Perfect for LizQuen fans

"Forevermore" officially launched the LizQuen ship after previous hints in the films, "Must Be... Love" and "She's the One" (I recommend them both btw). I'm going to start by summarizing the series first. Liza Soberano stars as Agnes, the daughter of a farmer, and Enrique Gil stars as Xander, the rich son of a hotelier who seemingly only cares about himself. Agnes lives on a farm, called La Presa, with a large group of people who are like a family. One day, Xander accidentally ruins Agnes's strawberries. The La Presans are desperate for cash to pay their rent and thus decide to hold Xander hostage until he repays them. He stubbornly refuses to pay them or reveal his name. Eventually, he causes so much trouble for them that Agnes just tells him to go. Agnes and her father, Buboy (Joey Marquez), later learn that Xander is the son of the president of the nearby Grande Hotel. They appeal to his father, Alex (Zoren Legaspi), who refuses to pay for his son. He instead agrees to lend Xander the money if he goes to work at Le Presa.

Xander is reluctant at first, but does decide to go to Le Presa. There he has a hard time fitting in with the others who understandably don't find him very reliable. Agnes, in particular, finds him distrustful. He finds an ally in Mang Bangky (Bangkay), an old bachelor who relates to Xander's rebelliousness. Thanks to Bangky, he tries harder to win over the others though he inevitably makes many mistakes, which drives wedges into his budding friendship with Agnes. One such mistake is accidentally losing Niknok (Jesse James Ongteco), a young child who lives with his aunt Mirasol (Irma Adlawan) in La Presa. Running through the forest, Xander is reminded of the tragic death of his little brother Basty, which is shown through flashbacks. Once Niknok is found, Agnes yells hurtful words at Xander who then disappears. Agnes and Buboy go to Grande to find Xander. They meet Meg (Beverly Salviejo), his grandmother's assistant, who reveals Basty's death and that Xander's mother always blamed him. Xander eventually returns to La Presa and Agnes apologizes, starting a new chapter in their relationship.

Later, Xander realizes that he has feelings for Agnes, but is reluctant to give in to them, even telling her as much. His parents bring him back to Grande to integrate him into management now that he has become more responsible. His mother, Bettina (Lilet), resents Xander's new connection to La Presa, which becomes a frequent issue. After an earthquake hits, Xander saves Agnes from a falling down building. He confesses his feelings for her and receives permission from her father to court her. Agnes holds off on giving Xander an answer for a while, but eventually says yes to being his girlfriend. She also has to turn down her childhood friend, Andrew (Yves Flores) around the same time. Meanwhile, Bettina is working on opening an agricultural resort, hoping to earn the approval of Alex's mother Soledad (Marissa Delgado), whom has always preferred his son's first (and still legal) wife. Bettina works out a deal with Jaime and Loulie Saavedra (Michael Flores and Bernadette Allyson-Estrada), the parents of Xander's ex-girlfriend Kate (Sofia Andres).

Bettina invites Kate to the Grandes' annual Christmas party, hoping to reunite her and Xander. Of course, he is now dating Agnes. Kate seems to take this in stride and even sort-of befriends Agnes. Bettina pushes for Xander and Kate to be together, but begins acting friendlier with Agnes when she realizes that that isn't working. She invites Agnes to come work at the hotel, which will also earn her a scholarship for college. However, it goes terribly array. Xander decides to leave his family to live with the La Presans again. Meanwhile, Kate starts to sink into a depression and acts erratically. Her behavior obviously worries her parents. She lamely attempts to win Xander back. However, at the slightest pushback from Agnes and the La Presans, she encourages her father Jaime to make war on them. He attempts to seize La Presa through illegal means (having already being tasked with getting the land for the Grandes' resort). After Buboy is shot, Xander becomes overwhelmed and gives into Jaime's demands that he accompanies Kate to London. He leaves without a word, which devastates Agnes.

Two years later, Agnes, the twins Clauie and Judy (Joj and Jai Agpangan), and their new friend Karen (Karen Dematera) are attending college for a semester in Manilla. The La Presans come for a visit since Buboy and Mirasol have now decided to marry. Buboy needs to obtain an annulment since he is technically still married to his wife though he and Agnes haven't seen her for over a decade. Of course, it turns out that Marites (Almira Muhlach) is now living in Manila. Buboy confronts her and she confesses that her employer was holding her captive in Japan. Marites and Agnes are reunited after some time and Agnes allows her back into her life. Meanwhile, Agnes meets Jay (Diego Loyzaga) at school and joins his band. He gradually develops feelings for Agnes, though she seems reluctant to allow him to court her. Marites distrusts him him at first, but he wins her over when he comes to her with problems regarding his mother, who is currently working in Japan.

