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  • Location: San Diego, CA
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sarafilleSD

San Diego, CA

sarafilleSD

San Diego, CA
Completed
The Story of Ming Lan
3 people found this review helpful
Aug 18, 2020
78 of 78 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 10

Life's Lessons Learned in a Well-told Story

Yes, 73 (on Viki) but really 78 (?) episodes are long.
Yes, you've been burned by long episode cdramas before and have been burned, so you're wary.
Yes, it's a 10 star story line acted so perfectly by so many actors.
Yes, it is worth it.

* edit* OMG, this story will STICK with you, wow. I came back to edit my review after I thought, "no way am I rewatching something this long" when rating it with a rewatch value of 2 stars right after I watched it. Sadly, I then went from snack drama to fancy drama to heavy drama and couldn't find anything as almost perfect as this story-wise so guess what? I started rewatching it. The MC just slaaaay this thing, guys. Oh, by the way: I don't think this was dubbed, which makes it feel more authentic to me somehow.

I won't give a synopsis since other reviewers have done so well already BUT I wish I knew a couple of things going in, so here goes...

1) Yes, there is a romance but it's more of a love story that grows as the characters grow together so it doesn't start until after episode 30.. Since both the ML & FL's characters are complex and unique, the first half of the drama explores the experiences that shape their perspectives and world-views before they start their household together in the 2nd half. His pursuit of her is really cute because of how he handles/massages/coaxes her into accepting him.

Some people compared it to P&P but aside from the social climbing & backstabby gossip mongering of drawing room witty repartee, I don't see any Austen here. Maybe the fact that it satirizes the prestige of social class & snobbery with & between families, marriages included, okay sure. But that's about it. The ML is not a tsundere--actually the FL is the one w/the uncrackable cold exterior. Both characters are strong, intelligent, independent-minded individuals who are also courageous, tenacious and refuse to shirk responsibilities. They are both pretty awesome in their own right. Even better? The ML recognizes the absolute GEM that our FL is early on but has circumstances and then reasons for not pursuing her until later. (I'll be honest: I didn't like him for her at first but that's only because they weren't right for each other then & hadn't figured themselves out yet; there was an ick factor in his background for me but I understood how he needed to learn from that experience, so I rolled with it but it was pretty painful. Ack.) By the end of the drama, you felt like they were formidable either together or apart. A serious power couple. I didn't find the romance super compelling (little to no wooing since he kinda master-minded their marriage) but I liked their relationship a lot & thought they were a great bonded couple once they got married.

2) You might get bored in the beginning but STICK WITH IT. The reason why you spend so much time in Ming Lan's childhood home at first? To get to know the people that teach her the difficult life lessons that seem to reoccur later in Ming Lan's life. The ones that roll and twist you through dialogue and action like an ever-churning whirlpool. You're slowly getting sucked in, okay? The story is sooooo well written. You have to settle in and just wait for it to build all of these layers in each of the characters, so it just feels slow at first because it IS. Just have faith & pay attention because the eventual pay-off is worth it. Once you hit episode 30ish, you will want to have a weekend to kill off the last 40 episode---yes, the rising action & climax of the show is that perfect that you don't want to tear yourself away from watching it unfurl in one long arch. The tie-up is perfect, too. No loose ends. Each of these characters were so well-crafted that I was never tempted to skip (well, maybe a couple of times tbh) & because the story really is about Ming Lan & HER family (which also later becomes her & her husband's family as well) you have to watch through so much of the earlier interactions to understand how everyone is interconnected.

3) Everyone's acting is bad a**. I am seriously impressed with so many actors & actresses here. The crazy women are realistically batsh*t crazy & as antagonists, terrifyingly unrepentant. They were crafted with just as much love as the protagonists and so they are just as complex. I would say this drama has a powerhouse of female actresses killing it in so many different ways. Every character that was close to Ming Lan had a point of view that was so understandable I developed some empathy for them. Even the most hateful ones, which was unexpected.

