Reviews

Its About Rose…

I watched this because I always like Crystal Liu YiFei’s acting, very natural and down to earth. Every role she takes, she is always able to represent her character well, furthermore this show has a few good MLs.

The story…of Huang Yi Mei (a.k.a yellow rose).
This is based on a novel and although some small parts of the story is modified to better fit in drama expression but the storyline, characterization and ending is true to the original novel.
Thought also shared this:
Yellow roses symbolize friendship and joy. Often represent feelings that are associated with relatiinships such as warmth, delight, gladness, caring, and affection. These blooms were once used to communicate jealousy, during the Victorian era.
We followed the life of Huang YiMei Rose, our FL, a young vibrant, talented, but still naive, and yet knew very well how to use her valuable beauty assets to trap bees (men).
First infatuation on poor Rose, was by her internship boss (her brother’s friend) who is already engaged and planned to marry a long term girlfriend. He fell head over heels, one-sided love, thinking that Rose will reciprocate his love. He became a scumbag to loser, who broke off his marriage, lost his job and yet he pursued Rose. She openly rejected him, humiliated him and also gave a strong advice to his fiancé. Although many viewers felt he is dislikable because of his betrayal to his fiancé, but I felt he couldn’t help himself, as he is like a fly attracted to lights and willing to die for it. In the story his life destroyed and has to go back to his hometown to start over but he claims he could never forget Rose, a rather self delusional love.

Rose actual love line began with these three other guys that cross paths in Rose’s Journey of life.
Rose first love, Eric, self-centred, narcissistic, self-confident and successful. Their relationship was fiery, intense, passionate and impulsive but ended quickly as he will never prioritize love over his own goals. Through him, Rose was truly hurt but she learnt the important of self-respect and who she wants to be.
Then came along the convenient second guy, Fang Xie Wen. Most hated by viewers because of his character flaws and terrible mother, played by Lin Geng Xin, he did such a great job that many hate him. When he chased Rose, he was self sacrificing and persuasive, not even sure Rose love him but she was at this phase of her life looking for stability. So he proposed and she marries. But not realizing her husband
is the most narrow-minded man, holds a male chauvinistic view with strong insecurity and tends to put a fake front. When Rose marries, she was in a phase of looking for stability, I always doubted that she loves him wholeheartedly but she marries him, thinking it was the right thing to do. Subsequently, Rose became like ‘a frozen rose’, preserved or kept alive in a glass’ without natural sun and breath of live. Rose tried to be a good housewife and mother, that’s where she started to discover her husband’s flaws, his selfishness, insecurity kept her trapped. A struggle that many women fear to do, she made a courageous decision to divorce and fight for her daughter’s custody.
Finally, she met the third guy, played by the actor Wallace, in the show, he is her soulmate, most similar and aligned to Rose’s personality.
But it’s also the saddest part of the story and the peak as well as a turning point of her change and growth. I shall not provide too much spoiler but we all knew it ended because the guy has a terminal illness but their love is the most profound, intimate, an strong emotional connection which every women would long to have.
Although the story ended with possibility of a last younger guy that came into her life, we don’t know as Rose wouldn’t need love to live her life to the fullest.
Our Rose has learnt acceptance of life and letting go.
She develops her true potential in her career and becomes a successful person, living a carefree life and embracing the present moment.
There is also a side touching story of Rose’s brother and his love line which there were also quite a lot of exploration of theme of trauma, abusive parents etc but achieved their happy ending.
In Rose’s life, she has good friends, supportive business partners, parents, brothers who are always there for her despite her struggles.
Personally I feel that not every woman would envy what Rose has gone through but the different phases of Rose’s experience may resonate with some of us, hence this is partly a very realistic healing story. Every sadness there is hope, growth and self-discovery, we can only focus on what we can control and learnt to find the courage to let go of those we can’t. Many chicken soup type of themes, slice of life.
A good watch if you are in the mood for a melancholic journey to a positive message.

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Story: It is unrequited love for a reason, there’s a few side stories of characters who had unrequited love. For the main couple, the heroine’s love for the main lead wasn’t returned for a few years. He didn’t even notice she existed even though he talked to her once. But he liked her without knowing what she looked like. A bit confusing? Well, there was some catfishing involved. Then there’s a few side stories. There were characters whose love were unrequited at first but had happy endings, or were returned but ended in heartbreaks and some whose love wasn’t returned at all. But rest assured, the main couple had a happy ending.
It’s also a story about fates and destinies. How no matter how people and circumstances will try to tear you apart, eventually love will find and bind you.

