Serendipity_Angel
In terms of the story, it is nothing like I had seen before. It revolves around switching bodies where the personalities and minds remains the same. However, even though it is a plot that was used many times already in media, Switched is one of those stories which will certainly grip you and keep you glued to the screen the whole time, anticipating what would happen next and wondering whether they're actually going to solve the problem in the end. I like the fact that there is a whole back story in terms of Switching and that it is a global supernatural phenomenon that had affected quite a lot of people which goes to show that the world is not as black and white as it seems but rather corrupted because people have these desires such as desiring a life much different than their own. The creators and author used this occurring device and twisted it into their own way to make a suspenseful and mysterious storyline.
However, what I can say though is that I felt like the last episode was particularly rushed. Because the series only had 6 episodes, I felt like a lot of the things that happened were all squashed to fit in one single episode. This includes the solving of the conflict and the aftermath of the events. It gave me the impression that the whole conflict was in a rush to be solved before the end of the episode which I thought had the potential to be extended and explored if we had more episodes. Needless to say, I'm not particularly complaining since it is not the first time that Dramas had executed rushed and less fluidity as opposed to the rest of its episodes, but overall, I was glad that Switched had graced us with the ending I'm sure we wanted to happen and I'm really happy for that. Not to mention, I was a bit sad that it only has 6 episodes and that it is too short to my liking; we need more of these wonderful goodness ;; However, if it did get extended and it had more episodes, I would have liked to see more exploration about the Red Moon, the history behind the Switching and also the psychological effects of people who had experienced it especially Ayumi and Umine's situation.
Furthermore, I don't know about you guys but the acting was remarkable to me. It was simply fantastic. The feelings that were expressed did resonate to me as an audience and man did it impacted me quite a lot. I wouldn't have cried a few times whilst watching the series if it weren't for the powerful acting that was demonstrated consistently throughout the show. Each of the four teenagers made an impact to me in their way and man, can I say I love Kaga to death - he is such a pure angel <3 Umine had shown an outstanding performance presenting someone who had lived a horrible life and was corrupted and driven by hate and greed, someone who was unwanted in the society and was treated nothing worse than scum but then realised how to be a strong person and to tackle her problems with a positive attitude. As for Ayumi, she was someone who emphasised and sympathised with Umine after being switched to her body and developed to this caring and aware person as opposed to her naivety before. And Koushirou...he's just a whole enigma lol. You just won't expect what he would do next; quite a good manipulator as well.
Anyway, moving on, I wouldn't have enjoyed the whole series experience without the amazing soundtrack like honestly, it's wonderful to listen to. I've always been a music person so the Ost affects my viewing experience as a whole when watching a show, so when watching Switched, it just added more of the depth and atmosphere that is needed to support the acting and it made it more enjoyable to me. This reminded me of Devilman Crybaby's soundtrack actually because it pulls at your heartstrings yet some are upbeat and pleasurable to the ears. Switched has one of the soundtracks that I would listen to in a playlist and download.
To conclude, I really enjoyed watching the series. I love the themes that was explored because I feel like it is something that has the importance to be addressed especially in a society like ours. The way it was portrayed was just enthralling to the point that I was even in tears. So yes definitely would rewatch it again at some point in the future because I haven't really watched a series with that kind of approach in a while and the fact that it is quite different to the other usual Dramas out there. I may be exaggerating in some areas lolol but it just goes to show how much I've grown to be attached to it because it is something I relate to in many levels. Plus the soundtrack is worth listening to as well.
I may have loved it but it may not always be the same case for everyone but all I can say is that it is definitely worth the watch. Totally recommending it if you are looking for a series that has mature, supernatural and psychological themes :D
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This review may contain spoilers
I am so glad that I decided to watch this amazing series because oml did it become one of my favourites already. Firstly, can I just say that this is probably one of the only series I've seen where the Main Lead didn't end up with the Main Love Interest, which is in this case, Love's Love for Veir, which was pretty much emphasised since the beginning - this fact was the drive for the plot to progress on. From my experiences, I honestly suffered from so many Second Lead Syndrome lol that's why I hate love triangles with passion because they mess me up smdmmdmdkdk. Because of this, I was terrified for Tangmo because he will most likely be hurt at some point (which was true but it was worth it) - doesn't help that I love Tangmo since the first time I've seen him so I was full on shipping TangmoxLove haha. Thats why, I was so happy to see that ending; I was genuinely over the moon, never could have asked for a much better one. Not only did those turn of events made it realistic and interesting, I was also quite intrigued by Veir's character. He is interesting and quite complex but that was what made him such a significant pillar in the story. It shows something different that the audience (and the cast) wouldn't expect because we see him as this perfect cool guy in the beginning, so to see him unveil his flaws and inner turmoil as we progress on was honestly interesting to see. We knew that he is also human and that we all make mistakes because we are blinded but if we come to terms with it and accept it, we can make a change and move on - that was what made his character shine and that makes him so relatable to many people. He was kinda the anti-hero of the story, but that adds layer and depth to who he is, especially when he's beside characters like Tangmo who is explosive and just overly a good guy, a direct contrast to who Veir is but that adds to his appeal in general and I like it.
