Reviews

excellent show!

excellent show!
Family Matters is a thrilling Korean drama that blends dark comedy, fantasy, and action into a unique and captivating series. The show follows a group of individuals with supernatural abilities who pose as a family to evade pursuers and confront dangerous criminals.
Storytelling and Tone: Family Matters expertly weaves together various elements:

Narrative structure: The series alternates between present events and flashbacks, adding depth to the characters' backstories.

Dark comedy: Comic moments are cleverly inserted into serious scenes, creating an engaging contrast.

Genre blend: The show incorporates action, mystery, suspense, comedy, and fantasy, delivering just enough twists to keep viewers engaged.

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A Tale of Love, Identity, and Intrigue

The story follows a unique premise centered around the female lead, who has a scar on her face. On her wedding day, a beautiful but obsessive woman swaps faces with her in an attempt to marry the male lead, the female lead's husband. However, the imposter meets her demise on the same day. Now with a new face and body, the female lead embarks on a mission to uncover the mystery behind her own "death" in a morally corrupt city. She works alongside her husband, who remains unaware of her true identity.

One notable aspect of the drama is its unconventional structure. The first two episodes focus entirely on the guest actress playing the original version of the female lead (the scar-faced character). This approach is a clever way to establish the emotional connection and backstory between the main leads, giving depth to their love story. However, this choice also has its drawbacks. When the main actress takes over in episode three, it feels slightly jarring, and it takes some time for viewers to adjust to the new portrayal of the character.

The standout element for me is the exceptional writing of the male lead. He genuinely makes us believe in his deep connection with the female lead, showing that his love is rooted in her personality rather than her physical appearance. His unwavering devotion is beautifully portrayed, and their romance unfolds in a steady, realistic manner. It’s more of a mature, well-developed bond than a rushed love story, which adds authenticity to their relationship.

Another highlight of the drama is its captivating murder investigation subplots. These cases are intricately designed, raw, and compelling, with just the right amount of suspense and unexpected twists to keep viewers hooked. Importantly, they never feel like filler content; instead, they tie seamlessly into the central storyline. As someone who rarely watches investigation dramas, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed these elements. They added depth to the narrative without overshadowing the main conflict.

Favorite Character:

My favourite character is Yang Cai Wei/Shangguan Zhi (the female lead) is portrayed as a strong, intelligent, and brave woman with a unique talent for forensic investigation. Ju Jing Yi, the main actress, delivers a fantastic performance. Her ability to convincingly portray the face swap was truly impressive, and her performance added depth to the character's journey.

Overall, this drama was an exceptional watch for me, and I would rate it a solid 10/10.

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This show is largely misconcieved

In Faiz, there are random plot points at the end of a lot of episodes, or "plot convienience" for people surviving, but people don't realize how Inoue intentionally wrote it this way. Inoue doesn't care about details that the characters don't care about, and he doesn't care how characters get the powers, he cares more about the interactions between characters, and how he writes his characters. I gave Kabuto the same star rating even though Faiz's story is general weaker, but the characters are just as strong if not even stronger.

With that cleared up, the characters are masterfully crafted. The main character, Takumi, is easily a top 3 protag in Kamen Rider. He's specifically made so that Inoue can break down his character over the course of the series and convey messages behind using him as an example. Yuuji is such a beautifully done character, and my favorite in the whole Kamen Rider series because of how much he feels and evolves/devolves over the course of the show. He's the most *human* character in a lot of ways, it seems like he could've been anyone in the real world, which many shows fail to do.

I'm not going to say much about Kusaka because it's all spoilers, but his character is less about him, and improving further on how characters interact with each other, and bring more evolution and understanding. Also, compared to the novel, he isn't absolutely trash in this show.

The final belt is... there... ig. I think it's interesting though about the power dynamics of it.

The villains are actually pretty well done. I like when villains are almost like a mirror of the main cast in some way. Even they are often confused most of the time.

