Now my sympathies have reversed and essentially see Zombie Pandemic as a good thing. If the Origin Story is to indicate anything Jun Ji-Hyun and Ju Ji-hoon are gonna another awesome chemistry like in Jirisan.
I am also liking that for her second innings Ji-hyun is going for strength and strong characters instead of glamorous and damsel type roles she is known for in MLAS and TLBS. Can't wait to see what she has in store for us in Season 3 .
P.S : Love that she burnt all the Zombie after wiping out the garrison but never intended to make it unstoppable apocalypse!
The Devil Judge showed us exactly what people with too much power in their hands are like. And why we potentially shouldn't give the general public too much power as well. I loved the show, the performances were top notch and the plot twists just kept coming. I cried my eyes out in multiple occasions to be honest! I enjoyed the ending for the anti-hero, Yo Han as a deeply hurt yet disturbed person, I still think he deserved a good ending. As for the ending for the hero, I would've preferred something nicer for Ga On, he went through so much pain and was left alone to fight for justice. What a great show, totally recommend it!
I really liked this drama. There is so much to learn from their characters, actions and decisions taken in a world so extreme I will never find myself in and yet it does depict the reality of our world so much that I am thinking and ruminating through them to see if I can wise up myself.
From it all we can agree that humanity is all but a desire and greed for more power and money. And even the little good we have is tainted by that greed in whatever degree it is in. People are always thinking about themselves and left to their own devices, they only do what will benefit them, justifying themselves that what they do will benefit society while lining their own pockets.
The drama focuses and somewhat justify evil fighting evil for good but then again evil is still evil. I read comments about viewers getting frustrated with Ga-On flip-flopping and then accusing Yo-Han but I get it that Ga-On is confused as to what is right and what is wrong. Ironically, these very comments proves the case in point that it is the same in our world where bad is seen as good, if it meets the purpose. Evil is seen as powerful and good is weak. But lest we forget that evil still begets evil.
Lessons I learnt from this drama:
- their moves are all very strategic, thinking several moves ahead weighing all options.
- and they are very, very patient. Sun-Ah was planning for a very, very long time and was way ahead even compared with Yo-Han.
- one has to be very smart to play the game. And if you choose to play it, you need to be willing to gamble even with your life
- it is all an emotional power play. And the trick is not to get affected emotionally but to always have a straight logical mind to think ahead. The head must lead and the heart put aside, but that is so hard to do.
The Devil with a Detailed Revenge served in a decorated platter
~ There Are Consequences To Ignoring Consequences And Things Are Not Always What They Seem
~ If an evidence is obvious don't trust it.
The neon! The Catholic/Christian motifs! The commentary on the nature of crime and punishment! The depiction of the corruption of state! The symbolism! The soundtrack! (Tempest has basically been on repeat for weeks now.)
If you were given the power to kill a man with a single app, would you do it?I feel like this show was so relevant if you think of this current generation. Keyboard warriors on every app.The premisse of the show was wonderful since day one. And stayed pretty flawless until the end.
Packed with action, drama, karma, twist and turns The Devil Judge is how a drama should be done. I usually stay clear of law dramas for they're usually boring with the clique young lawyer male lead breaks the laws OoO shocking~. With a more mature cast (Kang Yohan being in his early 40s) you get a really rich back story complete with Kim Ga On getting his morals gob smacked by reality. One thing I like about the story is the way everything just connects back. Nothing is done for no reason. What each character is given by is clearly established.
What I didn't like about is how Gaon is gullable for a smart judge and easily manipulated by people around him . Also didn't like the way he and Soo-Hyun went on about Yo-han is breaking the law while they are spying on him with illegal wiretapping ; virtually kidnapping his niece to investigate dirt on him and how they bring back all the horrible memories of Yo-Han without realizing they are manipulated by Foundation to the end.
Even with all that "show" on the last ep, i still think the revenge lacked impact. They all had it easy in my eyes.
I actually wanted something more vile to happen, but that's maybe because i am used to watch so many western shows with twisted criminals.