In the meantime, Xander has returned from London with Kate who has gotten better though still appears fragile. She eventually goes to the States after her father's shady business dealings are made public. Xander now has a successful business and loyal assistant, Orly (Jason Francisco). Orly helps Xander with his elaborate plan to win back Agnes. The plan goes up in flames as Agnes isn't even willing to hear him out. He decides not to give up yet and takes a temporary teacher's position at Agnes's college. Of course, she doesn't take this well and treats him coldly, such as only calling him "Sir." He acts respectfully towards her and, after attending a leadership workshop, the two are finally on friendly terms. The twins take sides with Clauie wanting her to reunite with Xander ("Superman") and Judy wanting her to be with Jay ("Batman"). Karen stays more neutral, though she realizes that Agnes still truly loves Xander. Agnes is seemingly ready to accept her feelings and agrees to have dinner with Xander and his family (FYI, the Grandes have since become better, more supportive family). However, when she glimpses Kate from outside, the emotions come rushing back.

Kate later finally explains to Agnes why Xander left her two years previously. Unfortunately, Agnes has now become numb to emotion, giving into fear rather than love. Xander takes this as a final rejection. He becomes depressed and his father encourages him to look at this as just a chapter in his life. Then on his way home, Alex is hit by a car and passes away. Xander, though still devastated, listens to his mother and grandmother's advice and becomes the new president of Grande Hotel. Meanwhile, Agnes and the twins return to La Presa; they are soon joined by Jay and Karen. Xander too finds himself in the area. His father's legal wife Sheree (Pinky Amador) and her brother Julius (Kit Thompson) are scheming once again. He later meets a local veterinarian Alex Pante (Erich Gonzales) and starts dating her. After his father's will is read, Xander decides to work on the agricultural resort again when the land is willed to his mother.

Xander attempts to buy La Presa, earning strong pushback from the people who once treated him as their own. Agnes meets with Xander who now treats her coldly. Her appeals don't work. However, his mother tells him that Alex likely left them to land not to complete the resort but to protect La Presa forever. Xander, realizing that this is the truth, reconciles with the La Presans and instead works out a new deal with them for a series interconnected cottages. Of course, Sheree and Julius attempt to sabotage the project by targeting the area's water supply. While searching, Xander and Agnes become lost in the forest. They spend the night holding each other. Later, Xander has Sheree and Julius arrested and ousted from the company. He ends things with his new girlfriend who has already realized that he still loves Agnes. Agnes decides to take a scholarship for a college in Japan and leaves La Presa. Xander catches up with her. They decide to start a new (albeit long distance) "forever" from then on.

Yes, that's a long summary, but it's a long show. Probably could've been cut down 10-15 episodes in my opinion. The first half of the show (e.g. before Xander leaves) is the stronger half, especially regarding the main couple. However, it does have Kate so it's not perfect The second half starts off well. It's reasonable that Agnes would act that way tbh and Jay is an enjoyable enough rival to Xander. I would argue that do they have to make Jay's life so miserable lol. Agnes's unwillingness to hear out Xander just lasts way too long. The writers could've condensed it a little. It feels like they had a hit on their hands and were just trying to extend the couple finally reuniting.

So, to conclude, I enjoyed this show for what it was. I was pretty easy to watch, despite it's length. Filipinos speak "Taglish," a mix of English and Tagalog, so I didn't have to pay 100% attention. I watched 2-5 episodes a night before going to sleep and I was able to finish it in a little over a month. It was a great comfort show. I recommend to LizQuen fans, but if you're unfamiliar with the loveteam or Filipino shows in general, I recommend watching Filipino films first.

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Kind-of boring

Every once in a while I come across a "classic" that I just can't bring myself to like. "In the Realm of the Senses" comes to mind since it's also a classic Japanese film. However, while that one made me very uncomfortable, "Woman in the Dunes" just kinda bored me. I can appreciate the story, the acting, the message, etc. But, at the end of the day, it put me to sleep literally.

"Woman in the Dunes" follows Niki Junpei (played by Okada Eiji), a substitute teacher and bug enthusiast, who comes to a remote village surrounded by sand. The villagers trap Junpei with a recently widowed woman (Kishida Kyoko). Every night, the woman shovels sand and the villagers take it away. Junpei tries in vain to escape the sand pit throughout the movie. An obvious allegory to Sisyphus.

