Reviews

Out Of The Chrysalis ➰️ Into Self Awareness ➰️ An Art School Fable About Taking Wing VG 7.6

Right from the start I'm thinking:
"Yo! Oh NO! Women and girls don't need to be watching this!"

This story follows the lives of art students, particularly Nabi's group of friends. Though the focus is on their love lives, the stresses of classes, projects, competitions, and future plans factor heavily in the story. The protagonist is Yu Nabi, a beautiful and talented but resigned, student.

The show starts with her painful break-up. She is then quickly seduced by the powerfully sexual Park Jae-eon (Song Kang from Sweet Home-8.5 & Navillera), who is a notorious womanizer. They couldn't be more different, except for the "road closure" signs on the way to their hearts. She starts a physical relationship with him but continually doubts him. He never asked for more anyway. This type of dude is not good in real life. Users like this tend to be on the sociopathic scale. Naive girls will think the can change him, that they'll succeed where other women have failed. It won't work, girls. You will get your heart shredded.

"It's making me so uncomfortable," was my thought, from EP 2 through midway when there was a plot shift. At the same time, I was also thinking that the director & actors handled the seduction scenes well. They are as steamy as the kitchen in a noodle restaurant. Nabi moves on to other guys. She has no shortage of admirers herself. These relationships may make her more at ease, but there are clearly no sparks, such as the ones Jae-eon ejects when he's performing his craft.

My method is: No reviews without watching the entire show, intolerable pain being the exception. If I had broken it off with Nevertheless in the early episodes, which I was not enjoying, I would've had a much different opinion than I now do after watching every frame. A solid 25% (it seems) of the early episodes consists of Nabi staring with an emptiness that showcases how a hammer shattered her fragile shell. Her emotional core is pulverized. She's struggling with school. Nothing is going right. She's shut down.

Nabi brightens up in the very last scene, when she settles on the next step in the direction of her future. She smiles radiantly, her voice lifts an octave or so, her words suddenly flow with ease: She's confident. There was so much transformation in that last smiling sentence that it was breathtaking.

The director, Kim Ga Ram (Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency -7.4), created her own piece of art in this series. This is Kim Ga-ram's third effort. All three are rated solidly with an increase in the IMDB rating for each one. We should be looking forward to more excellent offerings from Ms Kim. Screenwriter, Jung Won, is just getting started.

Not only was Nabi's transformation handled aptly, but there are many scenes that are excellent, with imagery and metaphors noticeable in the first watch. (Another go-through would only reveal more.) In Ep9, for example, Do-hyeuk gives Nabi an umbrella. He told her it will rain. He has an extra umbrella. Cut to Jae-eon who looks out at the deluge, umbrellaless. Do-hyeuk was prepared for heartache. He had braced himself. He was ready for rain. Heartache snuck up on Jae-eon. He never saw it coming. Several others in the extended group, who had been longstanding friends, also pair up. Their romances were all done well.

Adorned with a butterfly tattoo on the back of his neck, Jae-eon claims it means: The ugliness & pain of happiness & a lack of freedom. While Jae-eon has looks, money, talent, and popularity, which are all things that people believe will make them happy, he's not happy. He's lived free with many women, which left him not free to pursue a meaningful relationship. It's obvious that Jae-eon's dingy apartment -it's almost grayscale- is emblematic of his closed off heart. "Nabi" means butterfly. Nabi emerges from her chrysalis at the end of the show. That emergence had nothing to do with a man. The criticism of Nevertheless promoting toxic relationships is not fair. Nabi's confidence, in the end, was from, by, and through HER, not anyone else. This show is a cocoon that yields it's beauty right on time.

The sculpture on which Nabi labours for the entire semester appears lackluster, just as Nabi does. She takes a step toward joining society by finally taking on assistants. The reveal for finished works will be the end of semester art show. What's on display is Nabi herself. Nabi's piece has taken up wings to fly. The process and the show are the stages of a butterfly. The matured Nabi powers through her entrapments in full stained glass splendor. She might as well fuse with her sun-catcher and bracelet.

This is a well-crafted show. I would give it a rating of around 7.6, but it doesn't rise to the level of a solid 8. The director will likely be there with her next effort. Nevertheless, this series is well worth watching. It's not like the 3' deep cutesy romances. The director has crafted something more complex. In fact, I would classify this as a drama about self-awareness and self-liberation first, and a romance second.


