Gems hidden in a pile of rocks

I really liked some of the stories, especially the ones about characters who were living in desperate situation, and had to make desperate decisions to stay alive. The comedy episodes were unfortunately very boring. I didn’t find the behaviour of the characters funny at all. I am surprised that Silence of the Lambs won the contest because it didn’t really build up to any climax, and the story felt very flat to me. The Steam was probably the most complete story, with suspense and plot twist to keep me watching. Unfortunately, the idea has been done before. Perhaps my favourite is Strangers or 19 Otters. The plot lines were interesting and original.

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Good, but *could have been* Amazing!

Why?

What I liked:
- the characters - and the brotherly camaraderie
- the dynamics between the two male leads, Kihara & Mishima
- the action scenes
- Mishima's character development
- the plot twist

What was iffy:
- there weren't any scenes that were memorable
- storytelling was muggy at times - not clear what the nature of the corruption was all about
- not clear on the backstory of how and why the tabloid chief and the police captain were willing to collaborate with Kihara,
> someone who has close ties to the yakuza
> if found out, could consequently discredit them and put their work/reputations in jeopardy
> underdeveloped villains and antagonists

What I would have liked to see more of:
- the journalists working alongside Mishima
- especially the office assistant and the editor-in-chief, Nagasaki
> would balance out the currently disproportionate amount of characters involved with the yakuza world
> would make positive female characters
> (Nana the hostess doesn't count bec. she's directly involved with the yakuza)
> more of what a tabloid magazine worker deals with

For a film that claims that its premise is about a journalist and a former yakuza working together, it tends to focus too much on Kihara, and subsequently ends up glorifying the yakuza more than anything about the work of a journalist. Mishima's character becomes more of a sidekick rather than a formidable equal.

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Too much gratuitous sex, but nice twist ending

Started off with a mystery and the premise makes the viewer root for certain characters right away. The unravelling of the mystery was entertaining to watch because of all the plot twists.

The social injustice narrative became a bit too heavy with the sadistic abuse of the servants, and the tiresome part of it is the fact that there never seemed to be any way out. They all had to endure it because of the poverty back at home, and the seemingly high wages that "compensated" for the "back-breaking labour." In spite of that explanation, it's hard to believe that money is enough to motivate someone stay at this job when some of the abuse could maim them for life, making it difficult for them to continue earning any income at all.

The acting was quite convincing for the most part, for both sides of villains and protagonists. Thanavate Siriwattanagul, who plays Mawin, stood out for me. The characterization of the servants was quite one-dimensional for all of them, so one cannot say that they had much acting to sell to begin with.

Ending was satisfying, although a bit too fantastical.

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Surprisingly Non-melodramatic for a Revenge Drama

This drama reminded me of the soap operas produced by TVB in Hong Kong back in the 80's and 90's. A lot of these tropes were later adopted by Korean dramas in the 2000's to 2010's. This Japanese drama, even though it was released in 2008, was refreshing and entertaining. The reason? Because it did not use melodrama like the others to sustain the viewer's interest.

What I liked:
- the dynamics of the three siblings
- some of the realism experienced in male-female romances
- unconventional characters > love how each sibling had distinct personality traits
- the fact that the younger brother and sister played a big part in the solving of the mystery, and did not simply be relegated to sidekick status
- character development for the protagonists and antagonisists
> showed a subtle complexity rather than relying on stock characteristics
- the ending

What was iffy:
- could have paid more attention to the relationship dynamics between Koichi & Shizuna
> considering the fact that they were the major players in the scams and the investigation of the mystery

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Enjoyable All the Way to the End

Like all great Japanese dramas, this one explores the complexities of romantic relationships and the nuances of inner turmoil. What happens to people and how do they react when they begin to realize what "dependence" does to their individual identities?

