91
185
35
Jeana
In Fucking Beast Mode
I know that you're not supposed to write reviews for shows if you haven't completed them but honestly, I just couldn't contain my bewilderment with this one. I really truly don't understand why anyone in their right mind would watch this. (Especially a non-EXO fan) If you know the answer to that, please enlighten me.
I mean, this is just plain bad. Period. You've got to get high and lose a few brain cells in order to find this shit hilarious. Don't get me wrong, I've got no problem seeing Sehun, Chanyeol, D.O and Bacon do their thing but when you add one hell of a TSTL (too stupid to live) heroine in their midst, it just turns everything sour.
I couldn't handle Ji Yeon Hee's immaturity for a single second and her brother's cute awkwardness wasn't nearly enough to balance it out. She's cringey on a whole other level and it's not adorable in the least. Also, the way she talks with her mum is just awful. I swear the brat needs to sit the fuck down and check her priorities. Funny how, she's always being a snarky ass bish to her family but she can't utter a lone syllable in front of boys. And she's 22. Enough said.
Furthermore, let's not forget how they got Chan to play the brooding, cold, bad boy type. Like, I just can't at this moment. Chan out of all them? Chan, really?
He's like an adorable little puppy at his worst, m8. Why, oh, why must you do this to me?
Obviously, I watched it for plain ol' fanservice and wasn't expecting a plot, good acting or a consistent storyline and fairly enough, it did indeed lack on all those fronts. But what I also didn't expect was the human embodiment of complete and total aggravation that was our female lead.
It is amazing how I even managed to stand 4 episodes of this nightmare. It truly is a fete when a show is so horrible it makes a 15 minute episode feel like an hour. I repeatedly checked how much of it was left and when I realized that I had endured so much suffering and only 5 minutes had passed, I think I decomposed a little inside.
The only good thing that came out of this was that the guys were able to make money off of it. As far as I'm concerned, I'm sorry but I'm just not strong enough to bear this kind of agony.
I am in dire need of an efficient eyewasher and a mental detox after this. I'd try to come back after I heal and watch four more episodes to support the group but surely, recovery from this requires total mental rest for atleast more than 365 days.
For all those people who watched and enjoyed this, I envy you. Really, kudos to you. I don't know how you did it. Fighting!
(At this point this isn't even a review, more like an existential crisis.)
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Overpowered Oppa with 768 IQ and ninja skills saves the day once again! I am surprised.
Listen to me. I really wanted to like this drama. I wanted to like this drama so bad that I watched it to the very end just so it could prove me wrong. I was crossing my fingers to the last minute, almost praying for it to get better. I ADORE Lee Je Hoon and Esom and I love the crime/thriller genre so there really was no reason for me to not like this except that... this is just bad. There, I said it. Now, let's get to the list of reasons why:▪︎Writing▪︎
See, the fact that this drama is based on true cases was something that was like catnip for my True Crime loving heart. It started out strong as well with a few really jarring cases but soon it gave way to sheer monotony. The cases are so dramatized and they all follow the same black and white format: extremely evil villains get caught by a bunch of street smart folks out for vigilante justice.
That's ok, I mean. That's what you expect from an episodic drama what's not okay is the sheer amount of stupidity in literally every episode. The way these cases are solved is just mindnumbingly dumb. They hinge on convenient plot devices, pure luck on the good guys's side and Lee Je Hoon's ultra acting skills. Yes, you can let the ridiculousness slide once but not again and again.
▪︎ Just an example: ▪︎
Our ML wants to teach this criminal lady (who voice phishes people out of money) a lesson. He wants to play the biggest uno reverse card in k drama history and instead rob her out of all her wealth. So, what does he do? He romances her ofcourse. That's okay. Then, he goes along with her to the bank and leaves his duffel bag that is CONVENIENTLY fitted with a microscopic camera and asks her to take care of it. And what do you know, this lady who literally runs a whole voice phishing ring and bosses around quite a few dimwits CONVENIENTLY places that duffel bag on the freaking table where her atm pin machine is and she also CONVENIENTLY angles the bag towards the pin machine so the camera can CONVENIENTLY record her pin and the good guys can then CONVENIENTLY use that to rob her out of her money as revenge.
I mean, come on. Who even puts a gigantic ass duffel bag on the table and not the floor in the first place? And even if they do, how can the good guys know for sure that they will. It's just them counting their blessings instead of using actual smarts.
See, this is just one example because every single episode is filled with ridiculous stuff like this that requires a lot of suspension of belief.
Moreover, the way the Taxi Gang operates is akin to flashing a bright neon sign that says 'Look at us! We exist' so the entire secretive, batman hiding in broad daylight saving the world plotline falls flat hilariously.
There are also a lot of flashbacks, scene repetitions and just lazy writing with the way conflicts are written for the main leads.
▪︎Characters▪︎
This is your typical squad of self righteous goody two shoes united by their shared tragic pasts. The male lead is so over powered. He can fight, is smart, is hot, is basically a wonder boy all around. You know your typical oppa in every run of the mill k drama.
