A Sweet & Funny J-Drama

ONLY JUST MARRIED (Tonin kodoke ni han wo oshita dake desu ga) is a sweet J-Drama Romcom that was worth the watch. Firstly I must say the male lead definitely under preformed here, in my opinion, and was just a huge let down. I don't really know the actor but he almost sunk this love ship. He was very hard to stand, with a few little instances of being "meh-okay" sprinkled throughout. Maybe it's just me? The female lead, however, (Akiha Ohkado, played by Nana Seino) was awesome, totally lovable and really grows on you though, so she definitely stole the show. She made it worth the watch and made it highly memorable. She's definitely an upcoming name to keep an eye out for in future years. Just loved hero much! So fun, quirky and genuinely down to earth.

Even though the male lead frequently grated on my nerves, the show was quite pleasant besides, with an assortment of interesting side characters as well, a few great settings and some cliché, but still enjoyable sub-plots. Overall, a good watch and pretty enjoyable show, mostly for the female lead's sake. The romance was alright in the end. =)

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A Political-Societal Drama about Elites

LOVELY VILLAIN was an interesting slow-burn Taiwanese thriller Drama. It felt like a slower-paced, socio-political drama mashup of "Stepford Wives", "Mean Girls", with commentarial undertones of the Korean movie Parasite. Don't be fooled into thinking it's merely a slice-of-life drama, about family life in a wealthy gated community. This series focuses heavily on inter-social-political relations and elistist power struggles. While the pacing of this did move a bit slowly, it certainly was intriguing and got better with time.

"While posing to be her rich upper class sister, Han Zhenzhen, moves her unhappy poor lower class family into an prestigious high-class community where she can't help but get involved in the power struggle for the position of community Chairman among with her female neighbors."

This series is all about politics, motivations and power. Rich vs. Poor. Upper Class vs. Lower Class. Psychological and political intrigue. The struggle for power and dominance drives this thriller. Alliances, factions, who to trust. The position of power is the "Chairman" or head of the community. The Chairman is given power in government and there is a brutal warring for this position and privilege. Not only power but title, reputation and prestige as well. A heirarchy ladder within the elitist group of wealthy people. Overall, this was a interesting watch and I'm glad I gave it a chance, as the intrigue developed over time and it gave a lot to ponder on.

[NOTE: There are some triggering images and themes, i.e. Suicide. Bullying. Rape/Sexual Assault. etc.

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A Love Triangle Between Two People

FALL IN LOVE was a short and cute romantic Cdrama with an interesting premise and likeable characters. Joey Chua playing Jing Zhi Xia, as Aizhe Hotel Director, was especially cute and memorable and in my opinion easily outshines her romantic love interest, the cold CEO of Fu Group, Fu Ze Yi, played by Kaizhong Xiao, who at times felt a bit (intentionally) bland, especially when in character of Fu Ze Yi, as opposed to Fu Zu Lin "Lin", his sweet musical alter ego. Of course, this was purposeful and I understand the reasoning behind it given the story. However, he eventually grew on me by the end and he did a good job of portraying dual character personalities, I must say.

The underlying story itself, however, was interesting. A love triangle between two people, is not something commonly thought of, but is what makes this series intriguing. While covering some underlining darker themes, (i.e. Trauma, repressed guilt, mental health etc.) the story is fairly light, comical and too often veers into predictable trope territory, which made the show less enjoyable for me. The darker elements were only rarely touched upon, not until the ending segment, while the cheesier trope scenes consist of much overused dramatic moments such as the male lead catching the female mid fall, right before she hits the ground or accidentally falling into a kiss, which to me felt outdated and corny. This series could have easily done without those overwrought scenes. The story concept, however, was brilliant and compelling, even if the handling of it wasn't always done perfectly, though the series definitely got better and more exciting as it progresses. So I recommend patience.

Otherwise, this was a fun little show. Something light hearted to watch between more stressful serious shows. Worth a chance, but nothing overly groundbreaking. The buildup and ending was very satisfying and there definitely were some scenes that were really clever and well imagined.