Like I said, I can appreciate this plot. I felt that it did its job as it made me feel anxious and claustrophobic. But still, I fell asleep and I practically couldn't wait for it to end. To conclude, I didn't like it but I see it's artistic merit.

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Mostly fluffy romance

I've wanted to watch this this for a while since I saw some people comparing it to "Boys Over Flowers" (aka "Hana Yori Dango"). In hindsight, I think it's kind of a disservice to the drama though to call it a "BOF rip-off" just because it has a similar premise. I won't get into the plot because there's already plenty of reviews of "He's Into Her" on here. I'll just list what I liked and disliked about the series.

Likes
1) The premise. I will never get tired of seeing a spunky girl stand up to a clique of rich boys lol. If you also enjoy this premise, this will be a fun drama for you.
2) Friendship. This isn't an ensemble drama but I really liked the large cast of friends of the FL and ML.
3) Romance. The romance here is surprisingly strong for a teen show. Donny (playing Deib) and Belle (playing Max) have really good chemistry and I see why they're a new "loveteam" now. The side couples aren't really that strong though.
4) Theme strong. I really top-notch, boyband theme song. I love it.

Dislikes
1) Rivals. RJ and Kim are the love rivals for the FL and ML. They are mentioned semi-frequently before they finally appear, but their real appearance still feels too late in the game. They end up feeling like unnecessary obstacles.
2) Fighting. Around the mid-point of the drama, the FL and ML's fighting felt really annoying.
3) Dropped and unfinished storylines. A love triangle between Ysay, Migz, and Hunter is set up but dropped. The series ends with a lot of unfinished storylines, such as Deib's brother. This is annoying as I would have preferred the story to be self-contained with the season.

"He's Into Her" is a fun, fluffy romance. The characters are well-written for what they are. Their motivations make sense and can apply to the real-world. Though it feels somewhat like a Wattpad story, I'm happy that they went that way instead of into soap opera territory. Now time to watch the sequel. Crossing my fingers that they don't ruin it lol.

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Half Blue

This is only my third asadora. I chose "Hanbun, Aoi" because I was looking for something a little lighter than the previous one I watched. It definitely delivers as the drama is full of comedic, light-hearted moments that I loved. If you've seen the "Reply" series, "Hanbun, Aoi" reminded me of it in several aspects. However, it is an asadora and has plenty of really emotional moments, especially as you get to the end.

Out of the three asadora dramas I've seen thus far, "Hanbun, Aoi" has the weakest story. It starts off a little slow with the childhood and adolescence weeks, but it's easy enough to push through these and they are important in the long run. Suzume (played by Mei Nagano) is the series heroine. As a child, she loses the hearing in her left ear. This will continue to effect throughout the entire series. "Hanbun, Aoi" picks up when Suzume finds her passion. Becoming a manga artist. These weeks were no doubt my favorite and not only because I'm a manga fanatic. The world of manga, however, is sadly a tough one. Suzume manages to make her debut, but eventually decides that she can go no further. Whether Suzume should've given up or not is up for debate, but I really enjoyed how the storyline was handled.

Now the next half of "Hanbun, Aoi" was completely unrecognizable from the first. I have to say that I went through a bit of shock. I'm going to address Suzume's love interest now. Ritsu (played by Takeru Satoh) was born on the same day as Suzume and has always been on her side until they parted ways. When they reunite, he proposes to Suzume but she mistakenly says "I can't". He marries someone else a few years later. For me, this was very frustrating and only gets worse if we're being honest. On top of that, Takeru is very underutilized as Ritsu and he only gets character development sporadically.

Suzume, depressed by missing her chance to marry Ritsu and giving up her dream, starts working at a 100-yen store. There she meets Ryoji (played by Shotaro Mamiya) and they decide to marry after only knowing each other for a week. It's cute in a way, but they both come off as extremely naive in relationships. Suzume decides to support Ryoji in his dream of becoming a director, but he decides to give it up after failing and then Suzume getting pregnant. They are a happy family until Ryoji decides to abandon him to pursue his dream again. I don't know what's worse: Your husband leaving you for another woman or leaving because you're in the way of his dreams. Yikes. Suzume returns home and enter Ritsu.

