Too much of everything except the romance

I initially watched this because I'm a fan of both Janice and Tao, and while they both performed excellently here, I just couldn't bring myself to love this drama. Here's a little rundown on why:

1. There's so much going on all the time. The main pairing honestly only gets 20% of air time. The rest of it is boring business issues, love triangle things with other characters who aren't even the leads, etc.

2. The side characters were hopelessly boring. Zhenzhen's best friend, in particular, grated on my nerves. The second male lead was okay at first, but then his character suddenly shifts mid-drama, which was really off-putting.

3. I only really started feeling for the main characters at around 35 episodes in. Don't get me wrong, the're adorable!!! We just don't get enough of them prior to that.

Overall, not really a drama I'd recommend. I prefer Janice's other dramas (Le Coup de Foudre, Skate Into Love), and will definitely be trying out Tao's other dramas instead.

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Somewhere Only We Know is one of the most realistic dramas I've seen. It features a student-teacher romance between English major Xue Tong, and Physics PhD candidate Mu Cheng He--but more than that, I think this is a story of growth and self-appreciation. 

MAIN ROMANCE
Xue Tong and Cheng He have such a wholesome relationship. Both are very respectful towards each other, and they have the most adorable interactions. Of course, their relationship isn't perfect--Cheng He, in particular, has a lot of shit he has to deal with on his own. (He wasn't given much of a chance to grow, but overall I think I still respect his character a lot. This is so hard to explain without giving out spoilers, so just watch!! the!! drama!!) 

SIDE CHARACTERS
The side characters helped the main characters grow, and even had their own interesting stories. Xue Tong's roommates all had very different personalities, and it was glorious seeing their friendship deepen as the show went on. They also had their own growing to do, which was just lovely. Mu Cheng also had his long-time friend to give him advice and talk some sense into him when he needed it.

FAMILY & FRIENDSHIP
Somewhere Only We Know is so honest. The family misunderstandings, the fights between friends, the not-letting-yourself-be-the-martyr--I lived for it all. This is probably why I loved this drama so much despite all the imperfections.

CAST
The actors did a phenomenal job here. They all had such great chemistry, and I think even the annoying ones served their purposes well, and added so much more value to the already brilliant story. Other than Juck Zhang and Li Ting Ting doing a great job portraying the leads, I especially loved Sun Jia Ling, who played Zhao Xiao Tang.

ENDING
The ending was definitely rushed with this one, but there is a conclusive ending for those who are curious. I haven't seen the specials yet, but I've heard that they bridge the gaping hole between the last couple of scenes.

SHOULD YOU WATCH THIS?
HECK YEAH. Your average Chinese drama can't get any realer than this. Stop whatever you're doing and go watch Somewhere Only We Know right now!

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I decided to watch Minami-kun no Koibito on a whim, and while I'm glad I did, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed. It has its good points, definitely, such as the story and the charm, but things like the acting and the emotional connection were a bit bothersome.

Let's talk about the positives first. Of course, the story's perfect for anyone who's looking to watch something cute and light. Keep in mind that you should still expect a lot of major plot holes going into this one. It's probably best to go on with zero expectations about the fantasy aspect, as nothing is explained. That being said, this is still a breath of fresh air compared to the other typical J-drama we're used to.

Minami-kun no Koibito's really funny. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the jokes. Each character had his or her own sense of humor, and you'll find yourself loving all of them.

While I did like the characters, I wasn't very fond of the acting. See, since there's obvious CGI here (given the fact that the heroine's the size of one's hand), we know that the actors aren't physically together when they were shooting the scenes. The sad part is how apparent this is, since there seems to be zero chemistry between the main character and everyone else. Although it's obvious that Yamamoto Maika's gorgeous and fits the part physically, I found her acting to be quite lacking. The rest of the cast were just okay. In fact, in terms of acting, I'd give the biggest props to the children who played young Chiyomi and young Minami. They were the cutest!

Because of this, I couldn't really connect with the show until the last two episodes or so. Those are the only episodes I'd actually rewatch.

Overall, if you're okay with stories that don't have a lot of depth and are just looking for a cutesy romance with good humor, definitely still give this show a shot.

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While I'm still not the biggest fan of this movie, at least it was better than the second.

I found myself connecting to Kotoko a bit more here, probably because there were more dramatic scenes. I also loved her kind-of friendship with Matsumoto in this one. That being said, I came for her romance with the handsome Irie--and in this movie, I felt nothing for them. Sure, I felt happy by the end of the movie, but I didn't feel the same level of elation as I did when I finished the drama.

[Quick spoilers]
The wedding scene was incredibly disappointing as well. It was one of my favorite parts in the drama, but it was just so quickly run through here. There wasn't any dreaminess or whimsy in it. Irie's "Talk" with Kinnosuke also left me feeling bothered and disappointed.
[End spoilers]

Anyway, if you're a huge fan of the drama and/or the anime, you might find yourself let down by the movie remakes. Maybe give it a shot if you're in a really good, lovesick mood.