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A Teen Body-Swap J-Drama

SWITCHED is a Japanese drama. Although rated M for mature, it did seem more aimed at teenaged audiences. That's not necessarily a bad thing, and I didn't mind the silliness amid the darker subject matter. However, I tend to agree with many reviewers about the offputting techno dance music feeling jarring and out of place in this drama. The sound director really botched this one up. I understand anime's usually fly with this kind of music and this series was inspired by webtoon/manga, not sure if there's an anime yet, so that kind of explains the vibe they we're going for. Even still, it was kind of obnoxious, even for a teen series. It just didn't fit.

Overall, this was a good series, not the greatest due to some predictable, and slightly problematic writing and the aforementioned music choices. Was worth a watch and had some good messages about living in another shoes and what not. It was entertaining, but had a lot of wasted potential, I felt. It only scratched the surface of what it might have achieved, and I'm not sure why it didn't go deeper. Still, it was worth a view. Definitely a well made series.

[NOTE: Kaga rocked!]

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A Slow Burn Mystery

INFLUENCE was a very interesting Japanese mystery drama. Japanese drama's often have a very tasteful, classy and tender sense about them and this one is no exception. An author is contacted by a mysterious woman, in order to share her past story, in hopes of becoming a subject of the author's next novel. The mystery woman tells the story of three girls, one being herself, in their younger years, who were involved with each other at some point in time and ended up committing a string of exchange murders.

This drama was very well done and although slower paced for a mystery thriller title, it was very compelling and really brought you into the characters experiences in a realistic way. It was a very beautiful and moving story that keeps you on edge and ever guessing. Kudos for also being a femme-centric series, as well. Definitely memorable and worth the watch.

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An Entertaining Ride

RISKY was a short Japanese drama that slowly became more of an more intriguing series as it progressed. While not a super fast paced series, it certainly had it's moments of dark suspense and offered a good few twists along the way. The drama was well acted and framed and the story line itself was rather compelling, keeping the viewer on the edge until the ending. The cinematography itself was good as well, adding to the darker atmosphere.

I felt a bit let down with the ending myself, however it wasn't the worst. I just felt it could have been much better. While the acting was all very good and believable, the main female lead grew to be a bit dislikeable, and it was a bit hard to root for her in the end. Otherwise, this was an intriguing series. Great to try if looking for a short Japanese suspense drama. It's only 7 episodes long. Worth a try.

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Started Strong, but Fizzled out.

ANNA, for me, was a missed target. A real let down, to be honest. It really could have been great, but completely missed the mark. Now the confusing thing is there were things about the show that were actually pretty great, for example an intriguing premise with endless possibilities and a lot of room for suspense, and the cinematography and artistic eye behind the camera made the show eye-catching and great to watch. Quality.

Starting the series I felt for sure it would turn out to be a real gem, a wonderful suspensful and dramatic show, full of twists and turns. Why? Because it just looks so good, like you can feel right off the bat that a lot of care went into it. It's quality and has high production value, great visuals, great music, intriguing premise, a big actress starring in it, strong supporting cast. What could go wrong?

First of all, for me this wasn't actually a suspense, mystery, thriller drama. The pacing was almost incredibly slow. And listen, I love a good slow burn mystery drama. Intellectual, political, psychological. Those can be great, some of the greatest really. So I don't even think that the fact the marketing misled me on the genre description as the fault of this show failing in my view...

It's difficult to explain why it missed the mark exactly, except maybe that it was lacking in some key ingredient that make for an excellent drama recipe. Namely character development and character acting. After watching the show, I can honestly say I still didn't really feel any attachment to Lee Yu Mi, the main character, played by Kpop idol Bae Suzy. By no means do I mean to bash on her acting ability, but to me her portrayal of her role felt so bland and dry. Boring, unmemorable and somewhat irritating. Sterile, unemotional, robotic. I don't think this was her best work, though certainly not her wirst either.