What I loved:
- the understated and very realistic acting by the entire ensemble cast
- no anime-like comedic tropes
- the exploration of the definition of independence
- how characters behave and have patterns of speech that matches their personality

What was iffy:
- the subplot of Mami & Genki-Kun was too drawn out
> could have progressed and been resolved faster
- Kanda and Sakaida's break was too abrupt
- would have felt more complete if we got to see her telling Kanda what he did wrong
> that would have followed the pattern of storytelling whereby a problem in a relationship is exposed for what it truly is.

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Multi-layered Story about Friendship, Loyalty & Trust

This is the second J-Drama that I've seen centring on classical musicians that I found to be just adorable!

What I loved:
- the complicated plot that unravels slowly with lots of surprises
- the acting by all the ensemble cast
- the soundtrack- the modern adaptations of classical music - wish they had it on Spotify
- the developing friendships between the characters
- building on the themes of trust and loyalty

What was iffy:
- almost no chemistry between the characters who were romantically attracted to one another
- would have been better if it were 11-12 episodes long
- needed more development to the character development of Suzume, Iemori and Beppu.
- as is, it leaves the impression that this was not a story about an ensemble of characters, but one that centred on Maki as the solo lead character instead.

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Excellent Conclusion!

I've read that many viewers did not like the ending, but this is what a good story ending is supposed to be like.

- All loose ends are tied up
- Not everyone deserves their "end" the way it ends
- Very realistic portrayal of the human condition

What else I liked:
- respectful portrayal of non-Korean characters
- NKC's were not portrayed as dimwits to make the Korean characters appear more appealing
- story was focused and maintained a level of complexity that kept me guessing
- no excessive and meaningless sexual content (in fact there was very little at all)

What would have made it better:
- a good soundtrack with more instrumental music
- at least one likeable and strong female character (secretary had potential, but was neglected by the director)
- understand that that line of work and the times would have made this challenging
- good storytelling dictates that there should be a foil for Kim So-Jung & Ko Young-Hee

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So Many Compelling Characters

Had not heard much about this drama before I started watching it, so I was pleasantly surprised to find myself hooked! The storyline and subject matter is something that I have never seen before on television.

The beginning of the drama was a bit confusing and slow, but because I had faith in K-dramas, I stuck with it. What I found was a group of unsavoury characters whom I would never go anywhere them in real life, but found that they all had some redeeming qualities that made them appear very humanistic and sympathetic. It's a marvel that so many actors on the cast were able to portray their characters so realistically without a single one over-acting.

The wait for Son Seok-Gu's character to appear was well worth it. I am so thankful that they did not turn him into some drug addict like any other American TV show would have. That flaw is so over-used that it's a become a horrible trope.

It deserves all of the awards it's won and more.

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Be more understanding of persons who are hard of hearing

This movie taught me that, similar to how "Attorney Woo" made me more understanding of people who are on the autism spectrum.

The love story was quite amazing because of the acting, especially by Shin Hyun Been. The love spilling out of her eyes whenever she was looking at Jung Woo Sung was gloriously sweet. The humanistic love came across loud and clear. The fact that Jung is 13 years older than Shin didn't bother me at all, unlike other dramas that also feature a big age gap between the lovers (e.g. Goblin, Mr. Sunshine.)

The attention paid to creating the artwork for the story was very impressive as well. If those paintings really exist in some art gallery in Seoul, I'd love to go see them.

I have one complaint - the theme songs. For 2/3 theme songs, why are so many verses in English? Either write an English song with someone who can sing with virtually no accent, or just sing a Korean song. Don't keep switching between the two from one stanza or verse to another. The heavy Korean accent made it hard to tell if the singer was singing in English or Korean at times, which just makes it worse.

Other than that, the instrumental soundtrack is excellent. Overall, this movie was very entertaining to watch and definitely worth re-watching.

