Reviews

Si la vida te da mandarinas hay que compartirlas :)

Empecé esta serie con mucha ilusión, atraído no solo por la bella y nostálgica estética de épocas pasadas que prometía, sino por la mera idea de seguir, capítulo a capítulo, el inexorable flujo del tiempo en la vida de una persona. La propuesta me parecía tan fascinante como aterradora, porque intuía que no sería un simple drama, sino un reflejo íntimo de la vida misma, con toda su belleza y su peso.

La historia nos presenta a Oh Ae-sun, una joven de campo cuya vida está marcada por la modestia y la resiliencia desde el principio. A su lado, como un pilar inquebrantable, está su fiel enamorado, Yang Gwang-sik. Juntos, se embarcan en la aventura más hermosa y, a la vez, más realista que puede existir: construir una familia. Lo que más me atrapó fue la honestidad con la que muestran esa construcción. No hay atajos ni milagros; es una lucha constante contra las dificultades económicas y los desafíos emocionales, donde cada pequeño avance, cada sacrificio compartido, se siente como una victoria auténtica y conmovedora.

Si tuviera que destacar el punto más fuerte de la serie, sin duda sería el vínculo realista entre padres e hijos. Mientras que el amor entre Ae-sun y Gwang-sik tiene ese halo romántico y casi idílico, es en la relación con sus hijos donde la narrativa alcanza una universalidad abrumadora. Ahí es donde conectamos de verdad, más allá de un amor idealizado. Vemos un amor real, terrenal, lleno de conflictos no dichos, de expectativas frustradas, de silencios cargados de preocupación y de esos momentos de conexión pura que lo redimen todo. Es el retrato más honesto de la dinámica familiar que he visto en mucho tiempo.

El elenco, simplemente, es perfecto para esta historia, IU realiza un doble papel deslumbrante. No solo da vida a la joven y temperamental Ae-sun, sino también a su hija adulta, Yang Geum-myeong. Su actuación está llena de matices; logra crear dos mujeres que, compartiendo rasgos, son profundamente diferentes, encapsulando a la perfección esa mezcla de herencia y rebeldía que define a madres e hijas. Moon So-ri, como la Ae-sun madura, es el alma serena de la serie. Transmite una calidez profundamente arraigada, una sensibilidad que ha sido templada por los años, y todos los conflictos silenciosos de una mujer que ha puesto su vida en pausa por los suyos. Y Park Hae-joon, como el Gwang-sik adulto, continúa con una delicadeza impresionante el legado de Park Bo-gum, manteniendo ese temple tranquilo y esa sensibilidad, pero añadiéndole las arrugas de la experiencia y una paciencia que solo da el amor de toda una vida.

Podría extenderme sobre más actuaciones secundarias brillantes y escenas de una qué te llenan el alma. Pero si algo me llevo en el corazón de "Cuando la vida te da mandarinas", es el viaje de madurez de Oh Ae-sun. Presenciar su transformación es un regalo para mi como espectador. Verla pasar de una joven algo caprichosa, limitada por sus circunstancias, a una mujer que ha aprendido a encontrar gratitud en lo cotidiano, es un proceso que disfrute muchisimo. Aprende a arriesgarse, a apoyar incondicionalmente al esposo que siempre fue su roca, y, lo más difícil, a aceptar la vida tal como vino: con su osxuridad y su luz. Su gesto final no es de derrota, sino de suprema aceptación. Es dejar ir sin amargura, solo para poder volver la mirada y contemplar, con felicidad todo lo que ha vivido.

Esta serie para mi no fue un simple huracán de emociones; fue más bien como una marea, constante y serena. No te golpea sin mas, te envuelve. Te invita a observar, a reflexionar y, quizás, a apreciar un poco más el lento y valioso transcurso de los días en nuestra propia vida.

Después de todo, así es la vida. Y esta serie tiene la rara virtud de contarlo sin adornos, con una verdad que, al final, resulta profundamente reconfortante.

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A very chaste Japanese BL with two great leads

PLOT: Because of a name with a heart on an eraser, Aoki (Michieda Shunsuke) confesses his feelings to Ida (Meguro Ren). Ida is surprised but decides to think about it. Over time, Aoki truly falls in love with Ida, who eventually agrees to be a couple. But these two love novices have many obstacles to overcome.

