cringe
This drama takes you on an emotional roller coaster. It is simply magnificent.
Plot: When I first stumbled upon this drama I thought that it was going to be fluffy and light but it wasn't. All most all episodes are filled with angst. They made my heart really heavy. I liked that it did not focus on romance (not including BROMANCE). This show made me laugh one moment and cry another.
Cast: 10 out of 10. The teachers were incredible. The students were incredible even the desks were incredible . Im gonna keep an eye for Lee Jong Suk and Kim Woo Bin in the future. They made me go all mushy at the BROMANCE moments :)
Ending: Super neat. All the conflicts were neatly solved and pocketed away yet it left me a bit unsatisfied as there were question running through my head about the future. I wont go on because if I do I may ramble on and spoil it.
Rewatch: Definitely.
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Acting Cast- Putting aside my Intense feels for Nadech, I thought he portrayed Kobori extremely well. He stood out among the rest of the cast.
The female lead, ... If acting was that easy, movies should have trees as their stars! Hey, they might even show more emotion. I am aware that Angsumalin is a bit hard to portray. She is stubborn, and hotheaded yet caring. But this is unacceptable! The actress made Ang a robot! She was awkward and stiff as hell. 4.5/10
Music- I thought it suited the film. There is a song in the OST sung by Nadech. Beautiful 7.5/10
Rewatch value- 1/10 Nadech in military suits, Nuff said.
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Okay, so when news about this drama first came out, I was skeptical. On paper, Jang Nara and In Guk as a couple seemed pretty off and the not much was given away about the plot, but I gave it a try due to my In Guk condition.
Boy was I blown away!
From the first episode, it showed that this show wasn't going to be a "typical" drama, from the flawless directing to the smooth writing, everything about it seemed beautiful. It kinda gave me Sherlock vibes in that sense. And what I really liked, unlike other dramas,is that it kept you guessing the identity of the murderer even if it becomes quite obvious. You are sure that this character is the killer but then the show throws you off and suddenly, you start suspecting yourself. Of course, its not to that extent but you are kept guessing until the big reveal.
Moving on, I loved the relationship between Hyun and Jian. Although this drama is promoted as a romantic thriller, the romance is almost non existent which is not a bad thing here because I thought what we got instead was beautiful. You get to watch as Hyun and Jian become friends and companions who lean on each other during hard times. They actually get to know each other and embrace the other's faults which was quite heartwarming (Seo In Guk embracing anything is heartwarming.. but that is irrelevant). I also loved the relationship between Hyun and Lawyer Jung because, bromance. Props to the actors, portraying these complex characters is seriously an achievements (shoutout to D.O .. I never expected awesome cameo)
So would I watch this again? Yes, I would watch Seo In Guk watch paint dry and die content. Would I watch it for any other reason than my In Guk condition? No. I feel like this drama has a one time charm and would be boring if I re watched it despite my earlier raving. So 7.5 points for Seo In Guk!
Overall, This drama is amazing and totally worth watching. My only misgiving is that it dragged quite a bit but thankfully, it picked up the pace.
Oh and In Guk had only one shower scene, tragedy!
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When I first tuned in to Memories of Al-Hambra, I was blown away by the visuals and the AR set up. It was a wet dream for a video game enthusiast like myself. From the get-go, it's clear to viewers that no expenses were spared for the production.
Unfortunately, my love did not extend to how the plot progressed. As with this writer's dramas, the more you watch, the more do questions pop up. And when you get to the end, you are just a confused mess. If I could identify the point where things go haywire, I would generously put it at episode 10. The first 6 episodes were drawn out, yet managed to remain enjoyable and relatively logical for an illogical setup. The plot did pick up at episode 7, but I found myself reading recaps after 10. Things started to get repetitive and it's because of the drama's biggest flaw: it's centrality to one character, Jinwoo.
Now, if you are familiar with video games, a lot of them share the same idea where you have one protagonist who goes on a quest and the game basically follows them. The drama followed this format, where everything revolved around Jinwoo and all characters were to some extent, plot devices; Jinwoo is always in action while others just react. I didn't really care for this aspect of the drama. I know it received a lot of criticism, but I actually found it refreshing. However, for a 16 episode drama, it could get quite boring. Imagine watching 16 hours of a character being pushed around, then fighting, then receiving moral support, then upgrading, then fighting again.. you get the gist. It's not a narrative that suits a drama of such length, which is one of the primary reasons why it lost me.
Another reason though would be character development. I actually love Jinwoo's character. As he is the protagonist, the writer obviously took her time to flesh him out. He was flawed, charming, and quite heroic. I really liked his change throughout the drama. You can see his vibrancy, that energy he was bursting with, just being drained away as the plot progresses. Kudos to Hyun Bin who did an utterly fantastic job in his portrayal of a complex character of this sort; it's why I kept tuning in. I wish I could say the same to other characters, or perhaps, the other? " main" character: Hee-ju. The writer herself said that the story was centralized around the male lead, and that she added Hee-ju because of Park Shinhye's casting (I read that a while ago, so apologies if I am wrong, but it explains a lot). For the entire drama, all Heeju did was cry, run, and offer moral support. Hell, Secretary Seo had more of an active part than she did. It was so obvious that her character was an afterthought. She existed for Jinwoo and only for Jinwoo. It was such a shame, because Hee-ju had so much potential as a character, for she was caring and passionate.
Overall, Al-Hambra is a good drama. It had fantastic music, beautiful ambiance, and a great performance by the actions. However, the story would leave you unsatisfied and confused. It's like a cheat day where you are just biting into the cake you've fantasized about, but it's taken away before you eat it. Yes, that's the perfect analogy. Props to me.
Would I rewatch this? Yes. I would definitely watch until episode, say, 8. I do think you should give it a try though; it might end up to be your cup of tea. Just don't raise your expectations.
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Dark Figure of Crime is quite a weak movie. It aims too high to be this mysterious thriller but falls short of the mark by quite a lot; the plot is bland and the twist is merely a flick; the acting is nothing to commend, and the editing and direction are jaunty and clumsy at best.
If you would like a brainless weekend movie or a way to pass the time, this would be for you. If you are familiar with the genre, you'd be as bored as I was. Perhaps it would be a better experience for those who are not acquainted with the type. It does not have any explicit sexual scene, so you could watch it with the adults of the family.
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