lils
Dramaland
Could've been great, then *puff*
It starts off so well. Seo Hyun Jin's acting skills are amazing as always, we have a smart, strong and powerful woman, ready to conquer the world. Really I don’t remember watching a revenge drama with a female lead and her strength at the beginning captivates you immediately. I was SO EXCITED!But then came all those kids (cute, ok, but out of place, come on, it was supposed to be a battlefield!), then romance (can I even call it that? I kept trying to convince myself of Gong Chan’s relevance as her emotional support, but he’s just an absurd character that came out from some pink magic box), and a super makjang plot (like, seriously? Really? Did you really have to do that?!!!), with an ordinary conclusion.
Seo Hyun Jin aside, my big disappointment this year.
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This review may contain spoilers
Expected more
So this is gonna be a long review basically because since I watched 10miles Dijun has been my biggest crush in 3L3W and I absolutely love novel’s Fengjiu. So if you’re patient enough to read this, read knowing it’ll be full of comparisons to my expectations (and ofc, spoilers).* What I liked the most: Reba and Vengo's beauty, the sweetness (those pet moments, nose kisses, forehead kisses… all the fluffiness one may ask for!). Also, how they followed most of the facts. And how they gave us the end we’ve been long asking for! (end with an in coma Fengjiu has always been too cruel, so thank so much for that!).
Not to mention that see words coming to life is always great, and I especially liked to remember things I had forgotten, understand things I hadn't understand and observe things I had passed by (after re-reading my favorite scenes, it was great to clarify many things).
Now…
* What I didn't like…
1) Minor points:
a. effects (damn, hehe, not surprising though)
b. the focus on Miao Luo ends up reducing their fight against destiny to another gods x demons. Come on, Dijun is so much more than that! He created the Huiming Realm, and he’s the one to put it back in order!
"To protect the Mortal Realm, Donghua created another world in seven nights to absorb the excess toxins which the Mortal Realm could not withstand. This world was the Huiming Realm
If one day the Miaoyi Huiming Realm were to collapse, it'd be the end of the world as they knew it"
c. some important moments missed: when he denied the book of destiny, when he clearly reject JiHeng back in FH (well, this is only for my personal interest lmao), and others.
d. missed steamy scenes (hohoho)
2) Major points:
a. The childish tone, damn, I almost dropped from the very first ep because of that. I hate that kind of “I’m dumb but cute” voice style, luckily it got better from the mortal realm.
The consequences:
~ I couldn't see the Fengjiu in my mind, that is a strong young woman who gave her everything for her teenager love, but when it didn't work, she moved on. Not that she didn’t love him anymore, but the fascination had passed. The Fengjiu I saw in the entire drama holds the silliness of the baby fox that used to idolize anything about Dijun.
~ Dijun's character got lost in the 2nd half. Yeah, he's shameless, petty, but not that childish, please!!!
b. The fact that Fegjiu knew Xize was Dijun. Why? It blocked their love and character development from both sides!
~ In the drama, we can barely note Fengjiu's loneliness, there’s no need for her to lose her hopes since she knows he was there, she knows he came for her, he confesses, he proposes. She has her teenager love feed and so she keeps it.
The novel is completely different, she feels abandoned again. Actually, if we take the part just after the fire, we can even say she was abandoned by the same man in his 3 versions: she doesn’t know Dijun is there, Chen Ye leaves her to go back home alone just after saving her, Xize, her supposed husband, is too busy worrying about her sister. This absolute solitude would never allow her to keep the same childish love. So the love she gives Xize later on is entirely new, she's ready to love someone else, someone with whom she shared good moments, someone who is there for her. Not a mere idolization. A woman's love.
~ It also blocks Dijun development. This is supposed to be his moment to realize his love, the moment he should face his regret of not knowing about her first, the fear of being too late, the fear of not being loved, the moment to fight for her love. But in the drama everything goes easy for him since she knows who he is and loves him unconditionally. His sadness in ELoD makes him look as a petty drama boy unreasonable jealous of his own shadow. A meme creator.
Sorry if I’m not holding back but I was so angry with that! After the rain scene I lost the rest of the interest and finished the drama like a mission to accomplish.