Mischievous Kiss the Movie: High School | https://mydramalist.com/profile/7428780/review/43264
Mischievous Kiss the Movie: Campus | https://mydramalist.com/profile/7428780/reviews/43265

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If anything, I'd call this adaptation "soft." The romance between Yamato and Mei was sweet and genuine, and it was nice to see how they grew to understand each other more as the movie went on. The romances that went on between the supporting characters were lovely to watch as well.

Say "I Love You" is more than just a romance, though. It also deals with bullying and friendship, which was also wonderfully done. The issues presented weren't too in-your-face, but you can definitely feel the progression.

If you're looking for a sweet high school romance that won't give you a rollercoaster ride of emotions, try this one.

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The second season of Good Morning Call gives way for so much character growth. Uehara and Yoshikawa are still themselves, but you can see so much how they're trying to grow and be more mature. Their relationship, of course, gets a little rockier, but you're going to cheer them on because of how obvious their love is for each other.

The rest of the characters are fantastic as well. Old favorites like Daichi, Marina, Abe, and Mitsuishi are back being their fantastic selves to bring even more humor and drama into the mix. And while I'm (unpopular opinion here) not the biggest fan of Natsume, a new character, I did respect him a lot, despite his very questionable actions. I also adored Saeko's extremely eccentric and powerful character.

More than the laughs and swoons from Season 1, Season 2 made me cry so hard with all the drama. I just love how this show brings out so many emotions in me.

If you loved Season 1, you're going to want to continue the series. And if you haven't watched Good Morning Call yet, what the heck are you waiting for?

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I'm not a fan of the original Itazura na Kiss anime, but after falling in love with Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo, I found myself getting attached to the story and the characters. The second I found out there was a movie version, I dove right into it.

That being said, while this movie made me feel happy in a nostalgic way, I was seriously disappointed by it. The cast members only have have the charm that the drama cast members had. Reina Visa as Kotoko has the looks and the voice, but she didn't have the same whimsy that Miki Honoka did in the drama. Sato Kanta made a fine, brooding Irie, but of course couldn't surpass my ultimate crush, Yuki Furukawa. I was most disappointed by Ishida Hikari as Irie's mother. She was cute and fun, definitely, but her spirit didn't match Nishimura Tomomi's from the drama.

Now, if you're going into this for the story, Mischievous Kiss the Movie: High School does closely follow the events of Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo 1. Of course, a few scenes had to be altered, and a certain major scene was cut out, but for the most part, this stayed true to the drama version.

Overall, if I'm looking for a Mischievous Kiss kick, I'd find myself going back to the drama rather than this one. It was fun getting back into the story, though. Kudos to the cast for trying their best!

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Good Morning Call is like a more laid-back, sweet, and realistic version of Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo. The two are similar in story, as both feature leads who, by some odd circumstances, have to live in the same house.

In the case of Good Morning Call, Uehara and Yoshikawa were victims of a contract scam and are forced to live in the same apartment--alone. Of course, they don't get along at all at first, but they gradually start to get used to each other, and their companionship turns into something more.

Uehara and Yoshikawa are your typical cool-guy-and-clumsy-girl pair, but I love how their characters aren't overdone. Uehara can be cold at times, but he becomes more open and shows his vulnerability at some points. Yoshikawa is a klutz, but she's a great cook and she has a lot of heart. I loved their dynamics so much, and I shipped them from episode 1. The actors had so much chemistry, and I believed in their relationship.

Aside from ship-py feels, Good Morning Call is an excellent show to get some laughs from. The humor wasn't forced at all, and I found myself laughing out loud really often. The side characters were also fabulous, and each had their own entertaining personalities. Everyone brought something to the story.

Overall, if you're looking for a show that will make you swoon and laugh, please do give Good Morning Call a try.

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I absolutely adore concepts like this one, with the guy-who-helps-the-girl-become-popular trope. Unfortunately, High School Debut didn't bring anything new or exciting to the trope. It was incredibly typical, and it was so hard to get attached to the characters. The actors were great, but it was so hard for me to connect to any of them.

The humor factor was definitely overdone as well. I found myself cringing at all the crazy costumes and weird antics. I know this is normal with Japanese shows, and I've enjoyed similar bits in Lovely Complex, but there was just something about High School Debut that lacked any real impact.

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Since a pretty essential part of the story was cut out in the first scene, this movie was a bit different from what you might have watched in Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo 2.

Nothing really stood out in this movie for me. Like with the first, the acting was disappointing for me. The scenes that would've left me emotional from the drama version didn't affect me at all. At some point, I realized that I was only watching to keep the nostalgic feeling I had. It was really hard to connect to the characters. It seemed like the main actors had even less chemistry here than they did in the first movie.

I just watched this last night and already I can't remember too much about it. I definitely won't be rewatching this one.

Mischievous Kiss the Movie: High School Review | https://mydramalist.com/profile/7428780/review/43264

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