These guys never lose. Everything is just a small hiccup for them. Never mind the people they are trying to catch are seasoned murderers/criminals and have been successfully evading the authorities. No, because this gang of average joes can take them down EASILY.
I mean yes it helps that one is a hacker, one is an engineer, one is a CEO- but really these job descriptions are all just for the sake of moving the plot. These are one dimensional characters you've seen in so many dramas before and while there is definitely camaraderie and warmth between them, there's not enough focus on thorough character development both individually and in terms of the group dynamic for us to truly form a connection.
The serious problems they do face in the last couple of episodes are so tropey, badly written and resultant of their own stupidity complimented with pointless death baiting and trucks of doom that it's hard to sympathize.
The antagonists are screechy and definitely not the smartest bunch themselves so the entire drama is just a bunch of goldfishes fighting against each other.
▪︎Female Lead▪︎
Now this just made me mad. Prosecutor Kang Ha Na has to be one of the worst female leads I have ever seen on screen. Now, I know a lot of people didn't like the fact that she was out to get the group but I didn't have a problem with that. My entire issue was how useless she was. Her contribution to the plot was zero and she was just terrible at her job. I wanted her to have like 10 minutes of relevance and I would have been pacified but no throughout the show she wears these badass business casual suits and power walks to... literally nowhere.
She's the last to arrive at the scene, she solves nothing, saves nobody and basically is just a walking talking product placement there to create this fake and hollow opposition for the Taxi Gang and to justify or question their system of justice.
Cause after a while, even you start thinking that if the Prosecutor with so many resources at her disposal can't even decipher the most basic of clues, it's better to just let this rag tag group do their thing.
The only action the poor girl gets is this random gun firing in the air for like five seconds where she badly tries to assert her barely there authority. It's sad, really.
▪︎Plot Development▪︎
The ending episodes just makes the drama look like it's floundering for direction. For like 12 episodes, it has different cases, then suddenly it just focuses on this one villain and then phew that gets solved and what do we know, they pull out an entire plot line from thin air and just throw it in your face. There's no structure at all to the show and it feels like the writer brainstormed all these ideas and just splattered them all on screen without any elegance whatsoever.
▪︎Acting▪︎
Now, here's why watching this drama really hurt me. The cast is phenomenal. Lee Je Hoon is a chameleon. He is great at completely embodying every role he does. Esom is so charismatic on screen. The rest of the cast is great as well but the plot execution and script is so bad that despite the talented cast, it's just 16 episodes of wasted potential.
▪︎What I Did Like▪︎
The only saving grace for me was the comedic moments in the show cause they made me smile and Lee Je Hoon in his various roles was a delight to watch. There was also a lot of potential love/hate bickering chemistry between Kang Ha Na and Kim Do Ki that was left untapped.
The action sequences while enjoyable are nearly not as sophisticated as some other productions. Some fights look obviously fake and visibly "acted". You see the punch, hear the punch but it's like it never really landed lmao. Still, action with hype music playing in the back is always good.
I also loved Esom's Prosecutor boss but he has a total screentime of like 30 minutes in the entire show so that's awkward.
▪︎Ending thoughts▪︎
In my opinion, this drama is a time waste and massively undeserving of the hype. Better examples of episodics with a gang of underdogs fighting crime with crime can probably be found in Bad Guys and Mad Dog.
So, even though I know that you guys are readying yourself for hate comments and downvotes right now, this drama still gets a solid NO for me. Sorry.
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Which is why it's almost criminal how they reduced her kickass self to little more than the Male Lead's side kick in the latter half. So much so, that in some scenes the legendary Demoness is nothing more than a glorified damsel in distress whose sole purpose is to stand by the ML's side.
Speaking of the male lead, even with his cute face and pure love he was still pretty much boring, bland and quite one-dimensional. No match for the somewhat antagonist/second Male lead: Jiang Wu. Who was one of the most interesting characters in the show. Being a nasty sonovabitch demon with hilarious moments, he was easier to root for than the ML himself.
My biggest complaint is that the show gave so much screen-time to completely irrelevant characters. Screentime that should have been used to further develop the main leads and their journey. I could count about 4 to 5 story-lines which I didn't give a shit about and that were constantly forced on me.
So over-all, yes there are some pretty adrenaline rushing moments here and there and yes, there is good acting by all those involved but it is nearly not enough to counter the drag.
If you are planning to binge watch this, like I did. My advice is: Make the Fast Forward button your best friend.
Enjoy!
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To be completely honest, I think the premise of this show is quite exciting and I bet the novel it's based on would be something spectacular. I will even admit that I really liked the idea behind the General's and Ping Ting's character. They were supposed to be strong and witty people in their own right and that was essentially what lured me in. But by God, that's not what this drama really ended up being.
Matters were made worse by the horrible acting. There is a lot of negative stigma attached with AngelaBaby but I did my best to keep an open mind and not be influenced by all the drama. Unfortunately, it was a wasted effort because she literally cannot act. Half of the time she's a blank board and in the other half she looks like a psychopath with her crazy eyes and creepy smile. I liked what her character was supposed to be but she destroyed it quite effectively.
