What an amazing series ("Taxi Driver 1,2,3")
A month has already passed since I finished watching "Taxi Driver 3", but I kept thinking that I needed to write a review, this series really deserves itHas been some years since I knew about the existence of this series and its success but reading the description of the plot and knowing that it was about revenge, I was afraid that it could be too violent and heavy, so I kept on postponing my watch, even if I was curious.
After watching some series and shows with the actor Lee Je Hoon, I understood that I couldn't ignore this show.
Now that I have finally watched it I can say that yes, of course it's not a light watch since it touches heavy issues and it does it really well (you could get really angry at some evil characters and feel even disgusted for how well everything is portrayed), but it also has funny and heart warming moments and it's definitely worth watching.
I also I think that it's not one of those series that romanticizes violence. As I said before it talks about revenge, so the "good guys" fight and punish too, but it's interesting to see the evolutions of the characters, how they grow and understand better what their ideals are.
While all of this happens, the relationship between the character becomes more clear and it's so natural. I loved all the actors and the main characters really felt like a family (I swear, maybe it's because I watched all 3 seasons one after the other and I spent a lot day in a row "with them", but I really miss them ahah)
The music contributes in creating the perfect atmosphere, at times if makes the adrenaline builds up, other times comfort you or makes you laugh
I saw some people criticize the funny moments, especially in the third series, but I personally appreciated them. There could be some moments that might look absurd, but I think they add a nice charm to the series and really makes you breath when things get too heavy.
I'm really happy and satisfied about this series
It could be a little disappointing to know that actress Esom (prosecutor Kang Hana) could not participate in season 2 and 3, but if you still haven't watched them, please don't make this stop you from continuing the series. I was a little sad too, but I really enjoyed the series from the beginning to the end
I really really recommend it
Sorry for my english, it's not my first language
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This review may contain spoilers
Second favorite drama of the year!
This drama got me laughing a lot, but also feeling a lot emotions like sadness and anger. Xiahou Dan is the true main character of the series. His character is what made the drama so good and so sad. He is one of those characters that deserve a happy ending the most.All actors did great. Plot was also entertaining and great. Ending was PERFECT. There are NOT a lot of dramas with a satisfying ending.
Rewatch value is also extremely high. Very entertaining. And the music hits at the right spots.
My only complaints are Yu Wan Yin's outfits and makeup. Some outfits were phenomenal and some really flopped. They were too modern or did not match her body well, being overdone. Her makeup did not flattering on her either. Most of the time, she looked like she's got pink-eye. But these are small things I disliked, not enough for me to rate it lower.
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Strong cast! ❤️??
Loved the female cast! Not a lot of dramas do strong female characters well and even if they're strong, they always need the male lead to save them. But all female characters had their own thoughts and solved their own problems.Fan Changyu stayed true to her character and was strong and had her own thoughts, following through with what she wanted. I also loved how Xie Zheng respected her decisions and supported her in what she wanted.
Yu Qian Qian was a very interesting character who did not let others look down on her or mistreat her. I loved her toxic love story, in contrast to the main couple, even if her male co-star was VERY toxic 😂. I was into his look but not his character.
I didn't know how to feel about the grand princess in the beginning, but I came to love her character. She did her best to step out of the constraints that restricted her in order to follow her heart and help with the nation.
For the male cast, what more do I need to say besides 🥵🥵🥵. I was surprised even the uncle was that handsome 😂 Surprisingly, I really liked Sui Yuan Qing. His chemistry with Fan Changyu REALLY stood out to me too. I want them in a drama together 😂
The kids were PHENOMENOL. They acted out their roles so well and I loved their characters very much! I also want another drama about their characters lol.
Negatives:
What made me dock points was due to the ending. The build up was very good but I felt as if the final fight was very meh. Rebellion was very short and the fight was also short with all of them fighting each other at the same time. I also had a big pet peeve, FAN CHANGYU READ THE LETTER IN FRONT OF EVERYONE. Like... that made no sense 😭 She can't even read properly no matter who teaches her. There's no way she learned how to read properly with what little time they had even if the Xie Cheng taught her. That scene really took me out of the story.
Also, what's with the final part of the last episode? They could've just made a special episode out of those scenes instead of cutting the ending short. It felt rushed. I liked it a lot, but it should've been a special episode. I didn't feel satisfied with the ending.
The ending of a drama can make or break a drama for me, no matter how good it is. Sadly, this ending didn't satisfy me. However, I did enjoy the overall plot, guessing who was good or bad, and who was on the Marquis's side.
