This is probably the best well done crime mystery Korean drama ever. From the beginning till the end. And probably one of the fewest dramas that actually gets better and better by each episode and not the other way around which is the case with more than 93% of dramas. Personally I loved it from the first episode and was invested by each week more and more until I didn't have what to invest no more cause drama just captured and took my whole heart and soul somewhere in the middle.
What is the most important thing about this drama and from my point of view are its characters and their development. Considering it was announced to be more like thriller, murders, real crimes and more in style of OCN, I honestly didn't expect that human and touching side. But that's the real thing and the biggest advantage of Signal. It managed to affect us, to emotionally put us on hardest tests, to break our hearts over and over again and leave us with so many life lessons and deepness that it'll take a while till we get back to normal. ;)
I loved the main story and plot yet it was nothing authentic or unique; I loved the settings, colours and atmosphere of this drama yet I've seen much darker and similar dramas from that aspect; I loved how they solved the cases and by each episode something new and unknown appears and yet I've seen something similar too. But all that which was good and well done with characters like these, that I still haven't seen and that comes from someone who watched over 700 dramas. :P

Three main characters were..I'm thinking which word to use to describe those characters and actors who portrayed them. I'd say PERFECT. LITERALLY. That word came to my mind cause nothing less simply can not tell how outstanding they were. First of all characters- I loved all three of them in a different way but equally. Little by little they crawled under my skin, engraved in my heart and soul and occupied my mind for a lifetime. Cha Soo Hyun with her past self- so heartwarming, clumsy, brave, naive and so cute and present self- so tortured, devastated, cold and never giving up in search for detective Lee; Park Hae Yeong who was till the end the same guy who wanted the truth, justice, solving murders and finding culprits and giving the bad guys what they deserve, I find him so pitiful cause he felt guilty for everything that happened and you could see how that guilt was tearing him apart, he tore me apart too, I felt every single one of his emotions, his anger, his grief, his disappointment, his determination to save those closed to him; and Detective Lee Jae Han- I think this teddy bear has captured so many women's heart all over the world. I mean it would be weird if he hasn't won cause man is the best and most admirable detective ever written in history of dramaland, the one who went till the end for the price of losing his own life, the one who never wanted to give up, the one who fought against the most powerful ones in the country, the one who believed in justice and truth, the one who never lost hope, even when he maybe looked that way, he still was moving forward. I could never describe him close enough cause his actions, his mind and heart have to be seen and experienced, Jae Han is simply a man with only virtues and with one big huge good heart. I loved his dorky side, his clumsiness in romantic development, his relationship and interactions with Soo Hyun, his ultimate bromance and powerful bond with Hae Yeong, I simply fell too much in love with those three people.

And the actors, how they portrayed their roles it was terrific and incredible. I truly didn't think that they'll bring so many tears to appear in my eyes, so many heart- wrenching emotions, so many strong feelings of sadness, laughing, grief, devastation, desire to just see them alive and fine in the end. Kim Hye Soo, a wonderful and beautiful actress who made her character to come to life, who gave fully enjoyable performance and who in last couple of episode killed me with her raw, honest deepest feelings; Lee Je Hoon, the one whom I loved from way before and here he only confirmed why I love him that much, his natural way of acting, his unique voice, his beautiful profile and nose (I had to mention that too :P), beside him Hae Yeong was a real person whom I could easily meet on the street, he did an amazing and fantastic job in portraying his character, he ripped my soul few times in drama for sure; And veteran brilliant actor Jo Jin Woong who previously won me as Moo Hyul in TWDR, well I can say with certainty that his performance definitely made me like this, that I won't be able to watch some new drama with same excitement as before, I cried, I yelled, I laughed, I wanted to kill those bastards who tried to hurt him and I died, all of these states and conditions I've passed and experienced only because of him and his portrayal of Detective Lee, magnificent and poignant portrayal indeed. ?

Music was the second best thing here alongside the actors. Actually music was one of those best things cause everything was actually so great about this drama. I'm a real music fan and music is very very important to me and truthfully Signal has the best OST ever. (beside ost's from some historical dramas), Kim Yuna's The Road climbed to my top songs and it captured me and imprinted in my soul like no other song, I find it very heartbreaking, emotional, full of pure feelings with such nostalgic and melancholic vibes, so beautiful.

There were some minor things that bothered me and stopped me from giving a 10 (like walkie-talkie, explanation about the very end and why detective Lee done what he's done in the end, too much of coincidences..) but really those weren't things that were huge and some big flaws, just something that came to my mind. The best thing is the script and how amazingly writers didn't mess up the story and they explained all so well, I didn't have any confusion or some big questions, so remarkable.

