Go! Princess Go! is a charming romp turned drama which I would mark as a must-see for anyone who enjoys dramas. It is a fresh take on the time travel concept, and for the most part, the idea of a man being in the body of a woman is handled quite well. I especially liked how, do to this, it was often the woman who took a more dominating place in the relationship between the two love interests.

Though this drama starts off very light-hearted and seems to lean more towards comedy, there is a gradual shift in tone which solidifies to a complete drama at the end. For the most part, I think the change was gradual enough that it was successful - I could take the ending seriously...for the most part, but I will get to that later.

The Good:
Lighthearted comedy
A fun watch
A unique concept
Has some very heavy parody elements and some meta humor
A unique and enticing romance

The Bad:
Pacing - this show is all over the place. At first, the pacing is relatively consistent but then it begins to drag towards the middle, hits rock bottom, before picking up again.
Sometimes the comedy doesn't quite fit. Remember how I said that the switch in tone was handled well, for the most part? Well, when the tone doubles down, it sometimes falls flat on its face and ruins the mood. Doesn't happen too often, but often enough to be noticeable.
THE ENDING. I can't explain but wow. There should only have been 34 episodes in this series. Just... this is my main qualm with the show. There is nothing worse than having a good show with a bad final episode. And as for which alternate ending is best? I would vote the first one.

Conclusion: Watch it. It's fun, if a bit long, and really enjoyable if you get past all the body humor, haha. The nods towards drama tropes are so much fun to partake in, and the parody aspect of the show is done well and genuinely funny. If you were on the fence, definitely give this one a try!

Read More

Novoland, Castle in the Sky is not what you expect it to be. The first few episodes( along with an ending credits sequence...but I'll talk about that later) come across as light-hearted. It seems that nothing really has any consequence, and things just sort of happen.

What made me keep watching, honestly, was the main actors. They did a stunning job portraying the main characters, particularly the two leads. They had great chemistry, and every interaction was fun to watch.

There is enough drama and 'mystery' in the first half of the series that when the tone shifts it isn't too disorienting. In the end, however, I must admit that the second half of the series is certainly more interesting and better paced than the first half, which is a bit long-winded and drawn out.

The Good:
*Great acting
*Great chemistry between the main characters
*Beautiful costuming and a unique atmosphere - the concept of Asian steampunk isn't often explored and as such the unique visuals in this were a breath of fresh air. There is definitely a style to this drama and it is unique and in my opinion, much appreciated.
*The Plot - it is an interesting and unique concept, and I honestly was hooked for the latter half of the series. There was a lot of drama, a lot of suspense, and it was very interesting to follow.

The Bad:
*The Plot - I know, this is one of my good things, but hear me out. The plot is interesting in that it is unique. But it is also full of holes, loose ends, and story arcs and characters that go absolutely nowhere. Things that are important aren't properly explained( including the main conflict, the Shooting Star flower deity) and a lot of the characters end up with absolutely no development when it initially seemed like they would be explored more. Was it interesting? Yes. Was it good? No.
*The pacing. For the love of all that is good, the pacing was terrible. The beginning of the show just shoots off into the plot, then drags for a few episodes, another conflict is introduced, rinse wash and repeat for ten episodes or so. Around episode fifteen, things pick up and the pacing becomes more consistent, but the last episode just shoots itself in the foot. Ugh.
*The end song. Trust me guys, if you watch one episode you will know what I mean. This song... is ridiculous. It's almost funny at first before it quickly grown obnoxious when the tone of the series starts to shift. The song is so upbeat, it does not at all fit with the grand fantasy that Novoland is trying to develop into. 10/10 skip every time.

Conclusions: I would highly recommend this drama. If you are considering watching it: do. I was doubtful, and I was surprised. Maybe you will be too.

Read More