QUOTE📢

Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne~


〰🖍 IMHO

🎬8 🤔6 🎭8 💓6 🦋8 ⚡1

Age 15+

In order of ~lite&trite~ to ~heavy&serious~ you may also like:

Modern Day:
A Witch's Love 7.8;
Love to Hate You 8.9;
Oh My Ghost 10;
Our Blues 8.7 - ensemble piece;
It's Okay Not To Be Okay 9;
Love Struck in the City 7.3;
Hospital Playlist 9;
My Mister 9.5;
I'll See You When the Weather is Fine 9;


Action/Sci-fi/fantasy:
Signal 8.6;
The Cursed 8.3;
Flower of Evil 8.9;
The Man from Nowhere 8.9;
Black 9;
Squid Game 8.4;


Romance junkies only:
My Secret Romance 7 (if you ff thru overdone flashbacks);
Boys Over Flowers 8 ~ melodrama to the max;
The Bride of Habaek 7;
Heirs 7.3;
That Winter, The Wind Blows7
Something in the Rain 9

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JUST A SCI- FI THRILLER KINDA DRAMA !

At first, I started watching this for just some time. I guess it was worth my time. This drama had a different storyline from other cliche dramas. It started off with a good storyline. As a sci-fi drama, I can say it was good, but it could be much better. I didn't like the ending. There wasn't that much romance, but they added it still a bit. I liked the ML there. I saw him for the first time here in this drama; his acting was good. Park Shin Hye acted good too. loved to see her in a quircky character other than an obedient, crying poor girl. I enjoyed every story though; those cases were amusing to watch. If you love thrillers and sci-fi, you guys can give it a go.

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As I love the group that debuted thanks to &Audition, I had to rewatch it again this year <3

This survival show released on YouTube in 2022 has for objective to launch the first Japanese Boy group of HYBE Labels Japan. It can be seen as a Japanese sequel of the South Korean survival show "I-Land" (which aired in 2020 with Enhypen being the resulting debut boy group at the time). Indeed, the competition includes 4 former participants from the prequel who did not debut at the time and who are now participating in the program as part of the debut group. During "&Audition - The Howling", those 4 members already part of the debut group will be working in team with 11 other trainees. Some of the trainees will be able to debut with the 4 members as part of the new group.

Casting-wise, I was super happy to find back the 4 former participants from "I-Land". I absolutely adored one of them and I grow to love a lot the 3 others. It was also particularly satisfying to know that those 4 will be debuting in any case and that the objective of the program was more to complete the group with additional trainees than to make those guys suffer once again. The program leaves the room open for the group to not debut at all if the team formed is not strong enough (at the appreciation of the producers). But honestly, this threat does not seem very credible and the level of angst is low regarding the future of those 4 participants, which I appreciated.

Regarding the 11 trainees, their future is much more uncertain as the number of members being part of the group is not known at first and it seems unlikely that they can all debut with the already selected 4 members. I found them overall quite likeable, I had some favorites such as Yuma, Harua, Gaku and Hikaru while some others did not leave a very strong lasting first impression on me. It is mainly due to the fact that the episodes are quite short overall, with the focus being on performances and teamwork but not necessarily in highlighting individuals talent and characters. There are very few storylines and the drama is kept at a minimal level with no fight between the participants.

Regarding the missions itself, I don't have necessarily performances that I would want to rewatch a lot (maximum a couple of those) but I enjoyed them as well as the original songs and covers they did (most being HYBE songs of course). I also liked the few cameos we had from other HYBE groups members. Some appearances felt a bit forced and artificial, but I appreciated it in any case. The Japanese judges were also part of the team training the candidates and if at first they felt a bit cold to me, by the end it was obvious how much they liked and cared for the boys, which was really touching.

I would recommend this to people that enjoy survival show with relatively lower stake and drama. There is still candidates eliminated as well as difficult to understand voting rules. But overall, no real evil edit and if you liked in "I-Land" some of the cast members, it is very pleasant to find them back here. Obviously, if you are a fan of the group that has debuted from &Audition, this survival show is a must watch to see how the group was created and witness their first interactions and performances together.

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A beautiful story…

I loved this drama! It was so beautifully written and did an amazing job at delving into the relationships of a man who lost his hearing in adulthood. It had a great takeaway that everyone processes change differently. I’d highly recommend a watch.

