silent_whispers
Dramaland
Up front I am going to say I have no problem with an older woman having romance with a younger guy. True he's younger, in high school, but that doesn't even become a factor as there's a love triangle. Our leading lady is in fact in love with someone else. There's time jumps. So people calm down. (Plus, I've seen dramas TV and movies with the younger GIRL still being in high school. Heck one was in Junior High.) Oh, and what a love triangle indeed. It's one that shows you why it's used so heavily. Because when done right it's pure emotional torture. And you love every second of it. Especially when you've picked a team, you're still torn as to who the lead should end up with!
The writing and story of IHYV is exceptional. Many things that could have been too much for the drama weren't an issue. With Soo Ha actually being a leading man, the young one, and being able to read minds I was nervous. However, it felt so natural and realistic. True there were a few inconstancies, but it was never a real problem. Mixed in with the love story, the court cases, and so forth it was a well utilized and realized fantasy element. Don't worry about it feeling like a fantasy though, because IHYV is a genre fusion blend. The kind only great writing like this can pull off!
Great writing. I said that a lot in my episode reviews, and I meant it. Every aspect of the story is thought out. Everything ties in, nothing is wasted. Which means there are NO fillers. Amnesia, perfect fit for the story. Only enhanced things. That's how you use it other dramas! Time jumps, flawless. In fact the second to last episode does some fancy and adrenaline inducing time jumps/flashbacks that will leave viewers in awe. The cases and law used IHYV is clearly looked into. Sometimes I thought they had slipped, but after looking it up and waiting for the next episode I was just jumping the gun. (So even though it IS a drama, there is a very solid foundation for it.)
The acting here is impeccable! Especially when accompanied by such solid writing. Every character develops throughout the show. Ones that viewers may have expected to loath become human. The ice queen Prosecutor Seo actually became a favorite of mine. The writers even make one of the most chilling villains into a human. Understanding his motives after being scared, and hating him, for so long is well done. All of the actors have earned my respect here. The emotions I felt where so intense.
Jang Hye Sung is one of the most well developed female characters that I've had the pleasure of watching in a drama. Sure at times it bothered me how she wouldn't learn her lessons. That it would take many repeated times before she would see the light! I got frustrated many a time. However, she was real. I could relate and when she did develop it was amazing to watch. As she realized that she should chose to make herself how she wanted. That life is too precious to be hung up on dark emotions and regret.
Both male leads are amazing. Soo Ha and Cha have both earned top places in my heart. Both are fantastic people. And like with all the characters watching them develop is a treat. Even more so since they both have amazing chemistry with Hye Sung. What a lucky girl!
The music is fantastic! Probably one of my all time favorite OST! It's so different and unique and I love that they went there for it. Because it fits IHYV perfectly. It was so much a part of the show that without it a lot of the moments and feelings may have been lost.
Forget what you've heard about I Hear Your Voice. Forget that synopsis!! Everyone should try this out. There's a reason why there was so much buzz around it. Go in with positive thoughts. It's a wonderful genre fusion. Don't worry about people calling it a fantasy. The mind reading aspect of Soo Ha is very realistic and so well done that it never hinders the story. (If you don't like fantasy.) The courtroom triumphs and struggles are amazing. Not only does it show the negative side of the law, but the positive. How laws that save a murderer can also be turned around and used to save the innocent. The acting here is a amazing! Not to mention how well the characters are realized and developed. Some might start out as stereotypes, but they quickly develop into actual people!! I Hear Your Voice will probably be cemented as a fan favorite . . . forever. I know it will always be one of mine. The message(s) is beautiful. The emotions are intense. But this is a dramas that despite the darkness, you will always feel warm and fuzzy. Best of all the ending is perfection. And yeah, I ended it feeling warm and fuzzy. Here's hoping this great team behind I Hear Your Voice will make more amazing shows.
Thank you. I know my review can't do this show justice.
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Sometimes the simple truths of life are the most riveting. I won't lie and say there weren't some drama tropes present. There were, but isn't life what these tropes are based off of? There was a story line about episode 4 that turned out to be a horribly bad joke, and that's really my only complaint. Because even that bad joke had you reflecting on life.
The power of this storyline is the view from the point of view of the parents and we also get glimpses of what the kids are thinking. The parents understand what the kids are thinking because they've live it all. They've been there. Many truths are revealed on both sides. Parents are aware their children are too busy living their lives. Children can't understand that their parents won't be there forever. Small, but powerful truths make up this story.