I’d say the rescue before Aranya’s dream, her breakdown after the fire, and the rain moments are my fav ones. They represent his realization of love and her last hope, her decision to give up, and his fear. They’re all essential moments to me, that I expected with high hopes and unfortunately left me disappointed (maybe exactly because I waited too much).
* Would I recommend the drama? No. The novel? Whenever I get the chance!
* My hopes: that the movie will give us the maturity the novel holds. I might even accept the change for more mature actors to play Dijun and Fengjiu (which was unacceptable for me before). But please note, not because I don’t like or trust Reba and Vengo, I’m sure they just followed directors instructions (easy to see on the different DongFeng we have in 10 miles and ELoD), but it could be hard on them to ask for a change after this.
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This review may contain spoilers
Insane Chemistry
I haven’t seen many lakorns so maybe this is why this felt so refreshing to me, but I absolutely loved it!Not sure you can call this spoiler, but I want to share how I felt about the characters (without much facts/details tho).
Let’s start talking about our leads. And not gonna lie that Mark smirk was my first love attack. I mean, the man is gorgeous, the smile, the body, gestures, damn, the man is FIRE and I was completely seduced HAHAHA. Lost count of the many times I re-watched him eating that apple. If you know, you know. And yes, shameless me!
But at the same time his personality started to disappoint me to a point that I wanted to strangle him with my own hands multiple times. Whenever I thought "ok, now we're good", he'd take 3 steps back, argh. How could you mess with my heart in this love-hate roller coaster?
In the other hand, Mew’s character started as another sweet girl but she kept bringing new faces of herself and was a constant growth in my heart. She simply became one of my favorite f. leads in dramaland. She's gorgeous, she's smart, she's sweet, strong, loyal, she loves and treasures her love with her all, without losing herself. A real diva, ladies and gentlemen!
Only the bravest heart could win that stubborn man, lol.
And just let me tell you something, * THEIR CHEMISTRY IS INSANE *. That's it. Believe me!
Our supportive mommies also felt different. The fact that Thien’s mother was always there to protect Moei, the fact that Moei’s mother always supported her daughter, respected her decisions no matter what… Best mommies!
Thien’s friends were hilarious, I loved whenever they mocked his personality lol
And I loved the message that love doesn’t come for being male/female. You . just . love. ^^
If you start watching it and aren’t sure if you’re liking it, please don’t drop it from the beginning, wait the first big change of events before deciding it! I won’t say more. HA!
Brief, highly recommend, hope you have fun! Gonna miss them so much!
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Makjang to psycho levels
I usually write reviews only by the end, but idk, maybe I just need to take it out of my mind so I can keep on going.With 13 eps watched, this has to be the most makjang plot I have watched. Seriously. The number of unnecessary fights, psycho characters, frustrating leads, endless harassment... all to insanity levels. If how bad women are treated by men is nothing new to lakorns, the way women treat themselves is highly depressing here. How they fight themselves for guys, not even for affection but pure and simple survival, as if they have no values without a guy's backup, - be him a lover, a father, or a son. I'm recommending psychological help to every character, the writer, and maybe even myself for keep watching it.
I've been trying to figure out why I don't drop it and to name good things about it:
- the first and the best and the only thing you can't say anything bad about is definitely Lup Kun, the child is suuuuper adorable, smart and mature, you'll fall for him and will want to protect him at any cost.
- his interactions with our lead guy, pls my ovaries scream every time and I don't even plan on being a mother.
- our praek when he behaves decently (maybe 50-60% of the time?) he's also super cute, love the smile!
- our couple, the *very few* times they're actually in peace and together they make a sweet team pleasant to the eyes, it's just a real shame that these moments are very very few.
So basically, if you're watching it already, let's embrace ourselves and "fighting, we can do this!". If you're wondering if you should watch it, I recommend you to look for something else, as cute as our about-to-become-family can be, they don't compensate your peace of mind and brain cells.
Edit: finally done. Tbh after some point I think I finished this just to see how low it could get, and damn, that was low.
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Extra points for the chemistry
What to say about this lakorn?If you’re here for Mike and Mook, than it’s definitely worth checking, they’re gorgeous as always, their chemistry amazing and I love each one of their scenes together. Also, the little one is adorable and the interactions father-son, in their own little world, were so damn precious and melted my heart.