What else is there to say about Signal? I already told even more but just couldn't write less, that is how much this drama effected me and how much this drama means to me. Most certainly the best drama of 2016., the best Korean crime drama and one of the very best dramas from Asia. I won't ever forget this drama, its characters, actors who played them, music and I don't think in the near future some similar drama to this one will appear. Nor I want that. I want for this one to be unique, original and the one who will have that special place inside of my heart that no other drama could ever take it.
Just watch it. Watch it and see it for yourself, see why all of us think this is a wonderful drama despite how someone will rate it 8,9 or 10, the bottom line is that we all loved it. And it was worth it.

Citeste mai mult

I've never written a movie review before so this will be my first one. I guess this movie had that much influence on me. ;)
I always say how war movies are not my favourite genre and how they are too hard to digest. That being said I have to say that there are some war movies which are definitely worth seeing and this one is one of them. Actually this one is probably the best war movie ever made and no American or any other movie could get close to this one. And I say that with some real facts.

It started out like so many other movies, a short clip of the present and then a long flashback. And then it blew me away with its depiction of war and all of its complexities. There are many elements of 'Taegukgi' that elevate the film from the status of standard war film to a message of hope set against the backdrop of war. The film's scope is grand, dealing with the far more intimate themes of family, brotherhood, and personal responsibility. At its core, 'Taegukgi' is the story of two brothers, a strikingly poignant analogy for the entire North Korea / South Korea dilemma. While the battlefield choreography is as frenetic as it is harrowing, it never takes the film's center: this picture is founded on relationships – the human perspective to the world outside – and it never falters. Instead of focusing on history, Kang Je-Gyu crafts every scene to highlight the thoughts, actions, and emotions of the participants of history, and, for that, 'Taegukgi' deserves countless praises.

The film also spares no effort in showing us the ability of bullets, knives and bombs to turn human beings into squishy piles of gore. Cinematography is amazing and the camera work in most of the moments seems to be a documentary, so realistic it is. It's full of death, terrible events, sadness, tears, fears, full of strongest emotions that war brings and you're kinda expecting all that. But still your heart is tearing apart and breaking into million pieces.
The ending of the film won't come as much of a surprise, since it's basically foretold at the start with a scene set in the present day. The exact details might be a little unexpected though. And although you're kinda expecting that one too, still you cry and ocean, no two oceans of tears, honestly my head ached from all the tears I had. It takes to much off your heart and soul to watch this, no doubt.

As for actors who start in this movie, just these two names are enough and you'll know it has to be some masterpiece: Won Bin and Jang Dong-gun. They are perfect for playing in tragic, dark and serious movies, they already proved it (one in My Way, the other one in Man From Nowhere, they played in the best Korean movies separately and now together in one which was even better than those two :P).
Won Bin as a younger brother who was weak with his health was really grandiose, from at first sight weak boy, he turns to be so strong and brave and ready to fight for his own beliefs against everyone even against his own brother. He was constantly on the side of innocents and he hated war and killing more than anything else and it's shown very detailed on his face, his gestures, his expressions how he struggled and was disgusted by all the horrors of the war.
Jang Dong-gun as Jin-tae was magnificent, he was a shine and glory of this terribly harsh movie. I can't remember when some character made me cry so much and feel so much pain, it was too painful to see him talking to his brother, there was one scene when he's saying to Jin-seok how he was dream and hope of their family, how he's not regretting giving up school and shining shoes for him, how they sacrificed so much to make it possible for him to study, that one scene has graved into my heart like one of the most powerful scene ever shown in movies. You could literally feel his endless love for his little brother and that exact moment was when I cried my heart and soul out.
In the further happenings it was very painful and hard but also very realistic and amazing to see how director forces Jin-tae to explore his own budding evil, how he turned mad and furious full of everlasting rage towards everything and this journey is not without its own relative scars. Once a man has crossed over and embraced wartime madness, can he ever truly find a way out? Maybe it was too much and maybe he went too far to accept that madness, and for us maybe too unbelievable but it was still a small thing and wasn't enough to put a shadow on this movie. But it was also necessary to bring the aspect of brotherhood full circle, to have these two unique men face their darkest hour, and to make one final statement on the role that family inevitably plays in every man's life.

The music was really perfect and so fitting, how slowly started to be louder and louder and more powerful with some bigger scenes going on. It really added more emotions and feelings.

This movie makes you feel like you're on the battlefield with these soldiers, with these two brothers and sharing their destiny. It's harsh realism only heightens the emotion. It is undoubtedly a masterpiece and I truly can't see anyone not being affected by this movie. Just remember to keep the tissues close by for this one cause you're gong to need it , like the whole box of them. Superb, grandiose, glorious piece of art and undeniably the best Korean movie ever made.
How it's possible this movie hasn't been nominated to the Oscar? Well it's probably cause its high quality goes way beyond that. There's no way I could give some score lower than 10. And 10 it is.