Characters/Acting: I love the heroine. Firstly, she looks like a real person, not airbrushed. Someone normal
people can relate to. It was also refreshing to see a heroine who did chase the main lead first but she’s not weak and a pushover. Quite the contrary, she was strong minded, blunt at times and was never desperate for the main lead’s love. She did have to wait for him to notice her but knew when it was time to catch his attention. I also liked it that the main lead started out as this good-looking, popular and a bit well-off guy but due to his family’s circumstances, he fell from grace. But he was still the nice guy that the heroine liked. I also enjoyed the side stories and other couples. They were there to show the varying types and stages of unrequited love. Good acting too. The actress who played the heroine was quite convincing. It made me teary-eyed watching her in the 1st few episodes when she was wallowing in misery.
Music: There’s a couple of songs I liked

Will I watch it again? Definitely.

Overall: A believable story with relateable characters. Quite good actually. If you’re after dramas which has good story line and looks real visually, you’ll enjoy this.

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Compared to the other remakes, the storyline were pretty much the same. However I found myself interested more in Zhou Quan's character and the way he adapt to his new life.
I feel like this version have the best choice for music. I really like the song that played on the credits scene.
Comedy flows naturally and wasn't exaggerated
The romance were subtle and heartwarming
Cinematography were eye pleasing

Overall it's a good watch
The only problem i have were the fighting part. I'm really sensitive with blood. And there were a lot of scenes with blood in it. So if you're uncomfortable with blood, you probably just want to skip this.

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I first saw this on a BL list, but this is not BL if anyone is wondering. There's a rather banal scene in which one of the characters pretend to be the other's boyfriend to save him from a girl's jealous boyfriend, and the boyfriend forces them to kiss to prove it. The "kiss" is obviously faked (by the actors, not the characters) and not very funny though I'm not even sure if the scene was meant to be funny.

The story, if we can call it one, is about two friends who start a business. The scenes are rather pointless. It seems to be a comedy at some points, but most of it is not funny. One scene shows some potential to be a funny satire: the scene in which the two characters play the victims on social media after being maligned by a customer. However, the potential is not fulfilled.

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Huh, so that’s what consistency in a period drama feels like...

Occasionally you’ll come across a series that’s so unique in terms of quality, yet for reasons it shouldn’t be the case. The Wind Blows From Longxi is a comparatively short drama that succeeds in everything it goes for, that most period dramas these days fail to.

Now before i get into a overview for those that are interested in trying the series without spoilers , a forewarning. TWBFL isn’t for those that aren’t a fan of dramas not trying to grip their audience immediately with bright and vibrant colors, doll like characters, straightforward beginnings, or the trendy dynamic pacing that you regularly see in other series. You’re thrown into a gritty, detailed period setting that takes its time to draw in the viewers at a steady pace with its bold narration and realistic characters that are brung to life by both the great cast selection and airtight writing surrounding their background and motivations.


Wind Blows From Longxi doesn’t hold your hand with simplified explanations nor one layered characters. Which may leave some confused given the seemingly large cast you have to get accustomed to within a 24 episode span. Everyone has a purpose, many having 2-3 faces to achieve their true goals that are revealed over time. But fret not! One of the underrated strengths this series has is the very helpful, humorous, yet repetitive recaps at the end of each episode to assist viewers with staying aware of everything that’s going on that are both told and sometimes not easily shown to viewers that aren’t used to the hidden details and agendas. And ofc it’s optional, if you don’t need any clarification or refreshers you’re more than welcome to skip over them with no effects on your viewing experience.

You’re given a spy story that naturally becomes the focus in a relatively short span after being shown the cause of later occurrences in this drama. Keeping you on the edge of your seat with great fight choreographies, thrilling backed into a corner moments where your intelligence and quick thinking is your only friend, hidden agendas, betrayal, along with its fair share of sudden heart wrenching moments.

The gorgeous,dark, very still cinematography is one of the strongest aspects of this drama, buuut can also be one of it’s weak aspects depending on the viewer. Backgrounds rarely bares the light needed for some to see exactly what’s going on at times, which can become quite bothersome depending on the devices used to watch. An aspect i can for sure say is the weakest that this drama bears is the BGM. Not once, but several times over the course of these 24 episodes the BGM is blasting when it isn’t needed, as if they’re trying to distract you from what’s actually going on in front of you, which is weird...because that isn’t the case, yet it’s there, just to be there? Some times not even matching with the tone of the current scenes that are happening. When some scenes are way better off dead silent or subtle, the bgm rumbles. You become used to it over a few episodes, making you unaware of how often they’re constantly slinging tracks behind the scenes that can break your immersion. Luckily, this is the weakest aspect of this drama. Oh, and there’s Angelababy.. uh yeah.