4) The story is well-detailed and rich, like a tapestry. Layers upon layers upon layers. It is enjoyable just for the fact that it's a seriously well-told story. Once I committed to Ming Lan's story, I didn't feel the need to cheat on her. I didn't hop back to watch another show I had started and stopped or felt like I needed to take a break with something else for a while. Once this story catches you, you are just along for the ride. For some it may be earlier than Episode 35, but at that point you really can't stop yourself from hitting "next" over and over again because you can't wait to see what's going to happen, oh-my-gosh what are these characters are going to do & how the antagonists are going to get their just desserts in the end. Because they do! Karma smacks the serious sh*t outta them. It's SUCH a smart show, too!!!!

Music was decent. Really just a couple over played songs but at times employed effectively.
**Edit** I've already gone and rewatched this when I REALLY didn't think I would. I kinda missed them. *sniff* So....yeah, I originally thought I would rewatch from episode 53 on (when it really picked up action-wise) but I ended up rewatching from the start of the love story, around episode 30ish.

Basically...
Yes, you should watch it. ;p

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Completed
Hanaoni
2 people found this review helpful
Mar 30, 2020
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 2.0
So I got sucked into this one EXACTLY the way the previous reviewer did: the 10 minute asiancrush youtube video.

1) I was intrigued by the story since I love supernatural and fantasy storylines,
2) it was a movie instead of a drama, and
3) I needed a drama/movie less than 7.0 for my 2020 Drama Watch Challenge.
So I figured Why Not?

The story is great but the movie itself isn't executed well. It's obvious it's a low-budget independent movie. Shaky directing scenes, lack of props, costumes and scenery, film quality, etc. A previous reviewer compared this to Twilight & I think that description fits really well. The fighting scenes between the demons only looked supernatural in a couple of instances so there was definitely a suspension of disbelief involved that these high school kids were 400 year old powerful demons. That being said, I liked all the leads--especially the demon boys. The main ML surprised me; when I first saw him I didn't like his "look" but it grew it on me! He definitely rocked the traumatized demon prince part. The female character was not incredibly interesting so I didn't empathize with her too much and I really dislike the beaten-down-by-life-so-I-want-to-kill-myself element. She's so mousy...that is, until she's not--yay! Again, she's a Twilight/Bella type...not super interesting to me. I think the story needed to make her attraction more explicit so it would explain the introduction where she's constantly trapped in these aggressive and/or sexual situations with men/boys throughout her life. The implied gang rape scene made me really uncomfortable but it's out of the way within the first 10 minutes, so just suffer through it if you can. I wish there was more attraction/romance between the leads, too. I really wanted Kito to be more tortured by wanting/not-wanting Kanna and I think it would've made the underlying violence threaded in the story more palatable and symbolic.

I would say it's a campy horror romance type of story and if you channel your inner Twilight-twittering teenager and just understand that they probably made this on a shoestring budget, you'll enjoy it.

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Completed
The Brightest Star in the Sky
1 people found this review helpful
Aug 8, 2020
44 of 44 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 7.0

Don't be scared to skip a bit...

I'll admit that I was hesitant to pick this up because I didn't find the ML attractive. (I'm shallow, I know; shoot me.) I really like Janice Wu & have found the roles she chooses don't annoy me. Yes, that's my basic requirement for a FL these days, haha. I have a feeling she is just adorable irl & it transfers on the screen. Anyway--that's why I started watching. Why I KEPT watching was 1) the music 2) the MC's story arc & 3) Ztao. I was MORE than pleasantly surprised by Ztao's acting & general screen presence. His looks grew on me as well & in the end, I've changed my mind: he's attractive but more in a charismatic way rather than the usual "pretty" boy lead. I agree with another reviewer's gripe about him having too much make-up on, though. It was distracting until I stopped noticing it. His character development was so realistic & subtle. It definitely helped that Ztao is obviously a talented musician & was able to have much of that on display to add realism & dimension to his character throughout the drama. I will admit to searching out more of his music after watching this! :) His chemistry w/the FL was great & even though the romance started WAAAYYY too late for me, it was seamless & believable. Cute, too!

