Real, maybe too much so

TL/DR: Watch it for realism and a beautiful brew of romance with terrific acting as well as characters who could be real people around you. Don't watch it if looking for pace, twists, inspiration and a solid ending. This drama is clearly not for everyone, and not because of the noona aspect of the romance. Having the context of Asian family culture is essential.

Long version:
This is a slow-paced, beautiful drama that is possibly the most realistic one you will ever watch. The episodes are long and contain long sequences of characters doing regular things. This may irk many but by showing everything happening, the series makes everything that occurs very realistic. We see the entire process of love; increasing attraction, the reluctance in making a move and the passionate bonding between the leads. The forbidden nature of their love is ever present in the air but immaturely swept under the carpet in manner that would be more befitting of teenagers than leads in their 30s and latter 20s. Yet, it is utterly believable. The casting of the drama is so perfect: Son Ye Jin looks her real age and so the noona romance is very strongly obvious since the beginning and I was really wondering why he would fall for her, especially in episode 1. Once they become a couple, Jina's lovingly cute nature is brought forth. The chemistry that the couple have is fantastic, their hugs, their teasing, their kisses were spontaneous and not melodramatically planned. The sismance between Jina and her friend, Kyungsun was the best I have ever watched. Their chemistry was romance-grade but more resilient.
Realism: The characters could very well be flesh and blood characters, even the mother and the way events unfold are also so real. Real life has a catch; it usually is not inspiring. Jina starts standing up for herself and uncharacteristically becomes the spearhead of a campaign against sexual harassment in the office. How it occurs and what she does is the way a real person who is not an 'activist-kind' would act. The final result of the action is also what might have generally occurred. Joon Hee's deadbeat father feels guilt but doesn't show it and though attempting to help, contributes less than nothing, exactly as would be expected from someone of that nature. Jina's mother never understands her daughter and does not realize how selfish she really is, which makes us want to strangle her, but a person like her would really not change. Jina's father alternates between playing the strong one who supports his daughter, quite comically at times, and the passive one who just goes along with his wife. The realism of these and even the office workers really was touching.
Nevertheless, the realism is also the problem. The story is not inspiring in any way. Nothing ends in a satisfactory way. It is not as if characters become stupid and implode; they just act like it would happen in real life and real life is seldom satisfactory when resolving difficult situations. When the odds are stacked against a lead, they might be expected to win in a drama but the odds would win in real life. So, what transpires is that the fightback against circumstances is passionate but not fully committed. Jina struggles a lot but she makes up excuses to give in and compulsively lie to cover up, even to herself. It is just the way she is. A non-hero does not become truly heroic all of a sudden. Joon Hee was truly hard done by how things turned out and Jina's cowardice felt like a betrayal but isn't it true that most romances are fleeting and all the passion and promises are conveniently forgotten after a while? If we are looking for loyalty to true love, we would be disappointed with the characters but given how few believe in true love, a real Jina coming from that type of family would have acted exactly like that. One cannot suddenly abandon careers (and visa is not a non-issue).
The middle section of the drama was a deadlock that ended in disaster. The ending felt too rushed and was disappointing in the context of the rest of the drama even though it could be termed happy. There was no finish: we felt like we would see another loop. Maybe that was the intention but it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth as there was no breakthrough and no change of heart either. Pointless, as even long journeys in real life can be.
OST: There is no background score which furthers the feel of real life and the OST has some beautiful songs which unusually are all in English ( the 90s kind) but the same songs were overused and more original tracks would have been nice. The songs work better if the series is not marathoned as they do complement the romance. The romance is worth a rewatch.

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Genres blend beautifully in this delectable dessert

