This review may contain spoilers
choppy editing, too rushedit started good actually, but after 10 mins, it becomes a mess. some of the characters just pass by here and there. no development whatsoever.
i wish this was a drama instead. because a lot of things need to be explained better.
i mean EX and JX grow up as siblings. but after years of separation they fall i love? that last twist of illness? who did EX got married to?
the music was good, but it wasn't anything memorable.
I watch this for ZLS and i don't regret it. she did great with her role. but i really don't like the storyline.
Was this review helpful to you?
BEST SERIES EVER!
I can assure this is the best series, not just in bl category but all kind of series! I've fallen in love since the first episode. This series is not a cliche type of drama with cringey sweet moments that are unrealistic.They show a real plot, situation, emotions and story. There's nothing to complain about this series it's a perfection, a piece of art.
The acting, cinematography, color scheme, edits, songs, all of it is on point. All the actors succeed to show and potray their characters beautifully.
Was this review helpful to you?
The acting truly stands out because we have no filler music in the background. We hear everything that Michiru does. We have a similar sensory experience with her as we try to determine if she really does know if Akihiro is there. Tanaka and Chen are amazing as they draw us into that house. I nearly forgot I was watching a movie.
Like all mysteries the start is vague and we slowly get to piece together the ending. The tone is warm and comforting even if Akihiro is in the house with her. It's obvious he's not a threat because he goes out of his way to be invisible.
I know I would watch it again because it's a message that is uplifting and positive. All you need is one person to understand you to live well. You could say it's romance but it's mostly about acceptance.
Was this review helpful to you?
The main characters were very mature in their romance and relationship. They respected eachother and had deep trust and faith in eachother. There were no tantrums or egotistical stubbornness. While both had a secondary "love interest" the main characters drew clear boundaries towards them. I loved that as I find it incredibly frustrating when the main characters are totally oblivious and lead their friend on or hurt their romantic partner by not prioritizing their feelings. Especially the male lead was very impressive and level headed. He wasn't a brute or overly jelaous though he did like teasing the female lead at times ^^ The female lead was a a bit more cliche nice girl but had a lot of charm and had her own charm.
The humour was ok - not over the top but not laugh out loud either. All in all it was a very sweet, tender and mature (not in the R rated sense ;) drama that I would definitely recommend. Especially if you just want something to watch that makes you feel good without much angst or stupidity. The only weakness was that it didn't really have any magnetic feature. I mean, the thing that makes your heart pound and makes you unable to stop watching. However I really don't mind as this was a truly refreshing drama :D
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A sweet short about living life to the fullest
Scifi has been relatively dark genre lately so it's nice to see a sweeter story for once. Joan's Galaxy poses the question of how knowledge of your lifespan may affect your outlook on life and how you use your time. It's answer is a little sentimental but it's nice enough for a special.The real draw of this episode is the developing relationship between two women placed at the forefront. Genuinely cute, funny, and beautiful, I loved every minute they were on screen. It's not explicitly gay but about as subtle as bat to the face. I also loved the emphasis on doing little things that make you happy right now, like dancing in the rain or drinking coffee.
It is however, plagued with the issues that come with shoving several sci-fi concepts and world-building into a 50 minute special: infodumping and mildly pretentious moments. Worth noting that the discrimination aspect between N's and C's is relatively background and remained subtle, but effective enough.
Regarding the ending (SPOILERS AHEAD):
Scifi always poses a question and usually tries to answer it to some extent. The thesis here lies somewhere between "Live life to your fullest because you don't know how long you've got" and "It's best not to know how long you've got so you can live your life to the fullest". It's muddled and sentimental but it works well enough. In context though, it does gloss over one's right to know their own medical history a bit.
While it's foreshadowed several times their time together will be fleeting (and should be appreciated all the more for it), it was also mildly disappointing to have Jo-an and Yi-oh cut off contact completely.
Was this review helpful to you?
