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  • Location: India
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  • Join Date: August 1, 2012

addicted2dramas

India

addicted2dramas

India
Completed
Bubblegum
7 people found this review helpful
Dec 20, 2015
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 3.0
Describing what this drama is about and how I felt about it are both difficult. While Bubblegum is a generic drama, it was not executed in a way that normal dramas are. This drama wasn't wholly a romcom nor was it a melodrama. It had both with friendship and family elements thrown in together.

What the drama starts out as what it is by the end vary vastly. While we do get clues about what the important parts of the story are, we never get a clear focus on what exactly we have to look out for. While I may blame the writing but I also have to praise it for not making it stick on to a single track and boring the hell out of me.

The story of the leads is compelling and you will find yourself rooting for them throughout the show. Their relationship goes beyond romance and it's like how they mean a lot to each other and without either of them their life is incomplete. They will make you cry and laugh. The main lead's jealousy over the female lead was cute. There are some frustrating parts to the story also like implied incest, illnesses, secrets, manipulative second leads and scheming mothers. While the comedy and romance is present in the beginning, the middle was frustrating as hell. Towards the end the writer tried to resolve much of the issues and did so more or less satisfyingly.

The strength of the drama and the reason I stayed glued on were Lee Dong Wook and Jung Ryeo Won. I thought they made a cute pair and their interactions were really interesting. I was also excited for Lee Jong Hyuk to be playing the rival love interest but his character hardly served any purpose. It was a pity because he is otherwise such a talented actor. The female second lead was also very underwhelming and I did not care for her at all. For me, most of the secondary characters in this drama failed to make an impact and the real reason to sit through 16 hours was purely the leads.

The OST of the drama is fantastic and has been on my playlist as and when the songs kept coming out. It really fits the indie mood the drama tries to portray and blends well with the situation. In fact, the soundtrack is one of the strengths of the drama.

While I think it was nice to watch it once, the story isn't quite unforgettable to make me rewatch the entire thing. I however loved the kissing scenes and the leads' scenes which I may check out on Youtube later.

Watch this drama for something different and fresh but don't expect too much out of it and be prepared to shed tears.

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Completed
Shinobi: Heart Under Blade
7 people found this review helpful
Dec 27, 2012
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 10
Rewatch Value 7.0
To start with, this is unlike any movie I usually watch. I have never tried watching anything with ninjas (unless you can count Ninja Turtles), so this is my first dealing with that. The synopsis also sounded interesting so I gave it a go. And I surprisingly loved it much more than I expected it to.

The story was quite new to me in spite of the romance being cliche. The action scenes kept me crazily engrossed. I couldn't get bored even for a moment there. The special effects are really worth watching. I didn't know Japan made such movies- it reminded me a lot of Hollywood superhero movies. Just substitute the superhero with multiple superhumans in this movie. The imagination of the writer was quite something. And of course, the cinematography was breathtaking. I call that picture perfect.

The direction and the technical stuff of the movie is great. The writing is also good but the ending was corny, which is the only reason I am not giving this movie a 10. They could have come up with a better ending. Since this movie is very reminiscent of a certain Shakespearean play, its ending was predictable.

I am not familiar with the cast except for Sawajiri Erika but I thought they all did a good job. The leads didn't have that much screentime but they managed to have good chemistry. The characterizations weren't that good but I blame that on the limited time a movie has to be able to include everything in within that time frame. It manages a satisfactory job.

The excellent music score also left an impact on me. I loved most of the score being played in the movie. That definitely earns points.

Anyway, this is still a great movie and I am glad I saw something as cool as this. It's the perfect film for lovers of action films.

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Completed
From Me to You
7 people found this review helpful
Sep 2, 2012
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
If I had to describe this movie in one word, it would be 'cute'. Kimi ni Todoke is a cute film. It's main theme is about all the first real experiences of high school. It is the story about Sawako- a weird looking girl who resembles the ghost from the movie Ring. That resemblance part was very funny and a creative idea. So, because of that every one around her is scared of talking to her or even looking at her. As a result, she is a terribly under confident girl and often spends her time remaining secluded. While I could argue that she could have simply changed her hairstyle and the resemblance would have gone, that would have changed the entire story.

I don't get why some Japanese dramas and films have such weird female characters. It is too fictional to take in. Also, what I find funny in such scenarios is that the girl comes off as thick because she lets herself slip further down than just coming up with the idea of making a very few changes to herself. This idea is laughable and I am never going to watch a drama or movie again with this particular ridiculous plot. This was one of the downsides to the movie. Also, I found the pacing very slow and the movie too long.