I started this drama after listening to its OST and getting intrigued by the teacher-student scenes in the video (Magic Dream) and I was not disappointed. I loved the romance. It was the cutest thing ever: that of experiencing second first love in the same setting after a seemingly irreparable parting, and the forbidden nature of the relationship making it even more irresistible.
The main plot acts as a critique to the competitive and discriminatory school system in Korea, a system that also has parallels in other countries; the system can have severe adverse consequences for even the achievers, not to mention those who find school more of a struggle. The issue of corruption in private school or university foundations is also dealt with quite elegantly. Our leads need to resolve betrayals and misunderstandings and then challenge a pretty difficult and hostile school system that is catering to only a select few. The roles of a teacher and of a mother are scrutinized. The performances of the characters are key rather than the story itself.
Yoo Seung Ho as the male lead Kang Bok Soo is truly a hero. His kind, playful and forgiving nature is hard to find fault with. He seems every ounce the mischievous schoolboy as well as the returning student looking for justice. His maturity in handling the issue of his first love makes the whole ride possible.Did I also mention that he is handsome as heck?
Jo Bo Ah as Soon So Jung was soooo adorable. Her character takes some very immature decisions that have major consequences and her initial refusal to take responsibility as well as her victim mindset could be frustrating for viewers for a bit. Yet,as she grows through the story, we see her change admirably. She is honest, courageous and resilient later on. She is crucial to the success of Bok Soo. I must confess though that I say these things in retrospect; while watching I was quite mesmerized by how pretty she looked.
Oh Se Ho, played by Kwak Dong Yeon, plays a crucial role in the drama and is the friend turned nemesis with his own back story. His dashing looks and unpredictable behaviour are sure to result in SLS (Second Lead Syndrome) among many.
Some elements that appealed specially: the hot kisses, Soon So Joong's unabashed eating and the classroom chemistry between the leads. The ending was tied up with bows on top but was credible. Due to my long years in the education system as a student, I could identify very strongly with some things. However, the witty humour of the show and the addictive sweetness of even the support characters( the classmates were superb) will appeal to even those who feel less strongly about education. This message of hope and of second chances sure resounded with me. When I was not concentrating on Jo Bo Ah's smile ;)
I will rewatch for sure.
( My rating is based on how it made me feel. It does not mean that it is a perfect drama.)

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While they deadpan, you end up rolling on the floor laughing!

A refreshing show with a very interesting concept. The stories pictured in each episode are really believable and enough details are given to flesh out the situation as it must have seemed then. There is plenty of attention to details for such a goofy show. The tongue in cheek humour entertains throughout. The committee members debate minutiae in earnest doing reenactments, experiments and even gender swapping to better understand the situation and render judgement. Gender is pretty important actually because the male committee members are far more optimistic and are often miffed at why something totally acceptable when the female does is completely unacceptable when genders are reversed. Shiraishi Mai is really convincing as the stern sole female committee member with her guard up against male fantasies. The scene in which she lies on her side and her body resembles the mountains in the horizon is quite brilliant and the rice enactment scenes were also ROFL. The way the show pretends to take itself seriously is hilarious. it gives off the feel of manga , having its sweet and ponderous moments in an overall comic setting. Some situations become a little repetitive but I can see the potential for a second season with original content based on this concept.
The episodes are short and standalone bearing no realation to previous episiodes. One can empathize with how we could look back at certain instances in life to hypothesize what could have happened. Sato Jiro's words as the empathetic martial artist are often philosophically on point. Yamada Takayuki, has some outstanding moments as the contemplative musician. Hell, I would love to have such a committee in real life! The girls in the show are quite cute. The make-out scenes are goofy but passionately done. This was good!