Citeste mai mult

Wonderful family drama which captures you from the first second and do not let go until the end and when it's finished you want to see more, how they continue their lives, how they got married, had kids and all their lives until the death. That's why I gave this score. I mean if you only read the cast you instantly become scared, you become scared whether this drama is going to be some masterpiece or some drama ruined by all those famous names, which happens a lot in American movies and shows. Fortunately, it was the first case- you get to see a masterpiece drama. Why? Well, it is ordinary drama indeed, with a family members living together, fighting, loving, crying, smiling, having many issues which is something pretty usual and nothing special. Yes, it sounds like that but when you watch only a first episode you could see how you're becoming more and more interested in further development, how you're becoming suddenly addictive. At leas I was 'till the last second of a show.

Acting was...BRILLIANT, MIND BLOWING AND INCREDIBLE. As expected from all those actors. 10 points to Eita, 10 to Hikari, 10 to Satoshi, 10 to Aoi, even 10 to Masami (the girl just proved in this drama how good she can be). I don't have to write about their acting, every true Japanese fan knows about them and how genius they are. I'm only going to say that the chemistry they had was so amazing, all of them, between every single family member, how they loved one each other, how they fought, how they protected one another, whatever problems they had, and they had a lot of them through the whole drama, they stayed together because they're family. There is a sentence which Asahi said at the end:" Anywhere we go, we are family. A family that is inseparable. That needs no reason.' And that's exactly the point of a drama. FAMILY.
I think I was the most touched by the eldest son who was honestly suffered the most to achieve all that and keeps of all them together in a place to live, food to eat and proper education to have. And the second son who was played by my dearest Eita, two of them were so fantastic, I've enjoyed in their scenes, and scenes with their only sister who was such a sweet, delightful creature, with every brother she showed different relationship, she was like a soul of their family. All scenes between them, funny, sad, angry, crazy, all the emotions that exist in this world I think that they delivered us all of them in only 11 hours. Simply magnificent.

Music was ok, nothing much but quietly in the background fitted good to the atmosphere.
This drama is a story about human emotions, about family gathered together and their stories and lives, each character was so well written, even the side characters were perfect.
At the end, this sentence really hit me and got deep in the heart. "What's wrong with crying when I want to cry? That's what a human being is supposed to do."
Definitely a drama with so many messages and lessons about life and humans which all of us should listen and be aware of. I'm truly thankful for having a opportunity to see this amazing piece.

Citeste mai mult

These days I'm really into old Japanese dramas, and I have enjoyed in almost most of them. The actors were pretty amazing back in the day, they still are only they're not young anymore. Anyway I started to watch this one, I liked the story very much, the actors, I loved Takako in Long love letter (one of my favourite dramas) and in Beautiful life, and Toyokawa Etsushi, well about him I think that the words are unnecessary, he is one of the best actors ever and when he was younger he was a real stud. ;-)
So, this drama has won me from the start. With such a strong chemistry between them and from the first second (reminded me of MARS and the chemistry between the main couple from there) I was hypnotized. The story was really great and Toyokawa has done the job like a real pro, how he portrayed the deaf, emotional artistic painter, it was fascinating, he has captured my heart and my mind right away. Not to mention his great looking and his tallness, just for the record he was smoking hot. Of course that is just a plus to the story.
And somewhere until the episode 9 it was fantastic drama but then everything was ruined. I would easily give it a strong 9.5 or even a 10 but I was very very mad about the last three episodes, it was completely unnecessary, stupid and wrong way of writing. I mean I hated the female lead, she was annoying all the time with her screaming, yelling and overly dramatic scenes, this time I hated Takako's character. Somehow I managed through the whole drama to be cool with her character because she loved him and their chemistry was worth watching even just for their kissing and love scenes, all those scenes were simply beautiful, so passionate, sweet, full of lust and real things with very natural relationship but that moment in drama when she did what she did was enough for me to lose my interest in a happy and beautiful ending, even more I would be more happy if the drama took different kind of event at the end. At least I know how I would act in that situation.
No, really, this female character became one of the most hated characters ever in my dramaland and I am truly sorry because of that 'cause this drama had such a potential with a great story, brilliant acting, especially from Toyokawa , you could feel everything that he felt without saying a word and you could just be carried away with his expression of emotions through the sign language, simply magnificent, and it didn't work out at the end. They ruined it with a betrayal in the worst kind of way and at the most important moment.
I gave it this score because of everything that I have already pointed out what was good and the biggest part of this score is because of the most natural, real expressions of love and attractiveness which was abnormally strong and high. Also this drama is indeed a Japanese classic so it should be on everyone's list, it is a real romance drama with a very great actors and storyline regardless of a few mistakes in it.
I think that it's never enough to see a great love story that it seems so real to the core.