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no stress quiet fluff with a serious topic
This is no stress quiet fluff with a serious topic.The age regression stuff was quite worrying when seen in the trailer, but they managed to pull it off really well. I usually don’t like kids in shows but the three girls actually cracked me up all the time!
The show deals with deep and serious topics in a light and colourful atmosphere, which can sometimes be confusing, but is also calming.
It’s interesting to see mental issues being addressed, directly (with Sun) and also as a side topic (with Jee’s OCD). It also deals with the importance of asking for help and the hardship of taking care of loved ones,... So every aspect of mental health issue system is addressed EXCEPT, the professional circle, which is quickly addressed at the beginning but more as a gag than really real help. And that is imo something the show missed, although I do understand that choice in terms of storyline.
Unfortunately, the show still manage to fall into the infinite pit of too easily forgiven moms. And that’s an objective statement. For Plobmek’s, but especially for Sun’s mom, its disappointing to me that a show supposedly dealing seriously with mental health conditions falls back down into overused shortcuts.
Santa is doing great at portraying a 7yo without being cringe (which is a refreshing change from P10L, ngl). He is really outdoing himself performing the switches and Perth is really looking extra good despite the weird outfits they’ve been given. Which by the way really throws me off every time.
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Pavel and Pooh absolutely nailed their performances. They went way beyond what I expected, if that’s even possible. The forensic side of the plot could’ve been developed a bit better, but honestly, it didn’t take away from the overall impact. I’d highly recommend it.
Now that it’s finally available on Netflix here, I’m enjoying rewatching it all over again 😉
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Not Bad, But Not Good
Perfect Crown starts off quite strong but gradually loses its momentum, ending up as a drama that feels more “okay” than truly memorable. It had potential in its political and palace intrigue setup, but it struggles to keep that same level of engagement throughout its run.The pacing is one of the main issues. The beginning and early middle episodes are the most engaging parts, but as the story progresses, it starts to feel slower and less interesting. The final episodes in particular don’t carry the same strength as the earlier ones, which makes the ending feel somewhat underwhelming and predictable.
Character development is also quite limited. The protagonist remains largely the same from start to finish, which makes her journey feel flat in terms of growth. Because of that, the emotional impact of her decisions never fully lands. The supporting cast and antagonist are fine and serviceable, with a convincing villain, but none of the characters truly stand out or evolve in a way that feels memorable.
The romance has a promising start, with some decent chemistry and a nice build-up early on, but it gradually loses its spark.
Production-wise, everything is decent but not particularly remarkable. The cinematography is fine, the OST is average, and nothing really stands out as a highlight. The political aspects of the story are handled competently, but they never reach a level that feels truly gripping or impactful.
Overall, Perfect Crown is a drama that starts with potential but slowly loses its strength as it goes on.
Not bad, but not good.
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A splendid drama
It's been a long time since I've seen a good drama. There has been a focus on idol and romance dramas lately with little substance. This one stands above those with it's strong acting and good story.The early plot introduces the family structure and politics, which reminded me of that standout drama, The Story of Minglan, except the FL in this case is the legitimate daughter who's in a stronger position than Minglan. She's wilful, smart, mature and she understands politics for her young age. Her wilfulness is both to her advantage and to her detriment.
The ML is introduced as a more mysterious character whose motivations are revealed over many episodes. He radiates a formidable presence, exudes a quiet intensity, strength and authority, all of which the FL initially feared. But over time, as he became drawn to her unusual characteristics, she soon realizes that he is more than just dependable.
Due to his sensitive position in court and his relationships with it's powerful members, the ML maneuvers the political tides with care to protect himself, those he cares about and also his own goals. While some dramas would glorify the ML by sending him to war that ends victoriously, the battles for the ML in this drama requires fortitude and wit.
I am halfway through and wishing the ending wasn't coming so soon.
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SKYNANI NEVER LET ME DOWN AHHHHHH
This is their second series together and MY GOD its amazing!!Ive read a bit of the novel and damn they really stuck to it all and its amazing how the story progress soo nicely
Every action and every plot makes soo much sense to happen due to how the story progress
It ensures that every part of the story doesnt just suddenly come, you can see little hints of things that will be needed to be solved episodes and chapters prior to the incident happening (theres a lot of easter eggs and mysteries you can conspires over hehe 😜)
The whole story was really well put together and really well thought, not just random sub plot put into one series
OVERALL?!?! GO WATCH IT FR YOU GUYS ARE GONNA LOVE IT!!!