With that all being conveyed, the messages in this show are some of the most powerful I've seen in fictional media, and how it handles them. There is a lot of melodrama, and certainly a lot of low hope points,, but it's all the worthwhile. This show is a blast to watch, especially when you're going through something, or can relate to the characters. Highly recommend.

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The Light Shop for Lost Souls/ Finding One's Light

The thriller-suspense of the first half hooked me that I thought I was in for a mystery crime story. I was left with several questions and it increased my curiosity of the plot. I like how they started the story to how they slowly revealed the minor to major details and the connection of the characters. The individual sad stories are the usual scenarios irl but the addition of the accident and the aftermath plus regrets and guilt created a melancholic atmosphere. Accidents leave scars that will take longer to heal but no one ever wanted accidents to happen nor be in or be the cause of accidents and lose your loved ones and watch others lose their loved ones
I love the concept of the story plus the acting is convincingly brilliant; it brought me to tears as the characters reunited with their dead loved ones in that other world and it was hard to accept the reality of not seeing them again when they regain consciousness (be in the real world) and accepting that they had to move on and continue living
I was very touched with the barking dog/rescue dog story and the back story of the light shop keeper/guardian of the afterlife and my guess for her daughter is correct. The mute woman and her lover was an interesting twist. What happened to the woman should leave the man's parents, in particular, his mother a memorable lesson. I was mad at her impulsiveness and insensitivity which led to the mute woman's unfortunate ending.
Ligh Shop is an inspiring and moving story.

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A So-So drama

Before I start my review I absolutely recommend people to watch the drama because though there were a good amount of flaws it was also and amazing one of a kind drama.

So getting to the review honestly, I enjoyed the drama, but wow—every single character here is a hypocrite. Let’s take the final segment as an example: the FL’s “little sister” gets beaten to death by her lover. Was it cruel? Yes. But was it also the right thing to do? Kind of, yes. because this same “little sister” poisoned the previous king for two years, leading to his death in a much more painful way than being beaten. Then, in her final letter, she has the audacity to claim she has “no regrets” because it was all in the name of love. And yet, the FL calls the ML “too cruel” for it. Like, girl—if he hadn’t done that, and instead exposed the “little sister’s” crime, she would have had to take responsibility, and both of you would have been dragged down with her. This is just one example of the hypocrisy that drove me nuts. The FL herself was another frustrating character. She’s way too trusting! The 8th prince abandoned her, but as soon as she’s recovered and in a good position, she asks him if he wants to run away with her again. Excuse me, what? Let’s not forget this is the same 8th prince who orchestrated the genocide of the 10th prince and his entire family, and yet the FL has the nerve to beg for his life.
By the end, I also found myself feeling bad for the ML. I didn’t like him much throughout the drama—he made plenty of terrible decisions—but by the end, he was left completely alone. He had no one to rely on or open up to. All his brothers were either dead or gone, his lover abandoned him and he abandoned his lover, and even his mentor-like figure left him. All he had left was the position of the king
Despite all this, I absolutely loved the drama overall. The character relationships, the intricate political scheming, the music, and, most of all, the ending were all phenomenal. For me, the ending is often the defining factor for a drama—it can either redeem or ruin it. Here, the ending was beautifully written and truly saved the story I felt they managed to give a very satisfying ending to all the characters.

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An Entertaining Watch Indeed, Ending Not So Much!!

There are very few dramas that manage to grab my attention and then aggravate me, this was one of those shows!

The likelihood of this adaptation being fully developed as per the original context in the novel Soul Land written by Tang Jia San Shao was zero. One of the most popular Chinese novels, this storyline has inspired a manhua, game, anime and two live-action adaptations. Given the popularity, it’s obvious that this story will be adapted and remade umpteen number of times. First as “Doulou Continent” and with the recently concluded “The Land of Warriors”; a fair attempt was made to fully incorporate the twists & turns that make up the Soul Land universe. It was a commendable effort, the show was immersive, casting was exemplified. But the ending not so much; as with the prequel, the sequel ended on an unexpected note, and we were left hanging about the future prospects of any new adaptations. The other question that piques your attention is whether the same ensemble casting will return to reprise their characters? Or there will be another brand-new casting involved? I hope not because it can be pretty confusing to get along with a new casting everytime, an adaptation or remake is announced!