Citeste mai mult

As I can see, there are a lot of reviews about this drama so I won't be long. I already knew that I'm going to love it and that was the reason why I've put aside this drama as long as I could. I have watched all dramas with So Ji Sub and this one I deliberately waited to be the last one with him as a main lead. And I wasn't wrong. This is no doubt his best performance (along side with the movie Rough cut), every little thing he has done as a Moo Hyuk was fantastic, not to mention his look in there, perfectly handsome and beautiful. ;-) And those famous sentences :Do you want to eat, or kiss me? Do you want to eat, or live with me? Do you want to eat, or sleep with me? Do you want to eat, or die... with me?!, I have heard in many dramas so even then I knew this is the classic that I have to see. ;-)
The actors were great especially Im Su Jeong and Ji Sub, they really showed us why they're one of the best actors out there. The story itself is already seen but we have to consider that this drama aired 10 years ago and since then many dramas similar to this one have been made but in that time it was pretty much original. Well for me, it still is, even now because of the amazing acting, great romance and true love, importance of being alive and health and mature thoughts all the way. Oh yes, not to mention OST and Snow flower which perfectly fits in every scene.
I tried to stay cold and not cry because I knew how it's going to end but still I have finished with the tears in my eyes. This is a drama that I think people should see, it is a Korean classic and if you're a fan of SJS, that is a plus more to watch. For me it was enjoyable and a great drama to watch although it is sad and bitter but has really sweet family moments and true emotions of loving someone despite everything. And the chemistry is of course great between them, they were very convincing and realistic in all the scenes they had together, love them as a couple.

Citeste mai mult

If more dramas are like this one, we'd live in drama heaven. I can only say this one is a drama for everyone. This drama became such a little gem for me and it will stay as something golden in my heart. Things inside this drama could happen to every one of us, stories of these gorgeous 5 women could every one of us experience, someone already did and someone will do. Realism that surrounds this drama is so high and you could feel it in your bones. Heartwarming, heartbreaking, touching, funny, beautiful and deep drama about 5 girls living together who encounter so many life situations where they become friends and where they share such deep bond that stays for a lifetime. I am so sad that it has only 12 episodes and that some things I wished so hard didn't happen but at the same time I love it for its cool ending, life continues, who knows what will happen with them, their love lives, etc. and we can only wish for the best for them.

Actresses did a really good job, where three of them really got into me, into my heart for real. Han Ye Ri as Senior Yoon- her scenes were the most heartbreaking to watch, her strength, her will, her on the surface coldness and her good heart were shown in every tiny detail, I admired her from the beginning till the end, and Ye Ri is one of my favourite Korean actresses. ? Ryu Hwa Young as Senior Kang- strong, cool, sexy, feminine, interesting, mysterious and so damn beautiful, this girl has won me and I totally fell in love. She was for me the most caring one, the one who was there secretly for all of them doing all that she could, simply a true friend that I'd be proud to have. And Park Eun Bin as Song- oh boy what a unique piece of art, I totally cheered for her 100%, she is crazy, funny, positive, talkative, confident yet shy, she has such a pure heart and always up for some weird and original stuff, she really steals your heart with her charm and wittiness. Yes all of them have their own flaws which is totally normal and I love them even more cause of that, in the end no living creature is flawless. The other two girls were maybe the weaker part for me, couldn't get into their characters nor the way they were dealing with some situations but hey, it'd be a fairy tale if all the girls are strong, smart, confident and cool. This way we get to see 5 different kind of women that slowly start to like each other and become so close.

Side characters were also good, those men have done pretty good job with their roles and I liked that, how every person in this drama had some importance. I had a real feeling like I was a part of that gang, that bunch of not ordinary women and that I am involved with their family and love lives. And I liked their apartment very much and that Belle Epoque's Landlady, she was so awesome.
Music is very nice with lots of wonderful songs, I really find every melody appropriate in certain scene and definitely added a more beautiful feeling.

This is kind of drama that you could talk about all the time, kind of drama that you could watch and rewatch and that every time you see and feel something new, the kind of drama that gives you such insight in how other women or different age live and it will tell you how the real life works, with nothing to make it bubblier of fluffier. If you're curious to see that, then Age of Youth is a perfect choice. Enjoyable, lovely, amazing and precious ride it was for me and I do hope deep inside of my heart for a second season. ;)

