comic, it stayed true to the original essence of the web comic!You can see that there are some parts where they exactly follow the web comics, from the shots and also more!!

While I am Nobody offers an exhilarating viewing experience, it does have its share of complexities. The plot can be convoluted at times, and viewers may need to pay close attention to keep up with the ever-evolving narrative.

In conclusion, I am Nobody is a definitely must watch if you enjoy adventure and action-packed battles! With it's intriguing storyline, well-developed characters, and impressive animation, it is definitely worth watching!!

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Comedy thriller? yes!

Rarely can a writer successful combine comedy with mystery thriller. The genres simply don't mix well. Often, such titles suffer from Cerberus effect: they start funny, but when they turn serious halfway through, the entire setting built on comedic premises falls apart.

Fortunately, Behind Your Touch (should be touch your behind....) avoids this pitfall. While it does get more serious later, the genre transition is very fluid, and it never completely divorces itself from its comedic roots.
The funny first episodes help us bond with the characters and introduce us to the setting, so then when the serial killing starts we can actually care about people who are killed while never being quite certain who to trust and who might be the culprit.

And what a masterfully written mystery it is! Until the very final episodes, I wasn't certain who dunnit. Watching this with MDL on week by week basis was quite an experience. I pity people who will watch this drama after it already finished airing, they will miss on all the brainstorming and speculah that kept us going all this time!
But of course, they should still watch it. This is legit my favorite k-drama of 2023. I didn't expect much, in fact, I didn't even anticipate this title until it suddenly aired on netflix, and I was very, very pleasantly surprised.

For people who say that premise of touching butt to see memories is creepy: relax, it's not done in sexual way, and she does it through clothes and she just touches their buttcheeks without fingering deeper or whatever you people imagine. There is no sexual abuse or anything! Give it a chance and see for yourselves!

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I WANT MORE!

What others think as its weakness, i think is its strength - for me the short length of the series is whats makes me yearn for more.

Lets cut to the chase - lets discuss the good things. First is the story, yes its nothing out of the ordinary but the non-school/university is refreshing for a BL. I also like shows which dont try to explain everything as if viewers are kids. I also liked the pacing.

Second, the cute charismatic leads - have you seen Kang in Soo's body? Third, the soundtrack. Fourth, the production and the photography.

The only bad part i can think of is that they left me wanting more.

The last few Korean BLs were all short and sweet and all deserve to be expanded into full blown series. For now, im just glad that they are producing more and more of these and hopefully the day for normal Korean series featuring LGBTQ characters will come sooner.

Overall, an 8! Easy to watch, easy to rewatch.

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I was waiting for this film eagerly. I was expecting a heartwarming family drama and also afraid of over-dramatic melodrama. Fortunately I wasn't disappointed and I got much more than what I expected.

Like many other real cruel stories another cruel story is made into film. This film is based on a rape case known as 'Na-young case'; in which an 8 year old girl was beaten and raped by an old man. I've a problem related to reality...
Now the problem is that the case is only 5 years old. Girl was 8 and now she's just 13 years old. Few years ago someone made a song on this & now this film caught lots of attention and I think it's extremely hard for family to overcome the trauma because of this film. Especially because this film came into light at the point where family was (probably) starting to forget this event. I'm not saying that it's wrong to make films on such cases but this film came too early.

I'll keep this short since I'm still buried under emotions.
Beginning of the film is very sad and can make anyone angry easily. It was painful to watch but those scenes don't last for long. After those painful scenes there is series of many beautiful scenes. Recovery of So-won (Victim), friends helping family, a lot of people trying to restart life of devastated family, family trying to be positive for future and make the daughter happier instead of crying over past that can not be changed. I loved father-daughter relationship most.

What I loved about this film is it's strength in stirring up emotions (of characters & our) in meaningful way. It's not like usual Korean films that force melodrama and turn into joke (Fly High, You're My Sunshine and many more!). Everything in this film is genuine...

Good:

-Genuine & unforced situations-emotions
-Great cast
-Music is excellent. I loved the long track played during recovery scenes of So-won.

Bad:

-Mistimed release (Related to reality, it's bugging me)
-I didn't notice any bad points. I was very busy in watching film.

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I Have a lover was intense, fun, frustrating, heartbreaking, shocking, it was pretty much amazing and overall exquisite! I Have A Lover, thank you for coming into my life, let me express my love and gratitude with this endless praise review!

STORY
I Have A Lover felt more than just one drama, it felt like several dramas put together in the best way possible. The main concept of the show, even if it isn't very apparent at first, is Forgiveness! People will go around hurting you, is life worth spending trying to pay them back, or is it better to just let go? As someone who doesn't believe in forgiveness you can imagine how i felt when i realised what this show is about, but they managed to pull it off beautifully.

At the same time I Have A Lover, gave me the best, most intense and fucked up/twisted true love story i have ever watched in my life. The chemistry here is simply effortless and emotional beyond words, you can see the sparks around them while they look at each other, simply magical. The drama is worth watching because on screen chemistries like this one are hard to come by, almost impossible!

As i said IHAL brought several things to the table, the main premise is forgiveness but, separating the drama into parts, each part its own thing to present:

Part 1: Infidelity. The beginning of the show, the first 10 episodes, how can a marriage come apart at the seams, and at the same time the notion of how people react and get through tragedies, and how they expect the people around them to react. Get ready for some frustrating events the writting is realistic and brutal.

Part 2: Romance. Episodes 11-20. You will begin to grasp what the show is about here, whatever happened in the first 10 episodes, character-wise, will completely change, depicting how unpredictable human feelings are in the best and most natural way.

