Fraxer
Chennai, India
Story: Nothing new here, rich guy comes across a poor girl who's not smitten by money. He gets curious about her and falls in love. The girl follows suit. There is some parental opposition, obsessed lover-wannabe, etc. but they don't play make much difference to the storyline.
Acting/Cast: It centers around just two characters played by Sung Hoon and and Kim Jae Kyung. I liked Jae Kyung in God's Quiz 4, but this was my first time watching Sung Hoon. Though I won't say they did an exceptional job, but they kinda complemented each other on screen very well. His brother and secretary and her friends play minor roles in the story, though I didn't pay much attention to them.
Music: Nothing original but considering 15-min episodes, they suffice.
Rewatch: Yes, yes and yes! Mainly coz it's so short, but also coz of the feel-good factor.
Concluding Thoughts: Nothing new about the story, nothing new about the execution, nothing spectacularly great about the acting and yet - it's pretty much awesome considering the time invested.
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1. No overglorification of a single character.
2. Good romance and chemistry between the lead pair(s).
3. Decent CG.
4. Good costumes.
5. A somewhat good ending (All those "see you in the next life" endings are annoying when they pop up without warning)
Story: It is yet another adaptation of Si Da Ming Bu by Wen Rui'an. The title literally means "The Four Great Constables" and chronicles the journey of the Infamous Four of the Divine Deputy Bureau as they try to maintain peace, investigate cases, destroy the great villains and put an end to the devious plans of the Royal Lord An Shi Di.
Characters:
"Cold Blood" Ling Xie: The leader of the Infamous Four. Rude and indifferent on the outside, but it all stems from his tragic past. He is the prince of the wolf tribe who lives for vengeance on those who killed his people. Though his life span is shortened by the wolf poison in his heart, revenge is his sole purpose in life till he meets Chu Ying Xue (as expected?).
"Heartless" Wu Qing: Kind and gentle - in many ways the opposite of Cold Blood, but is eternally suffering due to a tragic love. But is his lover actually dead? Can they be still reunited? Or is she the one actually destined for him? The questions are answered as the story progresses. Keep your napkins ready though.
"Chaser" Zhui Ming: A jolly fellow and also a friend of the princess. Has been in love with the princess, but she is infatuated with Cold Blood.
"Iron Fist"; Tie Shou: Gets his name from the iron gauntlet on his hand and a prodigy as hand-to-hand combat. Has his own romantic interest.
Chu Ying Xue / Chu Li Mo: A seemingly naive girl, who is actually the daughter of the Holy Moon Sect's leader and has the ability to read minds. Her stepparents force her to become a royal concubine, but she escapes and is taken in the Divine Deputy Bureau as a maid. Initially dislikes Cold Blood, but starts caring for him after learning about his past and eventually falls in love with him.
Ji Yao Hua: Member of the Divine Deputy Bureau and grew up with the Infamous Four. Has been in love with Cold Blood despite knowing his secret. In her own words, "When he dies, I wish to die with him." One character we really learn to love and pity in the first half. But does she really give up on Cold Blood? Or is this the beginning of something sinister?
An Shi Di: The primary villain in the series. Wishes to obtain the divine skills and would go to any lengths to do it. But what is his aim? World domination? Or something more?
Others: There are others who might be considered primary characters, but in my opinion, the story revolves around these 7.
The main reason I finished the drama so quickly is Janine. She looks absolutely adorable in traditional Chinese dresses. Her on-screen chemistry with Zhang Han is pretty good as well. Jia Qing did her bit very well. There are so many times one wishes a better future for her - but Janine still comes first :| The four male leads do justice to their roles. Though Zhang Han and Yang Yang get more screen time, the others are not neglected either. A couple of the other female leads are downright irritating, but I guess we just oughta live with it. Loved the costumes on the actresses. Always feels good having multiple romantic threads in the story, with most, if not all, having happy endings.
Music: Fits the story, though nothing great about it.
Rewatch: Yes, it is lengthy and yes, it might get repetitive at times. But nevertheless, it can be watched again and again if you fell in love with the characters (which I did).
PS: I feel this review is kinda lengthy yet inadequate in places. I'll try to edit it later when I have time. Thanks for reading!
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Yet another saga of how power corrupts people who in turn corrupt others as well. An honest judge is forced to convict an innocent man. The convicted man's daughter who is a cop, decides to set things right. Things start off badly between the protagonists, but they gradually come to understand each other and work together. It starts off with a lot of promise, but it gradually turns out to be a tug-of-war. Expected things happen, but the audience are kept waiting in the tussle between (good and evil?)
