Love, hate and respect

All crime shows follow a predictable plot: good guys go after bad guys, wins in the end. So the difference really lies in the characters (likeable heroines, and a villain you can respect) and the story telling.

You need just enough plot twists to keep you interested, but really what seals the deal is that you enjoy the way the writer reveals the information and sets up the characters so their decisions are believable. I have watched too many US/Asian shows where characters randomly did stupid things just to fill up an episode. In this show, characters still do stupid things, but it's aligned with their personality.

I never felt the writer lost control of the story. I KNEW the ending, I enjoyed how the show got us there. The characters had their own personalities, and the episodes had a good balance of humor, action, and sweet moments. I don't think I was ever bored in any episode. Frustrated, yes, but always intrigued.

Brilliant acting. I really can't imagine these roles played by anyone else -- from the leads to the loveable sidekicks that made the Lawless Lawyers agency the unlikely candidate for Best Co-Workers in KDrama Land.

All in all, it's a good watch.

Read More

Warm, fuzzy and furry feels

I did not expect to get so emotional over a 40-minute film about a cat. But if you had a long/stressful week and need a "good cry" and something to boost your faith in the world -- or you just need a break from an emotionally exhausting drama -- this might be for you.

This is a slice of life show, and is more about the feels than the plot. Basically, you peek into the every day life of a man and a cat. No crazy exes, time skips, or political manouvering -- just the joy of having someone who is always, unconditionally, on your side.

Read More

Cute, well-produced. but oddly unsatisfying

I gave this show an 8 because objectively it's still better than many romcoms I've seen. The story is cute and fluffy, the actors were charming and did their best with the script they were given. If I turned off my braincells and were in the mood to watch a fun show, I may have given this an even higher score.

I was just dissatisfied with the personality of the FL. For a successful, award-winning singer with previous romantic relationships, she seemed very naive and coy. I don't mind that behavior in a youth romance with a student falling in love for the first time, but it was jarring from a character who was set up to be emotionally strong in the opening episode - judging how she reacted to her ex. I thought, "Hey, this girl has BALLS." Then she proceeded to lose IQ/EQ when she crushed on someone she met online.

That may be my own personal preferences/mood but it did affect how much I enjoyed the show, and how I emotionally connected to the romance and the sweet moments. I love age gap romances but I guess I want the FL to act their age. But otherwise, the show meets the criteria of a fluffy Cdrama romance.

Read More

Didn't hit the high notes

I wasn't expecting a groundbreaking plot -- from the get-go, this story was meant to be a fluffy romance with some of the Philippines' most popular stars. Piolo Pascual has sex appeal and can make love to the camera; Sarah Geronimo is a singer who can sell out concert venues. So all I was really hoping for was a lot of scenes and good songs.

But the whole movie was offkey. Some scenes were overdrawn, and those that had the potential to make you really cry or root for the OTP were short and far between. And though the title implies that it'll match plot highlights with good songs (like how Poem a Day had appropriate poems) we only get one good song out of this whole movie. Kind of weird, when Star Cinema is the sister company of Star Music, and they have rights to a whole library of some of the Philippines' best ballads.

So sorry, Papa Piolo: I love you to bits, but to borrow one of your lines from the movie: "It sounds flat."

Read More