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FebruaryFriday
Where the sea sleeps
An ordinary story full of touching moments
This is an ordinary story with ordinary characters. But I think the charm of this drama lies in how balanced everything are, and that’s because I think the writer managed to craft the characters with enough balance between depth and simplicity. Sometimes these characters are shallow and predictable, then they’ll do something unexpected that makes you want to root for them.In here we follow three adults navigating their way to survive in Shanghai— a city that doesn’t seem to give them a break. These characters are just like anyone that I could possibly meet in real life. Much like all of us, they go through the ups and downs of life, they make mistakes, they compromise, they have goals, they work hard. Sometimes it’s rewarded, sometimes it’s not, pretty much exactly like what real life is.
Overall, I had a good time with the drama. It’s a straight-forward story full of tiny touching moments. It’s got enough heart to pull you through, at least that’s what it did to me.
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Another must wach for Kudo Kankuro fanatics!
Set in Kabukicho, notably known as the biggest red-light district in Tokyo, we follow a group of people doing various jobs in the neighborhood. At the center of the story is St. Magokoro, a small old hospital where we meet our leads, Yoko Nishi Freeman, a former military doctor who came from America, and Toru Takamine, a beauty dermatologist.I enjoyed this. I think Kudo is a master of presenting social issues in a way that’s both engaging and entertaining without losing sight of the heart of the issue. By now, it’s clear to me that he’s interested in exploring stories where people are presented with very morally challenging situations.
In Shinjuku Yasen Byouin, the writer explores the subjects of foreign migration, the contrast between the Japanese healthcare system and the West, and human equality, among others.
As I’ve mentioned before, he’s probably one of the few writers than I know that’s capable of making characters do questionable things yet you can’t help but root for. I didn’t like all of the characters, but none of them felt like they didn’t belong in this story. There’s a cohesive energy among them, which makes it so fun to watch.
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See you soon, I hope!
Give me a found family trope any day and I'll embrace it with an open heart. When I first saw the teasers for this show, I thought that it’s going to be a fun rom-com. In a way, it has some elements of the genre. But I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re looking for a much more romance-focused story.I think the central theme of this show strongly aligns more with family than romance.
In fact, the show explores more on the themes of family heartbreak, loss, and grief. With the arrival of Kusumi and Ruka in her life, Saionji starts to reflect upon the meaning of family again after feeling betrayed and heartbroken by her own. While Kusumi, with the help of Saionji, slowly learns how to open up and rely on other people after carrying the burden of parenthood alone. This is the aspect of the show that I liked the most.
It’s also a big factor that Wakana, Hokuto, and Ema-chan's chemistry together was charming and fun, which for me is what made the show so enjoyable to watch.
There were some parts of the story, particularly on the romance aspect, that I feel like could have been omitted. To be fair, I liked Yokoi as a character, but not as a romantic rival, and that left me with a bittersweet feeling at the end.
Still, even with its flaws and all, this was a nice and happy watch for me. At the heart of the show is a beautiful message about belongingness. It’s about finding a place in this world where you can stay true to yourself and be accepted and loved by it. And I liked that.
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This review may contain spoilers
One thing is for sure. You shouldn't miss it.
This one took the body-swap plot into new enjoyable heights.It’s no surprise that when it comes to body-swapping plot, things are bound to get hilarious. Watching two people try to navigate the different nature of their opposite gender is usually headed into some awkward, funny, and at some level eye-opening situations. In short, I was already expecting this to be funny. But oh my God did this drama delivered beyond my expectations.
A lot of this drama’s charm comes from its script. It’s light, HILARIOUS, and surprisingly heartfelt. I also love that sometimes it is self-aware of its absurdity. The two leads are both kind people that you can’t help but root for. They don’t exactly have a love/hate relationship. The tension between them is merely created by the nature of their work. Both Zhang Xi Cheng and Liang Jie delivered a remarkable performance. They were casted perfectly for the roles and I felt that their chemistry together was awkwardly cute and sweet.
Watching The Day of Becoming You was such a fun delightful experience. I laughed, I cried, then laughed harder. In its entirety, I fell in love with the characters and wholeheartedly enjoyed their journey of understanding each other and inevitably falling in love with each other.