The actors have done a decent job, but the major expressions in the drama are poker face and smirk, and not all of them seem natural. A bit more of joy would've been nice.
Rewatch value is kinda low for me. The last two episodes kinda killed it all.
It's definitely worth a one time watch, start with no expectations and you might be in for a surprise!
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Story: This drama focuses more on events rather than characters - at least that's the impression I got. It has its pros and cons - there are times you feel a character is dispensable and there are also times when you're not sad when a character dies coz you never felt one with him/her. It focuses on investigative Team Five - "We hide our identities to catch criminals. We don't exist in any records, not even police records." The concept is nothing new - it's been tried and tested over and over again. But its a worthwhile watch. There is a teeny-weeny bit of romance in the flashback scenes, but it doesn't interfere with the story. For those who think that with a young man and woman in the team, romance will bloom eventually - think again!
Acting/Cast: I like how equal importance is given to almost all of the team members. Frankly, I prefer this rather than the hero-worship of one or two persons with everyone else sidelined. I've seen most of the actors in some drama before (but hardly remember) and they did justice to their roles. Most of the times they are seen sporting stoic expressionless faces, so I'm not sure if my judgement is proper. I remember Lee Won Jong from The Girl Who Sees Smells and kinda miss his humor here.
Music: Great OST - loved it.
Rewatch: Why not!
Concluding Thoughts: Nothing new about the story, nothing new about the execution. But if you're a fan of spy/police/investigative dramas, you can try this once. It's better than many others I've seen in recent times.
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Story: During the Ming dynasty, Hong Xi Dong is the leader of Emperor Zhu Yun Wen’s personal bodyguard detail. Then the 'Nine Turns Luminous Night Pearl' is missing and he's suspected to have stolen it. Two palace guards Peng Ze and Xu Xiao Tian chase him and they all somehow end up in the 21st century, where they meet a lookalike of Xi Dong.
Characters:
Hong Xiao Dong / Hong Xi Dong: Xi Dong is from the era of the Mings and Xiao Dong from the 21st century. It is unclear at the beginning whether they are the same person or reincarnations. Xiao Dong is a former police officer who became a private detective when his ideals about the police force were shattered. He has the ability to read minds and transforms into Xi Dong under specific circumstances, seemingly in the presence of Xian Ting (who he remembers as Xian Er once transformed). But is she the one responsible for the transformation?
Peng Ze and Xu Xiao Tian: Two palace guards from the Ming dynasty who end up in modern Taiwan. The initial episodes focus on how they adapt to the changes in the environment. Though they initially suspect Xiao Dong to be the thief, they are soon convinced (primarily by Mo Han, who undertakes the task of getting them used to the 21st century) that he is, in fact, the good guy. Then they join forces to find the pearl.
Zhang Xian Ting / Xian Er: Xian Ting is the "Go Go Go" poster girl of a news channel who is forced by her editor to wear weird costumes while reporting. She wants to be a principled reporter and report actual news. Seeing an opportunity to interview the palace guards, she contacts Xiao Dong. Though their relationship is strained in the beginning, she falls for him after learning about his past. Supposedly, she's the reincarnation of Xian Er, the wife of Xi Dong. Though Nikki shines in her role, she does look kinda shabby next to Jiro Wang sometimes.
Mo Han: One of the members of Xiao Dong's detective agency. Has idolized and loved Xiao Dong since he saved her from an assailant during her high school days. her image is that of a peppy girl, but inside she's caring and understanding. Once she realizes the love between Xiao Dong and Xian Er, she lets her feelings go and in turn, paves the way for a new love.
There are other characters providing the much needed comic relief. Overall, the casting and performance are adequate, if not exemplary at times.
Concluding Thoughts: The ending was not conclusive and indicates a second season. In fact, without a second season, the ending is downright ridiculous - simply too many open ends to be resolved.
Music: Both the opening (The Great Hero by Jiro Wang) and ending (Love Influenza by Kirsten Ren) are worth listening to a few times.
Rewatch: It is a complete drama with doses of romance, comedy and action. Can be watched again if time permits.
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Two reasons:
1. Every drama has lovable characters who keep the viewers occupied. This drama has no consistent ones. Even the supposedly good characters behave like retards more than once.