Citeste mai mult

As I read all the reviews for this drama and saw the comments from many people with different tastes, I decided to watch although I watch these kind of dramas very rarely and unwillingly. The main reason for that is because the most of Korean rom coms are so much unrealistic with some stupid female characters or stupid and annoying side characters or with the lack of chemistry between the leads with no psychical contact and when they do something like kiss or, God forbid, something more, it's so awkward and weird that you question yourself and think why I watch these kind of unrealistic and stupid dramas. Anyway something was telling me that this is going to be different and I just love Park Seo Joon (he is so beautiful, tall, great at singing) so he was the reason number one. Number two was Uhm Jung Hwa, she is the actress I really respect and watch since long time ago and I was curious how she would look and act in this kind of drama. The story itself isn't nothing special, or should I say it's pretty ordinary and not so interesting but then why I was so satisfied and happy while watching it? The answer is simple. Main couple was so adorable and had an amazing chemistry I have seen really rarely lately, Interactions between them, hugs, kisses on the lips, head, hand, cheek, their silliness and funny talks, oh my, just every detail was so natural and real and sweet, it was like I was living in their world and like I was there beside them like one of the friends. And the age difference between the actors is 19 years which is very big difference and yet you just don't notice that at all, not one single moment.
The music was pretty good, I like the main song very much. Yoon Hyun Min's character was my favourite, since Cruel city I started to stalk this actor, he is good but has no many roles. In this drama he is great and so funny and I liked very much the bromance between him and Dong Ha, they really love one each other, true friends. Also Ji Yeon's mum was so good, and Ji Yeon's friend Na Rae very funny. I was truly enjoying in this drama and I didn't expect that at all. Laughing, sweetness, happiness, all the most beautiful emotions I have experienced while watching this drama.\
This is a recommendation for everyone to watch because you will enjoyed in Witch's romance and you'll fall in love with Dong Ha's character. He is what you call, A PERFECT MAN IN EVERY ASPECT. And he is good from the start, he's not some kind of rich jerk who behave badly and then suddenly become good. In his case-what you see is what you get, he is honest, sweet, a true gentleman, has a sense of humor, have a good heart, considerate towards other people and when he falls for you, he won't betray you no matter what. OH MY. I fell in love with him from the first moment I saw him. ;-)

Citeste mai mult

This movie hit me right on the spot. I had to pluck up the courage to watch it cause it deals with very sensitive topic for me and since I've experienced the same thing he did it was one tough, overwhelmed and hearbreaking ride. But I had to do that. It's definitely one of the most emotional movies I have ever seen. Why? Well because it shows not only relationship between him and his mother which was so beautiful, powerful and strong going through many obstacles in life, it also shows the whole process of one person going through cognition, denial and acceptance of being ill from cancer. It shows us whole her life from the moment she got sick while fighting, while bearing alone all that horrible pain always with a smile on her face, surviving and slowly dying from pains of chemotherapy and then in the end sharing that pain and sorrow with her son. She never gave up, she fought until the very last breath, oh how she reminded me of my mom in some moments. it was so so difficult to watch, at many scenes I let my soul cries out and I sobbed and sobbed and sobbed...
Actually it took me 5 hours to finish it cause I had to pause at every few minutes, my eyes were filled with tears. All I can say it was worth it, this is really one of those movies which will affect you no matter what, too many powerful emotions are involved, love, respect, admiration, positivism, despair, devastation, fight, hope, sorrow and grief. Odagiri was brilliant in his expressions, his gestures while holding his mother and being scared like a little child, while knowing that she won't make it but still staying strong cause he learned that from her. She- so full of life, cooking, dancing, smiling, living her life to the most positive way possible, giving all her love to her son, doing everything for him, and still enjoying in her own things. What a grand parent she was, quietly enduring everything, secretly doing things for him supporting him in every way possible- simply cause sacrifice mothers make for their children is really priceless. Kiki and Odagiri felt so much like real mother and son, they had amazing chemistry and all things they did together felt so real and natural, incredible actors for sure.
So in the end no matter how much I felt lost and devastated, I felt even more proud, happy and whole cause I had an honor to have mom similar like Eiko was.
Going through all stages in life, showing us his life since he was a kid until he became a grown up man, this movie simply has one ultimate message: love your mom, respect her, spend as more time as possible with her in as more as possible positive way cause life is really too short and at any moment any one of us could disappear from this world. Appreciate those times, taking care of your parents, cherish them cause family bond is the strongest power of all the powers in the universe.

Citeste mai mult

One of the best xianxia dramas I say. I tend to be pretty strict when it comes to movies especially of this genre but with dramas it's different. If I can see good character development, good chemistry, good fighting scenes and decent script I can overlook bad special effects and production. But in this one actually everything was pretty fine- decent effects and script and I loved the characters. I can't remember when I got attached to some villains and loved them more than main characters like it was the case with JoF.

First I fell in love with sceneries, landscapes and all the journey they have gone through, then constant battles, adventures, travelling, and wonderful music followed in every important scene and the last I was mesmerized by villains or supposed to be villains. You'll start this drama most cause of Wallace and Zanilia (which was the case with me too, I love them so much) but then you'll slowly start to notice others and put the main couple somewhere behind, I didn't think not even slightly that I won't like Wallace and that he'd be so unimportant to me. But it happened that way.
Cause Sha Qian Mo aka Jiejie and Dongfang have to be the best characters ever. I got too attached to them, I was excited and so impatiently waiting for next episode just so that I could watch them, their interactions with Hua Qian Gu, their ideas, thoughts and actions. Some of the best lines in this drama come from them, there were two lines which have engraved in my soul for the rest of my life. One was said by Sha Qian Mo: "Bai Zi Hua, if you dare hurt her for your sect, I will slaughter your entire sect. If you harm her for the world, I will massacre the people of the world!”- this scene was for me so powerful that I got goosebumps all over my body; and the other one said by Dongfang: "You must live on, even if no one in this world loves you, you need to love yourself."- my favourite sentence in this drama.