Other than that, the characters were funny and all the actors acted well. I don't know these actors, so I don't have much to say about them. While the plot of friendship is the main thing here, there are some romantic elements as well. I am slowly getting used to the fact that Japanese dramas and movies only include romance as a sub-plot than as the main plot. This is yet another one.

It seemed heavily borrowed from Nobuta wo Produce. I still prefer that because the main girl was more adorable in it. In this, Sawako's character seemed dull to me. But I couldn't helping noticing how gorgeous her hair was. Really! Anyway, this movie was lacking excitement in a lot of parts. I would have loved it more if it had remained funny till the end.

Still, this makes for a good one-time watch. It is a light film so it is good to watch at any time. I would definitely recommend this to be watched at least once.

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Completed
The Master's Sun
7 people found this review helpful
Jan 25, 2014
17 of 17 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
In the recent times, there has been a lack of good romcom dramas. Then came along this drama. I was a little late watching it (and reviewing it) but it's still quite fun and memorable.

This drama is a wonderful light watch with a solid cast and a likable script. If you love ghosts (like me) you've GOT to watch this one! Being a horror drama, it didn't fail to entertain and lived up to its genre. I have always been a Hong sisters fan and this one did remind me of their older works too.

So Ji Sub is amazing in his role and will win you over. The lead actress is also good in her role. I think their romance is one of the cutest ever in dramaland. There are a lot of skinship moments and the kisses are pretty good too.

What works best for the drama is its episodic nature. It makes room for the story to flow smoothly without feeling dragged and leaves space for the characters and romance to develop alongside it. The last few episodes did become stupid and felt dragged but well within the limit of bearable.

This drama isn't scary at all. So if you think you'll be scared, don't think so. It's actually pretty funny and there are several LOL moments. For me, whenever the female lead came to 'touch' the male lead it was pretty hilarious. Watch it and you'll know what I mean. :D

I think this drama is good enough to be recommended and enjoyed by everyone. :)

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Completed
Battle Royale
8 people found this review helpful
Sep 30, 2012
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
Koushun Takami had a genius idea and hence we got this movie and the whole genre of dystopian. Battle Royale is highly daring and different movie. It is filled with bloodshed and gore, but it is entertaining. It never gets dull.

Most of all, its similarities with Hunger Games kept me hooked. Some things seemed to have been incorporated exactly into the story of Hunger Games. Anyway, there is nothing happy about this film. The whole plot can be summed up as children killing children in outright sick ways. But again, those are the exciting parts. This movie should only be watched by those who don't mind bloodshed. If you do mind it, then please skip this film altogether.

I have almost nothing to criticize about in the plot. But some characters were over-written (like the teacher), and ended up being funny- because they were so, so dramatic. Drama can be both good and bad so some aspects of this were outright bad. The direction is flawed and the editing could have been better. But maybe because it had a lot going on in the film that I wasn't really bored. This is a big thing because I am an easily bored person.

This is one of those movies which you have to watch before judging. It is not at all disappointing. But the movie left me feeling drained so I am not going to rewatch it. If this interests you, go and watch it- it won't let you down.

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Completed
Love and Leashes
9 people found this review helpful
Feb 11, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 6.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 6.0

A daring theme but lackluster execution

Right from the day the trailer premiered on Youtube, I had high expectations from this movie. Looking at the cast was the biggest surprise because who ever thought that Seohyun and Jun could ever be in a movie which has a risque and BDSM theme?! I was expecting a lot of naughty scenes and some nudity but this movie was tamer than I thought. While the focus on the playing part is quite evident, I expected a more daring scenes like 50 Shades which this movie is definitely not.

PLOT:
I liked the first half of the plot better than the events that followed towards the end. It was slow and not as funny nor deep as it was trying to be. While I did like that this movie attempts to educate general viewers on BDSM and to show that kinks aren't always shameful it also misses its mark in a lot of places. While the set up is quite fresh, I felt like this movie missed out on a lot of its potential. Not to mention some clichés towards the end that just made my eyes roll and the ending was also a bit lacking for me.