2. After 85 episodes, I feel like the story so far could've been as well been covered in 8 episodes.
Lets start with the synopsis - "A drama about a woman who finally becomes a part of a family after re-adoption and man who chooses love over family." I seriously wonder how this synopsis was written (gets my nomination for the worst synopsis reward). After around 43 hours, I'm not convinced that she's becoming a part of the family but I'm already convinced he's not choosing love over family.
Coming to the story, this features the most hopeless and pointless love quadrangle I've ever seen seen in a drama. Seems more like mere obsession and rivalry rather than love. The so-called hero keeps jumping all over the place with his decisions. Every drama has characters you'd like to kill off so that the rest can be in peace. But if you start doing it here, there'll be no one left.
The only redeeming point was the music - I kinda liked the opening theme.
Rewatch: The "watch" value itself tends to zero - the rewatch might as well go into negative.
Concluding Thoughts: I might've been critical and exaggerated here and there, but I'm at the pinnacle of vexation and have been ruing the wasted hours of my life. There are loads of good family-oriented dramas out there like Glorious Day, Family's Honor, Assorted Gems and Daughters-in-law. Do yourself a favor and stay away from this contraption.
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The other stories are mere fillers, all following the time-tested formula of a single mother, a marital affair, an unrequited love and so on. After a while, the director seems to have lost track of the individual threads - with so many episodes focusing on particular characters and forgetting about the rest. There are so many unconvincing scenes, like when Xiao Fei says something like,"After we married, it seems like I make you angry so often", and I had to go back searching if I had missed any scenes, coz the only things I remembered were them quarreling a couple of times about watching TV and throwing socks on the floor. I think most of the actors did a good job, just that I didn't find their characters very interesting. Nothing exceptional about the music, but can listen to it a few times.
Rewatch value: 10 for the Crazy Dog and Yi Wan/Xiao Fei story, 5 for the Lian Qing story, 0 for the Xiao Xi story, 2 for the others.
If you like romantic stories, you must watch this for this one pair (you might like the others as well - I didn't). It has pretty much everything - the interesting first encounter, how they come to regard each other, one mom who tries to force them together, another who's opposed initially but comes around in the end, the interesting sidekicks and finally, no romantic triangle/ jealous lovers (there's a small one, but doesn't last long and had a graceful closure).
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It's more or less about office politics involving the workers and their wives. Just to give a basic premise, the story of the two high school classmates is introduced. There is a severe dose of unhappiness in married life and extra-marital affairs, which frankly, I'm not a big fan of. Romance is limited and often in the wrong place (there was some cheesy romance between Bong Soon and Joon Hyuk near the end). I wish the cat fights between the female leads had some humor in them, but it leaves one disappointed and irritated at times. The ending was kind of orthodox (feel good? maybe).
The actors did a decent job, but most of the characters were not lovable. There are times you feel sad for Ji Ae and Bong Soon, but they were short-lived for me. A couple of good songs in the background manage to salvage something.
Rewatch value is very low coz I doubt anyone would ever rewatch this (lol!)
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Story: Yet another saga of lookalikes, where one dies and the other takes her place.
Déjà vu?
1. One is poor, the other rich.
2. They are polar opposites in character.
3. The one still alive falls in love with someone related to the one who dies.
But in spite of the predictability (yes it was predictable, and anyone who refuses to acknowledge is blinded by their love for the actors and whatnot), it made for an enjoyable watch.
It revolves primarily around four people (or should I say five?).
Choi Min-woo: The illegitimate son of the chairman of SJ group and heir apparent. It is apparent since his father's only legitimate child is a girl. As such, he is resented by his stepsister and stepmother. With a sad childhood and having grown up without any affection, he finds it difficult to interact with others affably.
Choi Mi-yeon: Min-woo's half-sister who believes that she (and her husband) ought to be the heir to her father's company. Just a pompous rich lady, but we are led to believe that she does care for her brother.
Min Seok-hoon: Mi-yeon's husband, driven by greed. He's willing to go to any length for preventing Min-woo being declared the successor.
Seo Eun-ha: The daughter of a congressman and Min-woo's fiancée. Also the lover of Min-woo's brother-in-law Seok-heon (really? gimme a break! I'm glad she died)
Byun Ji-sook: A poor girl burdened by her family's debts and Eun-ha's lookalike. After Eun-ha's death, she is blackmailed by Seok-heon to take her place and help him in his devious plans. Gradually, she sees in Min-woo his suffering and his longing for love. Motherly care gives way to feminine affection (yay! banzai!!!)
So we have clearly demarcated sub-plots here.