Let me tell you about those two guys- Sha Qian Mo a Holy Ruler, the strongest demon and the main evil guy but oh boy how he was everything else except evil. I loved him cause he was all for fair game, for no games and tricks, how he saved many times most of the characters in this drama and how he wasn't hypocrite, he was honest and loyal till the end. I can only bow to him, sweetest jiejie. Ma Ke did a brilliant job in portraying him and his costumes, hair, gestures, beauty- simply he was the most beautiful character; beside him the one who conquer my heart and the one whom I love the most is Dongfang- the most intelligent and clever creature in this drama. I could write all day about him but I'll only say a few words. Cunning, dangerous, calculating, manipulative villain who used people only to get what he wanted and to satisfy his thirst for revenge. Yes I admit he was like that but I can only admire him cause from all of them he was the only human without any divine and real power, he was a human being who had to use his own strength and brain to survive and in all the process he did hurt some people but actually he didn't hurt nor kill anyone innocent. He protected, loved, took care of Hua Qian Gu by any means and nothing wasn't more important than that, not even his revenge. His chemistry with Zanilia was amazing, their simple touches, hugs, natural behavior, conversations, I rooted for them and they are one of my fav. couples for sure, somehow I didn't feel that much chemistry between her and Shifu, I guess it was cause they didn't show us that strong and powerful love like it is in the novel. Anyway Dongfang will stay forever as one of the character I love the most, for whom I cried, laughed and cheered the most. ?

And in the end about our two main characters- Zanilia was so cute and sweet, she did a good job in acting and even better she was as a Demon Goddess, I think she should take more roles like this one to get out from the image of sweet, innocent good girl like in most dramas. Wallace was good as always, his character was like that- so cold, emotionless, ruthless and brutal that at times I was thinking how she could fall in love with him in the first place. I only saw his endless love for her at the very end and I think their love was too destructive and wrongly portrayed, I couldn't involve in their story almost at all, only at times I cheered and enjoyed in their scenes together.
As for the rest, I think that everyone did a decent job in acting and what I loved about this drama is how nothing is what it seems. The ones who were evil demons actually were more humans than the ones who supposed to be good immortals and leaders of sects. I hated all those hypocrites in sects, I won't name them but some of them deserved to die in the most horrible and terrible way.

I enjoyed in this drama so much, it has many flaws and things which bothered me very much but because of those characters I came to love and because of wonderful landscapes, music and costumes, I overlooked them.

Definitely from my point of view drama worth watching and after watching you'll see why I said all this, its details, side happenings and characters are what made her to be this addictive and one of the finest in xianxia and wuxia genre.

Citeste mai mult

" It's competition not sympathy. Nor is it modesty. Competitions rely on abilities. Using all of your sweat and desperation, taking out all of your efforts, trying to the best of your abilities to get the champion cup. That's the spirit of competition."- Ruo Bai I loved this drama. Yes I did like it and no I didn't think I would. I love sport so much, I love sport theme and genre in dramas and this one is one of the best in that genre. It was so refreshing, so relaxing, it got me all energetic, persistent, happy and in love. It may seem a bit draggy in first 10 episodes but once the whole story is there it really gets cool. It wasn't some mind blowing drama nor it wasn't some masterpiece but it was clever enough. Why I liked it this much I have more than one reason. First of all, character development is great, I really like the way they made characters grow, become mature and how they changed for the better. I loved many sentences in this drama, I think the script is pretty decent for this kind of drama, comedyromsport drama and two leads are cute and amazing. Qi Bai Cao is brave, cool, impulsive, loyal person who doesn't give up even if she had to die, she fights 100% to become the best, she trusts in her people and her teacher no matter what anyone else says, she is hardworking girl who got there on top with her own abilities, sweat and efforts even if she wasn't the most talented one she believed in hard work and withstanding till the end. Ruo Bai is..well he became my favourite male character from modern dramas (after Mahoro's Gyoten and IWGP's Takashi). Ruo Bai is selfless, intelligent, cold guy who is an ordinary guy without money or prestige or rich family to support him and give him everything. He through hard work got there where he was and through his beliefs he succeeded. I fell in love with him cause of his mind, cause of his selfless deeds, cause for him actions are important, not words, cause he did so many thing for the people he cared about without even telling them what he did. It's when his friend described him "He will always talk less but do more", that was it. In one sentence he actually said everything I thought about him,and that's why he became my dearest guy. The guy has it all. ;) He didn't need any recognition for what he did. Cause it's simply his deepest honest heart. Admirable for sure. I love how slowly feelings are developing by each episode, how story is so realistic and ordinary, I like both of them, they are hard working people who have faith, determination, will and courage to live, fight and strive for the best with their pure, honest and loyal hearts. And their chemistry is so good, I'm so sad they won't be in second season, it won't be the same. :( Side characters are also funny, my cutie pie Wu Leo aka Fei Liu, he is so cool in here and made me laugh, smile and happy all the time. :P He added much more comedy and some awesome bromance scenes too, his relationship with Ruo Bai is one of a kind. There are others who didn't grab my attention, the other two main guys weren't that interesting but they weren't boring to death either. Music was fine, nothing too catchy and some parts did annoy me but considering 32 episodes it was totally bearable. Lots of good feelings, competition spirit, cool moments, great friendships and support, good chemistry and gorgeous beyond words Yang Yang were enough for me to enjoy in this drama and become a fan of two leads.