+++ A funny, subtle, and very cute CL with Michieda Shunsuke and Meguro Ren. The emotional bonds are strong and well-expressed, but romance and physical expression are lacking.
+++ Talented actors and endearing characters (some almost caricatured "in the Japanese style").
+++ Fast-paced direction and a story that portrays the trials of first love quite well.

### Very Japanese style OSTs
### Not even a kiss :(

=> Cute series, but a little frustrating.
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BL japonaise très chaste, avec 2 great leads

PLOT: A cause d'1 nom et d'1 coeur sur une gomme, Aoki (Michieda Shunsuke) se déclare à Ida (Meguro Ren). Celui-ci est surpris, mais décide d'y réfléchir. Avec le temps, Aoki tombe vraiment amoureux de Ida, qui finit par accepter de se mettre en couple. Mais ces 2 novices en amour ont bien des obstacles à surmonter.

+++ Un CL drôle, subtile, très cute avec Michieda Shunsuke et Meguro Ren. Les liens affectifs sont forts et bien exprimés, mais le romantisme et l'expression physique sont absents.
+++ Des acteurs de talent et des personnages attachants (certains presque caricaturaux "à la japonaise").
+++ Réalis° rythmée & story qui décrit assez bien les affres du 1er amour.

### OSTs très très nipponnes
### Même pas un bisou :(

=> Mignon, mais un rien frustrant.

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i really liked this!! it was so fluffy and cute

main characters areadorable together !! the casting is immaculate. both are so good looking on their own and they suit each other soo well
i love how gu xuejie remained dedicated to her goals and didn't allow romance to lead her astray the second time around, but rather allowed it to further her progress. lin zhihua was the biggest green flag ever and treated her so well!! the pacing felt very natural and i loved seeing them fall for each other. i really enjoyed the studying aspect as well, it motivated me to et to work :)
the only thing i disliked was the shiyun plotline. halfway through i just started entirely skipping all her scenes. very veryyy unsuccessful revamp
though the ending was rushed, i thoroughly enjoyed the entire series, hence the 8/10

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Even though it’s not perfect, I really enjoyed this series. It tackled heavy, complex themes that you rarely see in BLs. But while it raised serious issues, instead of digging into them with real depth, it left those dilemmas more as background for the romance. Still, despite its flaws, the show won me over and moved me.

The JaTae chemistry honestly surprised me in the best way, as did the way they brought Saint and Ice to life. Saint is calm and serene, while Ice is a whirlwind of emotions. And even though they’re complete opposites, that’s exactly what made their romance work. Saint is the emotional stability and affection Ice needs to heal, while Ice is the courage and determination Saint needs to finally stand up to his father.

I understand and respect that filial piety is very important in Asian culture, and that in Thailand being a good son means recognizing and repaying your parents’ kindness. But that doesn’t give a father the right to be cruel under the excuse of “protecting his child from the world.” That excuse is getting old and honestly a bit tiring. I also don’t think children should accept that kind of cruelty so passively. These homophobic fathers keep getting away with it, and it’s frustrating.

That said, I was pleasantly surprised when Saint’s father admitted his mistakes and sought psychological help. That scene really touched me. The short film within the series, with Saint and Ice’s roles, also carried such an important message. Sea and Lanee won me over with their sweetness and companionship, while Mud and Book gave me full-on second couple syndrome with their cute and fun interactions.

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So Worth It

I am guilty as charged. I do complain A LOT about very short credit earned series. It's tedious. Watching so many ads to view about 15 min worth of a story. But...... this one was worth it. A simple story of bonding over basketball and a dislike for summer. Yet, this had me smiling more times than I thought I would. There were no crappy cringe scenes or unnecessary miscommunications that weren't solved as soon as it began. Thankfully not vertical.

The ml smiles automatically brightened the viewing experience and lifted the tone to not make it seem more dreary than intended. Light, introspective and concise. It's one of the good to better ones. Think Match Play. The overall vibe would leave the viewer enjoying every moment. If you don't want to spend funds to view, it will take about seven days to complete but so worth it.