I LOVED that both Janice & Ztao were not dubbed. It really sold their chemistry for me. Unfortunately, it was obvious in some situations with other actors when the dubbed sections kicked in & there was a mis-match.

I do think this drama is too long at 44 episodes & a LOT of the side characters' stories were uninteresting to me. There were also unnecessarily over-dramatized scenes & weird culture references w/American hip hop that felt a little off as well. I will admit to skipping liberally through all other parts unrelated to the MC but I would recommend this drama JUST FOR THE MC & the music.

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Completed
My Mr. Mermaid
1 people found this review helpful
Jun 15, 2020
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 1.0

Second Lead Style ML with Swimming as a Backdrop

One of the things I enjoy when watching dramas is learning new things or being set in a new story world. I mean, how many more palace or office dramas can you watch?! This drama had me looking up famous swim competitions and enjoying this new world of college men's competitive swimming as a backdrop for a drama. The teamwork and camaraderie among the male swimmers (ugh, can I say how insulting it was to watch the female "swimmers" pretend to practice alongside them as fake feminist window-dressing) was the highlight of the drama for me and I don't watch dramas for bromance. I HIGHLY recommend watching it on Viki or another commenting community app because the other commenters made watching this drama so much fun that I finished it without really wanting to do so. ;p

Couple Chemistry: MEH. Cute but kinda listless for the MC. The ML reminds me of a SML character that's sweet, kind, understanding, always supports the FL, yadda-yadda-yadda. (Sorry, can you tell I was bored by him?) He's a REALLY nice guy and the relationship he has with the FL is very sweet and cute. It seemed more high-school chemistry-wise to me, since they acted like teenagers goo-goo-gaga-eyed over each other but seemed stunned into just staring and smiling at each other like idiots. Even though the FL is your typical clumsy, naive, sweet, kind idiot, she has some moments of self-awareness and clarity, though they are infrequent. She has her own dreams and works to pursue them as an intern reporter--and she learns some harsh lessons along the way. I don't mind Seven Tan but she got on my nerves in this one. As for the 2nd couple, I shipped them so hard...omg, if they weren't in the show, I might've stopped watching it past ep 23. The fact that the MC didn't kiss until episode 27 or some such insane nonsense is also why I was tempted to drop it. ;p

Story/plot/characters: I enjoyed the story except for this deliberate suspense cloud of past-problems that the moniker "little one" brought up. Like you could just see it hanging over everyone's heads and the writers really thought they were clever with the flashbacks and how the other characters were connected to this backstory. The scheming side characters, the swimming friends, her boss, omg HIS MOM was, like, my favorite mom in a c-drama EVER, lol. Well, I was giving the romance a long time to build into slow-burn satisfaction but JUST when I was ready for it, the writers threw in that stupid misunderstanding trope that turned me off from the entire drama--characters, writers, directors, you name it, I just needed to take a break from the show and come back to watch it a little later. I'm not sure who designed this plot structure in many c-dramas, where they start off light, funny and romantic and veer off into melodrama territory 2/3 of the way through. It became another show for a while and it seriously began annoying me. (I wasn't the only one, it seems! Many other commenters were just as fired up.)

OST: The 2 songs I remember were overplayed but to GREAT effect in specific moments. Very inspirational. The message of the drama was very inspirational as well. :)

Yeah, no. I will not be rewatching any part of this.

(I wanted to add that the 10s are obviously from people who were emotionally touched by something in this drama that I was not touched by. I have dramas like that as well but there is NO WAY this drama is a 10 when you compare it to what else is out there.)