Citeste mai mult

Amazing drama. It really is. This is my first taiga and with certainty I can say that I'll never find some better Japanese historical drama than this one. A real epic tale about war, power, family, betrayals, friendship, loyalty and above everything story about three glorious historical figures who made their mark in this world for a big time. Oda Nobunaga, Kuroda Kanbe and Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
I've never watched some drama where the side characters were so interesting too, all of them, where villains are amazingly written, where the whole cast is beyond superb. Kanbee is such drama.

I met one man who was worth every praise, whose mind was so ahead of time, who was loyal, brave, with pure heart filled with love and courage. Yes he was ambitious but never to the point where he'd become sleazy backstabber. In time of war you had to be ambitious and prepared for anything from everyone.
Okada has won me forever, with his portrayal and acting Kanbe really came to life, with all of his expressions, gestures and thoughts, I was glued to the screen 100 % all the time. His three vassals were something the best in drama, they carried the whole show constantly. Relationship between four of them I'll remember whole life and strongly believe that such friendship does exist, with such unquestionable loyalty and care. Yes maybe there was over idolizing Kanbe in this drama but still those men were loyal to him till the end. Zensuke, Tahe and Kuroemon are people whom we all need in our lives. Kuroemon became my all time fav. side character in drama, I like his coldness and emotionless in tough and difficult situations, his intelligent moves, his funny and sometimes sarcastic sayings, he was indeed the sweetest and most caring guy. Like Kanbe said, those three really were his rare treasures and without them he wouldn't succeed anything.

I don't know which actor to choose as the most outstanding one cause it's just impossible. Every one of them was brilliant, all of them gave their maximum without flaw to portray their characters. I love some of them, some I like, some I hate, some I respect and admire so much and for some my heart broke. They all brought all these emotions to me.
Takenaka Naoto, Eguchi Yosuke, Tanihara Shosuke, Tanaka Kei, Shibata Kyohei, Takahashi Issei, Hamada Gaku, Hayami Mokomichi, Nakatani Miki, Kiritani Mirei, Uchida Yuki- just WOW. So many incredible folks in one drama, I still can't believe. They gave penetrating performances, they made all their characters alive in front of me, they manage to pull very difficult performances and to be excellent without flaw.
But one thing is sure- Eguchi-san is the best goddamn Oda Nobunaga ever. EVER. I expected that from him, grand and marvelous performance as usual and he did it, the guy is a genius.

I love women in this drama too, they weren't maybe main characters and they weren't in fights but for sure they carried so much heaviness and difficulties in their lives, standing proudly beside their husbands and sons, always ready for battle and protect their loved ones. Teru, Dashi, One, Nou- amazing women indeed and very smart. ?

Battle scenes were definitely the most realistic ones, pace was very slow and then after some time and certain episode, the next period is after 3,5 or 10 years. But it was nicely done.
There were some things that bothered me but they definitely didn't spoil my excitement and overjoy from watching this astonishing drama.

One thing I specially appreciated here is relationship between Kanbe and his dad, I think this is the most wonderful relationship between father and son I've seen so far. How he always consulted his dad, how he always asked for advice from him, their endless conversations full of wise and caring moments, it got me teared up so many times.

I could write so much and talk about Kanbee all day but I want to leave that for you guys, you just need to watch this drama. Especially if you're into realistic historical dramas with amazing cast and characters. If you give a chance to this drama, I guarantee you'll want more of Japanese history to see and watch and suddenly history will sound cool. ;)

Citeste mai mult

This is what I call good drama. With so many twists and suspense dealt in a such great way. As first I have to say that Haruma has done an amazing job, this young man truly every time surprise me with his acting and every time he has done that perfectly, such a talented guy. than the rest of the cast, I can't pick the best one, everybody were so great. Well, maybe Narimiya Hiroki and Kichise Michiko stood out the most, I have enjoyed in every second watching them, Hiroki's character became my favourite villain ever.
As for the story, it is a genre that I love, not so much for the pure action but the part about suspense, thriller, hackers and virus, oh it's exactly how I like it and this drama has done everything how it should be, the right amount of so many various genres. The most important of all, it hasn't been boring not one single moment (I only had this similar exited feeling for the drama Two weeks) and whole the time it was an intelligent drama with so many unexpected events that at one time I was doubting in everyone, even in Haruma. ;-)
And above all that music was good, that main song is so great and fits perfectly in the drama. I'll be watching this drama for sure once more in the future, it gives me a good vibe. I can't wait to see Bloody Monday 2.
Honestly I can't think of a reason why someone wouldn't like this drama so yes, I'm recommending it for all of you as a very enjoyable and fantastic one.