I felt like the director maybe should have guided her more, encouraged a better performance or at least a different variety expressions and reactions. Often it felt to me that she was just not invested in her role at all, or maybe she thought the same expression would carry her through the show. And truly that fact itself, that it didn't carry her is saying something too, because she's quite lovely to look at, but that certainly doesn't mean she was suited to the role and in my opinion, she definitely wasn't.

Now, in Bae Suzy's defense, a weak character can also happen in series as short as this one (6-8ep), given much less time to develop onscreen and hence less time to connect with the audience, especially given there are other characters, other moving pieces and plotlines also needing sufficient screen time, so perhaps the short length was partly the reason why. And while I admit, I haven't seen many series with this lead Actress, Bae Suzy, in it, I am certainly well aware of her high status and reknown, especially in Korea. And I'm sure she's great in other shows, and certainly as a singer, which is how she started and gained her popularity and fans. So no hate, truly.

However, this series just didn't endear me to her. I'm not trying to criticize her, personally. I'm sure she's a great actress in other things. I'm thinking the writers here didn't do her character justice or perhaps they encouraged a more subdued, muted performance for whatever reason, which definitely wasn't the course to go. For me, I rarely felt attachment or concern for the characters, but least of all for her, which is definitely not a good thing for a drama. The Main Lead is someone the viewer needs to bond to, connect with, vibe with and root for. The supporting cast made her character appear even weaker, by how strong they all were. Also, another thing of note was that the two younger actors for the same character (both the child and adolescent) were more memorable than she was in their respective roles.

The character of Yoo Mi felt often like a passive doormat and then at random intervals more like a sly manipulator, someone you can pity but not admire or relate to. And there didn't seem to be any given reason for this behavior or growth from it, no redemptive path. It was a pity, because this could have been a stronge feminist character with morally ambiguous motives and vast range of character development. Instead, I felt myself rooting for the moral secondary character, the political journalist, Han Ji Won and more interested in the charasmatic and selfish character of Lee Hyun Joo. At least they both felt more dynamic and more dimensional.

I must also add before closing, the premise was indeed quite intriguing and I admire dramas that offer social commentary and make room for deeper intellectual discourse. This series was definitely good in that way. There is much to be said and to analize here about human behavior, human nature, tendancies that can worsen, the evolution of a lie, how ego and hubris can effect identidy, how one lie can turn to many, and eventually spark an all consuming fire that inevitably destroys. The ripple effect, the consequences of that one lie. The reality that sinks in. Really some good ideas to chew on...

Anyway, all this to say this good show felt weighted down by weaker acting, a weak lead character that never had the chance to develope onscreen, perhaps poor casting choices, poor character development/writing and honestly a pretty weak ending. A beautiful face does not equate to a powerful or skillful actor. A great famous singer does not equate to a great actress. Great acting can be hindered by poor direction and writing. A great show or work of art can be hindered by poor editing. Perhaps this show would have been superb with different circumstances. Overall, this was more of a dissapointing watch for me and didn't live up to what I felt it could have been. Very conflicted about this drama.

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A Charming, Cooking Slice-of-Life J-Drama

THE MAKANAI: COOKING FOR THE MAIKO HOUSE was a gorgeous, heartfelt JDrama series I recently stumbled across and it really left an impact. It was tender and sweet, with overall charming aesthetics, and very delicious meals prepared throughout as well. This felt like it went way above and beyond other similar Slice-of-Life cooking dramas I've seen, the quality itself makes it almost a new genre. It was very tastefully done and beautiful to watch.

The sweet simplicity of this drama suprisingly draws you in, despite it being slower paced. The story was sweet, kinda slow-burn and yet still very captivating. The acting was really wonderful as well, so very organic and natural. The atmosphere in this series was very unique and hard to describe without making it sound dull, which it really wasn't! There is a very natural, genuine, calming, peaceful, gentle and sentimental ambience of this show. Loved the atmosphere. It really stands out as a chill Slice-of-Life series. Super refreshing.

