A 花より男子 (Hana Yori Dango); Meteor Garden show with political sibling rivalry
I. Story
In a story with many important characters, it is important to tell it clearly, they did well in doing that. The political war between the brothers were interesting, they also picked a good period for the Korean version of a Chinese novel.
Sadly, the romantic aspect of the story was delivered poorly. It did not elicit any emotional reaction. There was no built-up. This is primarily a story about sibling rivalry gone to the political level.
II. Acting
It was lacking in some areas, there were also scenes which looked like they were practicing. There were also memorable scenes, from pure laughter to serious where their acting were very natural.
III. Music
The music, unfortunately, did not make an impact. There were scenes where a powerful music fits but instead it did not have any or a weaker music was used. They should've used more.
IV. Production
The production was very good. They spent for quality materials and designs for the wardrobe of the actors. This is specially true for IU where she was able to wear historical wardrobes yet with a modern touch which fits her aura. Great job in blending the two eras.
However, close-up shots were overused to the 5th power. It wasn't needed in many of the scenes, it became annoying. In the boat scenes, there was too much backlight glare from the sun the actors (again close-up shots) can be barely seen.
The Greatest Science Fiction Romance in the last 40 years
"더 킹: 영원의 군주" or "The King: Eternal Monarch" (2020) was the best science fiction and romance of the 2010 decade. I would say that this show has gained the number one (#1) spot in my list of "Top 10 Overall Best Sci-fi TV Show" pushing down "Fringe" (2008) which held that rank for 12 years.
I. Story
The writer, Kim Eun Sook of the "Lovers in Paris" (2004); "Descendants of the Sun" (2016); "Goblin" (2016); and "Mr. Sunshine" (2018) fame, once again showed us her amazing talent in creating stories that truly captures the imagination and heart of the audience.
In "The King: Eternal Monarch" (2020), Kim Eun Sook has woven beautifully the "parallel world" trope into her memorable romance plots. She did not leave it simply as a literary device then forgotten, she placed it in the center of the series, and the drama and romance unfolded through it.
Each episode was more or less one hour and ten minutes, and no episode was boring, no episode was dragging, no episode was a repeat of previous ones. In every episode there is a fresh plot, a new story to tell which added to the development of the characters, the relationships between them, and the tension and clashes when worlds and ambitions collide.
II. Acting/Cast
What an amazing cast--Lee Min Ho, Kim Go Eun, Woo Do Hwan, Kim Kyung Nam, Jung Eun CHae, Lee Jung Jin, Kim Yong Ji, Kang Hong Suk--they picked the right people for the roles. Their unique acting styles made their characters fully alive and their interaction with each other natural.
The show was not only about "Yi Gon" (Lee Min Ho) and "Jeong Tae Eul" (Kim Go Eun), everyone were key persons in creating the world of the "Kingdom of Corea". They all brought their best and created a masterpiece.
III. Production
While there were a few noticeable errors, the editing and sequence of the scenes covered it all. I especially like how they did not present the stories, in each episode, in a linear fashion; instead they kept scenes for the next episodes and did flashbacks at the right time.
The mixing of historical with the modern in the fictional "Kingdom of Corea" were seamless. There were no out-of-place moments. Where there are modern things, the room was designed to fit these modern gadgets. Where there should be a historical look and feel, the room either did not have any modern materials or the few blended with the environment. Not an easy task to achieve.
It was not only the interior designers but it was also the directors and cameramen who did great shots in creating a seamless mix of historical and the modern environments.
IV. Conclusion
I highly recommend "더 킹: 영원의 군주" or "The King: Eternal Monarch" (2020) especially if one is a fan of "parallel world" type of science fiction. Think of this show as "Fringe" (2008) but with touchy romance and intense family rivalry.
Overall score of 9.5 out of 10 stars.
A Masterpiece!
Summary: Alice is a major masterpiece.
Some details:
I. Time-travel
-- I am very critical when it comes to time-travel stories. The writers of Alice handled this very well with just 16 episodes. They backed it with current science and theories and less on artistic freedom. They also handled well the grandfather paradox.