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Completed
I Love My President Though He's A Psycho
1 people found this review helpful
Apr 27, 2020
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 7.0
Story 2.0
Acting/Cast 5.5
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers
So, if you're like me you've read all the other reviews. They're all right. The three stars and the ten stars. BOTH are present in the drama & it just depends on who you are and how the drama hits you.

So I agree with the reviewer who said it was trash. I’ m not gonna give it 3.5 stars, but I can see their perspective. This show was full of trash. But let me be specific: it is like trash punch at a frat party. REALLY enjoyable because of its sickly sweetness and instant-drunk-state-with-lack-of-inhibitions but your stomach hurts afterward and you may regret consuming it. This show stole so many different drama plot tropes and devices it wasn’t even funny. Psycho, indeed.

This story had amnesia, secret identities, car accidents, mental breakdowns, kidnapping, jealous outbursts, petty disagreements, and strong character tension all mixed with dark fairy tale aspects such as being locked in a tower, having your baby stolen from you at its birth and tied by ropes on a bed by your beloved. Well, they did give you a hint the show was a bit off kilter in the title. Everyone’s a little mad around here! I was surprised by how well the violence wove through the story, making the characters all these needy, obssessive messes in the process. Something that tickles my gothic teenage girl fancy, I guess. It had that historical romance of yesteryear feel to it, too. The ML was laser-focused, overbearing, possessive, anti-social and (at times) physically violent with the FL. Gotta admit, once their chemistry kicked in and physical desire replaced the violence in his aggressiveness, oooo….well…a-hem… Just…it was surprisingly well done. Again, the abuse fit the story but it was excruciating waiting and squirming through the early scenes where he manhandles her a bit more than I liked. (It was a little TOO on the pleasure/pain edge for me at one point, so I get the Thai lakorn reference, too.) This battered beauty turns to him-as-the-beast for shelter from the world, anticipating protection edged with control and finds a tortured prince who only wants to love her. Awww… I mean, really. She's not a super likable character. Neither is he. Still! I couldn't look away and had to finish this. But what an awful mess they have in store for them. And what a mixed-up, crazy unhinged little ride you’ve got in store for you. ;)

Even the editing style feels fragmented with lots of short cuts over extended periods of time, with the music choices and fast-paced events. Knowing that almost every character has some kind of mental problem/issue also keeps you on edge with what may occur next. It’s 10 episodes and they FLY.

Enjoy the crazy ride.

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Completed
Meet Me @ 1006
1 people found this review helpful
Sep 18, 2021
26 of 26 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0

Well-knit Time Travel ROMANCE (yay!) with a side of law/investigation/mystery

Why did I give this an overall 10? In my opinion, it is a perfect mix of a romance, time travel & mystery centered in the legal & investigative fields. I think the saddest thing is that her character is completely unfit to be an investigative reporter due to her openly biased opinions but she's a girl who uses her body more than her brain. *smh* Just know that going in, lol. She's a former judo champion who just decided this was the job for her. He calls her a husky but I kept picturing big blundering sometimes sulky sheepdog bounding all over the place bumping into things. She's just so un-self-aware & reactive as a character so when they tag her with "gullible," you best be believin' this girl might infuriate you at first. But she gets better & she's got an amazing smile w/these adorable dimples. I mean, she's a cutie pie. Usually our couple's dreams & ambitions match up with their personality (and reality!) & I think that was the only thing I found jarring. I didn't like her at first because of this, I have to admit! I"m usually waiting for the guy to live up to the promise of the girl but in this drama it was soooo the opposite. Love me that Leo Lee. He rocked both of those roles incredibly well & looked amazing while doing it. Also: their romance & the development of their relationship fit in perfectly with the time travel element of redemption & sacrifice the mystery arc, I liked the symbols (the multiple doorways, the paper pegasus,) as well as the nicely knotted ends for all the angles--except maybe one. It's a come-full-circle story & such a fun ride.