The age differences also kept the story fresh, though the youngest person was 40 for one of the main roles. It's not only refreshing to see this type of story on the drama scene, but to actually have older actors having such well developed roles. It can be tiring seeing older actors as nothing but one dimensional parents, or filler roles. You know where an older person is expected to be, or they have a young person play an advanced age.
The focus of the story stays on the older cast even though the 40 year old, daughter is telling it as she writes her book. It's probably why I felt like her love story could have used a little more development and time. Especially in episode 15 (where I felt the pacing was off). However, that means the other character's story lines are amazing. When we finally learn about everyone’s past and present circumstances I loved it. I don't want to spoil anything, but there's many truths that I loved seeing present in this drama. (Yeah, I'm all about truths.) The writing stays on top of all of those lead character's stories and no one is left out. It was perfect.
The cast was everything I had hoped for and more. Of course they're all seasoned veterans to acting, all to their own varying degrees. So it's no surprise that these ladies and gentleman delivered brilliant performances. The chemistry was fabulous and I could believe that these woman have been friends since preschool age. They've stayed in each others' lives.
The music was fantastic! The styles and variety of sounds all fit somehow and were brilliant. From songs for the characters, to a general feel good vibe that brought a smile to my face every time. It was very unique and I appreciated that. I loved that one song had this big bopper tune to fit the resident “playboy”. I have a niggling suspicion that he may have even sang it.
There are so many layers to this drama. It's definitely not a typical one and I hope this inspires better roles for seniors. For writers to realize that older actors are loved, and a great drama would have those characters having pivotal roles. Oh, I'd rewatch this. Just so I could see the amazing friendships and reality of these characters again. I loved how well the writing balanced the fun, humor, and warm hearted nature of the story/characters with the sad truth of age and life. It was beautiful and I thank writer No Hee-Kyung for taking me on it.
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I have now discovered that when a romantic drama that seems typical becomes stagnant and a trope it sucks. However, when a drama that is unique and has so much promise does it's like a knife to the gut. I became so ticked off with the last 7 episodes that there is no redemption for this drama. Maybe it's my fault for reading so much into the drama and expecting awesomeness. Everything I thought meant something was stupid. Such as the color scheme of beige switching to vibrant colors, it's never fully addressed though there is a turning point in the drama. I actually wonder if the writer had somewhere to go, but someone on the side was like no make this an average and underwhelming murder mystery.
That's right. It all boiled down to a murder mystery that happened years before this plane crash. Which is perfectly fine. Except that the drama treated it's viewers like we were dumb and couldn't figure it out right away. So the last 5 episodes are all “What really happened?” and I had guessed it around episode 5 if not sooner. Sighs. So let me tell you it was boring.
Not to mention that the killer apparently “accidentally” did it, but it was someone else who pushed him over the edge. Somehow meaning that the 4 murders he committed on the island where, okay? No really. He gets a happy ending painting with his friends. DESPITE THE FACT THAT HE MALICIOUSLY KILLED PEOPLE. Murdering his own friend and continued to try to kill people until the end.
The true awesomeness of Missing 9 is in the first 9 episodes. (Holy drama! Did this drama curse itself?) Was the dual storytelling of the timeline of the plane crash, the past of the idols, and the present in which the one survivor is trying to piece her memory together. Somehow Missing 9 found this perfect balance of psychological thriller and horror, with humor. I loved it. Characters who were clearly annoying stereotypes became well developed on the island. I truly believe that if the writing hadn't given up on itself that the idea of solving the old murder from before would have been enough to deliver this drama. Yet the last 7 episodes tossed all of the character development and commonsense out the window. Then continued to shoot it up as it sped by in the getaway car to abandon the storyline that the writer clearly didn't know how to wrap up.
Normally I do a rating scale of my average rating per episode which is actually 5/10 for Missing 9. The first 9 episodes are at 8/10 rating, and the last 7 episodes 2/10 (to be honest right on the verge of 1/10). So I look at the 5/10 average episode rating and compare to the numbers I put in for MDL's rating scale (which is 3/10) and figure it out from there. (Yes, I put a lot of though into how I rate.) To be quite honest I am so tempted to go back and lower all my episode ratings on the first 9 because I now realize that the show's story goes no where. Yet, I can't because those first 9 were awesome for me and despite the story losing itself it deserves it. (Though I'm still bitter.)
When the writing was good the actors were amazing. YES, even the idols did a magical job. They balanced fear and humor well in the first 9 episodes. It's not their fault their characters became tacky in the last half, they acted what was created. The music was all right, though I can't really remember it right now.