Were there loopholes in the time-travel? At first, it appears so but after watching the whole series there is none. In the finale episode, many would probably think there were a lot of loopholes but I beg to differ, there were none as far as the theories and science used by the series they did this one well.
II. Acting
-- The acting of everyone were superb. From the comedy to seriousness, from the love triangle to family love, and from the future to the past to the present. I have no idea the sequence of filming you did--all past scenes first for example, or was it mixed--but everything fit perfectly.
III. Music
-- The background music were in the right place and at the right time. Not too soon, not too long, and definitely not in the wrong places. It was not used to elicit emotions, the music was there to add an additional layer to an already complex dynamics.
IV. Story
-- This is the most important part. The story is very deep and thought-provoking. It is a love story about a mother and her son. It is a love story about the son and a person who looks exactly like his mother. A love story about the son who was adopted and grew up with another family. It is a story about camaraderie. And it is also a story about time-travel and the repercussions and morals of it.
Having weaved all these different stories to form one grand story is not an easy thing to do in a 16-episode series. This is usually possible in a novel or comics but the writers of "Alice" and the director were able to pull it off. It started with love and ended with love.
Time has no beginning and no end but people do.
Did I just watch a true-to-life movie series?
I. Story
Overall, the story was great. The number of twists and turn, unexpected revelations, the high level political game, and the multiple layers, made this series one of the best crime drama of this decade ('10s). However, it failed closing the story properly.
In the last episode (16th), it was obvious it was rushed. There was no direction. Everything the series built up from episodes 1 to 15 disappeared. It started awesome, then became great, good, and ended poorly.
It is common among creative writers to have an open-ended story but in this case the ending was not an open-ending, no, it was a cliffhanger intended to be a premise for a guaranteed Season 2. If the intention was to have an open-ending, it should have ended with them driving to the airport. Everything else after that scene killed what made it great.
I still give it 8 out of 10 stars for the story regardless of the disaster after the "driving to the airport scene". I also applaud the writers and director for not inserting romantic scenes just because their lead female is well-known for it.
II. Acting
Suzy did well in portraying an intelligence officer. This was a big change from her usual romantic roles and I wasn't expecting she can pull it off. Yet, in the first two episodes, she already shone in her role, that's a sure sign of a talented actress.
The acting of the other actors were superb. I usually see them in dramas about family and relationships, seeing them portray political and intelligence roles was refreshing and in they owned the characters they portrayed in series.
Together, the acting were too believable I kept thinking I was watching a fictionalised true story. The characters were too real, all thanks to their acting and synergy.
III. Production
Did I just watch a 16-episode (16-hour) movie? It was clear they spent money on "Vagabond" to get it all right. But in the last episode the explosions were very bad. This was the other reason why I said earlier that anything after the "driving to the airport" scene should not have been included.
IV. Overall score
All things considered. I give it a rating of 8 out of 10 stars. The superb acting and quality production were what pulled it up, and for avoiding creating romantic scenes just because they have a great romantic-genre actress as a female lead.
A series I'll watch again in the future but not the scenes I mentioned earlier.
High emotional impact. Amazing cast. Great music! A story we can always watch.
NOTE: There are no spoilers. However, some people might consider some information as such. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
I. Story
There are two stories in this series, the first is the political rivalry; and the second is the relationship between the Main leads.
The political rivalry story was well-written. There were always fresh "content" (if we can call it that) in every episode. They avoided repeating the same plot or reusing what was already "solved" in the previous episodes, while maintaining the overarching plot.
The story between Kang Chi Choi (played by Seung Gi Lee) and Yeo Wool Dam (played by Suzy Bae) was more than perfect. I loved how they did not dive into romantic scenes and dating game, otherwise it would've ruined the whole show. They carefully built-up the expectation and tension between the characters and perfectly used the intense emotions they captured from the audience at the right time, at the right moment.
The finale episode (ep. 24) was beyond perfection. While writing this review, I can still feel the impact and weight of this episode. Anyone can easily feel the emotions of both characters and the dialogues were realistic, what most people would say if they're in the shoes of either of the characters.