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A Historical Spy-Thriller Drama

THE WIND BLOWS FROM LONGXI was some real next level greatness, in my opinion, though I am a fan of Spy Thrillers, Historical C-Dramas, as well as many members of the cast. The writing, including the story, subplots, characters, and dialogue were all top notch amazing! I'm not sure why this hasn't gotten more 10 star ratings. Cinematically this series was simply stunning to the eye. The writing made it an intellectual mental feast. The acting was incredibly brilliant and realistic.

Taking place in the Three Kingdoms Era (224 AD) (during the Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu contention), this spy thriller was a very unique series. Chen Gong (Chen Kun) as the Shu spy also known as "The White Emperor" and Feng Ying (Yuan Nie) as the director of Shu's Intelligence Beareau, as well as Xun Xu (Yu Bai) the Shu spy called in to fix things, after the spy channel in Wei was infiltrated by Wei counter-intelligence. The mysterious Wei spy is called Candle Dragon and everyone seeks to find their identity. And what an intriguing, thrilling ride it was.

I highly applaud the acting, as everyone was excellent, but especially parts played by the masterful Chen Kun (Chen Gong / White Emperor), Yuan Nie (Feng Ying / Shu Intel Director), Yu Bai (Xun Xu), Yi Sun (Di Yue), Angelababy (Miss Liu / Liu Ying), Zhusheng Yin (General Lin Yan), Guangjie Li (Prime Minister Zhuge Liang), and Xiaochen Zhang (Libationer Huang Yu). There are so many others as well. The cast was superb!

This series really became immersive after the first few slower episodes, meant to set the stage for the highly complex strategical story. Through the course of the series, the mystery gradually unravels and the tension builds, leading to an intense outcome. This series was excellently casted and acted. The characters are really well written and motivated. The story was super intriguing, although it may prove a little more slow burn for those uninterested in a historical spy story. After watching this one, I found myself longing for more. The mere 24 episodes this series consists of is quite short for a Chinese Drama, especially one with such epic premise. Normally a Chinese historical epic might be 80+ episodes. I hope we'll get a season 2, quickly!

Overall, this was a fantastic watch. Excellent writing, direction, and acting, and stellar cinematography as well! It made it that much more appealing. This complex series was seriously worth the watch and hopefully there will be more coming. A must watch if you are a fan of C-Drama's, Historical Spy Thrillers, and the Three Kingdoms Era. Even more so if you are fan of Chen Kun, as am I, as he is masterfully brilliant here. It was a highly enjoyable series. Hope to see more. Brilliant!

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A Super Silly JDrama

THIS GUY IS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE IN MY LIFE was a funny one to be sure, full of goofy humor and crazy antics. While I didn't really buy into the romance aspect, the comedy is pretty top notch, golden. Definitely made me laugh a whole bunch. It was pretty outrageous and over the top, but in a good way I think. Lots of slapstick, crazy situations and scenarios, as well as very funny main characters. Don't go into this one expecting your average Romcom, because it's pretty crazy!

Overall, this was a really funny and pretty out-there series that I definitely recommend to Jdrama and comedy fans. Japanese anime-esque humor abounds. Also, the main actress was pretty enjoyable. Definitely worth a try!

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Meh. Mixed Feelings.

DOUBLE FANTASY. So, I have really REALLY mixed feelings with this one. Double Fantasy is a really difficult series to rate and review. At only 5 episodes long, this Japanese drama is really more of a mini series. It's quite short and deals with some pretty heavy / difficult subject matter in such a short time span. Not sure if it was enough time. I'm still not sure if it accomplished what it seemed to set out to do or even how I feel about it...