The story becomes somewhat frustrating at this point. Suzume seems to just jump from one thing to another. I wish the writers had decided on a second dream for her and stuck with it. And worse, she and Ritsu are back in each other's lives but... Ritsu is still married and seemingly doesn't want to leave her, despite their obvious problems. I'm not advocating giving up on your marriage so easily, but this was just another excuse for the writers to delay the main couple again. Another time-skip. Suzume is back in Tokyo for her daughter to take skating lessons. She's failing at being a start-up businesswoman. Ritsu returns from America and is finally divorced (his wife left him!). Suzume and Ritsu partner together on a start-up. Finally, after completing their first project, they decide to be together.

"Hanbun, Aoi" has one of the most frustrating main couples I've seen in a long time. It's unfortunate because I really like them together and I just wish that we had seen more of them. However, this is by no means a bad drama because of that. Most of the characters are really strong, including Suzume (though her career choices are a bit bizarre). I love her family and her friends. She has absolutely beautiful relationships with her mother, daughter, and best friends. This is definitely the highlight of this drama. "Hanbun, Aoi" translates to "half blue." I think it means something like looking on the bright side. Though bad things will happen to you, there will always be good times.

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An easy but forgettable watch

I recently finished "Rich Man, Poor Woman" in order to watch this drama, but honestly the two dramas are so different... It's hard to even think of "Faceless Love" as a remake of RMPW if we're being honest.

First, the story is fine. It's a really easy watch, so I was able to finish it within a couple days which is sometimes hard for me to do, personally. However, I also get the feeling that I will probably forget within a few months. Second, the actors all do a fine job as well but no one really stands out in my mind. Dew is a little wooden and Luke is overacting a tad during his angry scenes. They're both super good-looking though so I didn't really mind that much. Kao is a good actress but can't really rise above the kind-of meh script.

Now let's address the changes from the source material I liked and disliked as well as just some general likes and dislikes:
Likes: The series is more of a straight-up romance compared to the original, which desperately needed more romance scenes (Thank God for the follow-up movie); The motivations of Luke's character make more sense than in the original; The family scenes with the FL and later the ML's family were very heartwarming.
Dislikes: Dew's character isn't presented as a "genius like in the original, which makes him seem like just a spoiled brat. Like, why is even the CEO of the company in the first place; June's mean girl is entertaining but her motivations are weak; Kao's character doesn't become her own person like the original.

On a side note, I feel like this series misrepresents prosopagnosia (face blindness) and Alzheimer's (dementia) in some ways. However, since I'm not well versed in either illness, I will make no further comment. It just bothered me a bit.

If you like any of these actors, I would recommend the series. If you're a fan of the original drama, I probably would not recommend because it's too different.

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I swear they turned Sarah into Jesus....

I first came to know about this film around 2016/17 when I first read the novel "A Little Princess." Like other classics ("Pride and Prejudice," "Wuthering Heights," "Anne of Green Gables," etc.), I like watching all the different adaptations to see how the story can be interpreted differently. For "A Little Princess," I watched the 1917 silent film, the 1939 Shirley Temple movie, the 1985 anime, the 1986 British miniseries (the most faithful), the 1995 American film (my personal favorite), and the J-drama "Shokojo Seira" (interesting and I would recommend it). Yes, there's a lot. The Filipino version alluded me. I was unable to find anywhere, let alone with subtitles. Well, I finally found it but....

Unfortunately, I feel like I set up this movie to fail. I had built it up in my mind over the last several years. I believe I would've had the same complaints, but it feels like I was let down personally... Anyway, with that out of the way, let's get on to the issues.

The movie is set in 1890 England with the school being a castle in the countryside instead of a modest home on the streets of London. It being a Filipino movie, this seems strange at first but you get used to it quickly. The first forty minutes is dedicated to Sarah's school life, which I feel takes too long and focuses too much on her schoolmates. Besides Sarah, the other child actors aren't very good and it's sometimes painful to watch. The movie picks up slightly with Sarah's fall from grace, but soon becomes crazy with the last twenty or so minutes.

My main issue with the movie is Miss Minchin. Not the acting, but the writing. She has no proper motivations for hating Sarah at all, which would be fine if she doesn't have a "redemption" at the end. I mean redemption very loosely because all she does is thank Sarah for not sending her to jail... And this is what I mean by them turning Sarah into Jesus. The movie has a distinct religious undertone. I believe Filipinos are very heavily Catholic so this makes sense. However, the religion becomes a problem at the end of the film. Sarah grants forgiveness to those who wronged her without anyone receiving punishment. It's fine to teach children to forgive like Jesus, but that should come hand-in-hand with justice (if possible).