II. Acting
Everyone successfully brought to life the characters they played. The seriousness, the anger, the laughter, and craziness were also reflected on their faces. Superb acting!
The Main leads--Seung Gi Lee and Suzy Bae--captured the hearts of the audience which made it easy to feel their characters, to think like their characters, to be their characters. The way they gave life to their characters was natural, we can feel their humanity.
Special mention to Suzy, if I am not mistaken this was only her third Main role in a TV series, the delivery of her lines and they way she showed us her character's personality was at a veteran actor level. It wasn't perfect, similar with Seung Gi, there were a few scenes which were awkward or maybe forced but both of them quickly recovered (even in the same scene).
III. Music
The best music/OST. Perfect timing, at the right place, at the right scene, at the right time. The songs were also memorable and easy to listen to. They also did not forget to lower down the background music a second or two before a dialogue, something often forgotten in many other shows.
IV. Production
It was clear they gave a very good budget for this show. The texture and colours of their costumes and props were awesome on the screen. It helped in bringing-in the audience to live in the world of "Gu Family Book".
V. Verdict
Highly recommended. 20 out of 10 stars. Very high in the re-watch list.
Great job!
An impactful lesson-filled short story
"Dear My Name" (2019) was a 6-episode web series for 10 minutes each which was later re-released as a 2-episode show. However, do not get distracted by it, not every good story has to be long just as how short stories can be as awesome as novels, "Dear My Name" was as awesome as any other full-length TV drama.
The acting was simple and the production and direction captured the spirit of the plot. A story about soulmates, liking each other, rejection, moving on, courage to confess, and having the freedom to choose who we want to spend our lives with. Having presented these "stages of relationships" in a total of one hour tells us the talent of the actors, actresses, the writer, and the director.
Could it have been done longer? Sure. But it won't be as perfect as what it is with its current format.
Definitely a must watch show
I. Story
When you thought you have guessed the twists and turns, a new layer is introduced to prove your guesses wrong. This is rare in this genre and the writer, Hyuk Rin Jang, wrote a masterpiece.
While "The K2" was mainly about the political game, it was also about family relationships and the politics that is common in large clans with huge money at stake. This type of story is usually told by showing a dragging drama but in this TV series they approached it from an "outsider" view or as a secondary story. THe family politics was there but they were careful in keeping it from becoming the main story.
II. Acting
Excellent acting from the veteran and younger actors. The fight scenes, especially in episode one was beyond Western choreography, "James Bond" and "Mission: Impossible" can never match what they did.
I was also impressed by YoonA's acting of her character. At first it looked like her role was easy but as we get into the middle episodes, her character was challenging--she had to be a totally different person, someone with PTSD and deep hatred.
III. Music
The background music were perfect. It adds to the impact of an already powerful scene. It was good because BGMs should act as an amplifier for scenes and not as "the scene".
IV. Production
Great production. Clearly every centavo was spent to create a realistic show which captivated the audience and made the boundary between reality and fiction non-existent.
A great watch … worth it!
I. Story
a. Episode stories: The stories per episode were mostly good. Out of 16 episodes, I like the story of 9 episodes.
b. Series story: From the title, "Start-Up" (or "Sandbox"), it gives the impression that it is primarily about starting up a business or about joining a, well, sandbox program. However, overarching story is more about [1] a love triangle and [2] sibling rivalry. The impression from the series title only takes tertiary importance. It would have been better if the importance was as follows: [1] sibling rivalry; [2] start-up/sandbox/business; and [3] love triangle.
Regardless… the way the overarching stories were delivered and the choice of story per episode were enough to pull up the score for this rating.
However, avoid introducing important facts and then never mentioning it again. For example, Ji Pyung and the sisters have met when they were kids. It was also weird that a bloodied person can pitch his company, that does not happen in real life.
II. Acting
Acting! This is where I had to give a low rating. There were too many crying scenes where the facial expression was neutral. It was obvious they were only "acting" instead of actually feeling and letting their emotions out.