Wallace Chung is a good actor but all the edgy scenes really didn't make him cool, instead, Chu Bei Jie mostly just comes off as an asshole who's trying and failing to assert his dominance over everybody.
The overdramatization makes everything more unbearable. With all that flying in the air, jumping over mountains and exaggerated facial expressions, General and I can't possibly expect the viewers to take its bullshit seriously. I watch Asian Dramas for their sincerity and poignancy, not whatever this superficial serialization was offering. So fucking disappointed.
It didn't help that I started watching it in between episodes of Eternal Love, which is why its flaws were even more noticeable than they would've been if an incredible show was not there for comparison. I really tried to give it a lot of chances but by the nth chance, I thought it better for my sanity to skip most parts.
This is an unpopular opinion and if you are someone who has diligently watched all of its episodes and have arrived on a different conclusion, then good for you. Boos should always do their yous.
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With a tightly woven plot and an excellent cast that drives the story home, GF is the definition of entertainment. It will make you laugh, cry, jump with excitement and leave you dying to know what will happen next. With a suspenseful murder mystery, shocking family secrets and brilliant character development, GF had no room for any boring moment.
What I loved about the show was that no character seemed irrelevant. Every single person on screen had a part to play. Im So Hyang gracefully delivered as the badass, chaebol heiress on a mission. Mi Seok Hi was the perfect mix of vulnerability, strength and style. A true baddie after my own heart.
They could have done better with the male lead as he was by far the most unimpressive aspect of the show but he did the job as the upright, honest lawyer looking for justice.
The entire team of good guys: the reporter duo, the police officer, the ML's dad- all brought substance to the show. I loved the fact that our heroes weren't out of the world geniuses, they were just simple albeit smart individuals desperate to find out the truth.
The primary antagonist, Miss Han, was a formidable adversary. She commanded respect in the way she did her job, no matter how dirty and ruthless it was. Bae Jong Ok gave her all to bring forward one of the most charismatic villains in kdrama history. She and her TOP team members were horrible people but they were horrible people with exceptional smarts that came with their own set of charms.
And ofcourse, the MC family. All of the family members were psychotic in their own way and each left a mark. Whether they made you feel fury, sympathy, pity or hatred, they never did anything halfass.
Lastly, I think it would be criminal not to mention Wan Soo, the eldest son of the MC family. Lee Kyu Han killed it by bringing forward a character so complex and yet, the one with the simplest motivations. He was a true spotlight stealer.
The back and forth between the villains and the good guys kept you on the edge of the seat. The schemes and mind games made every episode intense. The best part was that all the cunning, witty ways the characters outsmarted each other were wholly believable. It wasn't a ball of hocus pocus plotholes, a confused writer pulled out of their ass, instead effort was made for things to feel mostly realistic.
A lot of people didn't like the ending but it was pretty satisfying for me. Sure, a few minor things could have been more developed but they were easy to ignore.
The OST was perfect and it fit our leading lady and her badass take downs so well. While there wasn't a need for romance, there was enough to satisfy all of you who are looking for it. With veteren actors in the ensemble, it's no surprise that the acting was phenomenal across the board.
Honestly, I don't know what else to say. It was one of the few shows that took on a lot of things at once and managed to do justice to all of them. I loved it and I strongly reccomend.
It's Jeana approved for sure. ;)
Go watch it.
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Rookie Agent Rogue is the definition of awesomeness overload. Not only is it as addictive and tempting as a large grilled cheese burger (with extra fries), it also contains the quality and substance of 100 percent organic leafy greens. In short, this is the kind of show that fulfills your appetite and your taste buds.
It's no secret that Zhao Zanilia is my favorite Chinese actress, however, I'm not at all blind to her faults. I know that she's definitely not the best actress in the world; her crying scenes are pretty bad, she can't pull off intense emotions to save her life and sometimes her acting is downright wooden. So the fact that she is surrounded by an excellent supporting cast in this show should be a huge problem for her.
But no, like always Zanilia makes use of the thing she does have an excess of; charisma and grace. And like always, with these two things she wins the masses.
She consistently brings forth characters that are genuinely likable and so it isn't at all a surprise that I love my girl Yanzhi. A lot.
Simply put, Yanzhi's a badass babe; smart to the bone and exactly what you imagine when you think of high-class agents. She carries out brilliant strategies and shootouts, all the while calmly chewing her gum and rocking her dark shades. She's too cool to be true to be honest.
Our leading man has just as much swag. He has his roguish charm, precision in murder and the stoic detatchment which makes him deadly. At the same time, he's an upright and passionate soldier with an extremely conpassionate side. In the beginning of the show, it's very unclear who the main love interest is and I remember literally praying and crossing my fingers that Zhou Hehao was the main guy and later, when I got to know that he was the male lead all along I felt pure happiness. (It's the little things...)