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The horror of everything being filmed, with these ratings one would think that the series won at least 5 Oscars, when, however, in Asia it cannot come close to the film award
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weak plot but fun/entertaining to watch overall
its honestly a great drama. there was romance, comedy, and suspense- all of which were alright. but ofc there were some aspects which i wished they went into more depth and def some plotholes for but i mean, the actors all did well and it was fun to watch overall.i can see that the main production effort was given to the cast and the plot was somewhat interesting but lacking in many ways. execution in general was also pretty bad lol... one thing that ticked me off from start to finish was iu's nails... the nail artist needs to be fired and blacklisted asap.
i really enjoyed the romance between the second couple. it was really entertaining to watch. i've always enjoyed watching yoo soobin and lee yeon in dramas and this was no exception.
the cast's acting was just insane. gong seungyeon's acting... phew it was spectacular. and byeon wooseok (fine shyt) and iu's chemistry was through the roof! the young king was great too! such a cutie patootie
anyways, its overall a great drama tbh. nothing groundbreaking in terms of the plot but it was definitely entertaining. i can def see myself going back to rewatch certain scenes of the drama.
im not mad about it at all. if anything, i really enjoyed this drama. it doesn't deserve the hate its getting tbh. ofc, its not the best but it was fun to watch and not too stressful. a perfect romance drama to binge.
p.s. i loved the ost for this drama they were all bangers def adding to my everyday playlist
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More than what I expected.
This show was super well acted by all involved, but especially our leading men.I've watched them before, so I knew they had the acting chops to take on these roles - and I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't going to the silly-eque show it looked to be.
This show had such emotional depth and dealt with a serious subject but not in the heaviest way.
It made for a great change from the regular "meet-cute" dramas of couples coming together, to have a couple that was already established on episode one. Not only that, there was no love rival! the plotline centered solely on their past traumas.
An all around good watch.
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literally, the heart skips a beat.
AHHHHHHH where do i even begin???everything about this series is perfect. WilliamEst you have my heart. take it!
i loved how, the band was the main character in this series. the motto wasn't ThamePo falling in love, but Mars staying together.
everything else fell into place as that became a reality.
i loved how they showed each band member's position, inhibitions, fears, and reactions.
Est's acting left me crying and blushing at multiple times!!
as a one direction fan, I've known the realities of music industries and this series was really bold at calling them out. not just the people in suits but the fandom as well.
that was a BOLD move, that it isn't always the people behind the scenes that makes boy band culture like that.
overall, there is not one dull moment in this series <3
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This review may contain spoilers
Narcotics Crime, Strong Chemistry, and Frustrating Characters
Highs and Lows offers a refreshing take on TVB crime dramas by shifting its focus to the narcotics division rather than the usual murder centered investigations. This change in perspective makes the series feel different from typical police procedurals, as it explores the complexities and dangers of drug enforcement work.The story highlights the challenges faced by officers dealing with drug trafficking networks, undercover operations, and the moral pressures that come with this line of duty. Instead of relying solely on whodunit murder mysteries, the drama builds tension through drug related cases and the psychological strain placed on both law enforcement and those entangled in the drug world.
One of the strongest aspects of the series is the chemistry between Happy and Gordon. Their trust, partnership, and emotional connection make their dynamic especially compelling. As viewers, you can genuinely feel the weight of their decisions and the tension in their relationship as they navigate difficult and often dangerous situations together.
However, Helen’s character can be quite divisive. She often comes across as hypocritical and overly critical of Gordon, which can make some of her storylines frustrating to watch. For some viewers, this dynamic may have been more enjoyable with a different portrayal or a different direction for the character.
Overall, Highs and Lows stands out not only for its unique focus within the crime genre but also for its strong character relationships that add emotional depth to the intense storyline.
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Parallel world lover turned stalker
the plot of parallel worlds seemed SOOO intriguing to me, that even after seeing it fail, i was holding onto it.the acting and chemistry was top notch, as always, which makes this series watchable and enjoyable.
but there are moments when even the chemistry can't save it.
personality felt the whole plot of the revengeful family could've been avoided. it added nothing to the story.
having said that, i wish they showed more of those psychosis parallel world and 2nd Cirrus moments. they really were adding that psychological thriller feel to it! loved the ones that were already there!
overall, it was a good series with the potential to be MINDBLOWING. <3
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