In the end this was another drama that I had high hopes for and faith that the writer wouldn't give up on the story in the latter episodes because it didn't know how to end. Part of the problem is I had too much faith and believed in it. That the first half of the show was truly amazing. Yet, the last 7 episodes were so utterly painful that it killed Missing 9. I will never rewatch this drama again, and I will think back on it with absolute and utter dejection. In a move I normally don't make I am rating this completely on feeling. If I went by my normal system I'd pick between 3/10 to 5/10. (Which is why I wrote that huge paragraph on my rating system above so you could get an idea.) However, the last part of this drama ruined everything. It made characters that started out annoying and grew into pretty awesome characters, annoying again. I couldn't stand characters that I loved from the beginning. Not to mention that the female lead was so awesome and then just turned into a damsel at the end. *Sighs* Everything hinged on a clearly obvious plot line. In then end this drama transformed into a painful drama memory that I wish I could forget.
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There are some fatal flaws. Especially with the mythology. Meaning there really is no hardcore mythology behind it. In fact, I'm not even sure if the vampires know anything. It's very muddled. There are so many unanswered questions as to why Min has his powers. Are they vampire standard or unique to each one, and so on. Despite all that there's a reason it is the most talked about 2012 K-drama.
Every actor did a wonderful job and I was completely caught up in their performances. Lee Won Jong is always a pleasure to watch and I love the way he portrays Detective Hwang.
For me the selling point of VP is not that there are vampires here. (And yes I'm a huge vampire nut!) This is an excellent prosecutor show and I loved the episode cases and the overall arc mystery of the show. Well done.
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The story sounds like a solid drama. Sadly Rooftop Prince is a drama that couldn't handle being 20 episodes. I'd like to think if the writers had to get it all done in 16 the story would have been cleaner. The first 9 or so episodes do a good job with jokes about the past characters adjusting to the present. The emphasis elevator scene and so on. But if you took out the time travel and such it's not that big of a key element to the drama. Besides some jokes, and then the first and last episodes.
The writers were so focused on putting standard drama tropes and plots in Rooftop Prince that it killed the parts that made the concept so unique.
The characters ended up feeling very hallow. Villains that did things for the sake of being villains. Other dramas at least try to make you see the other side. These villains were despicable because that's what they do. The leads spend so much time getting kicked by them that it's hard to cheer them on, or care. The prince is the standard jerk who can't decide on his feelings, though he is aware that he is leading, and playing with Park Ha. Park Ha is the lead who never truly learns and gets stuck behind the trope of never standing up for herself. She just keeps smiling.
Though I will give credit that Park Ha realizes the kind of man she's fallen for in the prince. He's selfish and will eventually put himself first. As a prince I understand thinking of others is hard for him, and as the drama comes to a close he realizes his mistakes. So points for that.
The side characters are interesting, and the ducklings/stop light boys are so much fun. In fact, if they were more developed I would have gone for one of them as the love interest for Park Ha. Alas, the writers decided that side characters should remain as window trappings only. What a waste.
The music did nothing for me and I don't think it enhanced the drama. I've already forgotten it. And boy I won't be rewatching this one ever.
In the end I understand Rooftop Prince's appeal. Why fans love it. However, I can only see it as a missed opportunity to create a unique drama. Instead all I viewed was a boring show with the same hijinks that other dramas have. The writers were to revved up to put a unique cast, and concept, into a stereotypical roles to keep fans happy. It bums me out that I couldn’t really enjoy this one. But to each their own.
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For a reincarnation of Hana-Kimi I have to admit I was worried about pacing. The manga was too long winded for me and I actually never bothered reading the final two or three volumes because I knew how it would end and I found the whole thing tiring. Ironically when I started To the Beautiful You I didn't even realize that it was Hana-Kimi. Which is a good thing because at 16 episodes it is the longest version of the tale yet! Immediately I was drawn into the story and by the time I realized what I was watching, I didn't care. Nope, I was having fun. And in the end the pacing worked out perfectly. Giving every storyline it's time to develop and not turning valuable viewing time into an endless repeat.
To the Beautiful You is for the most part a feel good rom-com. It's not deep. Again, for the most part. This is easy viewing that simply makes you smile. Mission accomplished! That said the writers truly delivered on Cha Eun Gyeol. The instant I met him, it was love! As the story progressed and he becomes conflicted over his love for Goo Jae Hee, my heart went crazy. And maybe melted in a few poignant moments. Actor Lee Hyun Woo was amazing, and made me a loyal fan. Especially the moment when he decides love concurs all, even the boundaries on what society–and himself–might still find as a forbidden love. These are the kind of romances I live for.