THIS SERIES DESERVES MORE SERIOUSLY!!!
okay hear me out, this is gonna be my first time reviewing because I just can't seem to stop myself like, you really need to watch this!!!! like i swear, everything is just so perfect!!! (well, the only thing I hate is how short every episode there is, but hey we have a season 2 heh) some may say that the story is cliche, but meh, we just really need something to make us feel that fluttering feelings that some (i'm talking about myself lol) doesn't experience in their real life hahahacan we also talk about the actors? their chemistry is INSANE!!! omg!!! kudos to the production for casting the perfect actors!! (Sam and Yu is perfect *insert heart eyes*)
THE OST IS SO GOOD! I've downloaded the all the songs and I keep playing it before I sleep hahaha
what I'm trying to say is that you NEED to watch this and if you won't, seriously, what's wrong with you? lol
Was this review helpful to you?
Romeo & Juliet in ancient China with a side of political intrigue
A gripping tale about feuding families, power struggles, and an unlikely love story. Think Romeo & Juliet in ancient China with a side of political intrigue. Except instead of love at first sight and a secret romance, we have an arranged marriage and a slow transition from enemies to lovers.One character comments that marriage is all about mind games, and that’s certainly how the leads’ dynamic starts out. There’s mistrust and manipulation, and both are constantly on guard against each other. Equally matched in intelligence, their battle of wits is compelling to watch.
Wei Shao is quick-tempered, vengeful, and determined to keep his hate burning for the Qiao family, who he blames for the deaths of his grandfather, father, and brother. But the look on his face when he sees his future bride, Xiao Qiao, for the first time at the end of episode 1 (a great bit of acting from Liu Yu Ning) makes it clear from the start that he’s not completely immune to her charms.
His attitude pretty quickly shifts from “I don’t like her, but nobody else can mistreat her either” to reluctantly admiring her courage, cleverness, and consideration. As a man of war who often struggles to express himself, he’s a little dense when it comes to women and romance, but he eventually comes around.
Xiao Qiao, also called Manman, is a petite woman with a soft little voice, but looks can be deceiving — more than just a pretty face, she also has a sharp mind and iron will and can be cunning or fierce when she needs to be. Her brilliant ideas save the day more than once, and the two of them make quite the power couple.
Song Zu Er shows a lot of range as the female lead (especially compared to some of her other leading roles in contemporary dramas like “Cupid’s Kitchen” and “Legally Romance”), alongside Liu Yu Ning as the male lead. I haven’t seen him in anything else, but would look for his work based on the strength of his performance here. Playing a character who keeps his feelings to himself, he says a lot with just a furrowed brow or flash of a smile.
Liu Duan Duan (a familiar face from “The Rebel Princess”) playing Wei Shao’s wastrel cousin is also a standout role. His outwardly frivolous personality hides deep emotions and pain, and he does an excellent job with a complex and conflicted character.
At 36 episodes, the series never drags, blending family and political drama, action (that’s surprisingly violent in places), and a slow-burn romance. The leads’ relationship is paced perfectly considering all they have to overcome to be together. Aside from great performances from the cast and a well-written story, “Prisoner of Beauty” also offers beautiful costumes, a lovely orchestral score, and an ending that’s both happy and bittersweet. It’s one of the best historical dramas I’ve seen — not quite a 10 for me, because I don’t think I’d rewatch it, but certainly a quality production and an absorbing story.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
This is not ISWAK 2.0. ISWAK was my favorite adaptation of the manga/anime, but this is a great adaptation! I love the casting. Esther Wu is absolutely adorable, and Dino Lee plays a GREAT Zhi Shu. I literally fell in love with each of the characters in this adaptation. I also like the special twists they added to this story - the Old Lunar Tree and the significance behind Yue Qin's name. Yes, Yue Qin's character is pretty ridiculous...but that goes for the character in ALL of the adaptations - the character of Kotoko is just like that. I really enjoyed how we really got to see Zhi Shu's feelings develop for Yue Qin, and I feel like we were able to get into his head a bit more compared to other adaptations.
I would recommend this to anyone who has an open mind and to anyone who isn't going to criticize this for not being ISWAK 2.0. Whether or not you compare this to other adaptations, this is overall a wonderful drama. Great production, great cast.
I prefer the second part of the story compared to the first, so I AM DYING for a second season. Fingers are definitely crossed.
Was this review helpful to you?