The Good

The acting was done wonderfully from all of the cast, especially since it focuses on the hearing impaired with cast members who aren’t hearing impaired. The story was well written and I appreciated the details the director included like the sound cuts that gave us a take on the sudden silence that comes with losing one’s hearing. I also loved the portrayal of the different relationships and connections surrounding the change in the main ML. With a shorter amount of episodes at a standard runtime, this was definitely a slow burn but executed very well. This drama gave us a real take on relationships without the cliche or forced romance. Really loved the OST.

The Bad

Though not really a bad thing, this was less of a romance and more of a melodrama as there were no kissing scenes. It didn’t really bother me but some may not appreciate it. The only other bad thing was sometimes the flashbacks were sudden and took a minute to realize it was a flashback as there were no real distinctive markers from present to past scenes.

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A must watch minidrama!

It hasn't been long since I started watching cdramas. Considering that, I also haven't watched that many minidramas, just a few. But even from that and the countless reviews I've seen on several other minidramas, I can say that there are very selective ones that are actually good.

And I assure you, this is definitely one of them. Despite the limited frame of time, production and budget compared to long dramas, it fulfilled its job of engaging the viewer. I'm very impressed by the main cast (four characters). Even the side characters like the military advisor, the maid and the child were really good in their roles. This minidrama has the right blend of story, little bit of humour here and there, healthy & greenflag romance of leads and well developed characters within limited time. It also had good direction I must say. As a person with zero friends and social life who is obsessed with dramas, movies and takes them seriously, I don't watch just anything.

So yeah, this is a must watch minidrama!

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Amazing, fast paced law-crime drama

I am writing this review after a rewatch and let me tell you this show had everything, a pretty solid storyline, amazing action, fast pacing, found family, romance, comedy, great characters, amazing acting and chemistry.
Sure, there were certain things that could've been developed more, the ending could've been better, but in hindsight the ending was okay considering law/crime shows tend to end pretty horribly. The story wasn't anything out of the ordinary but it was still very gripping, kept me hooked. I believe a show is as good as the acting and the script even though the storyline has been done before and to be frank, if you have been watching dramas for a while, this is the outline of almost every law/crime show out there and that's why we watch it✨
There were times when the pacing threw me off a little but overall it's a pretty solid show!
So keep an open mind and dive into the world of lawless lawyer 😉

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"Deep Lurk: A Flawed Yet Watchable Republican Drama"

"Deep Lurk" is a drama that, while not perfect, offers an intriguing viewing experience. Compared to other Republican dramas like "War of Faith," it operates on an average budget, neither extravagant nor poor.
Plot and Pacing
The story suffers from pacing issues, with characters often gaining information too quickly, reducing suspense. This rapid plot progression sometimes undermines the drama's potential for sustained tension.
Technical Aspects
Editing and Music
The editing can be jarring at times, with abrupt cuts and seemingly random soundtrack insertions. The lack of original songs (only 1 or 2 throughout the drama) might be attributed to budget constraints.
Acting
The acting is generally decent, though it could be improved. The male lead's (ML) performance, while competent, sometimes comes across as bland due to limited emotional range, possibly stemming from the script's shortcomings.
Character Development
Female Lead (FL)
The female lead's character is adequate but lacks significant development throughout the series.
ML's Brother
Initially an intriguing character, the ML's brother's arc disappoints as he devolves into an emotional, immature persona that seems inconsistent with his supposed professional spy background.
Romance
The romantic elements, while not the main focus, are present but underwhelming. The relationship between the ML and FL lacks depth and chemistry. Their interactions are limited to hand-holding and brief hugs, with no kissing scenes. The confession feels abrupt due to the lack of build-up in their relationship.
Ending
The ending, while not entirely unsatisfactory, feels rushed and incomplete. It resolves the main conflict but fails to provide closure for the characters' personal stories. Questions about the ML's ideological stance, the FL's future, and the fate of the ML's brother are left unanswered.
Positive Aspects
Despite its flaws, "Deep Lurk" remains watchable. It features good action sequences, especially considering its budget constraints, and presents numerous life-or-death situations that add excitement. The male lead's charisma and handsomeness significantly contribute to the drama's appeal, arguably carrying the show despite some acting limitations.
In conclusion, while "Deep Lurk" has notable shortcomings in areas such as character development, romance, and plot resolution, it still offers an engaging viewing experience, particularly for fans of the genre or those drawn to the male lead's performance.