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2024/12/22/the-land-of-warriors-series-review/

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condensed story meets bland and chemistry free MLs

This is one of the disappointing JBLs in 2024.

What was the most lacking is the chemistry between the couples and that for me "Kai" does not work as a freshman. "Kai" looks much too old for his role. Besides that, they only had the "bad stuff" culminating at the same time compared to original and they do bike races instead of cars. Other than that, they cut out a lot of fluff and some persons like the silblings of "Fuma".

The chemistry is so lacking they can't convince anybody about their feelings. "Fuma" beating up the "bad guys" alone was also unbelievable, they cut the friendship part between Arashi and Fuma in such an important scene. Also in the original series the organizers had a much bigger role which made the setting much more believable. So they cut too much and they did not invest in any fluff between the couples. Cutting out the scene where "Fuma" calls his mom to ask about how to take care of a sick person is also crucial to the story.

Overall the worst JBLs in 2024, with no creativity or spin on the original story, lacking chemistry , no fluff at all and feeling very sterile. So if you haven't seen it, forgo it and watch the "original" which has more punch to the story, is believable and doesn't miss the fluff of a BL which you would expect in such story.

Update: Ep 9 and 10 are "special" episodes. If you think it will get better, you are wrong, it went worse. Don't waste your time with it.

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It was more fast paced compared to the original

After watching the eighth episode today, I told myself that it felt like the finale, but I swore that this series was 10 episodes. Lo and behold, it WAS the finale, so I got a little confused there. But in reality, what else could they have done after compressing so much in the eighth episode?

I have stated numerous times that the relationship that I have with MAME series is a love/hate one. This is her first work that was given a Japanese makeover. And what can I say? In all honesty, if I hadn't watched the Thai original, I know that I would have given this a higher score compared to what I did give it. Unfortunately, I did, and I can't believe that I am saying this—some parts from the original were way better done/handled compared to the remake.

The characters, Payu and Rain's Japanese counterparts (Arashi and Rei), felt the same to me, so the actors actually did a stellar job in their roles. Prapai's Japanese counterpart, Fuma, really did not live up to the standards of the character to me until literally the last episode. I was iffy about his character even before I watched this series, and he just proved my point—he was just missing something that did not make me get behind his character. I always thought that Sky's character (and actor) did a phenomenal job and that no one would be able to do what he did. I was proven wrong with this, as the actor who played Kai (Sky's counterpart) somehow rose to the occasion and gave an outstanding performance and made Kai's role his. For the evil villains in this series, I must say that Kai's ex-boyfriend was more hateable in this adaptation (he was hateable in the Thai one, but in this one, I just hated him more).

As stated, we got eight twenty-six episodes that were compressed from thirteen forty-five-minute episodes. While it felt that they took out some parts that could be seen as unnecessary, this Japanese remake still felt compressed, and the storyline was moving at a rapid pace. What I did like from this one was how they showed what was happening with the two relationships from episode five and not just focusing on one relationship, because I was originally annoyed with the Thai original one where I had to wait until episode eight for them.

For all of the mentioned reasons, I have to give this series a 7.5, as the original Thai series did have some aspects that just made it a *tiny* bit better compared to its Japanese remake.

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This drama needs more hype!

Finally, I found another hidden gem; this show deserves a 5-star rating!
 
I love how they focus the main characters on solving the mystery thriller that they need to fix instead of focusing on the romance of the two main leads. They keep the suspense of the mystery up until the last episodes. And I'm telling you that every character and every scene will make you feel thrilled! Worth recommending and definitely to watch. Although personally the ending of knowing who is the murderer can do better, it's not an ugly ending. All the actors and actresses did a good job—a 10/10 drama.