CAST:
While Seohyun really, really tried to come as a cool and mature woman to me she still has the same cute face she did years ago in SNSD. Knowing her real life personality, I appreciate that she must have really worked hard to seem believable in this role an d I'm glad that she is someone who is ready to take on bold projects. In spite of it all she still lacks a lot in the acting department and should stick to side roles. Jun is decent but again- I only ever enjoyed his acting fully in his past dramas. But I could tell that the cast really worked hard for their roles which was good but the acting wasn't the best (although they were really easy on the eyes).

OVERALL:
While I was super excited to catch this movie on its premiere date, it fell terribly short of my expectations. It could have been shorter, deeper, better acted and better written. It does have places where it worked, especially with breaking stereotypes on BDSM and dealing with embarrassment and trying to hide it from others, it still had a lot to make up for. Now I am not sure if the movie was worth the wait and excitement I had over the past weeks. This isn't a movie to recommend but fine if you want to kill time watching something chill over a weekend.

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Completed
Black & White
10 people found this review helpful
Dec 14, 2012
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
I just finished this drama and I'm reeling. This drama is such a big ride. I am still trying to sink in the feeling that it's over.

When I started watching it, I was engaged, hooked and majorly invested. Contrary to every one who said that the starting is a slow one, I thought it was well paced and precise. The introduction with the characters, the beginning of beautiful friendships (BROMANCE!) and some romance was just that- the beginning. The fourth episode is probably among the best episodes I have ever seen in a drama. My expectations escalated from then on- exorbitantly. I am laughing now because I expected nothing short of a masterpiece from this drama because it had impressed me so much. I was addicted so badly that I couldn't even study for my exam.

With all due honesty, there were several MAJOR times when I was regretting that I was invested in a drama like this. I didn't want to continue it after episode 11 or 12 because there were melodrama-like moments. The action had disappeared and I was frankly sort of bored. The only reason I kept going was for my love of the cast. Let me say- deciding to stick with this drama and all the little nonsense in between was an awesome decision. At that moment I was hanging by a thread. It was all worth it, I know now. This drama follows the 'Save the best for last' policy. Till then, in between it gets dull and feels like it has strayed off the path completely. However, if you found the first half interesting the new slow yet, dramatic developments will keep you hooked. The action-less part in between is actually baby steps leading to the bigger picture- something you will definitely not see coming.

I was cursing the writers a hell lot while watching it. I thought they were definitely overdoing stuff and confusing us. And yes, it was definitely overdone and highly fictitious (so very much). But it is the imagination of the writers and the fact that they dared to do it the way they wanted deserves applause. Frankly- it was their show and they did whatever they wanted with it. And what they did is that they took big risks and broke out of the shell of regular Asian dramas. I have to praise the writers for their talent (one of them is a Golden Bell award winner). I can see that everything was done with a purpose. There were sub-plots that I felt were forced but even those played a major role for the ending. In spite of the inconsistencies, it was very well connected in the end. I daresay this is a fairly original drama.

I am generally pretty good with predicting stuff and this drama proved me wrong every episode- several times. Whenever I went like, 'Okay, that must be it' they do something that just explodes right in your face. After you reel from it, they undo it and twist it again in another way. LOL. What can I say? I was only able to predict only two very small things. I partially guessed the bad guy but then it turned to be a hell lot more. So- the point is, it is definitely not predictable.

Alright- enough of that. This is a splendidly directed show. It has very fine camera work and the shooting locations are superb. They also have a very good cast who are appealing to watch. Vic Zhou and Mark Chao are both not the best actors in the world but I definitely liked how they played their roles. Vic had more of a challenging role and as far as I know he put an end to his 'idol star' career with this one. Mark needs some polishing but it is hard to believe that it was his debut. I also liked Ivy Chen and Janine Chang in their roles.

The show also has some seriously good action. They used cool guns and chasing around bad guys in cars was entertaining and fun. Plus fighting in weird places like subway trains, shipyards, rooftops or any other place you can think of (like the office or even bathroom) was also great. As I said- great direction. Also the ending is a little open-ended and yet satisfying. It was fulfilling and surprising in every way. We don't know if there is a certain couple but the romantic hints remain till the end. Romance aside, I had goosebumps during episode 23. Some really good stuff takes place in that and around those episodes. So not predictable!! (As I said- I'm still reeling)

If I go for the cons- it is just that the characterizations were over the top. It frustrated me when they dragged out some stuff. The romance is lousy. It was like you have a good cast, they all have chemistry with each other and you can ship who you want. But again- romance was never the focus of the whole plot. It is rather just a mere sub-plot with messy entanglements. I can also complain that it was too much of a complicated plot in general. But what the heck? I want to rewatch the whole thing again and see if I can put two by two again. This is a bit hard to keep up with.