The movie makes several other changes to the source material. It takes inspiration from the anime (which was very popular in the Philippines). If you've seen the anime, you'll be able to spot the references in the movie. These changes and other small cultural changes didn't bother me as adaptations need changes. To conclude, I mostly enjoyed this movie until the end. The ending just annoyed me too much!

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"Death is a sad thing."

"Why didn't I tell you a million times?" has a great cast who bring their best performances. The premise is familiar (and kind-of a retread of the movie "Ghost"). Despite that, I enjoyed the drama for the emotional performances of the cast of the mystery aspect of the main character's death. I will say that 10 episodes feels a bit too long. They could've shortened it to 6-8 episodes. I do appreciate that the mystery wraps up in the ninth episode and the final is dedicated to finishing up the character's storylines.

I recommend the drama for those who like emotional stories and are ready to cry. It is a bit slow going so keep that in mind.

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A Bit Disappointing

While "Boys Over Flowers" will always be considered Yoko Kamio's signature work, I think "Cat Street" is her masterpiece. Strong words, but that's really how strong I feel about the series. Now it's not perfect and I could nitpick it, but we're here to nitpick the drama not the manga.

First, "Cat Street" is entirely too short at 6 episodes. If they only would've increased it to 10 or 11 episodes, I think they could've told a story closer to the original "Cat Street." They could've included Rei instead of mashing him with Koichi (which totally doesn't work), but maybe not make him a love interest for Keito to allow for time. And there would've been more time for the main couple to develop. Their relationship (though expected by me) felt like it came out of nowhere.

The cast was at least well casted. Mitsuki Tanimura and Tomoka Kurokawa have a great dynamic and portray their characters well. I only wish that Mitsuki's hair and clothing had been styled better. Ryo Kimura as a new character Gota was cute. Ryo Katsuji as Koichi fits the part physically but the writing kind of ruins him. Taiyo's (Hideo Ishiguro) arc with Keito is cut short and is not as satisfying. And also, I liked that the headmaster and Keito's parents are shown more than in the manga.

My final complaint is that they included the worst, most ridiculous arc of the manga, in which Keito gets kidnapped. However, here they make the perpetrator Nako (Ai Takabe) instead of the admittedly more random character in the manga. In the process, it ruins Nako's and Masanobu's (Kei Tanaka) characters. It just completely rubs me the wrong way.

I don't picture "Cat Street" getting another adaptation (all of the love goes to "Boys Over Flowers"), but I hope it gets a proper adaptation someday.

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Absolutely loved it!

To preface, I'm a fan of the original Cold Case. I watched it when it was airing with my mom. So I have lots of special memories of it. When I learned there was a Japanese version, I was curious but also hesitant to start it. I was so scared I was going to hate it. Thankfully, I was completely wrong!

The drama completely captures the vibe of the original from the music to the casting. Yoh Yoshida is particularly great as Yuri Ishikawa (Lilly Rush in the original). I liked that this first season we see glimpses of the personal lives of the main team. Hopefully, they will reveal more in the upcoming seasons. Much like in the original, I liked the dynamic between the main team. One thing I disliked was Yuri's sister, who I also didn't like in the original. I would've been fine if they cut her out.

There's a slight drawback that all of the episodes are based on episodes from seasons 1 to 2 of the original. I would've liked a few new cases. But I still felt engaged during nearly every episode. I will say that I didn't enjoy episodes 4 and the finale that much. This was one of my least favorite storylines from the original. My favorite part of Cold Case is the set-up and pay-off. These two episodes are the only ones where you don't get the usual pay-off.

If you're curious about which episodes correspond with which from the original, I'm including it here. I'll also my thoughts on the Japanese episodes:
Episode 1 = Season 2, Episode 11 - a great episode for the J-drama to start with. Heartbreaking and "Don't Look Back in Anger" has been stuck in my head for several days.
Episode 2 = Season 1, Episode 8 - another gutwrenching episode. I liked that they showed some social issues (such as Japanese Brazilians living in Japan) that you won't see in other dramas.
Episode 3 = Season 2, Episode 10 - we're at a 3 for 3 for great episodes in a row! Keep your tissues handy.
Episode 4 = Season 2, Episode 9 - one of my least favorites tbh, but still a good one. This is one of Cold Case's more memorable original episodes so they sort of had to cover it.
Episode 5 = Season 1, Episode 22 - I cried like a little baby so a good episode. However, it was a little too word-for-word of the original.
Episode 6 = Season 1, Episode 13 - the one instance I think they improved on the original. It covers another social issue (Koreans in Japan) and just feels more impactful than the original. This was the episode I remembered that Japan had a statue of limitations on murder! It was only changed recently and still only cases from after 1994 can be charged.
Episode 7 = Season 2, Episode 6 - like ep 5, this one is very close to the original. That didn't stop me from crying though T_T
Episode 8 = Season 1, Episode 18 - this one was definitely less impactful than the original. I can't really pinpoint what I didn't liked about it.
Episode 9 = Season 1, Episode 14 - another classic, heartbreaking episode. This one was based on the famous "Boy in the Box" case. He was finally identified last year!
Episode 10 = Season 2, Episode 23 - a follow-up to episode 4 that I knew was coming. The ending scene was great, but still one of my least favorites.