Another point I would like to say is that I am in love with Tangmo and Love's interactions. Idk, for me it just feel so natural and realistic how they got along as oppose to Love trying so hard to chase Veir that it just felt forced; it just doesn't sit right with me if they are endgame. Tangmo and Love's relationship was gradual, exactly like how I want it - they didn't need some embarrassing BL scenes or those casual cliche touches or smh, it just flowed with the way they interacted and clicked with those scenes they had together. Plus, Tangmo is such a bf material that I was so ready to flip if he doesn't end up with Love snsnnsns. I love the pairing <33 Adding on from that, I like how the romance wasn't all the focus of the series at all. I love how it tackled family disputes, conquering our fears, heartbreak, greed, and so many more. It did so much more than portray romance, it was encompassed of familial love with families, love between siblings, love between seniors/juniors, bond between classmates and teachers. Characters from the story had their own story and focus to share that made the experience more interesting and exciting as opposed to it just being about the main lead all the time. The series had a clear message to the audience that would surely be effective and impactful so I hope that all of us can take something from it to real life which I am certain it will.
Furthermore, can I also add that I was absolutely enamoured about the fantasy part of this series. I like how fantasy was incorporated to a modern setting, creating quite a rather mesmerising combination. It also has a bit of sci-fi horror that made the series, ridiculous at times, but also entertaining as shit. It's quite a breath of fresh air from the usual normal school setting we see and man did I fall in love with that concept. It was honestly so cool how they included VR and also played with interesting magical ideas - I live for it.
However, despite all those points, I wanted to point out though that because GMA only has 8 episodes, it made some of the content rushed and sometimes fall flat. For example Nuclear's mini story. It was honestly a great execution and the intentions were evident but sometimes, I am not sure whether it had any significance compared to the others. It could have been erased, and be replaced with something more relevant that would benefit the series more, but I'm not really all the fussed about it because I love Nuclear. Tbh, there is not a single character I don't like in here I swear lolol. Not only that, Sean/Rose was also a great character but I just wished they had more screentime to delve into their character more. For me, their ending didn't feel secure but I guess I liked how it was mysterious because Sean was just this suspicious person that looks like he has a lot to hide since the beginning. I liked how Rose wasn't some kind of villain that people would have expected to be, but instead she just had the best intentions and never meant harm for Love even though it is clear the Vier favours the latter. She was never malicious to Love and even wanted to help him(her).
Also, because of it being 8 episodes, as I said some things felt rushed, especially the ending. Then again, GMA is not really guilty of this since series that doesn't have many episodes suffer from the same thing sometimes so I'm not really bothered. It just felt like everything is in a hurry to patch up some conflict between the characters which was great, but some of it could have been handled better if not for the lack of time to get a very satisfying ending. But either way I'm not complaining, because it WAS the best ending I could have asked for from this series that I could see it coming from a million miles away so I'm very happy. In the end, it is such a great rollercoaster and I'm so glad that I decided to watch it, so thank you for my friend who recommended it to me lol :D
Before I conclude, I love the OST like bisssh. I am bound to search the soundtrack up at some point because it is amazing and it made the viewing experience all the more enjoyable for me snsnnsms. Not to mention, I commend the cast for an amazing performance, true some scenes felt a bit off and dull, however I have to say I love James (male Love) he has shown once again that he is a talented actor. It is not easy to act his character at all, and for me, it hit the nail in the head - he did it impeccably dndndnj. I've already seen his wonderful acting in Project S and this case was no different, he did amazing as always x. Not to mention, because of this, I've discovered some amazing actors as well so no doubt 100% looking forward for more series from these lovelies especially since they are mostly members of 9x9. So yea gotta say, I've fallen in love with Jaylerr (Tangmo) and Ice (Veir) and pretty much everyone in the squad.
So in conclusion, I've enjoyed this series to the point that it already became one of my favourites. I'm glad that I decided to watch it because oh man, it gives me life. I would definitely rewatch again at some point in the future if I have the time, guaranteed. ~
And finally, I would like to say thank you so much for the people who worked hard to give us international fans subbed episodes. Love ya! We wouldn't have an been able to watch it to it's full potential if not for you guys~
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What I like about this series was that it showcases multiple couples each with their own unique storyline. If it weren't like this and the each of the couples have their own separate Dramas, showcasing the same storyline as it was in the series, I imagine it would certainly be just as good. (Besides, I quite like a Drama that only centres around Pete and Kao's relationship lol, why not).