Just a mention- the soundtrack was good. I liked the background music in all places.

All in all- definitely a watchable drama. It has its shortcomings and will test your patience but the ending makes it all worth it.

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Completed
Last Friends
11 people found this review helpful
Jan 2, 2013
11 of 11 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 4.0
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers
'Last Friends' is such a misleading title for this drama. I would like to rename it as 'We Were all Victims of a Psychopath'. While the synopsis does include all the good and redeeming points of the plot, most of it falls flat and ends up being a disappointment. But yet, it is not a total failure because there are some high points in its course as well.

I get it. It's a fictional set-up but when things go overboard it is hard to gulp down, much less digest. Weird characters, likable characters, annoying characters and a psychotic villain of the highest degree. This drama has them all. It keeps you on the edge of your seat with dramatic moments but when the ending you anticipated instead blew up in your face, it leaves you dumbfounded.

I love dark stories even if they have a tragic ending. While this does have a dark story, its ending was horrifying and the worst part is that the writer tried to sugarcoat stuff. There is stuff I absolutely can't stand and that includes women being victimized and the culprit that gets to get away. The villain spent most of the time doing what he pleased and it is hard to believe that nobody reported him. Seriously?! Five people who know about his demonic deeds (three of them having brutally suffered at his hands) and still none of them dared to call the police? All they were doing were hand out threats but never actually do anything about him. It's unrealistic to even think that one man could wreck so many lives while they sat naively thinking he would give up. I mean- aren't we talking about independent, educated, working youth living in Tokyo? Isn't there a call thing called as 'awareness'?

When the story focused on Michiru, I went along fine because I understand the psychology of victims of such men. But I can't forgive the rest. Ruka kept talking about wanting to protect her best friend but when he assaults her she does nothing?! I can't say more because it will be a spoiler. I liked Eri far better than Ruka and Michiru because she was like a breath of fresh air who smiled and seemed cheerful.

The best parts of the drama were the background score and great acting. It is studded with big names and none of them disappointed me. I want to commend Ueno Juri's acting. She's versatile and very convincing. Even Eita was likable as Takeru.

It's weird that I seem to be criticizing so much and yet I was able to finish drama by marathoning it. It has been shot well and the suspenseful music wherever there was Sousuke around kept bringing back the excitement in me. Nishikido Ryo could be so scary and creepy- I never imagined. His character was almost laughable by the end because he did such hard to believe stuff. But I will acknowledge that psychopaths like him do exist and there are worse people out there in this world too.

As for the ending- I am trying to deny what happened. I was thrown into a fit of rage and disgusted with Michiru by then. Let's pretend it never happened. And their friendship was good but not great because none of them dared to risk going against the monster aka Sousuke in the way I expected. I feel cheated with the ending and it was cheap to sugarcoat the outrageous thing that Michiru went through.

I am never going to watch this drama again. It will be like living the nightmare over again.

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Completed
Douluo Continent
10 people found this review helpful
Feb 22, 2021
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 8.0
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 7.0

Don't expect, just enjoy the ride

Unlike most of Xiao Zhan fans, Douluo Continent has never been my most anticipated dramas out of his. I went into this drama not knowing anything about the story nor the cast except Xiao Zhan himself and Xuan Yi from WJSN.

STORY:
The story is a regular fantasy tale about a hero who goes on a journey to self-discovery and meeting friends and foes along the way. I feel the drama was too short and I couldn't properly ever understand the lore in it. Seems like a lot of it was either edited out or just not included in the script. That is obvious as the source material seems to be a novel which might hold more answers to my questions. It was a decent story with a nice male protagonist but the script could have been better. The starting was nice, a strong middle and a dissatisfying end.

CHARACTERS:
Tang San was a cool guy but I felt like we never really saw the full potential of his powers or character. I should have enjoyed his character more but something felt flat till towards the end. But he was likable guy enough. My only complaint is Xiao Wu. She was cute in the beginning and I can handle cutesy Cdrama female leads but she remained too juvenile till the end. I would have liked to see more development from her. She was good at fighting and a loyal friend/sister to Tang San which I appreciated- they had a genuinely deep bond. My other favourites were the Master and the Headmaster. They were both quite nice but the Master was bit know-it-all at times.