Anyway, that's the end of my ramblings! I'm looking forward to watching the next season.

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A true classic

I've finally finished "It Started with a Kiss." I found it hard to binge because of the pretty low quality version I was watching. Luckily, GTV uploaded it with subs on YouTube so I was able to watch it without frustration lol. Note: I've read part of the manga, seen the anime and the 1996 drama, so these are what I'll compare ISWAK to.

I absolutely loved "It Started with a Kiss." From the beginning, you can sense the care the production took to be faithful to the manga while still localizing it to Taiwan. My one complaint would be that the drama is quite long at twenty episode with a running time of one hour and ten minutes. I feel the story could've been trimmed down a bit. The last three episodes before the finale I found to be quite draggy too. In terms of writing, "It Started with a Kiss" still manages to beat out 1996 Itazura na Kiss by several leagues and is on par with the anime.

Ariel Lin and Joseph Cheng are perfect as Xiang Qin (Kotoko) and Zhi Shu (Naoki). Their acting was absolutely superb. Ariel managed to be clumsy, dumb, and at times annoying without me absolutely hating her. I could actually relate to her since I sometimes feel useless too. Joseph was able to use facial expressions and certain movements to make his character more likeable while still staying true to the manga. Zhi Shu's and Xiang Qin's families were really on the nose; they all suited their characters perfectly. Watching the family together was my favorite part of the drama. There were some really funny moments.

I wasn't particularly charmed by Ah Jin aka Kinnosuke (played by the good-looking Jiro Wang); I'm afraid I'll find him exhausting in every version. Tiffany Hsu was great playing Zi Yu (Yuko), adding quite a bit of dimension to the character. She had a lot of especially funny moments with Xiang Qin and wasn't just some evil rival. Hao Qian (Sudou) was fun to watch, though his hair was a bit ridiculous. Also, out of the short side stories, I enjoyed Zi Qi's and Wu Ren's parts the most.

Some special notes I want to mention are: I loved that they changed the characters style and hair cuts over time since the drama takes place over five years or so. I guess the only discrepancy is that Yu Shu stays a child the whole time XD. It was a nice touch in the finale to bring back some characters from earlier on, such as Xiang Qin's teacher and Ah Jin's friends. Lastly, the OST of this drama is one of my faves. "Say That U Love" is super catchy and the opening sequence is perfect. Now on to the honeymoon in "They Kiss Again."

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An average rom-com but nice for one viewing

I was looking forward to "Mr. Lipstick" since Aom starred in it and I loved her in "Girl2K" (which you should definitely watch). The first few episodes were really nice and fluffy, but as a fellow reviewer said the plot went "all over the place" from there. It seems the writers weren't really sure who they wanted to be the villain and the supporting cast motivations were just inconsistent. That being said, I still liked all the characters though probably because there were a lot of familiar faces (Aom, Fiat, Nicky, Vince, Jan, June).

The drama's greatest strength was the main couple, Mod and Kao. They were so adorably innocent together. Their wasn't much skinship so I wouldn't recommend to those who liked more "mature" dramas. I also enjoyed the secondary couples Muek&Pipi, Than&Dao, and Tul&Wi. I wish their was more plot dedicated to them, especially Muek and Pipi. Their interactions were so funny! Now onto the villains, Wi and Kaew. I thought Kaew was written slightly better, though her motivations for disliking Mod were stupid. As for Wi, her storyline towards the end was ridiculous and her motivations flimsy.

Overall, I recommend to those who enjoy a light, fluffy rom-com. I really felt relaxed while watching, even with all the drama and the shenanigans of Mod's brothers lol. I'm not sure I'll rewatch but I'm happy I watched it once. Also, I loved the theme song. It's "Love Score" by Sizzy and Nanon; definitely check out the video on YouTube.