1. Seok-heon will do anything he can to topple Min-woo.
2. Ji-sook and Min-woo will eventually fall in love (everyone knows its bound to happen).
3. Mi-yeon will resolve her feelings towards her brother and husband.
So what made this drama unique? Or is it really unique? I've read people claiming this is the "Drama of 2015", and I believe they said that for Healer and Kill Me, Heal Me as well. I support no such claims, barring the one that this is a worthwhile series. The actors did a magnificent job here and that probably made all the difference. The lead pair shared an awesome on-screen chemistry. It was a treat to watch them fall in love. It was the two of them standing up for each other which kept the series alive amidst all the conspiracies. Soo Ae did a commendable job in both her roles. The scenes I loved most were when Ji-sook tried to understand Eun-ha and realized how different they are. Also, her transition from a timid girl fighting for her family to a headstrong one fighting for the man she loves is zap, just fantastic. Yeon Jung-hoon as the malicious villain is convincing (yes, we do feel he should just die and let us be in peace).
The music is good (can't bring myself to say great), and it suits the story.
Not something I'd like to rewatch, but you never know.
Concluding Thoughts: This is a drama shouldered by good acting and supported by a decent storyline. Though it gets overbearing at times with all the politics, I'd recommend it for a one-time watch. The ending is kinda bittersweet and we do feel sorry for some, but it's all in the game.
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Story: Two cops go undercover (or are forced to) into a public housing community as a married couple to find out about a loan-shark company supposedly operating from there. As expected, they keep bickering with each other, while slowly falling in love. Or are they already in love?
Law Dai Shu / Paul: An uptight officer, whose mother ran away with his family's money to get plastic surgery done. Since then, he hates people who go for plastic surgery. Has been dating the same girl for 7-8 years, but they gradually grow apart and break up. He goes undercover as a plumber and soon becomes popular with the ladies for his looks.
Fa Ping / Apple: After being teased for being ugly as a child, she believes that becoming beautiful can change her life. After a life-changing plastic surgery, she becomes popular with men. Has a soft corner for fellow officer, but Paul was her first love. She initially hates him since she heard him telling his friends that he'll never date such an ugly girl, but gradually realizes all that he's been through in life and the spark of love ignites again. (Banzai!) Though she's a spoilt young lady, she soon picks up the habits of housewives like bargaining and cooking. Her transformation is a real treat to watch.
The chemistry between the two is amazing throughout. It is entertaining without being clingy or overbearing. It is pretty much a one-track romance as his (ex-)gf and her crush hardly play an important role and are soon shown to be not worthy of the protagonists - so much better than unrequited true love and buckets of tears. As they live together, they come to understand the importance of having someone to care for. Their parents, especially his father and her mother are amusing as they try to interfere in the love lives of their children. Their senior officer with his T.I.A.O. ("This is an order!") is hilarious to say the least. He picks up new and crazy spots for their secret meetings every time - you just can't keep waiting for where/how he'll turn up next. I didn't pay much attention to the other housewives, but they did their part. The ending is a simple feel-good one without any major twists. Overall, this is a drama I'd highly recommend if you're looking for a light-hearted romcom.
Rewatch: If I have time, definitely!
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Unlike many other dramas I've seen, the story did carry some sorta message, with the children realizing the plight of parents when they themselves become one. Well, on the other hand, Yeong Guk's parents were a delight to watch. I had serious doubts about an old lady acting like a kid, be she did it without being too annoying. The various romantic threads seem to fit well with the characters.
Don't seem to remember anything about the music though I watched it only yesterday, so that's a low out there.
One serious issue I had with the drama was the annoying pair of Ho Bak and Kkeut Soon. Oh well, even their names sounded pesky to me! So much in contrast with their siblings. At least that girl is a spoiled princess as expected, but the guy behaves like a retard even after coming from humble beginnings. Without them, I would've loved the drama enough to give it even a 9. Kill them off or maroon 'em off to some island in the pacific - and I'll contemplate rewatching this.
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That was what I felt watching this drama. Barring the premise which seemed to be interesting, the drama is filled with "Oh, I know what happens next!". Like when the grandma keeps bickering about the exact time of the marriage, you know something's gonna go wrong and they'll be married in some 'unconventional' place. Or the story of Qi Ming's mother.
The actors did a remarkable job, but I never felt one with the story. So many things seem forced just to fill in the episodes. It was enjoyable in bits and pieces, but something was always missing.
Or maybe my expectations were just too high.
