Communication and assurance is key

I liked the concept of the show but at times I felt it was a bit cruel to have couples who are on the verge of breaking up watch their partners date new people and build connections and enjoy themselves. Some of the participants were also torn about whether they should be friendly or restrain themselves on dates. The biggest issue among most couples was how they communicate and it was clear to see that lack of trust and fear was adding to their inability to communicate effectively. It was quite eye-opening as I analysed my own communication skills. It's a good show to reflect on and learn from watching the challenges faced by others. It has some funny moments early on as the couples adjust to their partners going on dates but as the show goes on, you begin to feel their pain.

My only issue with the show midway was that there is no challenge for the participants to work on their relationships when they are already unsure on how to resolve their problems. If anything, new people in the mix is like adding to the fire of mistrust and uncertainty. I'm glad there is no interference by the producers but there ought to be some tasks that can help the couples communicate with their partners as well.

After completing the series, it was clear that the looming deadline suddenly woke a lot of the couples up and they realised, this might be their last chance to talk it through with the partners. Being able to listen, as well as see each others' perspective and in some cases reassure their partner that they are committed was what many of them were looking for. It was certainly a fascinating series.

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Directionless towards the end

Leaving the spoilers for later, this series has a bit of something for everyone in a progressive sense but leaves you to fill the gaps at the end. I would love for a show to pick up from where this one left off as the show didn't resolve the issues it presented.

Spoilers:
This series reminded me a lot of the Korean drama 'Because This Is My First Life' in the first episode. However, Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu created its challenges and failed to address them by the end leaving it open-ended and that left me disappointed. It was a unique opportunity to show how couples can balance work and home if they are supportive of each other. Though the show presented the value of a housewife's role, the couple in the end seemed to reach an impasse and left the solution up to the audience to decide.

Another progressive aspect of the show was the second couple of the older woman (49) and younger man (32). However, it seemed like the director only liked to play with the idea but preferred to leave the actual romance and relationship to the audience's imagination as well. When I had lost all interest in the main couple, I was hoping something would come of the second couple but alas. A missed opportunity to tackle society's perceptions of such pairings despite both being adults.

The positives:
The main couple is cute. It is nice to see a male lead that is polite, gentle and well mannered. Just when I started feeling like wives being solely responsible for housework and cooking and should enjoy it was being shoved down my throat, the female lead proclaims that she was only dedicated to those tasks when she was being paid to do them. There was a good explanation of how women are exploited because of their love for their families and expected to give their all without any pay or appreciation of all that they do. The actors played their parts well and the chemistry was palpable and many characters were relatable.

If you're expectations are not too high and don't mind leaving things to the imagination, you might enjoy the show more than I did.

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A mix of a strong plot, characters and acting.

When I watched the trailer, all I could think of was this is another Boys Over Flowers and Meteor Garden with the Male lead being a member of a group (Alpha 3 instead of F4) and he ends up bullying the poor but brave female lead eventually falling for her. But it's not quite the same. And that's probably why I liked it.

Although both shows do have their similarities, this male lead, Deib, does have his humane side which they reveal early on. That's why it was easier to believe he was not a bad guy. His first intro was more normal. There are definitely clashes between the pair leading up to the bullying that are again insights into the type of person the male lead is. He is not an angry spoilt brat even though he can be. But you find yourself understanding where he's coming from pretty quickly.

The female lead, Maxpein, doesn't just stand up for herself but also others. Her family situation is dire but they are not over the top characters desperate to push her onto a rich guy like in F4:Thailand or BOF. Her family inspires her to show vulnerability but keep going despite hardships. "The brave cry but don't give up" is her motto during her weakest moments. At no point is she forced to overwork herself. Though I do wonder when she and the other students studied.

It's easy to see why the leads can connect and relate to each other. Even though the bullying is pretty nasty, it felt less intense except at one point when it gets serious and this is where the story takes a turn. Luckily it does not involve sexual harassment of any sort.

For 10 episodes and 45 min episodes, the story is conveyed well and there are many different aspects to the story that you don't see coming. Season 1 ends on a cliff hanger but even as a standalone season, it does well to take you on an emotional and fairly relatable journey. This is the first Filipino drama that I have watched and I am quite impressed by it. As far as the support cast is concerned, I quite liked Maxpien's father, Elle, and the headmaster did a wonderful job portraying their characters.

The show is not heavy on the romance which is nice but may not be everyone's cup of tea. I recommend giving this a go for the story and the acting/cast.

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Not scary.