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Completed
Moonshine and Valentine
0 people found this review helpful
Jun 19, 2020
25 of 25 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 1.0

High Potential Story Slides into Dissatisfaction w/o Romantic Chemistry & Tight Storytelling

What a super cool idea! I love fantasy & science fiction & I just thought this was an awesome story. A different, darker vibe & the pacing moved really well up until the last 3 episodes. The more dramas I watch, the more I've started to pay attention to pacing since so many stories lose focus or direction mid-way through and tbh, I lose focus if the momentum isn't building the way I want it to be. This one did not & kept my attention throughout the entire story, even if I became unsatisfied with it. That was the good. (In addition to that, I would add the VERY hot half-naked Johnny Huang scenes as well as the strangely sweet & endearing "love triangle" between the 2 male fox friends & the cafe owner. LOVED them.)

The bad was Victoria & Johnny's chemistry. Maybe her acting as well? Not sure, but there was very little romantic & sweet feelings felt between the leads so it was difficult to sell me their love story. I'm glad they had those glow thingies because I couldn't have known by looking at the characters interactions themselves. There was only 1 point you felt their intimacy, which was NOT ENOUGH for this supposedly epic 900 year love they had. Wait, what satisfaction canst thou have tonight? NOTHING. Because the exchange of love felt unearned from the leads. They grew very little as characters--actually few character achieved growth & this is another "bad" for me.

The worst was all the inconsistencies in the writing and production that just ruined a story with SO much potential. So for me, the worst is the end. It was a serious, fast, unwelcome decline & it didn't have to be. They could've taken those EXACT events, but not convoluted the story unnecessarily & created a different tone that left the audience with a feeling of satisfaction. Easy enough to gut the completely useless penultimate episode & anchor the resolution a little more strongly. But no! Here is yet another c-drama that fizzles out from poor editing/writing; who knows who's fault but it's just plain poor storytelling. :(

The music was an accessory & added to the darker vibe.
I would NOT rewatch the whole story but I will admit to rewatching some of Johnny's shirtless scenes. ;p

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Completed
Extraordinary You
0 people found this review helpful
Jan 7, 2022
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 10

Perfect Story within a Story Drama w/a great love triangle

Just rewatched for the feels. If you love the story w/in a story trope (one of my favorites) you will be satisfied with this drama & if something hit you right, then it could be an almost perfect drama for you, like it was for me. The synopsis here is pretty solid: she discovers she's a character (an "extra" character, mind you) in a story, who at times has no control of her words & actions & at other times, does. It seems like this aware personality is quite different than the storybook one. It's not a spoiler because you discover all of this in the 1st 3 episodes! ;) Of course, the rest of the drama plays out this tension between determined fate & the efforts of free will in a fun, magical way that feels fresh. There seem to be a lot of dramas in the last few years with this isekai-style story & this is a top favorite of mine.

:D
1.) story w/in a story where characters become aware of themselves in parallel storylines
2.) best dang 2nd lead bad boy next to Segi & the one from True Beauty (excellent use of the love triangle trope here)
3.) production quality & OST = A+
4.) sci-fi/fantasy feel with some of the visual effects
5.) manga cross-over done RIGHT
6.) good pacing w/transition scenes & fluidity of plot (well-told story)
7.) it got me to enjoy a "School drama" again; it's been a while...
8.) that being said above, lots of playfuless & satire w/the F4 concept as well as drama cliches in general
9.) some mystery mixed in w/the personal growth mantra; so many twists & turns in this plot; it kept you guessing
10.) it's soooooooo cheeseballs at times & I LOVE it
11.) the FL is outgoing & spunky! Fun to watch (though some Viki users disagreed & found her annoying, not sure why!)

Great story! If you like any or most of the ab0ve, give this one a shot. It will definitely hook you & keep you hooked!