ROMANCE:
I was never invested in it in spite of the small hints they kept dropping all along. For me, I liked Tang San- Xiao Wu more as siblings or just good friends. The romance territory was just unnecessary and I am glad it wasn't the main focus. The friendships were much more interesting. Not to mention - the ending kiss was just forgettable as heck.

ACTING:
Xiao Zhan is mighty himself- a very beautiful person and a good actor. At times I was in awe of his beauty, but a better hairstyle would have made more difference to his visuals. I feel his performance here lacked compared to The Untamed. Don't get me wrong- it was still very good but maybe just not the best role as he has already acted in a masterpiece in his career, which is hard to beat. Xuan Yi was fine and I was skeptical of her playing a dumb character because she is actually a funny and witty person in real life but she did quite decently in this drama. I feel like the story's development and plots didn't leave her with much to show. I've missed Calvin Chen and he is still likable as ever (them abs!). The rest of the cast was also fine and I didn't feel like there was any miscasting.

OST:
I like Xiao Zhan's songs. The OST is good.

OVERALL:
I've heard about most novel and anime fans hating it so maybe it isn't really a good adaptation. The story is incomplete, often times fun but more times draggy or confusing. In spite of that this is a decent drama on its own. The cast and the CGI really enhance the viewing experience of its otherwise low/cheap-looking sets and costumes. Looking at it now seems like something we'll probably never see Xiao Zhan again in because he's a top star now, but even here his passion for acting has always been evident.

I recommend to watch this drama if you're into fantasy and adventure. Other than that this drama doesn't offer much, but at least I don't regret watching it.

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Completed
Who Are You: School 2015
8 people found this review helpful
Jun 17, 2015
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 10
Rewatch Value 5.0
The successor to the hit School 2013 might or might not have lived up to its predecessor but for me this drama was an instant attraction. Some dramas just click upon first watch and the rest don't. This is a case of 'It looks good' case and the teasers were good as well.

For some reason I could never get into School 2013 but this one was exactly what I would like in a school drama- an attractive cast, adolescent issues, mystery, suspense, thriller, romance and a whole lot of teenage hormones. Also this where this drama probably went wrong as well because of trying to fit in too many genres in one. Here comes a drama that I wish were 20 episodes instead of a mere 16 (I wouldn't even have minded 24). How can this be possible? Well- for all those plots and characters that it had me invested in begged to explore them a bit longer but this one ended too quickly.

This drama had a potential to earn a full 10 but I am here giving it a 9 only. Yes, ONLY. It's a shame when you think about what a masterpiece could have come out of this one. In the end what it ended up being was a fluff, no-brainer school drama.

Yes, it has heart. Lots of heart. Also lacks it in many ways. It will remind you of how life isn't always fair especially not for everyone but will also show you hope at the end of the tunnel. The silver lining of every dark cloud. I really like when a drama takes up issues like bullying, self-discovery and friendship (Jdramas do it so well). Here it takes up a lot and just ends up turning into a fairy tale in the end where good always wins and evil fairies turn into loving people. Well, kind of.

Ironically, I thought it would a heart-wrenching, dark tale but much like its poster but in the end it is just butterflies in the stomach. It has a lot of cuteness in it and the cast will steal your heart away. It has a lot of funny moments and just when you dare the story to pull something big, it goes woooosh. It isn't a bad thing but maybe I expected a bit more.

One thing this drama leaves me with is an excellent OST. The songs have been on my playlist as they kept releasing and I will recommend them to you. The songs are wonderful and even the background scores are amazing.

In the end this drama is another school drama for chicks. It's so very girly. Sadly the over excecution of un-necessities and necessities ends up leaving no room for any rewatch.

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Completed
Girl of 0AM
8 people found this review helpful
May 22, 2015
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 5.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 3.0
I went into this drama expecting some cuteness and some romance. Though it was there, I found myself immensely disappointed. I feel bad rating it so low.

The story was cliche and it was hell boring. I was waiting for it to get over and it made no impact on me whatsoever. I waiting for the storyline to get better but it never did. It was confusing and the episodic format made it worse.

The casting was simply terrible. Nam Tae Hyun is a good singer but he doesn't have a good screen presence. The actress was at least bearable in comparison. Worse- I felt like the supporting/guest cast was way better than the leads.

I loved the main song because I love CLC. Do check out the song 'First Love' by them because it's so cute. That's one good thing you will get out of watching this at least.