Viewers will either love this or dislike. If you can separate this as a new take on a "classic", you'll do fine. If not, you know you'll be angry because this is not faithful. There's plenty of fan service moments for Shinee fans as Choi Min Ho really separates himself as good eye candy away from the band. If nothing else watch this show for the most epic paint ball fight! Assassin Choi Min Ho anyone? The show is plenty of laughs and I'll probably be visiting it just for good times, and when I need to reexperience the epicness of Goo Jae Hee. (Goo Jae Hee, the other reason this show needs to be watched. Let's be honest.)
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Fair warning you need to pay attention to the first two episodes! The story moves so fast you need to keep an eye out for names. There's two storylines going on. The present, and the past. Which are interwoven throughout the drama.The first two episodes do this cool overlay affect so that the younger versions of the older present day characters can be recognized. It's just a bit rough at first but the rest is masterfully done. Healer moves at an incredible pace and never leaves any room for slow episodes. No fillers here!
I found out that Healer was written by the same person who wrote Faith! Song Ji-Na is her name, and the lists of dramas is long. I've only watched Faith, so I don't know what her past writing is like. However, this is definitely cleaner and even better than Faith. (Judging from the ratings on MDL Healer is one of her top rated shows.)
The best part is that Healer is huge on characters and their developments. It balanced the present day characters so well. Seeing everyone's backstories revealed each time was awesome. Everything isn't revealed at once. Letting you truly get to know the characters and personalities. The slow reveal of the past was perfect and the flashbacks never bogged down the storyline. I wanted to know what happened in the past, and for the first time I was actually bummed when the snippet of the past was over. It was all written in such away to give Healer an excellent mystery. Not to mention that side characters--whether villains, comedic reliefs, henchman, and good guys--weren't just left to being stereotypes. Sometimes they only got small backstories or character development, but it always worked. Some key characters I loved were Min Ja an amazing, Kpop fan who happened to be Healer's hacker and boss. Oh, and the "Lackey" girl who helps Healer out. Yeong Shin's father and "Uncle". There are so many more, but this is already getting long.
The plot was great. Everyone had a role to play. Moon Shik was an excellent villain. He wasn't fully black and white. He was delusional about the things he did, and would do. The whole cast of villains are that way. It was refreshing to see how everyone could be a puppet if they let it happen. To see the mystery play out and see this elaborate game being played between the Elder and Healer. Bravo. I'm being very vague, but I think that's important going into this show. Just know that it's an action, comedy, thriller, romance, and mystery! (Plenty of mysteries.)
Healer was great. At times he made questionable decisions, but that happens in dramas. The important part was I could see why he did it. Ji Chang Wook as Jung Hoo, AKA Healer, was perfection. He donned the role so well. From playing the professional Healer, to himself as Jung Hoo, quirky Bong Soo, and whom ever he needed to be. The Night Courierr concept was so much fun! I loved that he decided he needed to discover himself when he "woke up". He wasn't just some brooding male love interest. In fact, he made me smile a lot. He was polite and thoughtful. Treated his leading lady right.
Speaking of Yeong Shin the leading lady! I actually got a lot of warnings about needing to give her about 2 episodes before I'd like her. Not in my case. I loved Yeong Shin immediately! She was a fun, confident, and perky character. Sure she gets to be a damsel, but that happens with dramas. What I could believe was the situations. Yeong Shin is a fighter and she's strong. It could have been annoying that violence makes her have panic attacks, leaving her unable to breath. But with her background it fit perfectly. Even with the lightness of the show Yeong Shin's past in the foster care system was tragic and heart wrenching. I enjoyed seeing how all of these things made her into such an amazing person. If something stresses/scares her she thinks about it and dances it off. I mean she goes out and gets it done! Whether it's a news big story that the "Man" will try to punish her for. Or going out and getting her man. I mean she says this to the man she loves:
"If you send me away . . . you'll cry forever."