Since the series focuses mainly on 4 different couples, it is quite difficult to fit them all in a short amount of only 14 episodes. Because of that, sometimes I felt like the story doesn't flow as I would have liked because each episode goes to one couple and then the next second, goes to a different one, but this time with a completely different scenario and storyline. Since the series only has 14 episodes, I do feel like it was rushed especially on the last few episodes as if they are rushing it so that that couples would resolve their conflicts and have a happy ending before the series ends. As oppose to the sequel Kiss the Series, it had a lot more of a development since it only had 2 couples and more episodes as well. I would have liked if they explored the couples a bit more but because of the limited time and screentime, wasn't able to portray that enough. However despite that, in terms of the story, I do think it is nothing special. I do like that each of the couples are connected in a way though - I found that very clever especially when the female characters in the couples are sisters and live in the same house. And then one is connected to Pete and Kao. I found these little connections to be interesting and I quite like that.
In terms of the cast, I have found many familiar faces hence so I was quite ecstatic to see them act in a series together again. I adore them and my lord, the couples are just full on adorable especially Pete/Kao and Sanwan/R. The acting for me was impeccable in some scenes but however some weren't as well. It was quite inconsistent, but overall I was quite impressed on the acting especially those kiss scenes Pete and Kao ~ Furthermore, I'm not really fussy over the Music, to be honest, I quite like it actually. True, some are repetitive as shit to the point it gets annoying when played again not to mention the opening and ending takes so much of the time in each episode as well, however despite that, I do like the Ost and I think they are very appealing to listen to.
Overall, I quite enjoyed the series. Seeing as I watched it when it was airing and had to wait episodes for each week, I'm surprised that I never lost interest and was kept motivated to wait the whole way through. Goes to say, it's worth the watch for me and I definitely didn't regret it. Absolutely one of my faves. I will definitely miss the series especially Pete and Kao <33 Someday I hope #TayNew will get their own series as the main couple lol.
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Having many past adaptations of the same story, Meteor Garden 2018 kind of did set the bar high to me and for all the people who are familiar with the other previous versions probably does so as well. I was quite interested on how they are going to adapt Hana Yori Dango in their own way hence so, after seeing the trailer on Netflix, decided to give it a go.
What I really like about this series is the fact that it was quite lighthearted and just full on mellow. It didn't include any severe bullying or any rape/sexual topics of any kind as oppose to BOF or in the original manga for example. It's something you can gladly watch around younger people and to be honest, it gave it an honest and innocent feel to it that I quite like. It's like one of those love stories that I love to watch as a young girl and fawn over (yes, I'm cringy af).
Being the most recent adaptation of the story after BOF back in 2009, this is the most modernised adaptation of Hana Yori Dango we have seen so far. When I watched the 2001 version and the manga for example, I didn't have the connection that viewers at that time would have because I wasn't born at that time lolol. It was the norm back in the days but not today, so having watched this adaptation gave me some kind of relatability because I'm someone who lives at this time and age. It was pretty refreshing to see a story that was probably made 20 or so years ago become so modernised like this. It incorporated some aspects that I quite like for example the fact that the series included some Western songs as their Ost for example 'River' and also the amount of diversity shown and that for me, made it quite meaningful. I fell in love with the soundtrack oml. Among all the other versions I had seen, this series by far is my favourite in terms of the soundtrack. I often listen to the playlist of the songs because it's that good and I was very pleased they included songs in which I was familiar with already and that people know off.
I do like the Cast chosen, I find Dong Shangcai to be quite similar to Geum Jan Di from BOF which is really not a problem though I wouldn't mind if the character would be a bit more unique and different kind of like the 2001 and 2005 version and not stick to the same concept. The rest of F4 is just pure gold, they're all equally as adorable to me especially Lei sjdjdnfnxxn. However, in terms of acting, I do think it could have been better. There are some moments where it feels out of place and that it didn't exactly resonate to the audience what the actors are trying to portray.
The story/plot of course is not anything special of some kind. To those who are not familiar of the previous adaptations of the manga would have thought differently however seeing as I'm familiar with the storyline already, it did lose that excitement and appeal since we basically know what is going to happen in the story anyway. The fact that I stuck this long was merely the fact that I was curious as to how they'll go about it and see how they will adapt the manga. Of course seeing the same storyline over and over again would have certainly bored people to death, however it is probably something I will never get tired off after seeing the same storyline so many times.
But anyway, it's a good show to watch. I haven't see the rest of what the series has to offer yet so we'll just have to see but it seems to be a pleasure to watch so far. It had managed to kept me excited and motivated when waiting for the new episodes to arrive on Netflix so I can say it is certainly on my good list of shows. It's not the best but it's not awfully bad either. Who knows, it might be on par with its predecessors which I'm certain it will.
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