And then ofcourse, last but not the least, comes our second female lead: Feng Manna. Tao Xin Ran often steals the show with her brilliant acting. Feng Mana is a very complicated character; vicious by circumstance, filled with hate and not a woman you can mess with. But deep down she's vulnerable, insecure and just a lost little girl. Even though I hate a lot of things she does, Xin Ran's masterful acting skills stopped me from truly despising the character.
While a lot of shows can be enjoyed solely because of the main leads, you know a show is truly good when you feel an actual connection with the supporting cast too. Every single character in the drama left an impression on me.
From one episode cameos, to the central roles, the eccentric villains and the faithful soldiers- every act was executed almost perfectly.
This is one of the few Asian thrillers that actually thrills. Apart from a few things here and there the show holds a significant amount of unpredictibility throughout. I couldn't for the life of me guess what was going to happen next. Is the mission going to be successful? Will my beloved hero come out alive? Will the leading lady get out of danger unscathed? I had no idea and I often found myself sitting on the edge of the seat with my heart running a marathon and my nails chipped to bits.
This drama is filled with murder, mayhem, violence, political strategies, masterful schemes and espionage. It's a story of war, love, sacrifice and loyalty. Even though there are a lot of character deaths, it's the small things that actually touch and wreck your heart.
The soundtrack of Rookie Agent Rogue is simply epic. The skillful harmony of music and screenplay is beautiful and sets the perfect mood.
Another thing that's absolutely epic is the love-story. Ahh. The romance is so good but so less. I desperately wish there was more but considering this isn't a romance drama, I have to content myself with what I got.
Both Lan Yanzhi and Zhou Hehou are ingenious individuals in their own right and so together they assert their badassery over everyone. And they do it in style.
A fast-paced drama with a consistently intelligent plot-line and an extremely satisfying ending, RAR is definitely not a show to be missed.
Enjoy!
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Arthdal Chronicles: The Sword of Aramun
25 people found this review helpful
The stupidest drama award of 2023 goes to … you guessed it right: Arsedal Dumbronicles
Character Consistency? Who. Logical Storytelling? Who. Emotion, heart and substance? Who.I feel so disappointed, that we have to get into it.
❌ Acting:
I have said it before and I’ll say it again- Lee Joon Gi and I vibe. I think he is a better actor than SJK, does killer action scenes, has a lot of range and knows how to play complex and dynamic characters. That said, he sucked absolute ass playing a dual role in this drama.
Oh, don’t get me wrong, the man acted more than some actors will in their entire careers. He made all the right faces, all the right moves and you could see how hard he was working. Yet, it was like he accidentally brought Moon Lovers’ script with him and played the Fourth Prince for 12 episodes straight and nobody said anything,
Because whatever LJG played was definitely NOT Eun Seom or Saya. He played his own characters that lacked the essence of the ones we saw in the previous three seasons. I mean sure he didn’t have much to work with because the writing of the season was absolute trash but still- his Eun Seom and Saya were the exact same people. There was no difference at all and it was just annoying to watch. They knew it too which was why they just yeeted Saya out of the script and called it a day.
Other than that, we had Shin Se Kyung, I don’t wanna talk much about her cause the thought of her acting makes me wanna stab myself with a chopstick. She’s one of the worst actresses alive and this writer duo keeps giving her strong female characters to play which she effectively dumbs down with a portrayal that mostly consists of her wide eyed and sputtering like a fish outta water. The rest of the actors were good but really, when the two main leads who are constantly stuffed in our faces are so meh, what’s the point?
❌ Writing:
This has to be some of the worst writing done by these usually awesome writers. It’s abnormally bad. The characterization completely goes to shit in this season. Saya, who was arguably the most loved character of the first three seasons, becomes as useless as a doormat and has major side character energy. They completely dumbed him down and made him act like a cowardly weasel who keeps running from his enemies. I was so so so frustrated because it was like they wanted to effectively break all of his fan following so they could champion Eun Seom and make him a convincing hero considering he was Beta as hell in the first three seasons.
Speaking of Eun Seom, they decided to shove him down our throats as this overpowered God who was one-note as fuck, could never lose, was suddenly Machiavelli in a wig, hardened and ruthless as Inaishingi- which as we all know is a complete 360 from what his character was supposed to be. I really came to dislike Eun Seom because I didn’t connect with him at all. They killed his emotions and stuffed him with one dimensional heroism which was boring to watch after a while. All the rest of the characters were on some spectrum of dumb to dumber and lacked basic sense.
The best character was undeniably still Taealha- the vicious, tigress of a queen and mother. She’s the only person interesting to watch. It’s funny to me how the villains had more heart and emotion than the good guys who were just robotically going from one battle to another with surface level feelings.
❌ Lore:
What lore, really? They just made up whatever they wanted to. The prophecy that was driving the whole shitshow came into being with the most underwhelming climax of all. They totally ditched it last minute and added new stuff that frankly, insulted the audience’s intelligence.