Jung Hoo and Yeong Shin have the best chemistry ever! Not only that but they're believable. The whole romance. What I love is there unwavering faith in each other once they get to know each other. Jung Hoo wants Yeong Shin to ask questions, to know him. Most importantly they don't let things go unsaid. Jung Hoo and Yeong Shin are one of my all time favorite couples. Not to mention that they get real, sexy kisses. Oh, and some skinship. (Which I will not spoil. Just know that it is there.) These two had the most amazing morning after and I rewatched it so many times. These two are so comfortable with each other, everything feels natural. There's this scene where Jung Hoo talks about what will happen when he reveals himself to Yeong Shin. He knows how she will react, and never doubts that she will accept him. It was amazing, and they both know each other so well that they can do that. But they're still getting to know each other. Watching them originally fall in love is beautiful. Watching them learn more about each other and fall in love just ruined me.
On to other things now.
Was the music good? Heck yeah! I bought the soundtrack at episode 8. Without even listening to the album previews!! Or finishing the drama.
I didn't really address it but everyone's acting was on point. One of the villains, the butler who smirks, was a little anime at times. Smirking and cover his slyness with a hand! Between this amazing script and the talent of the cast everything packed a punch.
Healer should be a dark story, but the writing creates this perfect balance. Dramatic dirty politics and secret organizations! The shocking murder of a friend, suicide, lost children, and plenty of lies! A moving romance! Plenty of laughs and great humor. There's so much going on and it amazes me how well it's all balanced. Don't be nervous about this being dark. I spent most of my time riding adrenaline rushes from the amazing action scenes, romance, and humorous moments to ever feel bogged down. Don't get me wrong Healer will also wrench your heart and put you through the ringer. When this drama is over you'll be going "Again! Again!" (No really I flirted with the idea of starting it up right after the last episode.)
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Jin-Su suffers from mental illness, borderline personalities to be exact. After she has a mental break and is committed to a mental institute the true story begins. She checks herself out of the institute and then some years later she runs into her shrink Seok-Won. Seok-Won seems like a pretty normal guy. As the story unfolds more information about each character is revealed. At times Jin-Su seems like the normal one. Her husband clearly has some issues. Yet it is Seok-Won, the very man who is supposed to help people, that ends up being the "sick" one.
This movie deals in the gray areas of the moral codes. It even brings into question the type of people who help those who suffer from mental illness. It also airs out some hard truths about mental abuse. Hypnotized shows that those labeled with mental issues may not be the ones that you need to worry about. That there are many forms of mental instability as well.
If you want to be kept on your toes, this is the film for you. It's a tale of betrayal, revenge, control, abuse, lust, and what I like to call irony. In the end Hypnotized even has a twist of horror and the supernatural. Oh, and this is down right sexy. The take on mental illness is very different and I'm sure will cause many heated debates.
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So I'm a little bummed that I'm probably one of the few people who felt underwhelmed and thought the movie was overrated. The sassy girl that the movie clearly evolves around was the main sticky point for me. Honestly I didn't like her, she was like a bully and the way she treated the poor sob who found her drunk on a train. That's not to say I didn't get a tons of laughs out of this movie.
The saving point for me is that My Sassy Girl is a great story about getting over loss and heartbreak, and being able to move on. The idea that when things are destined to be that time and fate will pull things together.
Any drama fan should watch this and I don't regret it at all. It's a classic.
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This movie is classy and very moving. It takes a rare movie to make me think that the movie opened beautifully. That the story and vision behind the script is majestic. The acting superb. That every plot twist was some kind of heart wrenching . . . thing. By the time those credits rolled my mind simply went blank. All I could thing was "holy *beep*!".
The acting in Daisy is impressive and many times I was torn between the two leading men. I knew who I wanted to win the fair maidens hand, but it was so hard at times when both of the actors vying for her so emotionally. Jun Ji Hyun especially surprised me. Up until this point I had only seen her as a comedic actress. Now I'm a fan, this woman can truly act.
Daisy is a title that despite all the positive feedback viewers--well maybe just me--can't really take seriously. This makes my list that any drama newbie, or veteran, should watch. Everything about this movie is top shelf! One of the best films I have ever seen for tragic romances. If I think about it I can't even think of any other tragic romances that can top this one. At the end I felt like bawling. Well done. Well. Done.
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Instead what we get is pretty serious, one of the closet slice of life dramas I've seen. Oh, don't get me wrong they're are plenty of laughs! Warm hearted moments and hijinks of youth indeed. All balanced out by the realities of life. This is a story of 5 girls ranging in ages in their twenties—though more early—and they're struggles to deal with life. For me I found something in each girl to sympathize with. They're all different, but I understood and could relate. The drama starts out with showing Eun Jae first coming to college and the hard ship of something new. The fear and soon realizing that the other girls have struggles. Sometimes one episode focuses more on one character, but each girl has a story to tell with where they are in life.