The acting in this is so good. Each actor fills their character perfectly, you get a feel for what type of person they are the moment they appear on screen. J
Jisung is extremely charming as the somewhat sociopath devil judge . The judge is the epitome of anti-hero aka Devil. He tricks us to question his behavior, just like he does with other people involved in the story. He makes you believe he's the devil himself.
Jin Young is just such a smooth actor. His scenes were he's just conversation with the people around him isn't boring and you get a sense of warmness from him (perfect fill in for Isaac [a dad and a brother]). But his emotional scenes are what sells him as no doubt an amazing actor. He portrays pain and frustration so well contrasting to Ga On's everyday warmness. It makes the audience really sympathize with him.But his character is very poorly written ; he is the most undecisive character, one minute he acts like devil judge is someone he cares a lot only to see him hate the devil judge and doubting him the next minute.
Kim Min Jung plays Sun Ah so well. You could tell that Sun Ah is someone who likes glamorous things but wasn't born fortunate enough to enjoy it just by her body language. She has such an intense stare extremely fitting for her character and you could her pain and love through those eyes sparking sparkling although she is not right and her actions have their consequences. Ji Sung and Min-Jung create the most sizzling bromance chemistry ever without actually being romantic.
Yoon Soo Hyun, now she is friend of Ga On and a police officer. Her character is merely a decoration and does nothing helpful to the plot. Her screen time is even less, compared to her a side character called Elijah, the devil judge niece gets more time. All she does is to sow seeds of doubt in Ga-on regaring Yo-han and also importantly Ga-on from crossing the grey line she drew.
Elijah - Every story needs a cutie. Elijah is the cutie. The way she portrays a mirror image of Yo-han is amazing ; this is her (Jeon Chae Eun) first series and we are in for a next generation start.
The music is such a key aspect to a drama and this drama really utilizes that. It sets a mood and illustrates the total chaos and madness going on in the dystopian world. Not only that, it's a total bop. Its been my top playlist for the last 8 weeks.
This is a not a story about a dystopian society but realism ripped from today's headline. There's just not enough words to describe how perfect this is as far as storytelling and acting. Standing ovation to all the cast and crew!
You will trust no one until the very end. Absolutely no character is to be trusted, and i love this show because of it. I genuinely didn't know who had the true version of each event.
If you haven't watched The Devil Judge, give it a try. It's worth every second of your time. Usually thrillers ; especially law thrillers have no appeal for a re-watch but I will be watching this soon again.
This is the best drama I've seen in awhile with a great OST to boot.
A story about healing, moving on, forgiveness, and loving again
n.b.: Might contain what others consider as "spoiler" but is not in my opinion.
At first, one would assume this is a typical romantic comedy about some couple who found each other, denies being in loved, and eventually lived happily ever after. However, one will soon learn that this is a story about healing, moving on, forgiveness, and loving again.
IU, as Jang Man Weol the owner of Hotel del Luna, beautifully brought to life her character. She successfully hid her image as the world's "Queen of Pop" with her superb acting. From a very friendly, approachable, smiling IU, she totally became the bitter, easy to anger, and strict that is Jang Man Weol. As this story spans a thousand years, IU's talent in acting shone as she took on different roles and genres in one series.
One would probably also assume that Hotel del Luna was an IU show especially since she wore countless of dresses in every 1.5-hour episode, which could range from a thousand years ago to the present. I would say she probably beaten Lucy Liu in Elementary in this area, turning a series into a subtle fashion show. However, Yeo Jin Goo made this his own show as well, himself a veteran actor who have taken challenging roles, playing as Goo Chan Sung, the Hotel Manager, equalised the show between the two actors and their characters.
The music were also great. Yeo Jin Goo's and IU's acting were more than enough but with the right music at the right time, it deepened the emotional connection to the important scenes. From action to the most heart-wrenching scenes, the music made the series very memorable and touching, especially for those who are going through the same challenges in their lives.
