What a fun RomCom!

A strong female lead with shades of Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo and Inspector Koo. The fight scenes are vigorous and necessary for the storyline.

The dialogue between the actors is on point, often hilarious and delivered with conviction. There is a hint of bromance and lots of slow burn romance that gets to a nice, adult relationship.

Friendship between the 4 main actors is lovely and supportive as the main lead's past dramas are revealed. lots of layers to the story had me bingeing the last 5 episodes. Heaps of laugh out loud moments, comedy, cringe, slapstick and acerbic wit combine to deliver good comedy.

I hope all these actors are cast into more opportunities in the future.

Read More

Not a simple cheating story

Take one heterosexual female married to a closet gay man and introduce a bisexual cutie who is romantically interested in both of them and you realise this is not a simple cheating story.

The lovely teacher Nakamichi Misaki has been in an almost sexless marriage for five years and keeps telling herself "it's all right."
We learn, later on, that her husband, Nakamichi Yuki, has been coerced by his family to play the eldest son role and marry despite the confession later by his overbearing father that he already suspected his son is gay.
As a student Ina Shuhei confessed his feelings for his teacher Misaki and then left to study art. He appears again as the lover of Yuki.

Thus begins the exploration of norms in a Japanese society with regard to sexuality and relationships.

Shuhei has a strong belief and philosophy that he is able to love more than one person at a time and his preferences are gender fluid. He desires a relationship with Yuki and Misaki yet hopes he will not harm or hurt them.

Yuki has discovered his passion through Shuhei and has to struggle with his platonic love for his wife and his wish for her happiness.

Misaki is the one who spends the most time questioning her beliefs about herself and adapting her ideas about monogamous relationships. Initially the idea of losing her love interest Yuki causes her to pretend all is well. Later she attempts to incorporate Shuhei into her husbands life only to discover she is marginalised and has also placed an added burden onto her husband.

The tense scene of their 'death' is an interesting way of introducing the topic of suicides in the LGBT community.

Although the themes are complex each actor and scene add to the story being explored. My own experience and beliefs are not too hard set so I felt empathy for each of their stances and liked how the writers did not provide answers but left me with questions.

My only negative was in the (dead fish) kiss scenes with Yuki and Shuhei that were opposite for Shuhei and Misaki's.

Read More

Cuteness has a use by date

A young man approaching 30 has had the good fortune to be considered cute in a country that reveres looks. This has enabled Kosuke to glide through life and loves with little effort and no self reflection.
His looks have opened doors for him in business and smoothed over difficulties so upon meeting a character, claiming to be his future self, who foretells that he will soon lose his cuteness panic sets in.

In quick succession events conspire to reinforce his popularity is waning and it forces Kosuke to begin some soul searching. He is basically a really nice, helpful and cheerful character so his cuteness is not his only redeeming feature but he is unaware of his strengths.
A new co worker seems immune to his charms. She is stiff, withdrawn and very results driven. They are partnered up and with his natural supportive actions Izumi gradually begins to like him. Hers is a difficult role where only micro gestures are used to convey her robotic stiffness and awkwardness. A good foil for Kosuke's more flamboyant, warm gestures.

An interesting plotline a little weird because the future Kosuke is taller(?) The cuteness factor is captured beautifully by the male lead and his personality had me rooting for his success.

Easy and fun drama with only slight exaggerated actions that are common in Japanese manga conversions. No nasty characters, Polite, consensual actions from our ML - a stolen kiss from the FL.

Read More

A dark love story with a sweet ending

The main couple will pull you in with their chemistry and restrained acting. The beautiful kimonos are as much a visual feast as the traditional sweets depicted. I loved the descriptions of these confectioneries as they are presented it added depth to the the story as did the emphasis on their world of politeness and manners.
Another surprise addition is the evil mother singing Gothic tales as she plots her next evil deed.
Plot twists and reveals kept the tension up as the pieces of the murder puzzle and accusation of Hanaoka Nao’s mother Yuriko are uncovered.
Takatsuki Tsubaki is depicted as a severe, focused person trying to win over his grandfathers approval in a bid to be the successor. Hanaoka Nao is just as focused and determined to discover why her mother was framed for the death of Takatsuki Tsubaki's father.
The love hate attraction determines the push and pull of their relationship.
This is a complex story of traditional mores in a conservative Japan and the tragic consequences.

Read More

Worth the investment of time

I loved this drama and was drawn in by the mystery of why Ji Woo had walked out on Seo Joon without explaining himself, leaving Seo Jeon to worry and fantasise and not let go because he needed a reason. When he does track him down, a year later, he is met with a closed off defensive person who rejects any romance overtures.

This omission of why the two leads are behaving in the way they are allowed me to feel the confusion and pain. I spent a lot of the time with tears in my eyes as I waited to see how this drama will play out.

The writers have made them very human. The actors captured the angst and craziness that is relationships, breakups and the effects on the one left behind. The backstory is gradually revealed so we can once again gain empathy for Ji Woo.