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The story was dragged on and on for eternity. This ought to have been a 40 or 50 episode series - 120 was stretching it a bit too far. The pace really needs some getting used to. The main leads look good together - Han Chae Ah is probably the reason I slogged through. Her smile looks magnetic and Sung Hyuk makes a good pair with her, though their acting might seem zombie-ish at times. The script takes as much blame as the actors for the same. Kim Min Kyo lends some freshness with his unconventional dialogues and also some comic relief, though I would have liked more of it. I'd rather avoid mentioning most of the family members - too shady, too many and too irritating!
While watching the series, you get multiple feelings of déjà vu - giving the feel that this really is a not-very-delicate mix of inspirations from other drama, Come! Jang Bori and Rosy Lovers among others. Be ready to hate the majority of the cast in most of the episodes - makes you wonder again just how far people can go for money. Pretty much everything is there - parental opposition to love, the jealous lover who can go to any lengths to get what she wants, the illegitimate child looking for a place he belongs to, the mother who abandons her child for money, etc. In the end, everyone seems to realize their mistakes and redeem their character - and set the scene for complete happy ending. But you are left questioning the 'glass is half full' attitude of the writers and whether the ending was forced.
Watch it if you:
- are looking for a lengthy ride.
- prefer multiple romantic stories.
- are willing to wait for the good parts.
- wish for the perfect happy ending.
Avoid it if:
- negative characters annoy you; you'll be cursing them all the time.
- you're looking for something new in the story.
The music was nothing exceptional, but it was pretty good and suited the main characters. There were some loose ends at the end, but most of the side-stories were resolved. I'm still piqued at how the actual wedding scene of the main couple is skipped in a 120-episode series, while unnecessary time was spent on so many other scenes.
Would I watch it again? Only in bits and pieces for the good scenes - I can't handle 60 more hours, most of which comprises of the evil father, mother or mother-in-law in the process of devious plotting ;)
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This review may contain spoilers
That was.. unexpected! After reading the synopsis (I hadn't read the true story of Park Kyung-won by then), I expected the heroic saga of a woman triumphing in a male-dominated society. Perhaps she did, but not in the way I was looking forward to.Story: It is based on the true story of the first Korean female civilian pilot Park Kyung-won. To achieve her dream of becoming a pilot, she travels to Japan and enrolls in an aviation school there. "At 10:35 AM on of 7 August 1933, she took off in her Salmson 2A2 biplane, named the Blue Swallow, from Tokyo's Haneda Airport on one such flight to Manchuria; she crashed 42 minutes later near Hakone, Kanagawa and died." - Wikipedia
Now for what the directors/writers did. They push in a melo romantic thread in the form of a Korean exchange student in Japan, later an officer in the met department. If I say anymore, I'll be dishing out spoilers - so watch the conclusion yourself. Apart from this, the story kinda follows the facts.
Acting/Cast: Not a fan of any of the actors here, but I think they did a decent job. Frankly, I expected more glamour from the Koreans - but well, maybe this was for the best.
Music: Nothing much to say about - just a few background scores.
Rewatch: Don't think I'm going to, but you never know.
Concluding Thoughts: Go with no expectations and you might be pleasantly surprised.
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Though the drama stressed a lot on the use of mobile phones, I was somehow only interested in the interactions between the characters and not how they interacted. It's a simple story of two people (Cho Kin and Ting Sun), who first met when her father and his sister passed away in a fire accident. They both feel the agony of the other, but are in no state of mind to talk to each other. They meet years later when her mother agrees to babysit his daughter. Though Ting Sun might seem to be enjoying the perfect married life with a dutiful wife and a cute, obedient daughter, it is not the same on the inside. Slowly we come to realize the truth about the family and how they come to terms with it. As expected, for the main characters to come together, the wife has to leave. On the other hand, we have Cho Kin initially paired with some reta--, I mean an unsuitable person, and I was left waiting for them to break up. Cho Kin and Ting Sun come together due to his daughter Yau Yau (who's so adorable) and slowly come to realize the importance of having someone who really loves them. Ting Sun feels that she might end up like his (ex-)wife and shuns her, but she refuses to let go. ("Yau Yau is mine, that sofa is mine", I absolutely loved that scene)
Concluding Thoughts: It is a must watch if you're a Priscilla fan. If you liked her in Madam Cutie on Duty or Karma Rider, you'll love her here. Even if you're not, I'd recommend this drama to anyone looking for a long walk down the romantic lane.
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