The story is one of Ryo - a young, intelligent student who would rather work as a bartender than attend university. He's handsome so can easily attract female, sexual partners but he finds women boring and sex with them ritualistic. When his friend, who is an escort at a hosts bar introduces him to the female boss of a high-class host bar, she encourages him to profit from getting a deeper understanding of women and their desires. The exposure catapults Ryo to the top of the escort game and the story has a slightly episodic tone to it, with the various women he meets and ultimately has sex with each wanting or needing something slightly different from Ryo and as he learns to fulfil those needs, his earning potential as well as his own enjoyment in his new-found profession significantly increases.
This movie has multiple sex scenes that leave nothing to the imagination so take heed of the 18+ rating associated to it but they are all necessary to the story as what is really being demonstrated here is the deep-rooted psychological complexity of our leading man and how his clients, in their situations and with their individual needs change his thinking.
Which leads us nicely onto how well the various actors and actresses fared. Very well is the answer and although it's not a particularly difficult story to tell, there are at least 2 or 3 character studies within this movie that wouldn't be anywhere near as good without the actors doing their parts so well.
I probably would re-watch this because of the behaviourial, psychological aspects that whilst not easily missed, could potentially be mis-construed so watching it at least once more would help and given I watched a subbed version, I think some things can literally become lost in translation so I might try and watch another version to see if meaning or interpretation changes.
Whether it does or not, I cannot recommend this film highly enough.
Was this review helpful to you?
Next time I'll put a bucket near my computer because man... I cried.
I can honestly say that this was one of the most terrible movies I've seen. I can't even remember why I decided to watch this. It broke my heart and felt so real I could barely believe that this was a movie. The childern in the movie are so young but it didn't feel like they were acting.
It haunted me the days after, I just couldn't get it out of my head.
I absolutely can't say I enjoyed this movie because the story is just horror, but it was portrayed well by the cast. I'm not even sure my vocabulary has words to describe this movie. The music was perfect for the setting of the movie.
I suggest you carefully think about watching this movie beforehand, because I can say I've seen weird/crazy things but this tops all. This movie is not for everyone. If you can't handle stories about child molesting etc. please don't watch it. You'll feel terrible afterwards.
Was this review helpful to you?
(Beware though, because the whole Jae Hee/Ma Ru fiasco might just drive you nuts, and the ending is ever so slightly disappointing.)
However, whilst Innocent Man appears to be an external drama - with the plot affecting the characters - at its core it's an intensely internal drama. Typical outward gestures are turned on their heads because the audience doesn't actually know if these outward gestures are sincere are not. This is especially the case with Kang Ma Ru - whose own personal struggles make it difficult for him to even realise his own sincerity. It is definitely incredibly difficult to discern whether one should be rooting for him or not which causes huge amount of internal conflict and drama. I guess that's part of the reason why Innocent Man is so good - the internal and external conflict bounce off of each other, with plot driving the characters and vice versa.
The main highlight of the drama was definitely the cast. We've got three very brilliantly written, troubled and complicated characters. A fail performance could ruin them. But that didn't happen; instead we got nuanced performances from all three actors who convincingly portrayed the highs and lows of these multi-faceted characters.
However, special mention goes to SONG JOONG KI who was absolutely - excuse my foul language - fucking fantastic as the engima that is Kang Ma Ru. His performance never faltered. Song managed to captivate Kang Ma Ru's character development in way that is just unimaginably perfect. He IS Kang Ma Ru the naive genius who is head-over-heels in love with his noona. He IS Kang Ma Ru the tortured, embittered and selfish player who'll do anything for revenge. Song doesn't even need to speak to convey the emotions or state of thought that Ma Ru is in - one can just see it if they are to look into his eyes. I can't even imagine any other actor being able to successfully play a role as complex as Kang Ma Ru (who is a genius that actually feels like a genius throughout the whole show, although that has more to do with the skill of the writer rather than the actor. But, then again, SJK is a genius himself). It's probably a career defining performance for Song Joong Ki.
Innocent Man is a polished and sophisticated drama that draws you in with its unpredicatable, fast-paced and addictive plot. The leads may messed up to the highest degrees, but they're compelling and human - the performances successfully captivate the sheer complexity of the characters, allowing the audience to believe that such people could exist in real life (no matter how unrealistic their situations are).