The Wind Blows From Longxi is likely to be a hidden gem as time past from it not catering to what period drama audiences are now used to and favor , causing many to rather be uninterested in trying out or dropping. What i can say is that for those(like me) that still prefer a well written story with a much more serious tone at a realistic steady pace, The Wind Blows from Longxi is a beautifully handled drama that is most certainly a must try at the very least.

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Korean comedy and I don't get along, and more than fifty episodes of comedy was daunting at the start.  But if you're willing to put in some time and effort to get to know the characters of WHTMF and make it through the comedy scenes, I think you'll be rewarded.  I definitely was.  I realized afterward that the comedy was a good balance to the heavy the drama held for later.

Story
We all get distracted with school, work, romance, dramas...it's so easy to do.  We lose sight of the good things life gives us in favor of the stresses, and WHTMF captured the story of a broken family too preoccupied with those stresses to realize how broken they are.  Kang Shim and Kang Jae dedicated their lives to their careers and Dal Bong searched in vain for acceptance yet wasn't willing to put in the effort to focus.  Soon Bong believed coddling his children in their selfish desires was better than confronting them about their mistakes and neglect.  Sul Hee was more concerned with media image than giving her son what he needed, not to mention the supporting cast and their own list of troubles.  They all pushed aside the idea of family in one way or another, some much more stubbornly than others.

The only reason I wasn't able to give this section full marks is because there was a significant focus on comedy, and I have a hard time enjoying korean comedies these days.  Other than that, I enjoyed every bit of seeing the characters evolve.  The writer blended in the shorter side stories with the overarching plot well, and it all revolved around one message:  Life is unpredictable, and we must take each moment to appreciate each other and what we’ve been given.  WHTMF had quite a few heavy moments, but it balanced them with comedy and a focus on the positive.

Acting/Cast
The standout in this drama was the cast.  The story only struck home the way it did because of the acting.  Park Hyung Sik especially proved himself as a versatile actor with the delicate emotional scenes as well as that signature Korean comedy.  The seasoned actors also had strong performances, especially Yoo Dong Geun.  I will have a hard time seeing him as anyone besides the genuine, bespectacled Cha Soon Bong that danced to the radio in his tofu shop each day.

Some of the characters in the drama will test you, and it was surprising how vicious they got.  One character especially was so heartless that I swore during the drama that I would never forgive the things they did.  How could they be so mean?!  But the weight of regret they carried when the day of reckoning eventually came was enough for me by the end, and I embraced the cast as a whole.  It was a journey, sometimes arduous and frustrating, but worth it.  I encourage you to watch this if you are in the mood for a heartwarming story about an imperfect family needing a push in the right direction to find togetherness and healing.

Music
It isn’t very often that you hear a drama ost from an aged voice such as Choi Baek Ho, and I loved it!  I also loved Yozoh’s lighter counterbalance.  The choices the music director made were perfect for the drama plot and characters equally, and they heightened my emotions at the right times.

Rewatch Value
Parts of this are very rewatchable, though I don’t know if I would commit to rewatching the entire thing any time soon.  It was light, but it was also extremely heavy.

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Kind Of Felt Like Thai Dairy Industry Propaganda, But Cute

This movie is actually four overlapping stories. They all take place in and around a dairy farm in Chiang Mai. I know some Thai, but was really scratching my head through most of this movie because of the Isaan dialect. Thankfully pretty much all Thai movies in theaters have English subtitles and Thai subtitles for the Thais who don't understand Isaan.

The movie was pretty cute. The way it all tied together at the end kind of made me wonder if the movie was being funded by dairy industry lobbyists or something. The movie is basically four stories, milk --> cheese --> delivery of cheese --> cheesecake, and then has this corny ending monologue about all the love that goes into the process of producing the final cheesecake. It was a fun time and had a very indie vibe to it. It's also super gay.

First story: Two girls play music to make cows happy so they'll produce more milk (friendship... or maybe more?).

Second story: A hostel owner also runs cheese making classes and uses the milk from the cows in the first story to make cheese with a stressed out Bangkok office worker (suspiciously non-hetero).

Third story: A delivery girl getting into drama with a high school ex looking to hitch a ride to the train station while delivering the cheese from the second story (pretty gay, but sad).

Fourth story: A small cake shop owner starts teaching her annoying neighbour how to bake (very, very gay).

If you're in Thailand, I would definitely recommend seeing it. It's a very cute, feel-good movie and very few other people seem to be watching it, so there's a good chance you can get the theater all to yourself. I paid for deluxe, but sat in VIP hehehe.

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Mostly I watch dramas to fill up my free time and feed myself with a dose of romace, comedy or thrill of emotion. This time, for all those 10 hours I've had that weird feelings of unease, pity and anger. But don't get me wrong... These are feeling you definitely should have while watching "Haha ni naru".