Citeste mai mult

One thing is sure, I've never had this much fun and laugh while watching some Korean drama. Seriously this drama is hilarious, it has that crazy, weird Japanese touch which lots of people don't like and I'm so glad I randomly picked it up. It was wonderful and hilarious ride, I loved it cause of its characters. Everyone of them was quirky, sweet and a real heart. People from village, so many strange people live there, I love their life, their simple way of thinking, their all kind of crazy thoughts and actions, I love the sceneries so much in this drama with all those fields of cabbages and I love those four main guys. They have incredible chemistry considering the age gap between the actors, I didn't feel that for a moment, they all looked like some young guys full of life. Their interactions were cracking me up, their way of dealing with things, that sarcasm in drama is so awesome, all of them were pretty much psychos together. As Min Ki said " You can't find not single one normal person in this village. Seriously, none."

And it is so true. I like how everything is on purpose somehow, the acting supposed to be like this, with lots of yelling, overreacting but everything in the funny way, no melodramatic scenes at all which is a plus, this kind of specific humor which I personally love but some maybe find it too much or forced, I didn't feel it that way.

The one who has won me and who carried the whole drama was Lee Shi Eon, he was the funniest and his scenes and moments were priceless, when he was alone in some scene he was at his best and that is not an easy thing to do, to stay interesting and funny all the time. His expressions were pure gold, as I mentioned he really reminded me of Ross from Friends with his gesticulations and crazy conclusions. He needs more dramas , main roles and definitely more quirky dramas like this one, he is so natural in these kind of roles like he's born like that. Well maybe he is. :P
Beside him Kwak Dong Yun was the highlight, that kid really made me laugh so much with his wild imagination and moves, he has to be in more projects in the future.

As for romance, it's actually non existing, chemistry zero and bellow, they didn't have none of the interactions she had with second lead who was way more suitable for me both physically and psychical, I rooted for them cause really didn't see it coming with main lead, it happened in the last two episodes practically everything out of nowhere. But it doesn't matter cause it's really in the background. Other couples are way more interesting and have so many crazy and hilarious scenes, I'm still laughing when I think of those moments. :P

Fantastic friendship, amazing family bond, touching moments, heartwarming scenes mixed with so many psycho and weird people and many laugh per each episode. This has to be one of the funniest dramas for me and i wish Korea produces more different and original dramas like this one. Yes it has typical Korean moments, a bit of love triangle, annoying female lead- I didn't like her character especially as drama was progressing but generally it is really good and drama worth watching.
I only didn't like that last episode, it was so rushed and poorly written but I forgive them cause they made me smile for almost 19 hours. ;)

Oh one more thing, music is awesome all the time, so many famous songs and they fitted perfectly with certain scenes, definitely drama with one of the best music in it.

If you like more non typical dramas with lots of uniqueness, quirkiness and many lunatics then this one is definitely a go. Some scenes made me laugh to the point of tears literally. It's not a drama for everyone especially for those who doesn't like this kind for humor. As for me, I loved it with all those flaws which in the end didn't bother me that much.

Citeste mai mult

Like the first season, this one was also fantastic and amazing. Maybe I love first season a little bit more but as for the characters I love them more in the second season, they're more twisted and crazy. Mitsushima Hikari as Spider, she has blown me away with her acting, I'm loving this girl more and more, since Soredomo, Ikite Yuku she got my full attention. Of course not to mention a stunning and one of the most beautiful women in the world Michiko, I liked her in season 2, she's more on the side of the good guys. I think that there's no need to talk about Haruma and Takeru, they are the most talented young actors out there, Haruma was brilliant, what I like about him is that he shows every little emotion and gesture, he doesn't care how he looks ugly when he cries and yell, he is inside the role 100 %.
My favourite character is J and officially became my favourite villain, Hiroki has portrayed him magnificently, I have never loved some bad guy like I love him. ;-)

As for the story, it's pretty much the same as the first season or should I say the season 2 continues where season1 has stopped. And everything was great, also what is so good and different about this show is that many good guys die, some of the main characters die and that constant suspense and doubt who is the the main bad guy, great. Music was good like in the first season, fits in the moments perfectly.

I have found this drama in this genre that I love so much and that suit me so well, definitely became one of my favourite dramas in the crime, action,suspense genre. And I could watch it right now again because of such a stunning acting, brilliant performances by all the actors and great happenings through the whole drama. This is the drama that never gets boring for sure.

Citeste mai mult