P.S. I watched Innocent Man in one sitting. Me, who never misses sleep, missed sleep for this and boy do I have no regrets.
Was this review helpful to you?
Not only about moving on but also about having aspiration and finding inspiration
Though there are drama and fantasy, the film is pure in its core. All emotions the story wants you to feel are all here. That and great pieces of music made me cherish this film.It’s also worth to mention, everything presented on the screen is well-though-out. Sure, the story is touching plus, the actors are great. But the transition from one scene to another; not to mention, to a different emotion and season as time pass by is breathtaking.
A perfect example is, the shadow formed when our main character Kubota Sota played by Kitamura Takumi handed the tape to Murase Kana played by Kubota Sayu at night.
I truly love that one and some other shots. Everything about this film made me look back at my college days. Which reminds me, I NEED A SPOTIFY PLAYLIST!
If you get the chance to catch Our 30-Minute Sessions (2020), please do watch it. Though the storyline of possessing a body to interact with the people you left is not new, I can guarantee this film gives you more than an unfinished business that needs to be solved.
Our 30-Minute Sessions (2020) is not only about moving on but also about having aspiration and finding inspiration.
Was this review helpful to you?
loses itself in cheap writing
I genuinely hate to say this, but any and all hopes for jafirst getting a good series were gone within the first episodes. the acting was fine. in fact, I thought bosston did incredible for finally giving us a gay role. the issue is the writing and I feel like a broken record, but Thailand really is losing in this aspect of the industry.this series came off so terrible, I couldn’t stop thinking it was just pulled off some 13yr olds wattpad. there were moments where punn gave us some seriousness and showed real maturity, there was also some growth for some characters, but it was all so minimal it doesn’t help the series. also, the doctor and ming?? their scenes would’ve been better if they didn’t follow every nasty trope. they were set up for failure and it sucks because I liked their chemistry.
the managers constantly going at each other was what ruined the show for me too. there were scenes about the exploitation some actors face, but genuinely, why?? it was just thrown into the mix for what felt like no reason.
anyway, I finished this just to finish it. jafirst, I love them to death, but this series is one of the worst this year. it managed to not only hold back their chemistry, but also their talents. I can only hope we get them in another series that’s written by people that know what they’re doing with one of the best chemistry pairings that are genuinely not afraid to go above and beyond.
Was this review helpful to you?
NON-SPOILER SUMMARY - On Children is very similar to Black Mirror, except re-contextualized to address the problems of Asian society and the over-prevalent competitive and stress culture present there. It is an anthology series of 5 episodes, each clocking in at around 90 minutes, so I wouldn't recommend binge watching (especially given how heavy each episode is).
STORY - A++. The story is slow but meaningfully paced and is seemingly absent of obvious plot holes. Each episode focuses on similar yet different problems with the way Asian society treats the kids of the future as little more than their grade-point averages. What puts this drama above and beyond (hence the A++) is how each episode manages to give out their own critique; it goes beyond expectations of being "just good art" and actually tries to send home a message for each episode.
CHARACTERS/ACTING - Nearly flawless. This is the most talented ensemble of actors/actresses I've seen, given just how much range and difficulty each main character in the episode undergoes. Because they don't focus on more characters than they have to, you really get to spend time with the actor/actress behind the character and see them spectacularly deliver a wide spectrum of subtle emotions.
My biggest "flaw" with the show was the pacing. Because On Children focuses heavily on the cinematic/artistic parts of sending home their messages, there's a lot of "empty/dead space" void of dialogue where it's often just shots of some background, and while I do appreciate it for its artistic value, I do think ~10 minutes can be cut off from each episode and still no scenes of dialogue/importance would be cut.
For those who are curious, my rankings of the episodes are EP2=EP4>EP1>EP3>EP5.
Was this review helpful to you?
Recent Discussions
-
-
Link to the novel someone ?44 minutes ago -
Kdrama eomcom where mothers DOES NOT die54 minutes ago
-
KPOP: Multi-stan Fan Club59 minutes ago -
Shadow Love Full OST with ENG SUBS + LYRICS1 hour ago