I'm a fan of Suzy but I have to mention this: relax more during kissing scenes, make us feel it, and it doesn't need to be "wild". The kissing scenes can still be romantic even if there wasn't too much lip action. A room for improvement. I love her acting and the way she brings life to the characters she plays but the kissing scenes needs improvement. Relax, take it slow, don't make it wild -- rather make it romantic. Don't act, imagine he's your boyfriend or some secret desire. You want to enjoy the moment, to just let him feel your desire.
As for Joo Hyuk, great job in portraying what appears to be an eccentric, possibly even an autistic, character. It is never easy if an actor is not in the autism spectrum--in particular asperger syndrome. Very geeky, logical, all about facts, and clueless about everything else, especially fashion and social skills. Those scenes where Dal Mi was sending signals and Do San missed it all--those were all great. Sometimes annoying but all of it were relatable. Neutral face, going back to the discussion he was focused on, definitely a character with aspergers syndrome. Well done there.
For Han Na, excellent job in keeping the character mysterious. It was not easy when the character In Jae had a change of heart, especially when it comes to her sister. There were clues but the next moment it's the total opposite. This happens in real life and so it's great to see it on screen.
III. Music
This one is hard. I can not remember any memorable music other than the theme songs.
IV. Rewatch Value
Definitely in my list of series that I'll choose to re=watch.
V. Summary
Overall, the production, story, and acting were awesome. The inclusion of business terminologies and explaining each, that was a very good idea. Explaining the processes, the whys and the hows, definitely a plus. It would have been better if they toned down the "young adult" giggles because that very rarely happens in-real-life. They should've used sandbox and showed the idea behind it and what's happening in it more as well, instead of just providing a free office and free funding.
The "revolutionary" ideas were well thought out especially the app helping those with vision challenges. I do hope such an app exists but we haven't achieved that speed of AI recognition still something to look forward to. Great choices on scenes and I wish they added more, like a team building session where they could feature the beauty of Korea instead of the exact same office.
From a dramatic episode 1 and funny episodes later, to the building up of the trials and tribulations, to the eventually resolution in the latter episodes. it was enough to pull up the overall rating to 9 out of 10 stars.
RomCom done right
Simply, it's romantic comedy done right. There are many shows categorised as "RomCom" over the years and very few deserving of this label. "Please Don't Date Him" is one of the few exception as it brings out genuine laughter in every episode while building on the romantic relationship of the characters.
The literary device used for the plot was properly used and was not just a literary device later forgotten after setting up the story. When this was revealed, I was expecting this show to turn serious and deviate from being a romcom and turn into a serious drama, but the writer(s) stayed true and kept it in the sidelines yet still an important part of the show.
Song Ha Yoon, who played "Seo Ji Sung" did very well in portraying an A.I. programmer yet still "just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her" (to borrow from "Notting Hill"). I also love how they chose a woman as a programmer in this show debunking the stereotypes [1] programming is for men; and [2] girl programmers does not have a love life.
I recommend this show if you are looking for a series which will make you laugh, fall in love all over again, and appreciate the people around you, even strangers like our brave firefighters. Don't forget to check my review of episode 9: https://mydramalist.com/62539-please-don-t-meet-the-man/episode/9 -- a must-watch episode.
It's sad that they only planned a total of ten (10) episodes, they could have extended it to thirteen or a full series (sixteen episodes).
《허쉬》 or "HUSH" was a Korean TV serial which ran from December 11, 2020 to February 6, 2021 in jTBC. This show is about the life of a group of news reporters and how they faced the trials thrown at them.
"HUSH" started by introducing the audience to the process of getting hired in a newspaper company. Once the key characters were introduced, the story immediately tacked its first of many interconnected plots. These were no ordinary plots as it touched on the issues people face daily in work environments and in society. Stories where the audience can relate and question the ethics and morality of what they see, what they hear, and what they read.