Only watch this in case you are bored out of your wits or a die-hard fan of either of the leads.

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Completed
Ouran High School Host Club
4 people found this review helpful
Aug 23, 2012
11 of 11 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
I decided to watch this drama because of so many amazing reviews about it. And I actually enjoyed it. Its humor is very similar to anime humor and that never fails to make me laugh. I kind of wish that I had read the manga before watching this show. However, it didn't bore me overall. It had its very great and not-so-great moments but it was still enjoyable to watch.

I really adore Haruhi and liked her character a lot. The Host Club idea was also very good. I think this would make a much better watch as an anime rather than a regular show. That's because cartoons can overact all the time and still not bore us; but Tamaki's reactions got way too annoying by the end. It was too unreal. It still makes you laugh, though. I loved all the other Hosts equally. The show had some memorable moments especially those with Nekozawa and his black magic jokes were probably the best.

What I also liked was that the characters had depth in spite of their goofy actions- especially Tamaki. Him treating Haruhi as his own daughter had me laughing out loud. And Haruhi's transvestite father was good for a laugh. Only the member with the teddy bear was ridiculous. The highlight of all jokes is probably the homoerotic/incest relationship between the twins. Really, this show had one of the funniest jokes I have ever come across in a drama. Now I am tempted to indulge in the anime as well as the manga.

This drama is worth the watch and it ends pretty quickly- each episode spanning only 20 minutes and with only 11 episodes it is a quick watch. It never drags on and there are fresh jokes in every episode. I probably laughed hardest at the ending scene. Anime-type expressions came out to be the best from Haruhi.

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Completed
Twenty-Five Twenty-One
7 people found this review helpful
Apr 3, 2022
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 6.0
This review may contain spoilers
When the promos and posters of 'Twenty Five, Twenty One' came out I assumed it was a noona romance. I was so surprised on knowing the actual premise and age of characters that were in the drama. Like most people I started this drama with very high expectations. Kim Tae Ri is one of the most gifted actresses of Korea and with the praise she got in her last drama I thought this would be worth a watch as well.

I think this was overall one of the better dramas that came out in recent times. However, I kept having issues with certain characters and sub-plots. While there were wholesome moments I kept feeling like something was missing. By the end the drama delivered on a lot of ends but the ending fell awfully short of making this drama into a near masterpiece that it could have been.

PLOT:
I'd compare this drama to Reply series but without the love triangle. However what they still have in common is the nostalgia of the 90s, friendship, parent-child relationships and memories of first love. This drama carries all the essence that one might expect from a drama set in the somewhat older times. There is innocence, youth, dreams and experiences that all people might have gone through one or other point in their lives.

CHARACTERS & ROMANCE:
I really admired Na Hee Do and Baek Yi Jin for the people they were. They both went different kind of struggles, had breakdowns but never gave up in the face of difficulty. I couldn't really see any chemistry between the actors and the age gap was a slight cringe, but their interactions had a lot of heart in them. I really enjoyed all supporting characters in this and only had a definitive love-hate relationship was with Ko Yu Rim and Achorwoman Na (who I cared less for). Yu Rim was pointlessly rude at times but we as viewers know that she isn't the villain here. People respond to bad situations in life in different ways and Yu Rim had hers. However I really like the group and their friendship stayed strong till the end.

OST:
I like the songs sung by NCT's Taeil and Twice's Jihyo. Other tracks were either fine or forgettable.

MAIN PROBLEM OF THE DRAMA: The villain i.e. timing
One thing I really loved about the drama was the realistic portrayal of how everything in life is about timing. That's the true villain in this drama along with the circumstances that come with it. After all, isn't that what life is all about? It becomes a little hard to accept an ending where the leads do not end up together, but I know plenty of people who didn't try hard enough with their past or failed relationships. Sometimes people are right for each other but they either give up or move on. That's what this drama portrayed and UNPOPULAR OPINION alert- I feel like there were clues all along.

I admit it did seem like the drama was setting us all up for a sad ending but some dramas do the reverse towards the end. This might be the first time where everything was clear and there were clues all along but the viewers kept theorizing about the possibility of the leads ending up together. For starters, the title of the drama is a dead giveaway.