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Completed
Love O2O
0 people found this review helpful
Dec 24, 2020
30 of 30 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Lovely & Simple College Fantasy First Love Romance

Rewatched this again after I couldn't find anything I wanted to watch that's new & decided to write a review. Since this was my gateway cdrama years ago, it holds a special place in my heart but the things I remember being bothered with the first time around were more part of the fun rediscovery of the story this time around. I say this because you could be watching this the first time with similar eyes to mine. ;p

The first time around, I was constantly annoyed with the FL for any number of reasons. She's really uptight but it grows on you. She's also demure to the point of you realizing it must be some kind of cultural statement to create a FL like that. I mean, comparing her in the match to Xiao Nai would indicate that she holds some standard of perfection, right? (I kept wanting to be annoyed that they were both supposed to be gods and goddesses of the school but the teenage girl fantasy stuff was VERY strong with this one, so I let it go. Her friends only harassed about her looks occasionally but the level of attention the ML was on was just unbelievable.) The music w/the slo mo...niiiice. ;) Let's just say I liked her more knowing beforehand that she was going to reveal 75% of her character in via internal dialogue and that she was a crappy kisser. S'okay cuz Yang Yang made it up for her in those parts! :) I didn't fall for the ML until about 25% of the way in because he was also reticent and conveyed most of his emotions in subtle eyebrow movements. Again, it was much more fun on the rewatch to see it so early on; the first time, he appeared more deadpan to me because he doesn't show too much emotion early on. Once he began pursuing the FL outside the game, he had me! He started smiling more and they started smiling more and oh, it was a super sweet sticky icky love fest, lol. Also, the way he pursues her is straight-up fantasy fun and my favorite kind of ML-- one who knows what he wants and decides to go after it with determination and resolve. It's super hot!

T he video game element was weird to me the first time as well but I'm 100% okay with it now! I've gotten into Wuxia & martial arts style cdramas since then, so thought the incorporation of the game world was really fun. It was also SUPER fun seeing the boys in their game roles again. They were one of my favorite parts of this show. (It's also been fun to see so many of the actors in dramas since then, as each has continued to have a successful career!) Each of their personalities were perfect for being friends and business partners together--yes, it pulled away from the romance a bit but only a little bit, okay?! While her relationship with her friends was much stronger in the earlier parts of the drama, his kept going on throughout. I enjoyed her relationship with them as "one of the guys" and their lunch dates outside the office, though .

OST is pretty great, too! :D. Some of these songs so easily get stuck in my head!!!

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Completed
Arsenal Military Academy
0 people found this review helpful
Jun 12, 2020
48 of 48 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 2.0

Good story, Great cast, lotsa death and Little-to-no Romance

Started this after The Legends cuz I loved the on-screen chemistry between Xu Kai & Bai Lu.

I binge-watched up until the last few episodes & then needed a break cuz they did one of my fav characters dirty. It's a show w/heavy pro- Chinese/anti-Japanese propaganda since it was set in the early 1900s, lots of military-style operations & plot-developed events that developed pretty decently, plotting & back-stabbing & power struggle, great natural comrade-chemistry w/a bit of love-sick pursuit tossed in alongside it and really strong female characters. Our main girl is NOT the strongest character, even. There are actually two other more mature FLs who nail the different ways of being a bad-ass lady boss. The men are attractive in addition to XK & I think I have a new crush on the chairman in glasses. (That one sure snuck up on me; dang!)

Sadly, even though the chemistry was simply adorable between the leads, there was little romance. I say this because I will be 100% up-front about the fact that I watch dramas for the romance but if a story is good & the characters are good, I'll stay to watch even if my original intention isn't fulfilled. :) A good story is a good story. :) For those in disagreement, I will say he DID romance her as he was pursuing her, sure, but they cut out all the kiss scenes & even though he helped her & protected her as a mature man might, I never got the grown-up-guy-in-love vibe from him. Yes, their chemistry was super cute. But he was like a little puppy, wanting to chase her round and give her licks to show he liked her and get attention from her. It was cute but it went nowhere during the show, mostly due to editing & other plot developments. I did enjoy the way he teased her, though. OML. It was just too long of a show since a) I usually don't care for military dramas and b) I wasn't satisfied with the way they eventually got together BUT I finished it because all the other characters were GREAT. I mean, really great. The story started to lag in the last 1/3 (typical) but then things progressed quickly at the end, as the cadets teamed up to take care of business. Satisfying explosions, people die who should die & it's all wrapped up neatly in a bow.