But,
If you’re looking for a good drama, then this is probably NOT the one. Super old-fashioned kind of plot/humor, jokes that shouldn’t exist before and even less in 2021.
Exemplifying (inevitable SPOILERS, but minors, read at your own risk): sound of an elephant when a fat person falls, the use of body to obtain things, how “funny” it is to have men “escaping” home to go to brothels. And the worse, they dared to make fun of having the father in law trying to get into his daughter in law’s bed. Like, WTF. Let’s not even talk the unreasonable repulse mother and daughter had to Dao. Oh, and I seriously worry about the actors’ healthy, the much they screamed the entire drama I’m sure they needed throat treatment. Finally, not one or two but FOUR crazy reject girls being obsessed about the lead guy (yeah, he’s hot, totally agree, but come on…).
Rant done. Is this drama worth checking? It all depends on what you’re looking for. I finished it because the leads’ chemistry is phenomenal and gave me strength to keep going. If you don’t know them yet and want a good drama, I highly suggest you to watch Maturot Lohgan instead. Surreal chemistry, interesting plot, great characters and action scenes… one of my faves!
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Absolutely need to watch kind of drama!
First, a warn: be careful, because I’ve never been this addicted to a drama like this time, I just can’t fully enjoy (or better saying, can’t watch) any other 'cause Search www has my entire heart. You can easily suffer from the same disease!Now... this is an absolutely need to watch kind of drama!
We’re talking about three strong, independent and assertive f. characters that will converte (in a very natural way!) many stereotypes between men/women in society. Btw, not only them, but every supporting character has its own strength and will equally collaborate to it. There’s no filling here, our good, not so good and bad ladies will do it all!
To show that the girl power is not limited to work, we have also different romances with one thing in common, our guys here are the puppies that will bring the cuteness usually represented by f. characters. They’ll give us the sweetness, they'll give us the mental support.
As a strong Tammy and Morgan stan, I highly appreciate each of their conversations, they always bring us something to reflect on about ourselves or to learn about other’s opinion.
Knowing the many conflicts in the audience about Morgan’s character, I ask you to put your (generally speaking please) trust issues aside for a moment, he’s the purest creature out there. A mature and composed man to the world, but an innocent child who’s just looking for love in front of Tammy.
The cinematography is different and will catch you attention in every scene, really beautifully done. OST is perfect, Scent, Milk way between us and Millennial love will always give me goosebumps.
Worth saying that not only the plot is interesting but the writer was able to keep plot and characters consistent to their roles untill the very end. Kwon Eun Sol, I’ll make sure to follow your every work from now on!
Now, if you’re still reading this… enough wasting time, time to start watching already ! (:
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Great acting and lots of tears
Basically,if you're looking for great acting and strong characters, this might be your drama.
if you're looking for fluffy and romance, I suggest you to skip this. It'll make you starve and live from crumbs, * very few crumbs. *
I started this with no previous information, but simply because I fell in love with Cheng Yi after watching him in LaR. And in matters of acting, he did not disappoint. At all. The guy is amazing and I'll make sure to follow his dramas from now on. Prove? I've been watching cdramas for 3 years now but had never really cried watching them, also, had been long since I cried over dramas in general these days, but this guy just got me ugly sobbing for 3 days.
Cheng Xu has my love, and my heart badly aches for him.
The actress playing Ming Yu did also great and I really enjoyed her character. Her smart brain, her confidence, her righteous way of thinking are to be praised and admired!
Tbvh, I can't remember a better matching couple in dramaland. My problem then? The plot development. A highly frustrating and stressing plot development, that I'd have dropped if not for the acting and how I became attached to these poor souls.
So my suggestion, if you're looking for a tearjerker with great leading characters and superb acting skills, grab your tissues and enjoy the ride!
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The amazing Tor Thanapob
If you're looking for romance, then run. This is not what you're looking for. The girl is annoying and the guy is a ball of rage and hate, as much as he loves her, his way of showing it is pretty questionable, to say the least.If you're looking for a smart lead, a good revange plot and great acting (well, as least from our male lead) I suggest you to start it right away! Tor Thanapob did simply FANTASTIC! He's captivating, you'll root for him and his schemes with your whole heart and you will have a satisfied smile on your face as he put his plots into action!