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Por que este dorama vai mexer com suas emoções

Embora não tenha sido o primeiro dorama que assisti, Jardim de Meteoros ocupa um lugar especial no meu coração. Foi ele que abriu as portas para o universo dos dramas asiáticos, me fazendo mergulhar de vez na ‘dramaland’. Talvez pela nostalgia de ter assistido quando era mais nova, ou pelo impacto que a história causou na época, esse dorama continua sendo um dos meus favoritos.

“Jardim de Meteoros” é um dorama chinês cheio de romance, drama e treta. A história gira em torno da Shancai, uma garota humilde que vai parar numa universidade de elite e acaba cruzando com o F4, um grupo de garotos ricos e poderosos. Entre conflitos, paixões e reviravoltas, o dorama traz muito sobre amizade, diferenças sociais e amadurecimento.

O que mais gostei desse dorama foi o amadurecimento do protagonista, Dao Ming Si, no início, você pode se decepcionar com ele e até mesmo pensar em desistir do dorama, graças a ótima atuação do ator, embora no início ele

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If you’re into Chinese dramas with a big dollop of romance, a sprinkle of mystery, "Guess Who I Am" is your next worthy choice.

I have been in a drama slump... just dropped about 8 of them including those which have been hyped a lot as hits. Nothing has been working for me so this was a truly pleasant surprise. The story is full of cliches and all the usual tropes but well executed. The wardrobe is a stand out. Beautiful OST and some surprising changes to the tropes as well - no misunderstandings - they are nipped in the bud really fast as they emerge which is great.

The dialogues are really good - particularly the subtle sensual ones - 'Are you offering yourself to me ? says the ML to the FL with sweet/smouldering look.... wowza!

The story kicks off with a wild case of mistaken identity and just keeps piling on the twists and turns. The male lead’s got secrets, and somehow, in the middle of all the chaos, he starts falling for the female lead who honestly is CHAOS personified.

Let’s talk about the male lead because, honestly, he owns this show- smooth, intense, brooding, and occasionally so vulnerable you’ll want to jump into the screen and give him a hug. His side-smile game? On point. The female character is strong, fun, a bit crazy and really liberated in the nicest way.

Don’t even get me started on his chemistry with the female lead—it’s electric, but not in that cheesy, over-the-top way.

Beyond all the drama and mystery, the show is about trust, figuring out who you really are and realising you don’t have to be perfect to deserve love. Oh, and there’s a healthy dose of “Will they? Won’t they?” to keep you emotionally invested.

"Guess Who I Am" is like a bag of chips—you tell yourself you’ll just watch one episode, and next thing you know, it’s 2 AM, and you’re debating calling in sick to finish it. The lead’s acting is what makes it truly special.

Rating: 4.5/5 – Watch it for the mystery, stay for the male lead’s smoldering sweet gazes and acting and the great chemistry. The romance of the other two couples is quite adorable as well.

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Watch this one if you want to feel empowered!!!

A thrilling beginning with a grand finale. I watch many C-dramas, and this one gets my vote for best in 2024. It’s a very cinematic piece about love and choices encompassed by a beautiful soundtrack. There is just the right amount of heartbreak to arouse the emotions and shed a few tears without killing the entire story. It left me feeling empowered to advance in my goals and meet challenges head on.

My only real negative point is that it gets a little slow in the middle but if those episodes didn’t exist, then the plot would be riddled with holes. I do feel it could have been condensed or rearranged because like most typical Chinese dramas the spectator is confronted with separate problem arcs that our leads must conquer to advance. Many are interesting but a couple had me saying “what now” or “gah, not this again”. With that being said it’s 100% worth pushing through without skipping because the payoff is worth it.

I hate this cliché I’m about to say, but I must admit, the chemistry was epic between our leads. The supporting roles were also so well developed they could also be considered leads. The majority of the characters left me with a feeling as if they were actual people/families I know and can still visit in real life.

The series is tagged “revenge” plot but “justice” would be more suitable for those who have watched and payed attention to the message. Netflix doesn’t have the extra 5 min episode 40.5 so I had to find it elsewhere online. But the story is still complete without the extra bit and it doesn’t have an open ending.

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