Opening credits song is pretty cool & some other decent OSTs help but I would not watch this again. I didn't skip much, though, which is really sayin' somethin'...

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Completed
Hana Yori Dango
0 people found this review helpful
Feb 26, 2020
9 of 9 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 9.0

Quirky, Fun, Well-written...there's a reason why there are so many remakes

As my first real review (made a recommendation once) I thought it fitting I review this drama. Even if I've watched another drama 10x or more & haven't written reviews for it so I feel like cheating a little (oops...that's next, haha) I hadn't felt compelled by it to write a review. But now I do. Feel compelled. I mean, seriously. Com.pelled.

I am impressed with this drama & have felt for the FIRST time like lamenting the fact that I don't speak Japanese or know enough about the culture to appreciate the play(s) on words as much they use them throughout the show. I know the translation I watched captured the wittiness of each situation & its dialogue but couldn't do it all justice. The acting sold it as well. The story (total fantasyland but FUN) fit the quirkiness of the characters and the over-the-topness of many situations. Domyouji's continual mis-conjugation or mis-pronunciation or just refusal to care kept getting funnier & funnier the more he started getting cuter & sweeter. Especially when the F4 started joining in with him on it. Gosh, her crazy family! And their (again) witty little ripostes lobbed her way in an insidiously sneaky style (but hilarious once you catch on) whenever she walked through the front door. The unexpected ring tone! omg, I burst out laughing. HIS screwed up family, yikes! Sister was fun & not as exaggerated in other series. Mother was a great biatch but equally on par with other actresses who've played the role in many other country's iterations of this story. The music was an odd but sweet touch; very fitting to the overall feel of the show. I wonder...with such a successful trope, will the United States make some version in the future as well? Hmmm....

At first I was a little annoyed with the female character not because I think she's weak in any way (she's not) but because she's pretty naive and dreadfully gullible. She ends up in some dangerous situations, yeesh... Another reviewer thought she wasn't supposed to be pretty? I think the point is that she's supposed to be low-key, warm-up-to-her pretty. That's not what makes her interesting to our hero--even though, of course, he is attracted to her. Poor girl ends up encountering several tricky, nasty situations but perseveres through basically all the challenges thrown at her. Great strong female character & very empowering to watch. Also: when she's all dolled up, it's obvious that she is DEFINITELY pretty.

I think the chemistry between the leads fits their characters & the story like jigsaw puzzle pieces. ;) I held off on watching this because I could only find sub par video footage from bootlegged sites to watch it on, but I finally just broke down & have been suffering serious withdrawal pangs from 1080p on this one. The chemistry & emotion was something I felt between them more than saw on the actors' faces. They connected really well together & had a likable genuineness to their chemistry. in the beginning, I felt some of the scenes with dramatic lighting didn't translate as well--too cartoony fake-- but the accompanying music & camera zooms or angles helped out & it began to grow on me. And again: the actors are selling it pretty hardcore. They really stop feeling like characters after a while--which, for this kind of fantasyland drama, is pretty tough to do. Serious props are in order. It was a sweet little love story & was very pretty lightweight that you just end up enjoying the ride. A myriad of things seemed intentional & well-connected that I think there's a lot to appreciate in this show (there were some definite inside jokes here.) I just felt that the writing was pretty phenomenal & matched the vibe of the show perfectly as well. Basically: if you've been idling about this one like me, it's time to go for it!

Another nice thing? Only 9 episodes so it just whizzes right on by! I mean, the pacing is PERFECT. Making it longer (most other versions) has seemed to mess with its charm somehow.

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