I will admit that I liked it starting off as a simple slice of life drama following the every day ordinary girls on their journeys. Of course we had to have something more drama worthy and the girls ended up all having be secrets that need to be revealed. Each girls past and secret had very strong and important messages. Sometimes subtle others a bit heavy handed. Addressing ones' self worth and what you need to do to live for yourself. A bigger overlay is that one girl claims to be able to see ghosts and this sets off how the other girls secrets slowly begin to come to light. The question of whether this girl can actually see ghosts is fun to ponder about.
One thing that bothered me is that the more outgoing and in your face girl could never find a man. I really wonder if this is such a problem for this type of personality in Korea? Here I know they're usually the ones to get dates first. At least in my neck of the woods. That aside I think the writer did a great job of taking the “usual” suspects for female characters and making them real. Totally relatable.
More realistic is that these girls do start out as strangers. They don't always like each other, but in the end become friends. Even realizing that they've lived together for sometime and really don't always know each other. The friendships that grew are amazing, and I love the womance between many of the characters. I also loved the older woman who owned the apartment they were renting. I love how she looked out for them and silently supported them from the sidelines. She didn't judge.
However, I think that the most important message is that no one is normal. We're all weird and the events of our lives are what make us who we are. Age of Youth delivers an ending that gives us closure, but I do feel like it leaves their lives moving forward. Forward enough for a season 2 please! With it only running 12 episodes I do feel like a few things got cut out or rushed a tad to fit it in. I'm sure they didn't know if the show would catch on. I still applaud the writers for not wasting a moment and creating a well paced work. The music, cinematography, and writing was all brilliant. Most importantly that each girl was wonderful in their own way, even if certain traits my have grated on nerves. That's what made them more real and relatable. In the future I know I'll be revisiting my girlfriends again from Age of Youth.
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Love O2O gave me a break from the tiring tropes of K-dramaland. Wei Wei and Xiao Nai seem like stereotypical leads for dramaland. Xiao Nai is the perfect and aloof male lead who seems so cold. Wei Wei . . . actually I haven't run into her character that much. She's the school's second beauty, only because of some shady stuff did she lose first, and she is used to getting confessed to a lot. Just like the male lead. She's smart and confidant. Able to handle and make her own decisions. While it seems silly that Xiao Nai falls in love with her and asks her to marry him in the game, they quickly discover each others personalities. Leading to an unshakeable trust between the two and being able to know each other so well that others' schemes can't shake their relationship. They talk immediately about issues and don't hide anything.
Xiao Nai is up front that he knew who she truly was and that he persude her. Instead of hiding it and having some stupid misunderstanding. In fact, between the leads the “misunderstandings” that usual drive me nuts in most dramas aren't present. Because they COMMUNICATE!
The leads aren't the only ones well developed. The side cast is so well done. Xiao Nai's bros are so awesome and the way they interacted left no doubt of their friendship in my mind. In fact, I was almost moved to tears at one point. What was even better was Wei Wei's friendship with her dorm mates, especially her best friend Er Xi. Now female friendships in K-dramas are something that either get benched or don't exist. Normally it's the female lead against all the other evil female characters. That's one thing I've found I like about Chinese dramas, and especially about Love O2O. Each female friend stood out. While Er Xi may be the overly cute and excitable type, I had no doubt of the friendship between her and Wei Wei. Even their fight and eventual makeup felt authentic. Watching them together was just as enjoyable as watching Xiao Nai and Wei Wei fall in love.
The parents of both characters weren't present all that much, but when they were there I bought it and loved that they had personalities. Many scenes of them meeting the parents and their reactions to their children where wonderful. I enjoyed that the villains and love rivals that where present didn't always stay conniving people. In fact, the “villains” grew and felt remorse. Reflecting on their life and actions.
That said I was slightly disappointed about Hao Mei (one of Xiao Nai's bros, AKA Mr. Beauty) and KO. Their relationship fascinated me from the get go. It was basically bromance at first sight, and I was convinced something more for KO as he hacked Hao Mei's computer. Then began to stalk and insert himself into Hao Mei's life. Before the time jump KO “back doors” (don't get dirty on me) his way into living with Hao Mei. Then they're never mentioned in the time jump what happened between the two. Er Xi and her love interest are at least given a bit of time, I felt cheated out of a very interesting story. In truth I probably never could have gotten enough of Hao Mei and KO. At least I'll always have the lovely image of KO in that suit.