I came here just after watching him in The Last Promise and both characters are so different and he owned my heart both times in completely different ways. I'll make sure to follow his projects from now on!
Also the actress who played Aunt Mam is such a badass queen is a pleasure to watch her. She is beautiful, she's smart, she's a fighter. She's powerful!
My only problem with the lakorn was the female lead, be with the actress' (lack of) acting skills that were even more in evidence thanks to Tor superb work, or with how useless was her character. Every "pi tor" that comes out of her mouth gives me goosebumps, in horror. I'd have given the drama a 9, instead of 8, if not for her. Anyway, if she bothers you too, just skip it, trust me, you won't miss a thing to the main plot; the revenge, well, is totally worth of your time!
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Great action
If you're looking for the human rights theme... you might be disappointed, tbvh. They basically have nice nice speach here and there but the theme is lost in their actions.But, you're looking for an action lakorn than this is amazing! Well, at least the first part, personally I think it would've been an amazing 10-12 eps, after it basically dragged, but it was still watchable.
But ahhh, the initial fights... I loved so much! The best I've seen so far!
I also LOVE the ost, the main song kind~a became my fight song, one that you listen to and get powered up to go and do whatever you need!
The romance wasn't big deal, maybe it wasn't really necessary, but worked for me to not get tired of so much bad things, fighting and killing, so it wasn't bad.
Overall, worth checking.
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The most heartwarming plot
The more and more I’ve been skipping dramas/movies synopses’ since they’re rarely able to pass the essence of the plot. Facts, still ok, but not all the meaningful things hidden in them.This is specially true for dramas like Tonbi, that may look quite simple, the story of a father and son, nothing really spectacular, but Tonbi is the prove that dramas don’t need love triangles, serial killers or revenge plot to be entertaining.
Life itself is an emotional ride just like we see this father and son growing up and learning together, and with the great people around them that look much more like huge and warm family.
I laughed a lot, cried almost in every episode (when I’m rarely crying over dramas these days) and not for sadness but just because it was beautiful to watch. Like it’s said, I thought people would smile when they’re really happy, but I was wrong, they cry. That was exactly me watching this.
Enjoyed everything about it and highly recommend for everyone. A heartwarming plot, with a strong cast and great life lessons!
Btw, a special attention for little Akira who is just a super precious little creature impossible not to love. And a big thanks to Takeru since I’d probably have missed this gem if I hadn’t fall in love with him and been stalking all his projects. The man knows how to choose them!
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This review may contain spoilers
Sweet and strong couple
Brief, reasons to watch this lakorn:- A strong, smart, funny and super cute fl
- A strong, shy and super sweet ml
- A couple that fight together and flirt from the beginning to the end!
- Parents who are longtime friends and more than happy to see their children together
- No obsessive sl
Ok, there's a second couple too, tho I didn't get really attached to the actress' second character. But they're ok, the guy did a good job, and the actress is the same so you can't help to admire how she played both so well. It's just that personally I'd forget about them when I have such a perfect main pairing and characters, so... let's just say it's my personal preference.
Anyway, highly recommend (:
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Watching Hiramasa’s insecurities and worries might have been a bit frustrating but it was 100% relatable, I like the way he exposed the difficulties someone with low self-steam has to express themselves, and how it may cause misunderstandings.
As someone with the same kind of problem, it was also good to see the other side, to know that we don’t need to be so apprehensive about things we do or say, nor think that we’re a burden. Maybe being brave to say what you think could be enough to avoid many problems.
The way cultural differences became evident was great too, who could imagine that hugging could need so much training? lol
The comparison they frequently do between marriage and working life was also interesting, maybe not the most romantic kind but it reflected logic and real life. Plus, it doesn’t mean it was not nice to watch to, they made a super cute and funny couple that was a pleasure to look at!
Anyway, just wanted to do my part recommending this great drama. Romance, humor, slice of life, good content and a recall on the many kinds of love out there. Have fun!
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