The movie is supposed to be of horror genre so I've rated it on that basis.

For a movie shot entirely on a phone, it was very well done. The set designs were amazing. Good VFX (final scene). The story plot was interesting. The events however were comical. They seemed to have paid homage to 'The Shining'. I wont spoil the reasons for that. I am not sure if I understood the final scenario or I might have rated it higher even if it was not scary. It could have been the translation gap but they didn't explain the ending properly and it might leave audiences guessing what was really going on.

Nevertheless, I was amused and it's only 25 mins long so it's good for a one time watch.

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Slow moving

I'll keep it as brief and to the point as possible. The story definitely had potential but it didn't hold my interest for very long. It starts off well but around episode 9 and 10, I started to feel bored. By the end, the pace picks up again but I wasn't as vested in the plot.

I really enjoyed the dynamics between Lee Ahn and his brother Seong Mo. And they were the highlights of the show more than anything. It also added some humour.

It wasn't really explained how Lee Ahn's powers develop in the presence of Jae In. Or how those books he read helped. They could have exploded that a bit more instead of some of the romance scenes which weren't all that romantic. Although the ending was satisfactory, I didn't feel quite satisfied. It felt almost underwhelming. It could have used a bit of drama. Instead, everyone's emotions were flat.

I've also minused 0.5 for the poor budgie. They paid attention to the dog but not a single scene with them interacting with that bird. It looked beyond lonely. When Ahn gives Jae In his dog because he's too busy, I don't understand why he doesn't do the same for the bird as his brother seems to be home even less. I'm sure the animals were looked after by the crew but as part of the story, it made me feel bad for it.

I wouldn't really recommend this particular series. It isn't bad but there are better ones out there. I'd say Park Jin Young was far better in The Devil Judge and that is a far more intriguing series. Hence why I don't rate He Is Psychometric highly as a rewatch either.

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Funnier than I expected

Kyou wa Kaisha Yasumimasu, also known as I'm Taking The Day Off is well named and a good show.

Aoishi Hanae is a woman about to turn 30 and has never been in a romantic relationship before. She is out drinking with some of her work colleagues when a 21 year old intern, Tanokura Yuto, at her company finds out that it is her 30th birthday shortly after the others have left. He decides to make it special for her and asks her to hang out with him that night. Despite her awkwardness, she decides to spend time with him.

Hanae has always lived in fear which kept her from experiencing romantic relationships but her awkwardness. worries and inexperience keep weighing on her along with the doubts of being in a relationship with a man 9 years younger than her. I found it to be portrayed extremely well and the situations are quite realistic. The whole story is from her perspective so that we get to experience her firsts along with her. Since Tanokura has been in relationships, he is better equipped at handling Hanae's insecurities and quelling her fears. In this way, he comes across as the more mature person in the relationship. He is also very sorted and an upright individual and slowly but surely the trust develops with plenty of ups and downs.

The second male lead, Asao Yuu, also adds an interesting dynamic to their relationship. Asao is fascinated by Hanae's imperfections and a unique friendship develops between the pair. On many occasions, I did find myself thinking he might be better suited for her. It is very easy for a man to be portrayed as pushy and overbearing but luckily this drama understands consent and though they play on cliches, they never overstep boundaries which was important. We also see this when Kagami is trying to express his interest in Ookawa Hitomi

This series has plenty of funny and light-hearted moments. A lot of it coming from Hanae's colleagues, her dad, and also her niece. I also appreciated the positive work environment Hanae is lucky to be a part of, especially for having a very considerate boss who lets her "take the day off" (hence the name of the show) several times at the last minute. This title is also appropriate because Hanae is known to never use her paid vacation days.

My only negative points about this show is that it does not explore beyond the early relationship. I would have liked to know how the couple dealt with obstacles that arose in the future due to the age gap as this was also something that used to worry Hanae. Also, she never overcame the discomfort of communicating what bothered her which would have been nice to see.

Overall I really enjoyed the show for it's simplicity and it was done well. There was room for improvement.

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Do not recommend

I can understand the intention and the message behind the series. While the message is a good one, the delivery and impact of the show is unimpressive.

My main issue is how slow moving the story is. And at the end, you feel a bit cheated because you are investing your time in hopes of a good pay off. There are certainly better ways of revealing information pertinent to the message.

I also have issues with a character towards the end. The elderly nurse. That was problematic.

I liked some of the characters but overall this is below average for me. There are much better short series in contrast to this one.

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Surprisingly good

I know there is controversy surrounding the male lead however the plot was enticing and I don't regret watching it.