❌ Direction:
Let’s be honest, the direction wasn't great as well. The previous director jumped ship and without him they never landed on their feet again. I hated the editing and abrupt cutting in this one and the camera work for a production this big was just average. That’s not to say the cinematography and special effects weren’t good, cause they were - especially with the fight scenes, it is to say that as far as scenic shots are concerned, none of them were good enough to be memorable. They focused too much on the fight and gore to really give a shit about anything else. Also I can’t believe that they decided to put an English song and used it as OST for literally a historical show based on the early civilizations of Korea. Make that make sense.
Every time it dramatically started playing as one ancient warrior slashed another ancient warrior, I stopped taking this shit seriously.
✅ The Good Stuff?
Honestly, there wasn’t much. The hype action scenes were exciting, yes. The strategies and politics were slightly interesting but they dragged way too much. Taealha kicked ass as always and the instrumental was good. It was fun to watch the gorgeous and talented LJG do his thing even if he was completely out of character for the roles he was playing and I sincerely believe his talents got wasted on this script.
❌ Other than that, this was a waste of time. I get that there were a lot of hiccups, I get that the time was short with only 12 episodes and I get that there were new actors but honestly, if you know all of these things, then you should be focusing on a few important themes than just overstuffing the drama with plot lines and hype scenes with no real substance.
I think this is one of those very few shows that had such a big budget and a lead actor that I absolutely love with so many strong female characters and still ended up being a complete basket case.
100% Jeana Disapproved
#JusticeForSaya
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When I saw the first episode, I was immediately struck by the beauty of the main leads. In the start they gave us a few minutes of pure fan service, where Mike flaunts his abs and shows off his dance moves and I was like, dayum maybe I should have picked this drama up sooner- except all of those thoughts were completely incinerated twenty minutes in to the show. The perfect words to describe this drama would be something like: Boring. Dull. Extremely slow. Completely and utterly dead.
80% of the drama consists of filler episodes, where the characters are just staring off into space, lost in their own shit and the viewer is forced to awkwardly watch from the sidelines like an unwanted trespasser. There are so many pauses after which we just get one dead scene after another, that it felt like this was some sort of a documentary instead of an enjoyable tale.
I think they tried to fake depth by showing numerous angles of the character's "deep in thought" faces and playing shitty sentimental music in the background but it just appeared very simplistic and unnecessary. Sure, I'm shallow and I like watching pretty people but I also want to watch them actually "do" something and have a fucking character. If I wanted to ogle them pose, I'd go through a fashion catalog and save myself a lot of time in the process.
There is no character development at all and the characters lack individuality to the T. Who are Mike and Am as individuals? We don't have a fucking clue. There is no proper backstory that tells us about their personalities, they are just one of the many run of the mill knock offs that we see in every unoriginal romance story.
The rest 10% consisted of the characters having flashbacks of the same dull scenes that they showed us before. As if they really needed repetition to help make shit worse. Like, if you don't have new and good content, why waste money and time on making so many trash filled episodes in the first place?
The measly 10% left was the only mercy shown to the viewers, where they finally added some funny and cute moments but it was hardly enough to make up for the torturous 90%. A lot of people were gushing about the character's chemistry but to be honest, I don't really see it. If we cut out the hasty little pecks they pasted on each other's lips, their relationship would be perfectly like that of siblings. There are no proper, mature conversations between them, no sizzling passion, no sexual tension, no actual bond; they don't get to face and solve complications together and evolve as a couple, instead they just fight like little kids and then try to act cute. I mean, sure, they can get away with an "aww how adorable" once or twice but the whole thing becomes rather uninteresting when it's done so excessively.
I'm a sucker for romance but I want my dramas to be diverse and actually have a plot behind it. In Full House all I got was a two dimensional "love" story with no real adversities or impressive events. There's nothing memorable about this drama except that I'll always remember how much I yawned throughout. I couldn't form any sort of emotional attachment with the characters at all.
Mike was admittedly unlike the usual Alphas, he was a kind hearted boy; very caring and childish but not the sharpest tool in the shed. Besides the first shirtless scene, all of his dance moves and actions that were supposed to be "sexy" were just horribly cringey and gay. No problem with being gay at all, except when you're doing a role where you're supposed to play a guy who's straighter than a rod. Also, I wanted to punch him every time he cried because him crying didn't make sense at all. It was supposed to add emotion to the drama but it just looked force and irrelevant, considering he himself was the one doing mindless shit that was creating petty problems in the first place. Crying about it made no sense except to show what a confused and weak personality he had.
Am was a refreshing character though. She was strong, witty and she didn't let anyone boss her around, making her a refreshing change from the Asian heroines of the norm. The actress who plays her is the cutest creature I have ever seen and she did play her part (no matter how superficial) quite well. She was the only one really acting in this show and the sole reason why I even gave it a 4.5.
I literally do not know why I wasted 20 hours on this bullshit, considering it had no story-line, whatsoever. It did not live up to its glowing reputation at all except that I have to say that the widely talked about "ice-cream scene" was a little entertaining.