In particular, it talked about suicide. Suicide is a very serious social problem in South Korea in recent years, it produced different movements, revision of existing laws, and even new laws, to help fight against the most common reason for suicides--bullying and unfair treatment. This show beautifully handled this subject and encouraged the audience to put themselves in the shoes of other people and to question and care about the things happening around them.
The stories in each episode and the main plot were deep and provoking. It was not simply an office drama in the world of news reporting, it was a life drama which touched the hearts and minds of its audience.
The casting was picked well especially with veteran actors like Son Byung Ho, Yoo Sun, Kim Won Hae, Lee Seung Jun, who were what is commonly called today as "second leads". They portrayed their characters well which was vital to the success of the main leads played by Hwang Jung Min and Im Yoon Ah.
Lim Yoon Ah, or "Yoona", brought all her acting skills in this drama. I can say that this was her best in all of her acting career a perfect match to her veteran male lead partner, Hwang Jung Min. From her innocent look as someone new in journalism to a matured character who earned her badges in life.
This is a good series to watch and I recommend it to anyone going through trials in their work and life in general. A show which reminds us and encourages us to speak out when we see bullying and unfair treatments and practices.
Originally posted on my blog: https://youronly.one/yuki/review-hush-2020-202140/ under a CC-BY-SA 4.0 International License.
The ending killed the episode.
It was going very well for a full 10 stars until the last few scenes where she made a call knowing full well it can be traced back to her. There are a hudred ways to lead the "bad guys" to her without making her the dumbest experienced detective in the world.
A story you will never forget for the rest of your life
Practically a movie, 2 hours and 20 minutes running time. I would say that by approaching this from an episodic method, they were able to tell the story in a simple and yet very touching way. If they turned this into a movie, it wouldn't have the same impact as the expectations and requirements for one is far different.
This proves that great stories does not have to be long, it is the execution and delivery that matters. I also love how they embedded the importance of studying mathematics and science--something that students need to understand--by throwing a modern student into the past where their survival lies on it, just as how important these are today.
I can't believe I only discovered this today. I will never forget this story for the rest of my life.
This is a 2020 series and already finished, so I don't understand why it's listed as 2021 here and in other sites.
"Mind Jumper" is actually a 2020 TV series from Singapore. The main female character is autistic and they did well in portraying an autistic working mother. This is rare and I applaud them for getting it right and for the actress portraying her character properly.
Trust is the magic that changes the world, not technology.
Can someone add Season 2 information? The official streaming website is: https://www.iq.com/album/2c1yna4728d
New episodes are released every Friday and Saturday. Here's the schedule:
1 - April 3
2 - April 9
3 - April 10
4 - April 16
5 - April 17
6 - April 23
7 - April 24
8 - April 30
9 - May 1
10 - May 7
11 - May 8
12 - May 14
13 - May 15
For those who are not aware, the Korean movie "#ALIVE" is based on the 2019 script by Matt Naylor. This same 2019 script was also made into an American movie entitled "Alone".
For more information:
* American version based on the same script: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alone_(2020_horror_film)
* Korean version based on the same script: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alive_(2020_film)
Great film!
Lessons:
1. Don't be greedy
2. Don't wish … instead pray for it.
3. "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mark 8:36 KJV
Have Faith, Hope, and Love.
Infinite is a 2021 movie starring Mark Wahlberg. It was based on the novel The Reincarnationist Papers by D. Eric Maikranz which he self-published in 2009.
A short review of the adaptation: while the action scenes were great, the film was lacking in many ways, one such is depth. The story of the adaptation has potential but unfortunately the movie format is very limited, so it ended up going everywhere and nowhere.
This should be adapted into a TV series instead.
In the end it became a mashed-up of The Matrix + Assassins Creed + Kill Bill. A pure entertainment movie that does not care about the story.
7 out of 10 stars from me.
I wasn't aware Eiko Kadono's novel "Kiki's Delivery Service" had a live-action film adaptation in 2014. I love this movie, it's sweet, lovely, and touchy. Even though the CG for the baby hippo was not so good, overall that can be easily overlooked because of the acting, story, production, and proper setting. Highly recommended for the family!