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Same old same old

Almost all these series have one major flaw, the producers want far more drama in it than any common sense would allow for.
Many of them have the very same false reason for drama, which is the parents of a grown up adult dictating their children to do something they don't want to do.
Locking up an adult against their will, whether it's done by the parents or a stranger is a crime, any stranger who only hears about such a thing has to report the case to the police or else they are guilty of complicity and a single phone call to the police by anyone will get the criminal arrested.
As in many other series with similar nonsense reasons to insert drama, I started skipping forward when that kicked in, which just like in all other series with nonsense drama means it cuts out roughly 1/3 of the runtime of the series.
I do like the part before the fake drama though.

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Quite the Love Story

This was an amazing show to watch and I geuinely loved it especially the 'Gather my tears' by Seo jin-won as it was my first time hearing it...but the last 2 episodes made the show seem inconsistent

Throughout the series from episode 1-10 the show was foreshadowing and evoking the themes of a thriller murder mystery which made the show exciting and seemed to pass by quickly with each episode...but in the final 2 episodes they switched it to promote a different theme entirely, this in turn made the final 2 episodes seem so draggy and frustrating as it felt all the built up of the first 10 episodes was quickly undone in the final 2 episodes.

I guess it highlighted the serious topic of "suicide' because of the true unfortunate story of Seo Jin-Won, the artist of the song "Gather My Tears" who took his own life on January 1 1996 at the age of 19 only for his song 'Gather My Tears" to be released not that long after his death and becoming a big hit in South Korea, knowing this much the emotion pain in his song hits so much deeper

The show is worth watching but I most likely wouldn't consider this a comfort show

7.8/10

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Action with smiles and funnies

So I might be biased, bc I am a very big fan of Junho as a Hottest, but Cashero was honestly such a fun and surprisingly emotional ride. Junho stepping into a vigilante-superhero role just works for me — he brings so much sincerity to the character, especially in how the drama shows that being a good person actually costs him everything, literally draining him of money every time he tries to do the right thing. That idea alone makes the whole show feel fresh and meaningful instead of just another action drama where superheroes fight against villains
The series is packed with high-energy action, but it never forgets to be charming. (slides 50k won extra over lol) There are plenty of moments that make you laugh or smile, so so many that It actually hurt my cheeks after I finished it (I binged it), which gives the story this really nice balance between intensity and warmth. It never feels too heavy, even when things get dark. Last real big fight made me have so many feelings as well.
The villains were another highlight if I had to say so. The way the show kinda builds them up makes you think, maybe they could be good, looks at Jo Anne, only to pull the rug out from under you — that tension kept me hooked I tell you. You’re constantly questioning people’s motives. Or at least I was. LOL
But yes it's definitely worth watching if you're either a Junho fan, a fan of action, a fan of superpowers or just want to watch something else. tI felt like there was a bit for everyones tastes.
.

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This is an odd one

A couple of days ago, I watched the film “Call Me Chihiro” and really liked the actress who played the main character. So I searched for more of her work. I saw that this show was already on my Netflix watchlist and decided to watch it.

From the jump, I thought the kid was 18-19. Given the show's context, the age gap is risky but not illegal. I didn’t find out the kid was 15 until episodes 2-3. This really irked me. I know the actor playing the character was of age. It’s still fucking weird. If she had a crush, she was ashamed of it, she left, and they met years later. That, whilst still weird, would’ve been more acceptable. I thought that was how it was going to go until that beach scene. I just felt weird watching this whole drama. Everything about the show is great aside from the story, which could’ve been altered.

This show is also so inconsistent, genuinely all over the place. Characters say stuff and declare some change, and then in the next episode, they’ve changed their mind. It also feels like key scenes were cut. Characters talk about things, and it seems like the context of what they’re talking about is in a scene that didn’t make it into the show. Hell, there’s no scene where the woman’s fiancé finds out she’s interested in this school student. It just happens off-screen.

Could’ve been great. But the show’s age gap is just unforgivable, which is a shame because everything else about the show (not story-related) I really enjoyed.

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Good acting and technology but...

I finished watching The Unclouded Soul last night and while I think the cast, make up and technology are really good, the story didn’t grasp my attention as I thought it would. I think, ultimately, it’s a script problem because it uses all the tropes but not in a fun or fresh way.

Long time cdrama watchers will understand when I say this was wasted potential because, sadly, we have seen this story before over and over again. But new cdrama fans might want to give it a try and figure out if xianxia is for them, this is a good option if you haven't seen any before.

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