Both the female and male leads did a wonderful job with their potrayals. Lee Seo Won did well with the contrasting characters of Ji Sul Woo and his doppelganger, Yoon Dong Joon. Though it would be more realistic if his issues were more to do with dealing with the negative side of fame which was also brought up rather than merely hating the way he looks. I am glad I watched this series because Han Seung Yeon tugged at my heart strings with her character, Baek Se. The moment where she talks to her friend made me well up. Beautifully portrayed moments.

Since Dong Jong was made to play the part of the romance star, Ji Sul Woo, lots of light hearted moments came from reenacting famous romance scenes. Though there are no laugh out loud moments, it's still entertaining. Two 1 hour episodes makes it an easy watch and the story ending was well done.

It's unfortunate that Lee Seo Won misbehaved and threatened a female. He seems to be a good actor. It just goes to show that just because someone is talented, they may not be a good person and as the audience we only see their onscreen persona and the side they want us to see. Nonetheless, my rating is based on the story and the combined effort of all the actors and the work put in. Their efforts and talent should be recognised and should not have to suffer in the process for someone else's actions.

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Disappointing

Though I enjoyed the plot theme, I really had high expectations from the characters and the story. The counters and the other world partners are shown to be pretty weak considering the incredible powers they actually possess.

To begin with, Wi Gen, the other world partner nearly died as she began aimlessly searching for a body to enter. When she finally does collid with So Moon's body, the ensuing scene is comical and almost silly.

Also, the writers probably wanted to create a powerful adversary but it just ended up making all the counters look incredibly weak and helpless. The other world partners also seem to be dishing out unjust punishments to the counters which was upsetting. Some of the aspects in the lead up to as well as the final battle itself were frustrating to watch (eg. The car scene).

The story started off pretty strong but towards the end, I started to lose interest. I completed it nonetheless. Probably not a show I would watch again nor recommend as there are a lot of better options.

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Action, comedy, mystery, romance rolled in one

Watched this back in 2020 lock down. Exit is the kind of movie that can be enjoyed by the masses as it has a bit of everything. It also has the thrills without getting too dark despite being a disaster survival movie.

The story builds up slowly by introducing the male lead and his family being frustrated and disappointed with him. Story moves to a site of a family function where the disaster happens and a mysterious gas leak occurs. The female lead and ML's love interest happens to be a staff working there. The situation shows the ways in which people react and try to survive in order to escape the deadly situation. Mostly panic as one can expect. And then there are some that go to extrordinary lengths to survive using knowledge and skill. This is what builds excitement.

Since the leads are rock climbers and are trying to escape, a lot of the action involves climbing, running, and jumping. This might be different from what people who enjoy action movies usually love (eg. Fight scenes, car chases, etc). There are some funny dialogues, happy moments as well as plenty of nail-biting scenes. If you prefer proper romance plots then you might be disappointed but you will get to see the chemistry between the leads given the situation.

I would definitely recommend people give it a watch!

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A strong finish!

I love the cast and am absolutely biased towards Lee Je Hoon aka Kim Do Ki. The characters he plays is alone worth watching for. However, I can't rate this 10/10. Taxi Driver 2 is a little less intense compared to season 1 so not all the episodes have the same shock value and psychos of season 1. But towards the later episodes, you do get that stress and thrill of season 1.

On Ha Jun's character is a bit more subtle than I would have liked it to be. But there is a bit more focus on him at the end.

The team is great but I missed the constant engineering that went on to improve the car and equip it with new features. However, in this season, everyone is more involved in the actual cases which is nice. We see some great chemistry between Ahn Go Eun and Do Ki. But no real romance for anyone that was hoping for some. Personally, I don't think every show needs a couple. But you get some sweet moments.

The last few episodes were the best. The team, like last season, deals with a situation that they did not anticipate and it was what the series was building up to. What I loved in season 1 was the hand to hand combat by Kim Do Ki. We get some action sequences throughout season 2 as well with major fights in the last two episodes.

I wish there was more of Madam Lim Bok Ja though

Prior to the finale, I had rated the show at 8.5, but the finale did blow me away and gave me everything I was hoping for. Luckily it concludes nicely and there is no cliffhanger. Although they may have teased a 3rd season in future. Let's see if they decide to follow through.

I LOVE the Rainbow Taxi team and I'm glad they gave us so much more variety than the first season. The way everything came together was also fantastic. First season is still superior but season 2 finishes strong!