The writers also did well. While Hotel del Luna was a hotel for ghosts/spirits, nothing was too scary, I wouldn't even categorised this show as "horror". In each episode, they touched on different subjects about death, murder, accidents, forgiveness, and separation with the people we love, that longing desire to be with them even after life has ended. They carefully guided the show to not turn into "horror"--which amateur writers would've fallen into and throw the story everywhere--by always bringing in the light-hearted comedy of Yeo Jin Goo and IU.
Finally, the overall story of healing, moving on, forgiveness, and loving again was told perfectly in 16 episodes averaging 1 hour and 20 minutes each. This was very eye-opening for those of us who were recently deeply broken, those of us who are denying we have lingering bitterness in our hearts, those of us who are finding it hard to forgive and move on. Goo Chan Sung and Jang Man Wol showed us how and why we should heal, move on, forgive, and love again. Goo Chan Sung demonstrated to us how we should let someone heal first before entering into a relationship with them, how we can be the support they need and not give in to their every demands just because they were deeply hurt. While Jang Man Wol told us how bitterness and an unforgiving heart can lead one to live a sad, unfulfilling, pointless life, and how we can once again love by healing ourselves first.
Thank you to the whole team for bringing us an amazing production and a great meaningful story.
If there will ever be a "Hotel Blue Moon", I hope that it will tell meaningful stories as with Hotel del Luna, and that the sequel wouldn't fall into "just another entertainment show"--a common pitfall with sequels.
Hotel del Luna: 100 out of 10 stars!
IU in this drama is the definition of Big-Dick-Energy!
This is probably the first time I decide to watch a k-drama because of the female lead instead of the guy ... IU is the girl crush you just can't avoid. And visually speaking every single second of this drama is magnificent!
It got boring at the end. Didn't feel like they were in love and he was more likely controling her, reading the messages from her phone and pc.
Movie heads were a little slow and a normal copy job. Then they continue to make copies with proper planning. Acting was good. The boys were really good. A crime and adventure film that can be watched, it was a complete social message. The end could be better.
Awesome movie! Ther was so much suspense in it and it is very thought provoking. Besides that, the ending was unexpected. I did not think it will end that way.
The only downside, in my opinion, is that this movie was a little too long.
Random thoughts while watching the movie:
- That teacher didn't see at all that everyone was staring at Lynn's hand (or at least at her direction) who was sitting in the first row? Not even when only like 15 kids were left there writing the test? Lol.
- I get that they were mad at Bank who crashed their car's mirror (accidentally, I believe), but isn't beating up and throwing a teenager to a dump a bit... I dunno, exaggerated? [Lol, I wasn't suspecting foul play without a reason.]
- That barcode part is genius, but I don't really get how they want to realize that plan. It's not like they have the time or equipment to create pencils with the answers while they're taking the test. [Ah, okay, nevermind.]
- Bank's rage scene when he found out that Pat sent those jerks to beat him up was 12/10.
- That phone-in-the-tank-of-the-toilet plan could go wrong in so many ways. Like what if you can't take off the lid in the toilets of Sydney (or in that particular building)? Or what if someone uses that exact toilet you chose to hide the phone in in the break? All that planning can be ruined in a split second. [I really should be a fortune-teller...]
- Standing up right after the teachers says the word "break" is a liittle not so subtle.
- Wooah, that effect when Lynn slided across the exam room to the piano!
- Okay, now, I'm 103% sure that Lynn choking on her pencil was noticeable for... basically everyone in that quiet and still room. Yet somehow everyone acted so surprised to see her vomiting.
- Why are they chasing Lynn? Because she just left after throwing up? I don't think they have evidence on her since she hid the phone. And chasing her all the way down the streets and the metro station...
I was stunned by the acting. Good Thai actors are so hard to find, especially young ones, so I was really glad about the cast.
The planning of cheating on the high school tests and on the STIC one was mind-blowing. So creative methods!