I recommend this for 12 year old pre-pubescent kids who blush at the thought of matching bracelets with their crush and not for viewers who actually want to see something of substance.
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W, is basically a badly written drama about a badly written Manhwa coming to life.
The moment I started watching W, suddenly a lot of my chores started getting done. I had finished my laundry, a novel worthy dissertation that was overdued suddenly got completed, my cupboards were clean and my room was sparkling. Soon I realized, that my mind's will to avoid the torture that this show subjected it to, was such; that it had me do all the things that I was procrastinating on since forever.
However, the masochist that I am, I kept coming back to it. All these great reviews and high ratings made me think that the next episode would be surely better than the shit I just watched. I kept finding excuses for it and soon, the ending credits rolled in and the show finished being just as horrible as it was from the get go.
To put it simply, W is like a rotten egg that somehow hatched into a headless chicken and proceeded to create chaos everywhere. It's like somebody took a coupla mindless plot-lines, threw it in a blender and went on to whisking it to hell and back.
The plot makes no sense. The characters make no sense. The story makes no sense. The drama is essentially a hotchpotch of confused writing trying to mask itself as 'complicated'. So much is happening but you're reaching nowhere. And the worst thing of it all, is that despite all their efforts to try and have unnecessary events take place left and right; the show still remains boring as hell. Which is a shame because its premise was so unique and had a lot of potential.
There are so many flashbacks and repetition, that half of the show is filled with the same old bs. Seriously, when you see Kang Chul get shot and Yeong Joo faint for the umpteenth of time, you're about ready to shoot and pass out yourself.
However, for me as long as the acting is good I can forgive almost everything.
No such luck here.
Han Hyo Joo sucks so bad that she shouldn't even be allowed to act anymore. All she knows is to open her eyes wide like an idiot, cover her face with her hands and bite her nails. Literally, this is all she does throughout the show. Her acting (or lack thereof) is so monotonous that you can put a cardboard in her place and it would still work.
I don't understand why Lee Jong Suk takes roles like these. I believe that this was probably his worst role as of yet, for there is no growth as an actor here. There is no denying his acting chops or his looks but playing a two-dimensional commonplace character like Kang Chul really dumbed down his potential.
The dialogues often felt scripted and the actors seemed detached from the characters they were playing.
The only memorable roles were the side characters. Yeong Joo's dad was brilliant, so was Park Bong So and the Mad Dog. All of them gave me some feels but the main characters were lacklustre at best.
The kisses were good but the romance like the rest of the show was less than mediocre.
I mean, the beginning was also bad but they really just lost their shit midway. It's like they didn't even care about following a logical story-line anymore.
However, I want to really give credit to the actual Webtoon artists who drew all the manhwa chapters in the show. That's some serious talent there, not gonna lie, but that's about it.
16 hours of total waste, watch it only if you want to have your intelligence insulted.
Enjoy!
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Well, in that case, take it from someone who thinks that med stuff is boring, the jargon makes you yawn and hospitals are depressing that this drama is amazing and will make you love it to bits and pieces.
Yes, there will be times you might zone out when they get technical with all the fancy doctor-ish words but even when you don't know the terms used, you'll feel the urgency of an operation, the sadness of a life lost and the joy of a successful surgery and that's all that matters.
What really makes this show an excellent watch though is the group of five doctor adolescent best friends who form a band together. Oof. The friendship, bromance and warmth in this show is no joke. Their music sessions are a healing experience and you feel affection for every single character.
The character development is phenomenal with each of the five bringing their own charm to the table.
Jung Won, the handsome as hell pediatrician with a butter heart that gets overly attached to patients; Lee Ik Jun, the goofy, emotional general surgeon and single dad who's your resident nice guy; Suk Hyung, the cute, anti-social introverted gynecologist; Song Hwa, our bomb female lead: the witty, quirky, graceful genius of a neurosurgeon and last but not the least my personal favorite Jun Wan, badass cardiothorasic surgeon who's a prickly hedgehog on the outside but a complete softie on the inside. He is also 100% boyfriend material and you just want to squeeze his cheeks and flick his nose.
The dynamics and chemistry between the 5 is off the charts and not only do you feel the real friendship between them, you want to be a part of their group.
The acting is outstanding and these people make you fall in love with them so completely that without any drama, flashy plot twists or shock value, the show still manages to reel you in and makes you content with watching hours of it just so you can get more of these amazing humans. Even the supporting cast is stellar and brings forth numerous characters that leave a mark on you.
With brilliant laugh out loud moments, emotional turns, beautiful music and a constant feeling of happiness- this show will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Give it a go. You won't regret it. And ladies, if you want some superficial encouragement, then keep in mind that the men in this show are HOT. As if Yeon Suk's beauty and Jo Jung Suk's charm wasn't enough, you have Jung Kyung Ho, who is unarguably the human embodiment of God's greatest gift to mankind.
Are you still here? No?
Good, that's what I thought.