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Personal favorite of this series

I have yet to watch "Boys Paradise" (I may update this after I watch it), but "Don't" is definitely my favorite of the "Ugly Duckling" series. I think seven episodes was the perfect amount for this series, while "Perfect Match" (9) was too long and "Pity Girl" (5) too short. The plot for "Don't" is strangely the most reasonable of the aforementioned series'. Yes, it's kind of extreme for Maewnam (Mild) to wear a box on head after being called ugly once. But, I think a lot of people can relate to wanting to shut themselves away from the world.

On to the love interests, I liked both Zero (Mek) and Minton (Victor). I think they both suited Maewnam, though I'm happy my favorite was picked in the end ;) I thought Mek played Zero well, making him a bad boy with morals whose also willing to change. Victor's Minton is funny and sweet as well as ready to protect those he loves. I also loved Maewnam's brother and father. They provided great comedy relief and I loved how supporting they were of Maewnam.

Lastly, I would like to add a trigger warning to those who have been bullied. Though I never have been bullied, the scene where Vivien and her friends nearly drown Maewnam was quite intense. Overall, I really liked this series. The plot is probably the most relatable to me personally as I've often shut myself off from others. As Maewnam learns, the outside world is both scary and wonderful and I would like to thank this drama for reminding me of this.

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"Don't let go of this hand."

"Massan" is the 22nd asadora that I've watched and one I'd been specifically saving to watch later on. I had a good feeling about "Massan" early on that I'd really love it. Thankfully, my feeling was spot on. It was truly a pleasure to watch every bit of it. "Massan" also appears to be the template for 2020's "Yell," which I watched last month. Clearly, "Massan" and "Yell" are the right way to do "couple asadoras." Both leads are given nearly equal screen time and character development with the relationship being at the center of it. For me, it felt really special to watch both of these dramas.

In "Massan," the very first non-Japanese asadora heroine was introduced. I was really impressed with the actress Charlotte Kate Fox, who plays Ellie. She undoubtedly had the most difficultly with her role being that she didn't speak Japanese. However, despite these hurdles, Fox was able to portray Ellie with nuance and strong emotions. Furthermore, Ellie serves as a great audience surrogate internationally. Viewers unfamiliar with Japanese customs will learn as Ellie does. [Even after watching several dozens J-dramas, I learned a lot from this asadora.] Tamayama Tetsuji plays Ellie's husband Masaharu "Massan". He is a new gem for me and I'm looking forward to seeing him in other dramas. His acting is a good match for Fox's and they're able to play off of each other well.

The main focus of "Massan" is whiskey. Massan travels to Scotland to learn about whiskey, which was how he met his wife Ellie. She decides to share in his dream forever afterwards. At first, I found the up-and-downs of Massan's dream a bit annoying. But in hindsight, I liked that it shows how business is not linear. Even as a middle-aged man, Massan has to find a way to keep his dream afloat. Strangely, I didn't mind that Ellie's dream was really helping Massan's dream, which has bothered me in other asadoras. I think it comes down to Ellie's personality. She's kind and supportive, but also has a fiery side to her and won't allow anyone to treat her badly.

The strongest supporting character is Massan's and Ellie's adoptive daughter, Emma. She has a strong characterization and, thankfully, is only a little annoying when she's a teenager. I didn't think it was necessary to change the actress in the last two weeks, but the actress Kinami Haruka is very good and I ended up liking her too. Aside from Emma, I also really loved the amazing Pinko Izumi (of Oshin fame) as Massan's strong-willed mother. She appears to be the stereotypical, difficult mother-in-law at first, but ends up subverting expectations. Of course, there are many more lovable characters. My only complaint is that once Massan and Ellie move away from certain areas or storylines you don't really hear about some characters again. For example, I'd really like to know about Boss Kamoi or Yuko, Ellie's first friend in Japan.

After finishing "Massan," I was left sad that it had ended but also satisfied with its [somewhat bittersweet] ending. I got the same feeling from "Yell" and "Asa ga Kita," which both have similar vibes to "Massan." I also really liked the opening theme song of "Massan" and the frequent use of "Auld Lang Syne." [I know asadora music gets repetitive, but I don't really mind.] I'd definitely recommend "Massan" to both new and veteran viewers of asadora.

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"In the beginning, women were the sun..."