I feel odd saying this but I actually found that the actor doing the aloof and cold Xiao Nai brought so much warmth to his character. I feel odd because I thought Wei Wei ended up feeling colder. It could be a big part of the director wanting to emphasize that Wei Wei changed Xiao Nai into a warm blooded male and that she was shy. However, Xiao Nai—actor Yang Yang—blew my mind with his intense kissing techniques. While Wei Wei was pretty much cold through out. I think the blurred affects were done to make Wei Wei seem passionate in the later kissing scenes. However, I never thought Wei Wei's actress did that great a job. She swooned well and did the embarrassed face stuff well. But it was often the same facial expressions over and over to convey things. Every once in a while I felt like she really fell into the role, but it never lasted long.
Er Xi's actress did a wonderful job and I loved the energy she brought. The other girls were great, but I felt like the males of Love O2O did the best. They interacted well together. I debated about giving the acting a 7 due to Wei Wei feeling really awkward at times, but I couldn't do it to everyone else.
Yang Yang gets a 10 for his skills in bringing Xiao Nai to life. Oh, my gosh. Some of his facial expressions slayed me. Especially when Wei Wei bit him . . . then the scene helping her dress for a wedding . . . and so many other bits!
The visuals for when the characters are the game characters were brilliant! They felt like a game and looked stunning. From the scenery to the wardrobes. There was an awkward instant where they used CGI to create a mall scene, but I bet they did it to lower costs on shutting the place down for the scene. Other than that Love O2O is a beautifully shot drama.
The music was fun and I liked how some of the sounds simulated old video game noises. While I'm not the biggest gamer I do know somethings. The music fit the drama well and had a fun light style to it. Nothing to brag about though.
This was fun and unique enough that in a couple of years I'm sure I will want to experience it all over again! Whimsical and lighthearted dramas are so hard to come by. How could I say know to smiling for 30 episodes?
Overall I think Love O2O is the perfect thing to chase away the K-drama blues. Or at least wash the stereotypes and drama tropes out of your mind. Also, a great place to introduce yourself to Chinese dramas. This isn't my first C-drama, but I've had great luck so far and Love O2O is only building my love more for them. There pacing is great and there's no dragging. Only a few slightly slower plot points such as the business world of gaming and competition against other business. (AKA a little corporate espionage drama.) Not enough to ruin it though. The cast of character are wonderful and it's not just about the romance of Wei Wie and Xiao Nai. Both the friendships of the girls and bros are wonderful and I loved that just as much as the official romance. Love O2O was a satisfying viewing experience and wrapped up nicely. It's a fun and unique time all around, and despite it all remained a very realistic drama.
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Another thing I have to warn about is the audio. I bet the sound team was never allowed to do another project again. The background noise. If you listen with head phones you're gonna be shocked by what you pick up. From trains, cars, to full blown arguments by bystanders. The audio drops in volume, then booms up.
Other than that Bromance is pretty well made. A fantastic soundtrack! Trust me the songs will hit you when you're having a great mood. Wonderful cinematography. Though someone was getting a little showy with the lighting shots. Sometimes I felt like I was watching the new Star Treck movies.
Story wise Bromance tried something different, yet managed to still check up drama tropes one by one. It ended up being both refreshing and annoying. The strongest aspect of Bromance is that Zi Feng doesn't know Ya Nuo is a girl. As usual the story of why she has to pretend to be a girl is on the hilarious side, but it works. This drama is campy fun, it knows its audience and totally panders to it. I like the struggle Zi Feng feels for falling for a boy, but totally embraces love. It's beautiful and something I wish more gender benders did. It's always the story of a side character in love with the female lead, but the male lead always figures it out quickly. Zi Feng also doesn't need her to be feminine, he likes her being strong and if it's manly it's how she is. He doesn't need her to be some fragile woman.
Bromance has a fantastic cast and I loved the side stories and characters. The other main couple Na Na and Qing Yang have such a sweet romance and I loved it just as much as Zi Feng and Ya Nuo's. Though be prepared to get cuteness and not the hot passion of Zi Feng and Ya Nuo.
This also features some of the best male characters ever. Zi Feng is such an amazing male lead, so is Quing Yang. Zi Feng is fiery, but he thinks and cares. He respects people and I love how he acts. I'm so tired of rude/jerk/asshole leads. Qing Yang may be the quiet male figure, but his facial features tell so much. You quickly get enough depth to understand him. I like that he was more than the quiet dreamy male lead.