Part 3: Episodes 20-31. The story here stops being character driven ans becomes story driven. The focus shifts to the classic family-company drama that we all know. However it is dead-interesting even though it was the slowest part of the drama imo. The show tends to tell you things while the characters are unaware of them. Here the characters get to know them, and you just watch as they are shocked and try to cope with everything.

Part 4: Revenge and Forgiveness. Episodes 32-50. The pace gets accelerated from this point, especially the last 10 episodes were absolutely fabulous, and possibly the best of the show along with the first 10.

50 episodes and this drama never got dragged. It had a complex story, there are several backstories here, that help the story proceed. We have our everyone-wants-the-big-company classic sub story, evil characters, multiple love stories and love triangles and amazing well-rounded characters. It has illness, twin siblings, backstabbing friendships, constant turning tables between the leads, frenemies who scheme, revenge. I seriously have nothing bad to say, it was a wonderful ride, and i would have watched another 50 episodes seriously.

One thing that might set people off is the way the main love story gets told. We have a lot of set backs and back and forths. Yes, it is true, but the chemistry was so mesmerizing, so effortless, so real, that i didn't have any problem with it. I felt every moment of pain, every moment of backstepping, every moment of love and hatred. Best and most fucked up love story (possibly) ever!

ACTING
Standing Ovation for Ji Jin Hee and ESPECIALLY KIM HYUN JOO!

Kim Hyun Joo. The female Ji Sung of Kdramaland. She didn't pull off 2 characters, no. Her role felt like 4 characters if not more. I won't even mention that she has the BEST resting bitch face in kdramaland, i won't even mention that she ACED all her comedy scenes (her 2nd character is the main comedic character). But i will stand by the point that after episode 30 she is seriously giving the performance of her career, the way she manages to be BOTH a total raging bitch and a kind hearted girl at the same time was beyond me, she was leaving one personality and entering the other like it was nothing, in the same scene! She was amazing and flawless in every way and the show couldn't have worked without her. She WAS the show! I haven't seen any of her previous works, but i admired her a lot, and i doubt that she was ever better than here. I am looking forward to her next work!

Ji Jin Hee. His character was the easiest to hate BUT, his was so effortlessly expressing all his feelings through his eyes and facial expressions, that it was impossible for me to hate him. I kept rooting for him to be happy like my life was depending on it. Second best facial expressions in kdramaland after Kwon Sang Woo! He was luscious and sensuous, i loved his emotional scenes, he was indeed in love with her, i am not sure i have seen such *in love* eyes even in real life. Standing ovation for both of them. THEY MADE THE SHOW!

Lee Jyu Han. Obviously overshadowed by JJH, but it's ok, he standed on his feet completely, he was great i had no problems with his perforance, it was totally on point.

Park Han Byul. And we get to her. Her character was fundemental for the drama to continue. She wasn't bad, but we can only imagine what would have happened had a stronger actress given the role. During the midst of the show, she needed to express some hatred and her role needed her to be a bitch, but she couldn't, her acting felt mediocre like the least she needed to give to be acceptable. I think she would perfectly fit fluffy rom coms, this was too serious for her. If i wanted to be strict, the acting should have been a 9.5 as she just couldn't live up to her character's and role's expectations, but a 9.5 is a disgrace to JJH and KHJ's flawless performance as well as literally everyone's in the supporting cast. Thankfully in the last 15/20 episodes her role gets smaller almost insignificant and the rest of the actors do their thing.

At this point, the only thing i can do to praise the incredible and superb supporting cast is just write their names. Awards deserved!
Firstly, Baek Ji Won, why doesn't she get more roles? She was an amazing evil character and at the same time one of the funniest actors, she would fit comedy PERFECTLY, i am keeping an eye on her.
Gong Hyung Jin. He was the main evil character, and he pulled of his twisted role perfectly without becoming a stupid evil character with no soul. He was scary but funny when he was supposed to be. Overall, great!
Child actress, Kim Ha Yu. OMG how can a child actress be this good? Cuteness overload, amazing acting, effortless! My favourite kid actress!
Also, Na Young Hee, Dok Go Young Jae, everyone did a splendid job! Congratulations!

RECOMMEND/REWATCH
If the 50 episodes make you think and rethink before starting this, just start it already! I was afraid of the 50 episodes too, i ended up watching 40 in 1 week and then waiting anxiously for the rest of the show to be aired! You won't even realise as the episodes fly by, you will be sucked in instantly!

IHAL has something pretty much for everyone. If you like romance, this is totally for you. It has infidelity, it has revenge, it has constant backstabbing, scheming, blackmailing, plot twists, backstories, twin siblings, illnesses, identity swap. It has everything, literally it has everything, it is more than a drama, and it deserves to be watched!

50 episodes, and yes, i'd rewatch it, especially the first 10 episodes which were so shocking to me, completely filled with reality, shivering, chilling. And then the effortless heart-warming and simultaneously heart-breaking romance, and then the backstory, omg yes. This is an overall 10 show!

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I was definitely hooked by Se Hee's and Ji Ho's story at the beginning but at the end, it's the other 2 supporting stories that kept me interested in this drama. Without Soo Ji's and Ho rang's, this show would have suffered tremendously. Se Hee's and Ji Ho's interactions for me was a major snoozefest halfway through the show. I hated how Ji Ho always looked down or stared at the wall or somewhere else whenever they would talk to each other. I wanted to give her a shake and scream "Please look at Se Hee!" This is why I didn't feel much chemistry between the leads. They lacked connection, their conversations were too dry and dragging. Ji Ho has for majority of the scenes, the same expression on her face as if she was daydreaming all the time. It got tiring and old way too quickly for me.
What I really loved was the freshness that Soo Ji Brought and Sang Goo was lovable too. Ho Rang's and Won Seok's story was what made me finish this drama, it gave me heartaches and I really felt their pain as a couple.

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