The direction of the drama feels unsure whether the creators wanted the audience to empathize/identify or dislike/disapprove of the main lead Natsu Takato (Asami Mizukawa) a reserved and well-esteemed screenwriter, who struggles with secret lusts and desires outside of her seemingly perfect marriage. After living in fantasy simply isn't enough, Natsu suddenly pursues multiple experimental extra-marital relationships and the plot gradually grows weaker as the series progresses. It really seemed as if the writers lost not only interest but a clear sense of direction as well, at many points in this show.

Natsu, while a well acted character, is portrayed as bored, unhappy, indecisive, ungrateful and pretty much selfish in most of her life choices. If the series was meant to be a feministic anthem, surely she'd evolve into greater independence and a stronger sense of identity rather than slip into gradually more toxic and unhealthy situations. Rather this series felt more of a critique of feminism, or drawing parallels between mental illness and the feminine search for identity. Notably, Natsu spirals downwards rather than upwards...

The main subject matter is really about sex, identity, pleasure, morality, fidelity, marriage, affairs, freedom, convention, society, mental illness, feminism, etc. It has a Mature, NC-17 rating, and has quite a few unnecessary sexual scenes throughout and can be somewhat explicit at times. To me though it wasn't intended for the purposes of being arousing or pornographic but to show a realistic story of a woman going through a potentially serious life crisis, dangerous obsessive behavior and mental health issues. Honestly, at times the sex scenes felt mostly unnecessary and a bit jarring from the melancholy, introspective atmosphere of the series, and there were quite a few scenes that were just downright uncomfortable and cringe to watch, detracting from the overall mood. Had to skip through some of those.

Personally, I'm not one for watching shows centered around extra-marital affairs. Frankly, it's just not part of my honor code nor my cuppa tea. To each his own, I guess. That being said, I do appreciate honest portrayals of damaging lifestyles, that offer realistic glimpses into consequences of such behaviors as well as the inner psychological mindset driving such behaviors. So, while I never related to and rarely sympathized with the character of Natsu, I did really enjoy Asami Mizukawa's portrayal of such a deeply flawed and confused character. Sadly, there weren't many other memorable characters for me.

But, where the story suffered and failed to reward the viewer, in terms of relatable characters and meaningful storytelling, the cinematography at times was really well done and there was a deep tone throughout. I do feel that if the director had focused more on the psychological, introspective aspect of Natsu and her struggles and less on pointless somewhat pretentious scenes of eroticism it would have been more compelling, at least for me. The ending was much too abrupt and open-ended for my liking also. Overall, this was mostly a miss, besides a few memorable scenes here and there. Hardly can recommend.

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Outbreak at Hyosan High

ALL OF US ARE DEAD was a great and intense S. Korean zombie series. While it definitely held true to the gory nature of the zombie genre, it was also laced with a lot of unique characters and backgrounds. I was initially worried that the larger cast might make it less relatable or moving (ie when someone dies and you never got to know the character or their motives, therefore there feels less connection and empathy with the audience) but thankfully, you do really start to get an idea of everyone before things go down and during as well. It's actually the opposite case when you actually care a lot for many of them and then they start to die and it really yanks at the heartstrings.

The director / writers really did a great job at portraying the vast array of different characters and personalities and you really start rooting for some right off the bat. Many of them have their own struggles in their personal lives and the series gives you glimpses into their lives and the drama going on all the while amping up the tension and stakes as the zombie plot escalates around them.

There are some difficult and dark subject matter in this as well, aside from the violence, gore and zombie cannibalism, (such as bullying, humiliation, sexual harassment, cruelty, teen pregnancy, suicide, assault, adult language etc.) This series is pretty mature and graphic in nature and not for younger viewers. And yes, being a zombie show there's lots of violence, blood, gore, biting, eating people, self defense etc.

Overall, this was a great adrenaline fueled watch and sadly not an hopeful one at that, as many characters do die, but what do you expect from a zombie apocalypse? Not sure if there can be another season, but hopefully. Really enjoyed this one.

NOTE: It says Season 2 coming!