The push pull dynamic is displayed in all its illogical actions and internal drama and thankfully they work out a compromise so they can keep their relationship happening. It is not fairytale perfect and involves compromise but we are left with hope for their continuing growth in their relationship.
Not a BL but a slice of romance for all, no matter what your orientation.

Read More

Like a good meal you will want to sample this more than once

The actors are very experienced and are able to convey their thoughts and feelings in a realistic and believable fashion.
This gay couple in their 40's, at first, seemed mismatched and in one internal dialogue Shiro has he admits Kenji would not normally be someone he is attracted to but for a life partner he is his ideal. The internal dialogues are scattered through the episodes and give further insight to their relationship.
Like most couples (they have been together for around 3 years), there are some doubts and insecurities that help us, the audience, to appreciate the extra societal restrictions, as a gay couple, they have to navigate.
A very telling scene towards the end is when Kenji explains to Shiro's father the career options faced by men when they realise they are gay and will not be marrying and having children. It is very poignant.
The every day actions of work, domesticity, shopping and cooking that this couple share demonstrate the love and care they feel for each other. Other gay couples are introduced and highlight different aspects of how Shiro and Kenji relate to each other. Shiro's respect and diffidence towards his parents and their gradual opening up to how his sexual orientation will impact their future is handled sensitively.

So excited to find there is a follow up movie of the same name - now on my PTW list

Read More

Men behaving badly

This drama is primarily exploring power and male friendships.
None of our MLs are married and each has been brought up in court where intrigue, betrayal and suspicion are rife.
The respective personalities of these kings and their loyal close friendships are displayed as concurrent stories that intertwine and entangle with lots of battles, fights and deaths along the way.
Ah Li is revered for his glamorous looks and lusted after by many yet his character is the one to watch. He is playing the long game and successfully manipulates remotely without revealing his final intentions - segue to Series 2 which I will put on my PTW list.

I hope the second series gets more funding to make some of the sets and props more acceptable.

Read More

Gives off a 'front row seat' vibe

The mood of this drama is like a very gritty play where the dialogue is given the most focus and the actors convey raw emotion.

The characters are flawed and hurting and in this secluded house past traumas come to the surface in broken remembrances.

Although it is dark at times this is still a story about love and loneliness.
A lonely mother devoted to her son but wanting to control and keep him with her as her best friend.
A lonely young man just discovering his sexuality and torn between his love for his mother and his burgeoning need for independence.
A lonely architect living a monastic existence as perceived punishment for past mistakes.

In their own ways each character is trying to use their influence on the others for their own advantage. The different means they use is what defines their personality. Sometimes we are overwhelmed by the volume (lit and fig) of words and other times the silences are deafening.
Left me with a lot of unanswered questions.
Who was the most selfish?
Who really showed love?
Who was really the strongest of the group?

I would love to rewatch this as a movie without the breaks.

Read More

A wild ride

Totally enjoyed this over the top spoof of a spy story.
The two leads play off each other well and the humour is fast and often slapstick. Not too be taken seriously, however, the fight scenes are very entertaining and despite a high body count it is not a gore fest.
The humour is not sophisticated and is often accompanied by a sight gag. I felt engaged and liked their characters.

The FL, Yoo Da Hee, played by Lee Sun Bin is suitably ernest and despite her small stature is quite fearless and brave. The ML, Woo Su Han played by Kim Young Kwang is, seemingly, naive and focussed on money but ends up with a surprising background that saves the story. I like this couples sparring remarks and later support and protection.

There is a Mission2: Possible in the offing so I will be waiting.....

Read More

It is okay to be a little selfish

Wow just finished One Spring Night and I loved every aspect of it.

I struggled with the internal moral dilemmas.
I am Australian and have not been subjected to those societal/parental restrictions. This made the drama even more fascinating.

The people depicted were very real and relatable so kudos to the whole ensemble. There is a lot of side stories to the main couple and each one was interesting and contributed to the whole drama.

Flawed humans dealing with attractions and the consequences of their choices;
The romance is a slow burn and very poignant. The ex boyfriend is incredibly self centred and justifying of his stalkerish actions that stem from his own lack of belief in his worth.
The parents share their concerns and ways of dealing with societal expectations and this too fills out the context of the conflicts.

Overall a very well made drama with a terrific OST that sets the scenes up wonderfully and allows there to be periods of no dialogue.
Enough depth to be rewatchable.

Read More

Irresistible Compulsion

Have you ever had an obsession, a craving or an addiction where you know, logically, this is not good for me but the impulse over rides the thought? This drama explores, from the FL point of view, how she becomes ensnared by the handsome ML. The attraction is intense, illogical and all consuming - when she is with him. There is a comment she makes about missing his smell that leads me to think pheromones are in play here.

On the surface Yoo Na Bi, played ably by Han So Hee , is attracted to handsome fellow artist Park Jae Eon (Song Kang whom I loved in Navillera) and he gives the impression he is interested too.

Where the drama gets interesting, for me, is in the psychological disparity between the actors intentions and actions. We learn very little about the motivations of the ML and are privy to the turmoil generated in the FL by her accepting the relationship limits.