That said the endless drama tropes and clichés they have to pack in gets tiring. Not to mention that towards the ending the pacing lags and the writers get lazy. Side characters are stories are totally abandoned for a while. Yes they're picked up and given closure at the end. However, I think there were a lot of better ways to take things. Some totally awesome characters were completely abandoned! Why! Why! (Ya Nuo's cousin was one!)
That said I appreciate the message. This is light fluff considering that Zi Feng is the head of a gang. A gang that is really PG, heck most of the time G. I'm a bit confused about how they all make there money now, such as drugs trafficking is now bad. Many of the men spent time in jail. Maybe they're recovering bad guys? That aspect was a bit cloudy. Yet, it worked well. The show highlights the importance of family, forgiveness, love, unconditional love and friendship, and hope. Not to mention redemption.
A very solid gender bender. If you have a weakness for them—like me—this one is a do not miss. I won't claim it's brilliant or anything, but I enjoyed most of the show smiling and laughing. There's so much great writing, jokes, and humor. Some scenes demeaning towards women, but you got the humor backing it. ^_- The characters were all wonderful and I loved how lively Bromance stayed. While the latter episodes to get draggy, they still deliver in character story and give fans what we want! The actors are all great and I loved the chemistry the entire cast had. Not to mention Zi Feng and Ya Nuo's chemistry! I love how comfortable they are with each other. I do appreciate the sexy kissing, but sometimes real intimacy holds an even more potent punch. I'm positive you'll now right away whether this drama is for you, especially after 4. You'll either think it's cheesy and run, or be totally compelled. There are brilliant aspects to the story, but sadly brought down by cliches. I will be rewatching many short scenes—yes, the kiss scenes—for sure, but won't be in a rush to do a true rewatch.
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Now a street magician tracking down a woman who gives off the "presence of a ghost" didn't thrill me at first. Yet, watching Lee Min Ki in just those first few moments had me hooked. This was my first time viewing anything featuring him and I loved him in the roll of the main lead, Ma Jo Goo. Thankfully the writers didn't make a standard rich brat as the male lead--though he is indeed rich and a wee bit of a brat--and Min Ki's acting is great enough to make the character even more dynamic. Of course I'm not forgetting about the other cast members. Min Ki and Ye Jin have wonderful chemistry. The romance was hilarous and quite a few times I was laughing too hard I couldn't breath! What I love the most is that Yoo Ri and Jo Goo have a pretty decent relationship and the kisses aren't awkward! Thank you for real kissing.
The remaining cast really makes this movie even more. What I love is that everyone just accepts that Yoo Ri is being haunted. Yoo Ri's girlfriends are my favorite supporting characters. The advice they give to Yoo Ri is priceless! They both think they know so much, but . . . well of course they don't!
The story kept me entertained and I never felt the annoyance about being able to predict the plot. The reason behind Yoo Ri's haunting is really interesting and as a bit of the mystery is revealed I was captivated. It was nice jumping out of my seat from being spooked, while laughing at the antics. The perfect genre blend that any K-drama viewer will love.
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Fair warning this is very adult. It's explicit visually, verbally, and just very explicit. It always feels strange watching cute and "innocent" dramas to adult content movies!!
I actually loved the humor. Sometimes sexual humor and nudity is used for shock value. However, I thought it was clever and tasteful at times. There were some series over the top moments. (And I know I'll be thinking of something totally different every time I see "Pinocchio".) Casa Amor is first comedy to make me laugh at the vibrating panty joke.
What I love the most about it is it promotes being comfortable with ones sexual desires. Oh, and every woman should experience orgasms!
What really makes Casa Amor more than a raunchy comedy is it's focus on family and personal discovery. Most importantly that true success is majored by how you can share it with the ones you love. To not let to over come your life and take you away from those most important to you.
The cast was amazing! I loved Nan Hee as the "sex expert". She had a great romance and I love how she was so confident about her needs and wants. But sweet and innocent about love still. Bo Hee was amazing! Watching her go from heartless to happy was great. (Maybe a little crazy too!)
Go Gyeong Pyo is in this movie as a smiley, laughing cop! He was so cute and fun. (His sex scene was hilarious.) The little girl who plays Bo Hee's daughter was amazing and I loved how she called everyone fools! Because she was so right! Not to mention Bo Hee's mother was a hoot!
Honestly I adored this. The blunt sexual humor was well done and I cried with laughter. I also enjoyed the heart felt meaning and story behind the comedic story! Give it a go. Hulu has it right now in great quality, but I don't think it will be on there too long. Great comedy and I love the commentary on marriage.
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