So good you shouldn't miss it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Highly predictable, but easy to enjoy
There are things that So I married An Anti-fan have that I enjoyed when it comes to rom-coms; sarcastic, funny banters, and great chemistry. Basically, if it’s a rom-com and you have these, then there’s nothing I ask for. It’s only a bonus if the show managed to somewhat logically makes sense throughout its run.That is not to say that the story didn’t have any insights to offer. The drama managed to show a glimpse of the lonely life that idols live behind the incredibly lucrative world of the K-pop industry. Even though it wasn’t a lot, I felt that by showing us the vulnerabilities of these idols, the characters felt more real and human. Just like Geun-Young, I was able to understand and empathize with Ho-Joon and In-Hyung.
However, given that this was produced way back in 2018, it definitely felt outdated in some areas. It utilizes overly used tropes in the story and an awful display of emotional abuse. So take that into consideration when watching the show.
All that said, if you are a rom-com fanatic and fans of the lead, this is going to be a sweet treat for you. It’s one of those few rom-coms, where I didn’t mind being hit by those romantic clichés that it throw.
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Another of my highlight dramas of 2021
I’m someone who feels nostalgic when it comes to school youth dramas. However, it's not a genre that I'm particularly drawn to. So I had no expectations going into this drama. But, Don't Leave After School managed to make such compelling stories that are both heartfelt and fun to watch. What I liked most about it is that it feels personal, even though it’s not or maybe I just took it personally.Watching this feels like watching the stories of people that I knew when I was in high school. The characters all felt alive that it’s honestly believable that these people exist in real life. Their experiences, although different from mine, felt too raw and honest, and I loved it. I find myself, unexpectedly, feeling touched or crying by the small simple moments in the drama.That is how effective the storytelling was to me.
Now let’s go to the interesting part, the opening sequences. This is something that sets this drama apart from the other school dramas that I have watched. I love how they choose carefully each opening sequence, each one telling the subject and character focus for each episode. It’s creative and refreshing. A brilliant move from the creators. Also, the cinematography in this is really good.
This uses a simple yet effective story-telling, a combination that is hard to do and doesn’t come along too often in tv shows. So, I say this drama is definitely worth your time.
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“We haven’t enjoyed the present yet. How can we talk about the future? ”
This is, in short, a story about three couples. Each of them faces different challenges in life, career, and relationship.Na Wei and Shen Li are a married couple in their forties. Their story went through drastic changes that are both heartbreaking and inspirational. Shen Lin is my favorite character in the entire show. She is, to me, a strong inspiration for a lot of women out there. She’s brave, smart, and loving. She knows how to stay on her ground and knows when to let go of her pride, which is admirable.
Na Juan and Xiao Yue are the youngest couple in the story. Their problem as a couple is deeply rooted in their opposite values in life, especially when it comes to career. They’re the least interesting to me. But, I have to say, I have a soft spot for Xiao Yue in my heart. She reminds me of myself a little bit. And she has made some decisions that I also made in the past. Out of the cast, she’s the one I related to the most.
Lastly, Shen Lei and Mei Lan. The couple in which I was interested the most but was disappointed because we didn’t get enough out of their story. Mei Lan is such a polarizing character. I wanted to get more of her story.
This is a solid and underrated slice of life story full of lessons.
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A must watch for Slice of Life fans out there
The plot follows our four female leads who, under different circumstances, find themselves returning to their hometown. Zhang Pei returns to establish her company’s branch in Chengdu; Dan Dan is trying to avoid her husband; and Wu Yun is assigned to work in the local community. Then there’s Jia Xi, who returned to take care of her sick mother. Each has their own set of problems to deal with that are all easy to follow and sympathize with. The story has all the classic elements of the genre that it's not too hard to predict where everything will fall.So where exactly does the magic comes from? Two words. Star chemistry.
The chemistry between the cast was just wonderful. My enjoyment of this show came from how well-executed the dynamics between the characters were. From family to friends to romantic partners, each relationship has enough heart to pull me through. I cried because I felt the anxiety of seeing your parents grow old. I remembered the hurt of being misunderstood by them. Then the sadness of the thought of losing them. I laughed because I remembered how silly I was in my younger years. Then I cried again, because there’s a part of me that missed that. I was in a cycle of laughter and tears because of this show.
Then, let’s not forget the romance. Guys, THE ROMANCE!!! I could write an entire essay about the romance in this show. But for now, I can only offer a quick breakdown. Zhang Pei and Xie Yang is everything. My blueprint. My roman empire. Dan Dan and Qi Pu are for all the noona romance fanatics out there. Wu Yun and Liu Wen Shan? Pure souls. Watching two kind-hearted people fall in love will never fail to make me believe in true love. Then Jiaxi and Yin Le—these two got me smiling and blushing with their chemistry. And again, all the actors nailed the right chemistry for their own story.
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