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Not the best time travel romance drama, but enjoyable

This drama was going so well throughout. But time travel dramas either have a really good ending (rarely) or they f**k up the ending by essentially erasing the whole story. This drama falls into the second category despite the fact that up until episode 9 I didn't think it needed to have this type of ending.

The plot of this drama was really good, I loved the ML, SML and FL. Despite the love triangle, it wasn't really a love triangle. Min Ju will probably be considered the SFL, she was okay, I just hated what she made In Gyu go through, the guilt he must have felt to take the blame for her death despite having nothing to do with it. She treated him like shit until the FL saved her and then erased herself from the past. I wish we got to see more of In Gyu and Min Ju together, especially in the future. I assume they are still together because when Si Heon runs into Jun Hee in the future (2011, so 13 years later), he mistakes her for Min Ju. I wish we got to see all 4 of them together and I wish the main leads somehow remembered the past.

This is entirely drama was essentially a time loop, up until about the last 20 min of the last episode where somehow it was changed. I just hate it when time travel dramas rush the ending. I feel like the last half an hour of this drama should have head it's own episode, if not 2 episodes. Going from 1998 (where it started) to 2011 (where it ended) and then skipping to 2023 just to show how the timeline has changed. I love that the main leads met in 2011 instead of 2023.

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Impressive, entertaining and engaging!!

Lu Lingfeng, general of imperial guards,who is known to be arrogant and reckless crosses paths with Su Wuming,a disciple of Di Renjie,while dealing with a string of cases in Chang'an,the capital city of Tang empire.They are joined afterwards by Pei Xijun,a talented painter,Chicken Fed,a good physician,Xue Huan,disciple of Lu Lingfeng,and then Yingtao ,a swordswoman.How the team solve cases that stumble their way as they move on from one place to another forms the main crux of the plot.
I liked the way how the team solve cases with detailed analysis into each and every clue,with cute and sweet interactions between them.I especially enjoyed the rapport between Lu Lingfeng and Su Wuming.The team thereafter develop an emotional relationship with each other.All the characters are well written.
The pace is very good with almost no boring moments and the twists in the cases are perfectly solved.
Overall it is a very good investigative kingdom drama with a perfect teamwork interlaced with emotions and logical analysis.A highly recommended drama!!

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Not even little bit of effort to change the trope

Romantic Kdramas more often than not are about childhood love story. It's been done hundreds of times and will be done hundreds of times again. What makes the different is acting and even tiny bit of deviation. Unfortunately, this has neither. It just rode kdrama wave. Both leads wanted to look perfect which they went overboard with. I many times had trouble believing they were same actors. From first sight of leads all I could remember was Glutathione. Hope they do better dramas in future. I would have loved to be able to bare and watch more episodes but just couldn't.

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Light shop

It seems that I will end 2024 with this drama (probably) but what a good year, ending with this one is really good, the same way it began - Death's game - and as far as this two are different I see some similar aspects, maybe just both were amazing, with great cast, story and acting.
If there is Park Bo Young I will for sure watch it sooner or later.
Light shop supposed to be a horror drama, there are some scary moments or rather the way of portraing them make them scary, for sure it is darker type of drama but still there are more sad moments than scary. Story of mother - daughter & father - daughter was for me the saddest and made me cry.
I feel like this drama is really one of the must have to watch - especially if you loved Moving (maybe finally I will watch it too).

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Rewatchable

KDramas are great but (for me at least) most of them are not rewatchable. This one is.
Kim Dong Wook shines. He doesn't stray from character.
I would have liked this without personal story of Kim Dong Wook intermingled but you can't have just one season without personal story.
Teamwork pictured is very believable AND enjoyable.
Setting of police station, where it is located, becomes a character to some extent. I liked that.
They had to rush it in the end which was pity.
Overall very enjoyable (with tiny nuggets of information which I appreciated).

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there is so many touching moments and it makes me cry

it may not the best romantic series, but bc so many misunderstandings between leads, but it's really good that they back together in their crucial moments, especially when the ML lost all of his family except lil sis and his wife.

It's more realistic bc although ML is possessive to FL, he managed to be a great commander for his soldiers. The friendship between ML and his friends was so great as well, they support each other till the end. the ML sacrificed everything for his homeland even thought he must be separated from his beloved ones and his beloved one stay strong and faithfully waiting for him

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