Jaejoongies
France
I'm a huge fan of the anime version and I have seen both taiwanese and korean drama versions and I gotta say INK Love in Tokyo beats them both. The taiwanese one was way too long and therefore was boring at times and the korean one... well, not so good actors and even though I love the story, I couldn't help but being hella bored while watching Playful Kiss.
INK Love in Tokyo managed to still be interesting to me even though I knew the plot (and its twists) by heart. Now yes, the over the top acting (especially the main actress) was kinda off-putting at first but once I got past it, I really got fond of the characters and the main couple. I loved their chemistry, even if (no) thanks to the author, Irie Naoki's character is difficult to understand (to the point you just want to shake the hell outta him) and Aihara Kotoko's one is way too dumb to not be frustrated with her at some point. Still, loved them both together and individually.
The drama has its fun moments, not to the point where I'd like, laugh out loud or anything but enough to make me smile and feel good when watching them. And again, that was exactly what I expected from it. No more, no less.
I'm really glad it got a second season even if I already know how it's going to end but the drama's amazing characters and its sweet aura will definitely manage to keep me interested throughout its second run.
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I'm no fan of ghost stories and such (I hate horror stuff), but this series had high ratings and I only heard good stuff about it so I thought why not?
Sometimes moving and touching, then lighthearted and even funny at times, the drama manages to keep the viewer interested for almost all of its episodes. (I got to admit that I was scared by the ghosts at first but the meh-ish special effects mixed with the fact that the drama slowly drafted away from the whole "horror" thing... well. It almost became fun to see them.)
I liked the idea of having a ghost story for each episode in the first part of the series but then, as a Hong sisters drama, it had to live up to its expectations and there goes some melodrama. It didn't go too far, but it all felt so unnecessary to me that I just can't give the drama a 9 or even a 10.
The two main characters/actors had such a great chemistry I couldn't help but love the main couple. Even though I don't know if it's because of So Ji Sub's hair and his whole divaness or just the fact Gong Hyo Jin was there (or both), but they reminded me of The Greatest Love. Anyways... their acting was A+.
Sadly, the other characters had literally no purpose of being there. None of them really brought anything to the story, they were just... there. Likeable (and pleasant to watch, hi there Seo In Guk), yes, but really useless.
Something else also bugged me. The sometimes unnecessary complex dialogues filled with metaphors. Now I know it's like a Hong sisters trademark but this need to be deep comes off as trying too hard and it has to stop.
The OST was great in itself but I felt like it didn't match the drama. The piano instrumentals were greatly used though.
I don't think I would watch it again, because even though the drama is great overall, there is not really any memorable scene or moment that would make me watch it all over again.
I really liked The Master's Sun thanks to the great acting, its amazing main characters and a steady quality for almost all of its 17 episodes. Sadly the series has its flaws and a lot of unnecessary stuff added to them.
(first review, sorry it was so badly written)
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The story isn't that special, and even though they could have turn it into something really great, they chose to slow things down, added useless subplots and instead of being a refreshing teen drama, it just became plain boring.
The drama's 12 episodes format was such a great occasion to focus on just one story and make it excellent (the group's bond, the music they would have made together etc...) but they managed to turn this advantage into a burden. It's like the writers wanted not to leave anyone behind and decided "heck let's have a storyline for every character yayyy". Sadly, as a 12-episode drama, yes you can tell many stories but what's the point if you can't even finish them? The ending felt rushed, and to be honest, it didn't even feel like an ending because of the many questions left unanswered.
The characters weren't likeable, (it's not like we had the time to actually like them) and most of them even became annoying towards the end. If they chose the path of strictly focusing on the group bonding, it would have been way easier and just way better period.
The acting was somewhat believable but failed at being convincing. I won't be harsh on this since they're young and have no experience.
The music, the supposed saving grace of the drama had a point of being there in the beginning but as the drama changed its direction, it felt out of place and I even skipped through some performances. Only a few of them had me hooked with, such as the Trouble Maker one, and the one Seol Chan performed on the piano during the evaluations.
Monstar started off as a drama with great potential but somehow lost its way even with a 12 episodes format. The many substories, even though well-told for some, were quite rightly way too many and just pointless. A disappointment. I wouldn't recommend it.
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I heard about this drama long ago but never took the time to go on and watch it. Now that I did, I must say I missed something. I mean, what a drama.
The plot is quite simple, it all revolves around bullying in a japanese high school. Sometimes simplicity is what's best. I was completely hooked by the whole story and its plot twists. So many things happen in just one episode, and they're just 36 minutes long. The writers continuously were on a slippery slope as they had to tell so many things in just 11 episodes but they managed to put as much as needed in each episode. They also did great at handling different themes such as friendship, jealousy, selfishness, betrayal...
The story doesn't drag, and its ending is so cleverly done. I'm no fan of ends with "open doors" but this one was inevitable. Really loved the finale. Felt like the last few episodes were a build up to a climax and it was amazing.
The cast even though I suppose quite young did excellent, everyone was spot on. You know a villain does a great job when you love to hate him.
The characters were coherent and all had a purpose. Maybe the two main big bad wolves went a little over the top with their behavior as I was sometimes legit frightened thinking anyone could do that in real life but I won't blame them since the drama felt overall realistic.
The drama was shot accurately and beautifully and the music was perfectly used. Both managed to create the drama's own unique style and watching an episode was like entering into the series' own world.
I highly recommend anyone who's into dramas in general to watch this one. Uncomfortable and even unpleasant to watch at times, but so brilliant. Really outstanding.
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