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As far as the acting went, it was nothing out of the world but it did meet the bar required to effectively tell the story of the characters. The male lead made me care for him despite the fact that he had the same expression throughout the show. It worked in his favor too and sold the "serial killer with a good heart" persona quite well. The female lead was your standard formulaic supposedly 'strong' heroine. Conveniently playing the damsel in distress when it mattered and the right amount of dumb to keep prolonging the story. There were some very interesting side characters that I wanted to know more about and see our hero interact with but I guess the creators were short of time.
I did feel that there was more action and less depth in the drama. You feel for the characters but not enough to really be invested. Regardless, it's an excellent time-pass. There are some very heavy moments, some good dialogue and badass fighting sequences to keep you hooked. While I don't think this drama is something that stays with you long after you finish it, I do think it's good while it lasts.
Enjoy!
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Started with a bang but ended with a whimper.
This drama started out promoting a very promising message but unfortunately, soon fell flat. Since I am not a fan of puppy love I didn't pick this up for the romance. I wanted to see our female lead's journey through bullying and how she conquers it. But apparently, her boy conquers for her. I feel a bit robbed cause I kept waiting for the character development that never came.Regardless, it's a cute drama and you gotta give it effort for picking up a topic as controversial as plastic surgery. The actors are cute too and they did a good job. The best arc was probably done for the antagonist and soon she became the only interesting person on screen.
It's unclear what the core message of this drama really is. Is it promoting plastic surgery? (lol) Is it teaching self-love? Is it telling us that beauty is on the inside and self-acceptance is the key to happiness?
I would really like to know but sadly the show's focus soon turned on being your every other basic neighborhood love story and stayed there. So yikes.
A fairly enjoyable drama, nonetheless. Watch it if you don't want anything too serious.
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Dapper, smarter, fiercer Fan Xian makes justice look sexy in JOL S2!
Treachery, schemes, murder, politics and a whole lotta fun - Joy of Life’s Season 2 picks up with a bang and maintains its high quality from the first episode to the last.✔️After the events of season one, our adorably cunning hero Fan Xian is now more guarded, more ruthless, more dangerous and a 100% more delicious. As he navigates through the capital politics with betrayals at every turn, gets numerous harsh reality checks along the way and sees the injustice that plagues the kingdom, his thirst for justice and fairness builds up in every episode.
✔️Zhang Ruo Yun is an absolute star in this show as he puts out a performance that is hard to look away from. Fan Xian flits easily from a highly intelligent edge lord, to a vulnerable broken hearted man, to a surprisingly devoted husband, to a hilarious goof, a wickedly stylish martial artist and back to being an angry God. Nobody does anger and wrath as good as Zhang Ruo Yun because when he gets mad, I am there, seated, on my knees, READY for things to go down.
His dialogue delivery is also absolutely spectacular. Seriously, you know when he wants to spit acid with his words and when he wants to caress you with them - his eyes are expressive as hell.
✔️The best thing about season 2 is the way Fan Xian’s character gets more layers. From the start, Fan Xian isn’t exactly the typical overpowered, do-no-wrong, C-drama character. That’s because there’s no secret that he is incredibly privileged and favored by the most powerful figures in the kingdom and also has the knowledge of the future as his superpower. So, there is always this question: Is he that good or is it because of all the help he always gets from others?
However, in this season, the show really dives into what that means for Fan Xian - the frustration that no matter how much he does, at the end it feels like it is always the King or Chen Ping Ping running the show or that wherever he goes, he has his mother’s legacy hanging over him like a cloud.
And, sometimes he doesn’t want to always have to be in the position to play these mind games or do the right thing. As a result, we get an extremely fleshed out, hopelessly endearing character in Fan Xian who grows in spite of himself and independently of all the elements that are hell bent on pushing him to be the person they think he should be.
So, it's no surprise that his various relationships with other characters also hit you right in the feelings because of their authenticity. Especially considering how political and dialogue heavy this drama is.
Whether it is the begrudging respect he instills in his enemies, or the unwavering loyalty of his friends, the affection that comes from his teachers, the innocent camaraderie he has with his siblings or his deep deep love for Wan’Er - all of it contribute to painting this incredibly nuanced portrayal of Fan Xian and allows you to appreciate the glimpse of pure, tender human interactions and feelings on screen.
✔️That is one reason why, even though some viewers have complained about this season having less action and more dialogue - I felt like there was so much necessary character development in this show that allowed Fan Xian to grow maturely and find himself in a way that was very different than his bright faced, less darker character in season 1 and as a character focused person, I was 100% here for it.
✔️Other than Fan Xian, all the other characters bring their own flavors to the show. Every time a character from the first season comes on screen, it’s like welcoming an old friend. Especially the men who are certifiable daddies aka: the inscrutable, omnipresent king, the sly Chen Ping Ping, Fan Xian’s adorable father Fang Jian and his morally scrupulous father in law.
All of these political mavericks are an absolute delight to watch as they pull out one scheme after another to both use and help Fan Xian as they push him towards becoming the powerful man he is surely becoming.