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There have been so many time-travel movies and TV shows in recent decades, and that has made the subject matter feel exhausted and sometimes downright boring. It is so hard to recycle an idea and present in a way that is creative and does not fall into the traps of all the previous cliched plot lines. This one is a gem. The storyline is well thought-out so that it doesn't have some silly plot holes. The cinematography is lovely, as is the set is magical. The best part is the acting by both young and old actors. Shin Eun-Soo and Lee Hyo-Je were so natural, esp. in the scenes where it might even make adults act awkwardly. Later on, Kang Dong-Wan and Shin Eun-Soo acted with such ease around one another, as if they really had known each other all their lives. It's a moving story about friendship, loyalty and having faith in people. I re-watch this movie once every couple of years just to relive the magic.

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Excellent acting, but story is unoriginal

I really liked some of the stories, especially the ones about characters who were living in desperate situation, and had to make desperate decisions to stay alive. The comedy episodes were unfortunately very boring. I didn’t find the behaviour of the characters funny at all. I am surprised that Silence of the Lambs won the contest because it didn’t really build up to any climax, and the story felt very flat to me. The Stain was probably the most complete story, with suspense and plot twist to keep me watching. Unfortunately, the idea has been done before. Perhaps my favourite is Strangers or 19 Otters. The plot lines were interesting and original.

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Flat and Anti-climactic

I really liked some of the stories, especially the ones about characters who were living in desperate situation, and had to make desperate decisions to stay alive. The comedy episodes were unfortunately very boring. I didn’t find the behaviour of the characters funny at all. I am surprised that Silence of the Lambs won the contest because it didn’t really build up to any climax, and the story felt very flat to me. The Steam was probably the most complete story, with suspense and plot twist to keep me watching. Unfortunately, the idea has been done before. Perhaps my favourite is Strangers or 19 Otters. The plot lines were interesting and original.

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Plot moves like a whirlwind

Most problems with TV dramas is that they are too slow. "Whirlwind" is the opposite. It moves way too fast, turning and twisting from one impossible complication to another. Characters are also switching allegiance back and forth between various allies/enemies. All these points make for a very fast-paced storyline that keeps me guessing, but the problem is that the fast pace also makes it difficult for me to develop any attachment to the characters.

I love stories that feature characters who are neither entirely good or entirely bad, and "Whirlwind" has several of them, and the mature and understated acting made their portrayal of the characters very exciting to watch. Unfortunately, everything these characters do seem to be driven by the chaotic plot line. Despite these characters having very noble aspirations and idealistic goals, I just could not sympathize with them.

Most of the acting was quite good, except for the two young political aids. Lim Se Mi is particularly dull as her character seems quite one-dimensional. If her love interest was better-looking, that would have helped a lot.

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Walking Dead Wannabe Fails

The first time I tried watching season one, I gave up after 3 eps. because the fighting against the monsters started to appear futile. Now I'm astonished to find that it was continuing to be made into two more seasons. The story is just as pointless as ever, or even more so because it's no longer setting anything up. It's just one violent action scene after another.

Season 2 looks like it's a combo of The Walking Dead, Happiness and _Generic_Monster_Movie__. All the characters are just surviving so that they can fill up another season.

I was watching it and fast-forwarding through all the scenes without Kim Moo-Yeol in it. He made the viewing bearable, but just barely. Finally gave up partway through episode 6 of season 3.

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Interesting episodes to start, but fizzles out soon after

Each case really does have quite a compelling premise. The types of cases are also very interesting because they're civil suits, not criminal ones, which we've already seen too much of in both Asian and North American dramas. The problem is that the middle section of each case gets really boring and I end up dropping it for a couple of days before I try to finish it.

What I liked:
- unusual and interesting cases
- favourite case was Oba's
- male and female leads - actors had pretty good chemistry
- creating a protagonist who has a superpower, but who also has a major flaw
- the other supporting characters in the ensemble

What was problematic:
- writer/director didn't know how to build up complexity in a story to keep it interesting
- Ishiko's and Oba's dynamics > actors had no chemistry with one another

Since there are more things that I like about this drama than not, it should have got a higher rating. However, the overall series is just very blah.

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