ENDING:
For me the true shock related to this drama was that the writer was gutsy enough to do her own thing. I am sure she will receive loads of backlash but I'm always in for creative surprises. My real issue with the drama was us not getting to know how Na Hee Do and Baek Yi Jin lived after their separation. We have no clue about Na Hee Do's marital status and how Baek Yi Jin looks like now. I felt cheated with the lack of details. I wish they hadn't included the present time at all. It could have been a story set between 1998-2009 and us never having to meet their present selves at all. I think the ending is what ultimately takes away a major point for my overall review.

OVERALL:
I'll still recommend this drama due to the stellar acting from the cast, the slice of life elements and the very nostalgic aura it gave me as a viewer. Just be prepared for a bittersweet ending (because heck Kim Min Chae is cute). :)

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Completed
Panda and Hedgehog
7 people found this review helpful
May 11, 2013
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 3.0
I've completed a drama after a long time and I feel bad rating it just a 7. The fact is I knew this drama wouldn't be great and it actually isn't. My sole reason for watching this meh of a drama was purely Lee Donghae. I think this drama is meant for only two kinds of people: one is the Donghae fangirls and the others are those who enjoy fluffy no-brainers.

The story is boring but the characters are very funny. This drama has some great LOL moments. However after episode 10, it is a complete snoozefest. I could go on till then because of the anticipation of how the leads would get together. When they did it was like the drama held no more appeal. There was hardly any to begin with in the first place. This is really the first time I ever watched a drama just for one actor, especially after knowing that it won't be great. I tend to be very choosy while watching but this time I couldn't resist because it was Donghae in a lead role. ;)

Panda's character was very annoying in the beginning but she sort of improved later on. Hedgehog was nothing great except to gawk at. I was blinded by his looks for most of the part, but as the episodes progressed I thought he did a good job of his character. He isn't that bad. Plus Donghae has naturally expressive eyes so he needn't act for the most part. At least that is how I feel. Apart from that the second lead was also annoying apart from his hilarious sister. She was the highlight was the whole drama and a true scene stealer.

The best part about the drama was probably in spite of mediocre writing an average cast, it was very heartwarming. Especially the relationship between Hedgehog and his Grandfather. I really loved that. And of course, those laughs in every episode certainly lifted up the whole mood. The characters in this drama were all like a big family and it was really nice to see that. These great moments save the whole drama from being terrible.

It definitely has no rewatch value and even the OST was forgettable. Only recommended for Donghae fans.

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Completed
The Legends
6 people found this review helpful
Oct 8, 2020
56 of 56 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 4.0
After several attempts and many months, I managed to finish this drama. The promise of excellent romance and awesome leads was what attracted me and was ultimately the reason to watch this. I am not sure how this drama was because it was like watching a film project with no direction, aim and conclusion.

STORY:
I think the foundation of the story was fine, but executed weakly. They had some ideas strung together and made it into an extended drama. I wouldn't say there was no content, but seems like it was an amalgamation of ideas from several writers. There is no consistency to the plot. There are some exciting moments, some random ones, leads who get lost again and again and some inconsistent as heck villains.

CHARACTERS:
This is where the drama suffers. Forget about the plot, it's like the writers themselves didn't know what they were aiming to show and tell. The only consistent thing I could find was the male lead's devotion to our female lead. There were some okay supporting characters but ultimately none of them ended up being memorable for me. The villains were gullible and not threatening enough. The lore was poor, the solutions to the problems were not satisfactory and we are just left with a confused plot and set of characters. The main leads are unrecognizable by the end and lose all spark and essence they had in the beginning.

ROMANCE / ACTING:
I'm only going to mention the awesome chemistry between Bai Lu and Xu Kai. Both don't need words because their stares are enough to fill up the screen and make me fluttery. Their kisses were nice and the devotion the male lead shows towards the female lead was commendable. The female lead grows but ends up becoming a damsel in distress and the male leads ends up becoming a doormat. There was no growth there, however the leads are AWESOME actors. They hard carried the entire mess of this drama and gave me a reason to devote my time and special hours.

OST:
The lead song is quite nice. I don't remember much of the other music in the drama.

REWATCH VALUE:
Yes to Bai Lu- Xu Kai and nah to everything else.

OVERALL:
I don't think I would recommend this drama unless you happen to love the leads like I do. I wouldn't say it was a horrible drama because there were moments I enjoyed the action. The idea was there but even after the drama is over, I feel like I want to know more and see more. I didn't get what I was hoping for and am not sure what should've been done properly because I can only think of so many things that DIDN'T go right.

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