This drama is not something easy to watch. We follow the story of a married couple, whose son is kidnapped at the age of 3. Nine years later they find out, that their child is alive and was raised by another woman. Couple have him back but as you probably can tell, it's not easy for anyone to adapt to this situation.

At some points while watching "Haha ni naru" I was screaming with anger. All I was thinking was that I want to get into my TV and punch some of those people in the face. But it's not because drama was bad or actors was awful. It's because it was good enough to make me feel emotions of characters and put myself in their place. Even though I don't really understand some of their choices, what made me sad and angry at the same time.

"Haha ni naru" is really good drama. It's not something you will have fun and lots of laugh with but it's something really worth watching. If only because of excellent Sawajiri Erika and Koike Eiko.

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In friendship, age has no bar.

"If we only accept pretty things, then this whole town will be wiped out, won't it?"

Let's go karaoke is a random slice-of-life movie where you meet two bizarre yet perfect combination of characters in a questionable wholesome situation. A 40yr old yakuza Kyouji asks a 14yr old choir boy Satomi to teach him “how to sing”. After reading the synopsis you would expect a scary looking yakuza threatening a timid school boy to get what he wants. But in reality it's the opposite. How? That's for you to discover.

The movie is pretty much about the adolescent boy teaching him how to sing and founding himself in unusual situations with scary yakuza members. The absurdity of the whole plot is the juxtaposition of scary yakuza image and them taking karaoke singing competition so seriously like their life depends on it. Thanks to this film I found another banger “Kurenai” >.<
The bgm and hilarious singing adds up to it.
It's only possible for Japan to deliver this kind of unique plot. Throughout the film you watch two mismatched people come closer and forming a bond. Both the actors skillfully depicted the intricate emotions of their distinct characters.

I'm that type of person who reads the manga/webtoon first before diving into the series/movies. The mangaka, Yama Wayama has my heart and soul. Her art style is just my type. I read and watched “Captivated by you” long ago which I absolutely adored it but sadly was unaware of this manga. The way she combined and delivered all the essence of characters in panels is just phenomenal.

Definitely recommend them, both the one-shot manga and its lovely adaptation.

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Interesting story, mediocre execution.

This is a light-hearted xianxa with lots of funny moments, limited angst and overall good acting. The story idea was interesting and different from a lot of other dramas, but the execution was rather conventional and uninspired. The quality of the script changes (drops) throughout the thirty episodes:
The first half is quite entertaining with an interesting story. The next ten episodes feel like several scriptwriters each wanted to pull the drama in different directions and the logic and coherence between what is said one moment and 2hat happens the next goes completely out of the window.
For instance, in one scene we are told the ML/FL needed to hurry back to their sect using their flying skills, only to see them frolicking through the woods without a care in the world and obviously in no hurry at all.
In another scene the ML is supposed to have lost all his magic skills, yet he can still fly…
The last five episodes were dreadfully boring and brim-ful of fillers.
The ending was kind of ok, I’ve seen a lot worse in other xianxia, but I didn’t find it emotionally engaging. Maybe after being so bored by the previous episodes I’ve lost all empathy for the main couple.
The acting by the main cast was quite good and the only reason why I managed to finish this. This type of role seems to suit Alen Feng much more that the stiff characters he usually plays.

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Really sweet story, it's not giving much away to say it's a "triangle" story based on misunderstandings - a typical BL format. My rating for story is based on how it's handled. Touching love scenes. The boys are tops in the eye candy department. Plus why do you always feel sorry for the one causing the problems? There's a very nice comic episode too. Not sure the bit tacked on at the end adds much, but that's my opinion. It's relatively short but probably just right to fit in all the ingredients and hold interest with no padding. If you're a sucker for sweet stories, cute boys and with happy endings, watch it!!

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No...

The reason I decided to watch the drama is the casts; Mark(Love by Chance and The Stranded), Boun(Until We Meet Again) and Praew(Hormones 3). However, Boun died Ep.2 and then Praew died Ep.3, so I kept watching only for Mark. Without him, I think I must have dropped for sure.

At the first few episodes, the story made me thrilled and excited. I was curious what’s going to happen next, even though I knew I won’t be able to see Boun and Praew anymore. The bully scene at Ep.1 was really cruel, and there are also lots of creepy and scary scenes in this drama. But I think it’s ok because the concept of this drama needs like these scenes.

What disappointed me was the latter half of the storyline. Suddenly, it went too fast, especially at Ep.8(the last episode), and some of the scenes didn’t make sense at all. Some scenes continued too long without changing sets which was kinda boring to me. And Kaownah...where had you gone? He should have be given more time to appear.

But setting that all aside, all of the cast really did a great job, that just sucked me in. And I love the opening theme tune, it matches the story.

(Sorry for my poor English TT)

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