I was a little meh about Bank turning into a mad businessman at the end - that's absoluety not his character (he almost threw up from actual anxiety or panic in the toilet!). It would've been somewhat believeable if they hadn't have gotten caught in Sydney - giving him adrenaline, money, good scores and all that jazz, but this way... I don't know. Though I guess that had to be done in order for Lynn to have her happy(ish) ending.
I would've watched this movie for a bit longer, just to know where the 4 main characters end up. Or to learn what kind if punishment did Lynn face at the end. I feel like this ending was left too open for the viewers.
Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. At first it seemed way too long, but now I understand why. The plot had its small holes (like every other one), but I would recommend it for anyone.
Takes the heist thriller genre and does wonders with it! Highly intelligent and tense plot aptly supported by a superb cast- this couldn't possibly have been any more thrilling. Had me on the edge of my seat waaaay too many times. Also loved how family and friendship sentiments were interwoven, ultimately boiling down to a study on morality as well.
Quite enjoyed this series/season but didn't like the ending one bit.
Everyone out here complaining about the ending. I’m just really upset my dude died his hair that hideous red color
My childhood favourite. A movie my father could watch at any point of the day, and so would I. Delivers a very crucial message (not that I'm talking about me haha) for the modern society (Indian society more importantly).
Apart from parts of the movie seemingly being plagiarised, this is one of those movies which have my total attention and admiration.
Have you watched Not Cinderella's Type [https://trakt.tv/movies/not-cinderella-s-type-2018]? It is an impressively unique retelling to the Cinderella classic, with a modern touch of course. And I have to say, quite an interesting list you have there! :thumbsup_tone2::star_struck:
Although pretty un-eye-catching in the start, the display of terrific acting skills and sentiment and conveyance of the meaning of 'love' in it's own language, has earned a special place in my heart. The lead couple's pairing and their relationship progress at the end (literally) was like, muaah! I always end replaying the last 20 minutes of the movie every time I re-watched it.
As a movie, there is not much to it except the acting and music (that too, not all of it). The thing which many people like it for is the dramatic yet touching background music (you read that right) and Sravani. I've met many people and seen several characters in my life, but this woman.. This girl Sravani has been the only one so far who has ever reminded me of Naruto, my best boy and of course, Purna reminded me of Sasuke, the make-up kid.
Like, it's really funny how much more vast the diversity and genius of South Indian cinema is than any other Indian culture. I loved the movie~
OH MY GAWD. One of my best loved webtoons getting a drama adaptation? I am all in for this!
I liked how intricate the storyline was with respect to Karthik's love life, but the movie overall was such a let down
Ah the main lead is so annoyingly adorable! I am HONESTLY in love with Go-eun and her acting. It is what I acknowledge as skillful art and Yoo Gong is also doing a good job so far. WAIT, other than that!
Dong-wook oppa (I can't believe I'm doing this) has my heart. Both his acting, facial expertise and voice acting are top! Words can't acknowledge this guy enough. And yeah I totally ship them, figure who lol
Episode 4, 10/12/2021
The starting arc of the drama is of "no comments" importance to me, as it was just an okay pass with all the information it tried to convey, the relationships, fate-stuff, past life things (or the correlation between the godly couple and the main couple here) and the world building. So it wasn't exactly impressive but it wasn't a disaster either, just what I'll expect from an average TV rom-com drama series.
The main spotlight is what happens in the later arc of the drama, when quite literally stuff goes downhill. The story gets mashed up, the romance is abrupted into formation and all the fate related thingies also start to rot my brain cells. Maybe the there was some giffy with the direction here forth, but the abrupt change took me by utter surprise. Imagine a series which is well, good and has got you interested but then suddenly they change the cast. That's the abrupt change I'm talking about.
Not literally that, but the amount of change I felt was similar to what you'll feel in that case. This series was not really a disappointment (not that I had any expectations), but it just had me continuously saying, "Ummmm?" until it ended.
This show is so cheesy! It becomes hard to handle the more I watch. I am leaving it in my "ditched" list because this is one of those pointless shows that are hard to digest.