✔️The drama is a masterclass in cinematography and soundtrack and is so sensually pleasing to watch. It seriously has some of the best camera work I have seen in a long time with an excellent music score.
✔️The pacing of the show is great with something impactful happening in almost every episode. The show beautifully balances emotional, tear jerking scenes with wit and hilarity, coupled with action and intense moments where you just want to jump and holler.
✔️Moreover, it is peppered with some excellent dialogues and you can see how both the writing and direction has been executed with a lot of thought because of the way the drama focuses on and enhances the tiniest moments to add to the overall impact and gravitas of a particular scene.
✔️The acting across the board is phenomenal and the themes of friendship, loyalty, brotherhood, slight romance, camaraderie and family are all explored with a delicate subtlety that makes the drama go down like a well-simmered pot of stew.
✔️As far as the antagonists go, while not all of them are effective, they are all 100% entertaining. Especially, the wily little second prince who is the human personification of a sly fox and the deranged princess.
✅ Overall, I lived and breathed this show throughout its airing period and was impressed with the way they were able to raise the stakes even higher from season 1 and maintained its top tier quality. It also ended with a note that was so on brand with everything Fan Xian is - tongue in cheek, wickedly fun, always having the last word and impossibly tempting you for more.
Undeniably, one of the best C-dramas ever.
A must watch.
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However, towards the end it lost a lot of its identity and took a turn most run-of-the-mill k-dramas do. The writing took a lot of hits as it floundered confused about what direction to take.
Out of the blue kidnappings, dramatic fight scenes, near death experiences and other ridiculousness that was so unlike what the show stood for. It started as a very bearing drama with a constant melancholic but hopeful vibe as it documented the journey of various characters with different paths in life who came together to build a dream with tenacity and determination. Never knew it would turn into fucking "The K2" towards the end. Lol
Speaking of characters, Park Sae Joon did a brilliant job bringing forward a hero unlike many others. He was the definition of silent strength, a brilliant mind and perseverence. A man who got up again and again even with the odds stacked against him. Someone who managed to retain his composure, compassion and child like purity despite all the shit life handed to him.
Kim Da Mi, surely the breakout artist of the year was a delight to watch. Yi Soo was a tiny ball of vicious energy. She was driven and determined to the core, with a sharp young mind and someone who never gave up no matter what you did to her.
At the same time however, she was also incredibly rude, selfish and did downright horrible things. I'm all up for that as it added to her complexity and made her sweet moments all the more impactful but I hated that her backstory was not explored at all. What made her that way? I would really like to know but nopes.
Some people didn't buy the romance but I did. I think the drama pulled this aspect fairly well. Both of them played a significant part in the other's life. For Yi Soo, her quest for love gave her genius but idle mind a purpose, it grounded her and made her a better person and for Saeroyi, Yi Soo was his backbone. The true kingmaker and the force behind his success. When everyone told him his dreams were impossible she not only stood by them, she made them happen.
They were good for each other which is why the romance rang true for me. Sure, Yi Soo was a bit obsessive and took it to another level but that was her character from the start. Love or success, she'd take everything to the extreme. (Again, I'm annoyed at the fact why that was so. We are just supposed to accept her personality as it is though without any insight.)
All the characters had their amazing moments in the show however some did not develop as nicely as they could have cause of bad writing 101. The second FL came through at times but mostly her victim-is-me mentality annoyed me to no end. The villains were okay-ish, none too exceptional but they did the job.
Over-all, the drama delivered a lot of important messages and did a good effort at being woke. That said, it also had a lot of corny, overly sappy and unrealistic moments where I couldn't help but roll my eyes.
In the end, I'll say that while this drama was definitely not exceptionally good in terms of writing and later on even the execution, it was a fun ride for sure. I binged it in 2 days straight and never found an episode that made me yawn.
So while I do reccomend it, I would advise not to have sky high expectations going in, because of the hype surrounding it.
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Seung Ho has beautifully expressive eyes and he has a lot of talent but he really over did it in this one. His crying scenes were cringe. Park Min Young excelled at being the classic support role heroine who was just an acessory to the plot. The romance was non existent but what was there was pretty stiff.
I mean, everybody promised me that the show will make me cry and that it was just oh so sad but tbh the writing was so awful and overdramatic that I felt nothing. The ending wasn't even tragic bro. Or maybe, I failed to see it?
So why did I finish it till the end? Because of Nam Goong Min. What phenomenal acting. He has to be one of the best k-drama villains I have ever seen. So fleshed out. He was a horrible disgusting monster of a person and unfortunately, the only person that made me stick with the show. Because I wanted to see him pay and also because he was so entertaining and brilliant in every scene. Makes me want to check out all of his dramas now. It's even funny how out of all the characters, it was the villain who got nominated for the Daesang (grand prize) at award shows. Lol
Other than him, Park Dong Ho, played by one of my most favorite ahjussi actors was the only good guy in the show that was somewhat well rounded. Other than these two, the rest of the characters were cookie cutter and pretty one dimensional.
I don't reccomend this unless you want to watch for Nam Goong Min and his acting.
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