Lots of good secondary relationships keep the story padded out in a good way. The 'hot' scenes are passionate and for their age context very realistic. There is some bad behaviour but then these are typical, flawed humans.

I found the drama mesmerising and even agree with the ending.

Read More

This drama is like a guilty secret.

It will make you laugh at very inappropriate times. This act of laughter will lighten the scary darkness at the heart of a psychopath's killing actions.

Our hero/anti hero is a protagonist wanting to be nice and do good in the world. (Protagonists’ secret weapon is their purity of intent. Generally speaking, they are motivated by a sincere wish to do the right thing rather than a desire to manipulate or have power over other people). This stance means that others view Dong-Sik as weak, a pushover and at the start of the drama it drives him to consider a desperate act. The consequence is the setup for the black humour that follows. Using his love of murder movies for reference we get to watch this playful, puppy eyed, sweetie slip into murderous role play. The acting is terrific and the shift in facial and body response is something that keeps the entertainment level high.

Our true baddie, Seo In Woo, is likewise a complex character who initially sees Dong-Sik as a worthy soulmate and imbues him with skills and intelligence that are more projections of his idealistic self.

The two ML's are polar opposites in personality and family dynamics and when Seo In Woo realises his mistake his focus on Dong-Sik becomes a murderous cat and mouse game.

Neighborhood police officer, Shim Bo Kyung, has aspirations of following in her successful, detective, father's footsteps and here too the reality lines are blurred as she believes she is getting encouragement and clues from her father when in actuality he is a projected hallucination and her skill set and lack of martial arts is severely lacking. Some of her actions and responses annoyed me and I had my fingers crossed that our ML would not choose her for a love interest.

The black comedy may not suit everyone as it relies on absurdist humour creating awkward and hilarious encounters and reactions. It shows up regularly in every episode and I was grateful for this as it was a counterfoil to the truly horrible planned murders from our handsome and urbane psychopath, Seo In Woo.

I do recommend Psychopath Diary it has shades of the strange film Seven Psychopaths (2012) where that plot spins around the idea of dog nappers and spirals out of control.

Read More

The FL's are rivetting

The two FL's in this drama are terrific.
Zhang Nan as Xu You Yi gets most of the screen time which is unfortunate as Annie Sun playing Yan Wei is striking. **Perhaps this will be balanced out if there is a second season - fingers crossed.
For only 12 episodes I felt there was just way too much that the writers tried to cram in and way too much that was not explained **

The GL aspect is there if you want to see it but sadly the cultural censorship restrictions have whitewashed this couple.

Liu Zhi Yang plays You Yi's husband, Zhou Heng and is thoroughly dislikable as the obsessed, treacherous villain who justifies all his evil deeds as being caused by others actions. His father may have influenced him here and his mother has set him up on a pedestal so no blame is ever attached.

Set in the Republican Era, the plot is focussed on Zhou Heng’s infidelity. He is seemingly accountable or involved in all the murder and attempted murder cases that You Yi’s is suspected of.

In the second half of the series when the two women begin cohabiting their is light humour as their two disparate personalities adjust. Yan Wei dotes on You Yi and is willing to provide whatever she perceives will make her life and pregnancy easier.

The colouring and the lighting of the scenes is very beautiful and adds to the romance. Unfortunately the ending is confusing **
Overall would watch again and maybe skip some of the unnecessary parts. bring on season 2 so we can perhaps showcase Yan Wei.

Read More

Blind revenge is not pretty

This drama kept popping up on the trailers so I eventually got around to watching it. I think culturally this story was a mismatch for me there were more character traits that I disliked than what I liked.

From the smiley faced poster I was expecting a lighter story but it kicked off with bullying and went darker as we progressed.

Our hero has some strong caring characteristics but is also quite paternalistic and so focussed on revenge he became unlikable.
His long suffering love interest swung between keeping him interested, reporting him to the police and just blindly following nasty instructions of her boss.
The feisty female lead is fixated on trying to win over our hero who blindly ignores this much younger colleague but is very happy she is helping him in his revenge dream.
I like the transgender character there was so much more in her character that had strong, proud vibes.
The evil elder brother is well played for the weak moral person.
The father has no redeeming features and is nasty to the core.

My cultural background had me shouting at the screen I wanted to shake or slap someone around the head so this reaction made it a drag to finish.

Read More

Worth the wait

BOT had a great review from AvenueX but at the time there were no English subs so I put in my plan to watch.
***So very glad I had rechecked.***
This show is first and foremost funny, quirky and has a type of teenagers take on humour.
Sometimes the sets are excellent and other times they remind me of earlier Dr Who shows.
Consistently surprising episodes that kept me interested whilst the individual characters gradually get fleshed out to reveal their 'monster' forms and personalities.
There is a slow burn love interest by the two, excellent, leads that is also given a complication worthy of this off beat drama. They carry the show and the supporting cast give more depth to the narrative. What is surprising is the directors and screenwriters are not very experienced yet manage to put in many layers and the dialogue pacing is good.

I feel this is a hidden gem that gets better as you persevere with each episode. I really got to like and care about the characters which, for me, shows off the skill of the actors.

Read More