I wish they could have wrapped the little content that this drama has, in fewer episodes instead of dragging on for the sole purpose of making it look "natural" and "realistically paced". The main cast is boring, and with the unskillful looking acting and childlike psychological anatomies, they want to entertain adults? Gawds, ridiculous.
The so-called chemistry between the main leads is so vague on top of it. The girl as expected, is the super dumb and dense normie and the boy is also the super soft and tsundere handsome demon (oh that's an exaggeration, he's nothing like that instead he's a sweetheart) and the romance between them is also based on basic af tropes (like girl in trouble and ML comes to rescue and shit, while her crush ditches her.... etc. Honestly, could it get any worse?).
By the way, this series was recommended to me by YourWaifuGotNoJam [https://anilist.co/user/YourWaifuGotNoJam/] on Anilist.
I have left this series unrated only because perhaps all of that judgement is what you will brand as my impatience, narrow-mindedness and/or unpopular personal preference. But to let you know (assuming you disagree with me), I am a sucker for BLs-
One can see why I disliked this drama so much
An awesome movie with a very intelligent open ended ending! Strong messages are hidden in the movie. When one deserves the respect, she would come claim it no matter what! Hoping for Stree 2. 8/10
1 / 2 directing & technical aspect
1 / 1 story
1 / 1 act I
1 / 1 act II
1 / 1 act III
1 / 1 acting
1 / 1 writing
0 / 1 originality
1 / 1 lasting ability to make you think
0 / 1 misc
8 out of 10
A terrible form of criticism about the world of education, especially in Thailand.
Nanno is the bearer of direct karma for the perpetrators of problems in the world of education. It can be terrible, but it can also be mind-blowing.
If you love the work of Junji Ito and had read Tomie.
Well, I recommend this show as the main character
have Tomie vibes.
1000 Stars or A Tale of Thousand Stars was my first Thai drama and surely not my last. I fell head over heels for it, the plot, the characters, the cast... Its OST is still on repeat. I completed it weeks ago yet I'm still not ready to move on entirely (despite watching Manner of Death, I Told Sunset About You and other dramas in the meantime).
I'm not saying 1000 Stars is perfect but it's close and I didn't actively look for flaws. Well, there's one. It's too short. The characters all made their way into my heart so quickly that it's hard to let go. I'm in for a rewatch for sure.
What captured me the most was the chemistry between Phupha and Tian and well, the setting. The countryside of Thailand is so beautiful. Looking behind the scenes (aka watching the documentaries Behind The Scenes and Counting 1 to 1000) is highly recommended to get more insight. Earth and Mix know each other for around 7 years by now and are good friends so it was probably an easy thing for them to put this on screen and I can only say that the drama benefited from this.
Mix is a newbie actor and was actually asked by Earth if he wanted to audition. He signed a contract with GMMTV so he could take the role of Tian. When you don't know this you'll probably won't believe it though because this guy can act and surely knows how to draw the viewers attention.
Comparing this drama to others does not do it justice in my opinion. It has all the elements I love in a drama. Chemistry of cast, solid production (my applause to the crew and director, I haven't seen such a dedicated crew and supportive/caring director for a while), interesting plot, character growth/development, meaningful quotes/messages. The great cast and beautiful OST complete the package.
From me this drama gets a 10 rating and a highly recommended note.
The movie was an okay-pass. Nothing too catchy and/or flashy. Good to know that Bollywood has at least some hope.
If only life were as honey as was shown in this movie, I would have killed for it.
Must-watch!! Although not everyone might love it as much as me. I loved the series because it was not a cliché romance or cliché high school slice-of-life and contained vital pieces of memory and knowledge which often go unnoticed by many whom I've witnessed watch this (with me, or through social). The characters were prone to change, teen-like, hilarious and understanding. They weren't all :v_tone2:godly:v_tone2: and looked pretty human most of the time—I hope you get me~
When We Were Young is a refreshing, enjoyable and healthily-entertaining watch. All in all, I recommend it; not to everyone, but a must!