"Toto Nee-chan" is my 18th asadora [I can't believe I'm so close to watching twenty of these dramas lol.] and it quickly became one of my favorites that I've watched thus far. Takahata Mitsuki truly left a deep impression on me with her role as the heroine, Tsuneko. I really liked her in "Gochisosan" before but she really knocks it out of the park with this one. Her smile lights up the room and her subtle line deliveries tell you exactly how Tsuneko is feeling. I was impressed with Mitsuki's acting and how well the writer understood the character that they were writing.

Nishijima Hidetoshi plays Tsuneko's father and, despite only appearing in about six episodes, makes yet another unforgettable impression. Before dying of tuberculosis, he asks Tsuneko to take his place in the family. She agrees and thus becomes "Toto Nee-chan." I appreciate that the finale, in which appears via a dream, addresses what a heavy burden this is. However, I also understand why he would ask this of her, considering the patriarchal society at the time. Thankfully, the unhealthy part of only lasts until Tsuneko's younger sisters are grown up. She then realizes that the entire family can support each other while she can still be the "head of the family" technically. At the end of the day, despite being a heavy burden, I think the promise gave Tsuneko a true purpose in life.

Tsuneko's sisters are Mariko (Sagara Itsuki) and Yoshiko (Sugisaki Hana & Irei Himena). These two are given strong characterizations and feel like co-leads with Mitsuki most of the time. Their mother is played by Kimura Tae. Another strong performance. I especially liked his storyline with her estranged mother Takiko (Daichi Mao). Unfortunately, by the end of the asadora, Tsuneko's sisters and mother feel somewhat pushed by the wayside. This is understandable since their storylines were mostly finished, though just a bit disappointing.

Besides Tsuneko, I think the second most memorable character is Hanayama-san (Karasawa Toshiaki). [I first saw Karasawa in the 1988 asadora "Jun-chan no Ouenka" and his acting skill has become so good since.] Tsuneko first meets Hanayama briefly before the war. They meet again and he agrees to become the chief editor of the magazine she's starting with her sisters. Hanayama seems like one of those typical mentor characters in asadoras. However, I feel their relationship goes deeper than that. To me, Tsuneko and Hanayama are a good example of how "soulmates" don't have to be romantic partners. I also enjoyed Hanayama's uncompromising nature, which is a good foil to Tsuneko who initially wants to please everyone.

To address the elephant in the room, Tsuneko doesn't get married or have children. She does technically have a love interest, Hoshino-san (Sakaguchi Kentaro). [He was also amazing in "Okaeri Mone."] He proposes her just before the war, but she turns him down to stay with her family. They meet again fifteen years later and seemingly have another chance. However, the timing isn't right and Hoshino makes the best decision for his children. Their romance is very pure and heartbreaking. I would have loved for their relationship to have worked out, but I find it realistic and I respect the decision to have an asadora heroine not get married for once.

I also loved the music for "Toto Nee-chan," particularly the theme song "Hanataba o Kimi ni" by Hikaru Utada. Her songs for dramas always seem to capture the essence of the series. I could listen to this song for hours and I never got tired of it once.

To close out this review: I absolutely loved this asadora. The writing was superb from start to finish with an endless amount of impressive characters and moments. The writer did such a good job closing out the drama with the last few weeks. The finale was also one of the best I've seen from an asadora so far. It was infinitely satisfying and I know I'll go back to watch it again very soon. An A+ asadora that I would recommend to everyone.

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Heartfelt movie with solid acting

I really love Sugisaki Hana. She never disappoints me with her projects. Her acting is always nuanced and she seems to inhabit her characters. This movie was particularly interesting for me since she's not really the "main" you know. Nevertheless, Hana was able to show off some really nice acting during her scenes. The film is told through Tabata's point-of-view. He is played by Yoshizawa Ryo who I've only seen in the live-action Bleach movie (which Hana was also in lol). Of course, I was better able to see Ryo's acting ability in this film and I'll definitely keep my eye out now.

Basically, the film follows Tabata (Ryo) who formed a club with the idealistic Akiyoshi (Hana) three years prior. He now feels that the club has strayed from its 'save the world' ambitions and aims to take it down. Tabata can be classified as an unreliable narrator as the way he views events aren't really how they played out and he embellishes other things. Despite this, I really related to Tabata. He was an outsider who avoided people so he wouldn't get hurt, only realizing later that that is impossible.

Ultimately, the movie is about change: "becoming the person you want to be." Akiyoshi goes towards this goal by striving to make the world a better place. Supporting character Mizuki (Mori Nana) must leave the safety of the free school she attends to enter the real world. Tabata must truly open himself to people and emotions. Overall, the movie had a lot of touching moments. It might come off a bit preachy at time, but not much.

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