This is actually good! It's slow at first, building the story of the group of assassins. Then it picks up and showed us amazing sword choreography. Great acting by Ueto Aya and even though she looks beautiful and pretty, she was able to exude her character's fierceness and one-mindedness of a true assassin. I can not help but compare her to Battousai whenever Azumi the Assassin shows up.
In memory of the original 10, and the perfectness of the production, story, and cast, I give this a perfect 10.
I don't know what to say with "Azumi 2: Death or Love". As the title suggest, and if you've watched the first movie, this is a sad ending for the story of Azumi.
Movies with sequels usually fail to live up with the original film, Azumi 2 is one of those rare sequels that was equal to or even surpassed the first film. The production was great and the background music were at the right scenes. The story was great, now that the background or introduction was out of the way, this sequel concentrated on Azumi and her hidden conflict inside: Death or Love.
Both movies are highly recommended. In fact, these two movies are closely tied-in together, it was as good as a single film. I'm glad they did not follow this up with another sequel "Azumi 3" because that would more likely not be at par with "Azumi" and "Azumi 2", though of course it would be great to see Azumi in action again.
And this is where I give Ueto Aya the highest praises, she was able to pull the exact same fierceness and one-mindedness when her character is in killing-mode. She did not force it, it was natural as if she was Azumi. Aya was born to bring Azumi alive.
Another perfect 10.
P.S. Time period aside, it would be an epic match if Azuri and Hitokiri Battousai met.
The story has potential but the production seems to be lacking in budget and time. Also, they need to get an experienced English translator for their embedded translation or just include one and leave it to their partner streaming sites to do the English translation for them.
I hope the sequel, if there ever will be one, will have the budget and time to allow the writer and director to tell the story. A good story shouldn't be wasted like this. Make it count.
Last but not the least, the robots does not have to be "stiff". What they lack are emotions not oil. They came from a very advance universe. The virus may have had removed their emotions but it did not made their motor movements like a robot prototype of the 1900s. Make them relax. I mean, look at that female robot host to the virus, not once did she act stiff. Why are the other robots stiff? They don't need to be. Even the fighting scenes of the robots, it was like watching someone do the robot dance.
I hope this improves in the sequel.
Thank you for a great 6-season series! We all want it to continue but live-action shows has to end some time. I hope the CW-DC will continue the story in another medium, like say comics (again based on CW-Supergirl) or serial novel (or ebook). I for one will buy those, especially now that Kara revealed her identity.
Regardless, thank you. This was the #1 CW-DC series for me, even though I'm a big fan of The Flash and Green Lantern.
I hope Season 4 is not the last. Them guesting the characters from the prequels smell like this is a farewell to the franchise.
Can someone refresh this? It's stuck at 1 episode.
This is what happens when a vital feature like "refresh data" is hidden behind a paywall … your own database is obsolete when your third-party source is not.
What a perfect ending! How they closed this show in the final episode guaranteed I will always remember the entire series.
That's how you end a show, with a bang. Always leave a lasting impression.
It's so perfect, I am sad and teary-eyed that it ended. I will remember them in my what-ifs and treasure the lessons they gave us.
LOLs. I had no idea negotiators in Korea will rush closer to the scene without wearing a bullet proof vest.
I love this. Simple but the fight choreography, effects, and the idea are solid.
They can turn this into a TV series and explore more about the technology, the enhanced kids, history, and more character and world development.
This season finale is anticlimactic lols. Also, what was with the sudden back-out from Earth-Prime? They even changed the look of John Diggle to complete this.
Though from what I've read in one interview of showrunner Todd Helbing, they've always known this is how it will be since they started Season 1 because of the changes in the other shows related to the wider Arrowverse, and originally S&L was to be part of Earth-Prime. But wow, why did they have to wait for Season 2 finale to reveal this.
I don't know about other people but it affected the entire show negatively on my end. I prefer to have known it in Season 1 than to have been toyed around only to be left very dissatisfied in the end. From where I stand, this was a very bad decision.
Right now, you'll have to convince me why I should watch Season 3.