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Korean History + Medicine = Quirky Fun Drama

POONG, THE JOSEON PSYCHIATRIST was definitely an interesting series and I was happy to watch it. Loving Historical dramas featuring heavy medicinal themes, I found this one to be pretty top notch.

The plot itself was very intriguing and compelling. Yoo Se-Poong is a royal physician who gets wrongly expelled / banished from the royal court in a messy political conspiracy after which causes him to set out on a journey of redemption, self discovery and acceptance, all the while healing the souls of others in his new life as a physician / psychiatrist in the small, fascinating Gyesu Village. He meets new friends along the way, as he shapes his new life and finds new hope to carry on his existence.

This was a very quaint, entertaining series that I was glad to try. The whole cast was pretty great and the show features a tangled web of political intrigue, medical cases and a whole array of intriguing characters. Overall, this was a really great watch, albeit a bit slow at times. Would recommend to those with an interest in light-hearted shows about history and ancient medicine.

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A Thing of Beauty

RED SLEEVE is moving historical romantic K-Drama, a thing of beauty, that was very well acted and visually/cinematically stunning. While not perfect, the drama definitely leaves a mark. Red Sleeve is based on a novel of the similar name, The Red Sleeve Cuff, written by Kang Mi-kan, that conveys the story of a court romance between the royal King of Joseon, who believes his duty is to his country first, above love, and a court lady who wants to protect the life she has chosen for herself, and how they come together against all odds. A beautiful tale, excellently told.

Red Sleeve is absolutely gorgeous to watch, with some of the highest quality visuals you might see in a K-Drama. It's also a fairly sweet story, well acted, well casted, and with great music to boot. The drama is a great short series that I happened to stumble upon one night while looking for an entertaining watch. And entertaining it was, though it was perhaps a bit on the slower side in terms of pacing.

My main complaint, given that it is a more serious drama, is that I wish that it relied less on cheesy cliches and fairytale-ish tropes. Notably, as well, there were some uncomfortable themes of unconsentual interactions that were not really to my liking, no matter how true the story may be. Be all that as it may, the show is definitely worth a watch. The heroine was pretty awesome and realistic. I really enjoyed her actress, as she portayed her character with a good balance of intelligence, tenderness, and strength. Will definitely watch more that she acts in the future and can's wait to see where she goes. Certainly a star to watch out for. Overall, the series is quite lovely and memorable. It was a great watch.

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Laughter & Tears

PERFECT COUPLE is a historical romantic comedy (emphasis on "COMEDY") Chinese Drama set in the era of the Ming Dynasty with elements of romance, comedy, adventure, lots of misunderstandings and some tragedy. The story begins when Empress Dowager bestows a marriage upon the noble Jin family and Jiang families, in order to strengthen the clans alliance with the Crown Prince. Meanwhile a scheming Second Prince lurks in the shadows, hoping to disrupt the harmonious union of the "Perfect Couple". The series starts out super goofy, but give it a shot. It's gets so good...

During the Ming Dynasty, Yu Qi Ling (Yan Tang / Tiffany Tang) heads to the capital with only her adoptive mother's belongings to find her mother's biological son. She encounters Jin Yuan Bao (Wallace Huo), a rich young master who works at the Detective Bureau and was on a case of capturing a man - the thief that Yu Qi Ling was chasing. It turns out that the thief was part of a kidnapping ring, and it led the protagonists to the Thousand Beauties Chamber where Chu Chu, the supposed leader was.

I honestly did not expect to like this show, much less love it. I was bored and wanted something light and casual to watch. At the start it seemed so cheesey and goofy, but that soon became endearing and hilarious. This drama was so funny and yet by the end so gutwrenchingly tragic. Never had a show start off so silly (made me laugh so much) but by the end make me angsty and wanting to cry. What? The show, although super melodramatic was very fun, entertaining and sweet. Yan Tang (Tiffany Tang) and Wallace Huo were so great in this piece. Both leave lasting impressions and gave very memorable performances. Great show and highly rewatchable too.

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