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A let down

I generally love crime thrillers but Decoy bored me so I will just list some of the reasons I disliked the series first.

1. There is so much back and forth time jumps. Aft first, I found it hard to keep track on how far they were going back as the story takes you back to different years following the story of both the victims of the scam as well as the fraudsters. After a while, I just stopped caring and just wanted the story to move forward.
2. Most of the story takes place in flashback. It would be easier if we got the back story and then saw the person in the present. They would show you a dead body and you would have no idea who they are. Then after awhile they would go backwards in time with reference to the dead person and I found myself thinking. "Okay, this person is dead so why do I need to care what their role was?" I wasn't invested in them anymore. I wish we got to see their back story first.
3. The whole tone of the show is dull. The scenes shot in the present have a blue filter and the past is in a yellow/orange filter. The way the actors speak all feel a bit monotonous especially our lead detective.
4. Again because the story is working backwards, I didn't feel a connection to the victims early on. I wasn't fully empathetic to their suffering. Instead I was impatient to figure out if they will get their justice in the present but instead I was forced to go back to the past every time something interesting happened in the present.
5. It also adds to the frustration that the lead detective keeps undermining the victims of scam saying it's not a big deal compared to murder and refusing to look into any possible connection to things happening in the present. At the same time, he wants to get information out of them while also name-calling them. The last thing you want the male lead to be is a jerk and those are the vibes that I got from him.
6. Just when the series was getting somewhere in the present, it ended. I am okay with splitting shows up but for Decoy, it doesn't work in it's favour. Maybe my impression of the show would be better if it was complete rather than being divided in this way.

What I liked:
1. The female lead who plays the reporter. She is clearly a smart character. Smarter than the detective in fact and she picks up on things fairly quickly. Acts in the nick of time and was the main reason I enjoyed this series.
2. The only person I developed some sympathy for was the "oppa" of the female lead even though he didn't get much of a role. Rather there were only glimpses of him.
3. No Sang Cheon, the con artist. Loved his character. He feels more like a grey character than a pure bad guy. To some extent, I admire his wits for catching on to a scam. That's a different matter that he turns into a scamster himself. He also seems to be the only character that actually portrays the widest range of emotions and has enthusiasm when he speaks.

Even 6 episodes took me a long time to cover as I would start feeling sleepy so to prevent that I had to watch the show in 2x. I will watch part 2 just for the conclusion and I hope it will be more focused on the present for a change.

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Captivating Story-telling

DP Season 2 has certainly outdone season 1. The way they have shed a light on the horrors within the military service in South Korea, I don't believe any country has even attempted such stories or would ever be inclined to attempt to admonish the evils within their military. For that, I have to applaud South Korea. Without checks and balances, the system perpetuates injustice.

This series is a dark one but the directors have managed to bring some humour and light moments in between into the story-telling. These are stories of different individuals in difficult circumstances. They didn't choose to serve. They were forced to and what's worse is having to deal with humiliation and abuse on a regular, if not daily basis. Their only choice is escape. The DP team are not actually heroes. They have just one job. To force the deserters to return without actually rectifying the situation that causes many of the deserters to flee in the first place. However, this season seeks to change that. After seeing the errors in the way the military functions and the worsening situations of the victims and the results of the violence and humiliation they endured, the DP team starts to see a real problem with the way things are run and the corruption within the system that is creating more and more victims by sweeping incidents under the rug. However, in the process of creating a change, there are still many who could not be saved.

Every story is heart-breaking. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Even if it is a flicker.

Hope everyone looks beyond this as a story and considers what stories are not being told in our own countries and how many victims are created because of lack of a voice and change. This series certainly made me think beyond what was depicted.

It is not an easy watch, but DP Season 2 certainly is a must-watch.

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Great but incomplete

I honestly enjoyed every minute of the series except maybe for the very end. We waited so long for the conclusion of the series and they leave some questions unanswered in anticipation of another season which I suspect might never get made. That is why it makes me more annoyed that the current season got split up to begin with. It might have received a better reception as a whole.

I genuinely loved the character development of all our three leads as well as the student. A depth is added to their personalities and the story continues. There is no romance but there is chemistry between Van and Won Min Ho. Plenty of nice action sequences especially including Priest Yohan. Really good CGI. The story moves faster for the most part.

The biggest drawback is that we get left on a cliffhanger so it's not really a satisfactory conclusion although it's not as bad as to feel incomplete either. I just wish all lose ends were tied up in a clean way.

The series is quite enjoyable. I hope more people view it so that we can all ask for another season with a conclusive story line.

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