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Many Promises, But Unkept

[As I have watched this while airing, I risk being disproportionately influenced in this review by the last two episodes in my story score, episodes which have left me needing a palate cleanser. However, unlike the show I will not use flashbacks but take it chronologically.]
Memories of the Alhambra uses a brilliant premise of augmented reality gone wrong and weaves cliffhangers and shocking twists in a manner that leaves viewers hooked, especially around the middle of the series. The technology imagined is not that farfetched and it was actually fun to brainstorm with others on MDL how it could really be happening scientifically. The buildup is a bit slow but the problem that our hero has to solve is so interesting and so confounding that it makes one keep racing to know what will happen next. The romance is not a big part of the story but is rather a relief from the pretty grim realities of the situation as it is developing. The main antagonist is the game itself and it is quite good at that. What the hero grapples with is really quite unnerving and chilling to imagine.
Hyun Bin as Yoo Jin Woo is very convincing and the action scenes in which he fights multiple assassins are good stuff. His playful teasing and self-deprecating humour mix with a high intellect, arrogance and recklessness to create a pretty irresistible combination. The drama rests on his shoulders, with him singlehandedly battling both the real world and the AR world. He also excels at being uncaring, aloof, and mysterious whose rare displays of affection completely bowl Park Shin Hye. PSH as Jung Hee Joo tries to make the best out of a poorly written role. She has to cry way too much and contributes pitifully little to the plot. She is a hardworking, empathetic and very ‘normal’ girl but not quite a strong female lead everyone is more accustomed to nowadays. Chanyeol looks every bit his part as the nerdy, anxious and scared software genius but he could have been utilized better, especially towards the end. Lee Seung Jun as the loyal friend who does not know what or whom to believe is very good. Min Joo Woong leaves a lasting impression as Jin Woo’s secretary and ally (pun intended). Lee Re as the younger sister of PSH is very cute and her exchanges with our protagonist are some of the funniest bits of the series. I also enjoyed some other support characters; Choi Yang Ju as the programmer and primary aide to Jin Woo’s efforts in the game, displays a very funny and awkward crush on PSH’s virtual avatar; and Han Bo Reum as Gu Yu Ra is quite pleasing to the eye as the idiotic and unpredictable bimbo. Yet, some important support characters get surprisingly little character development. Their motivations are ill-explained and backstories are weak to non-existent. Things just happen. Se Jun is a classic example; she is ostensibly an important character but we seldom know what is really going on with her.
My favourite part of the show was after the 50% mark and it seemed set for a very exciting ending. Yet, it seemed that the writers were working with a concept that as beyond their skills to execute. So, they resorted to killing time towards the end and giving very loose explanations. There was the promise of much more story but instead, a handful of major events were narrated very slowly. There should have been much more happening. The romance had been finally coming into its own around Episode 11-12 (with a pretty good kiss scene) but it was just thrown out suddenly. So was all the humour towards the end. The original game developer’s way of planning the game was untouched and the alternate dimension thing could only have been acceptable in a drama that was not taking itself too seriously. Like the series itself, the pacing of the fight sequences was highly variable; some got it right (the train sequence was quite good) while others were implausibly slow.
This show would have been better if it did not try to integrate K Drama with an American-type show. Either it should have had half the length and followed the American model of lots of characters and lots of stuff happening across cliffhangers or it should have had the existing 16 (or more) episodes with well-written characters whom the viewer understands and cares for. As it ended, I suddenly realized we do not anything about what is happening with almost anyone in the show. We are merely aware of incidents but don’t know or care about anyone making it easy to just shrug off the drama indifferently. After all, the ending seemed as if sadistically contrived to not leave any happy feelings, and quite unreasonably at that. Unlike Nine, we do not have enough cute and happy moments, or smartly cluttered plot points placed during the series that may warrant a re-watch.
Yet, the show is quite innovative in many areas and so with the option of rapidly forwarding through torturous areas, I would recommend it as a watch. Just do not expect too much as you my feel cheated. The show is successful in using the overseas location of Granada. The production values are top-notch and I have quite enjoyed the OST.

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An Original Take on AI but with Flaws

Although AI fuelled robots that function like humans aren't exactly new, this futuristic drama has very creative takes on AI and the future. The episodes are short and breezy and the tone is very light, for a while. However, the mood shifts halfway. It was enough of a change to make me only want to watch one 24 minute episode at a time since there was too much to take in. The show poses some major questions regarding the future: can AI possibly replace humans as companions? How different are humans from futuristic AI? How should AI technology be regulated?
Though the premises are fine on paper, the actual show leaves much to be desired. Tsumiki is not an interesting protagonist and lacks some vital qualities and I am quite surprised by how he still manages to garner female attention. His choice at the end of the show quite rankled me and I have not been able to reconcile with it because he had better options. Shukugawa is good in making us consider the ethics of AI. People may find him creepy and they should. Takama is too poorly fleshed out but due to lack of screenplay, not lack of acting. Piple is a delight and just lights up the screen. She is awesome in all scenes including the emotional.

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A uniquely Japanese take on Sherlock!

In spite of the similarities in some situations, this is a different investigative show in its own right. I is neither slow nor fast paced. All characters go through their own development arc, even the antagonist. The bodyguard may seem irritating at first but I liked her antics as well and she was far from just comic relief, as can be seen in the final three episodes. Kense the butler (Dean Fujoka), is extraordinarily good-looking and plays the much needed action role when needed. Oda Yuji's style of Sherlock may seem too over the top but I feel that the eccentricity was on spot and expected for such geniuses and those used to Japanese shows may not even notice it as unusual. I liked the last few episodes the most though each mystery was enjoyable too. I wish that they said more about the Homonji family because that 'obligatory' flashback into past incidents which lets us know the origin story, never happened. The ending was really good and though I would have preferred a few more minutes, it was still very satisfying. However, I feel that the screenplay could have maintained more suspense regarding the murders in the first few episodes, because it made things a bit predictable for me. That, apart from the incomplete backstory is why I deduct 1 point.

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I am watching Strong Girl Do Bong Soon for the second time; I was not watching carefully the first time and I was not too impressed. That makes complete sense as the joy in this drama is not in following the average and inconsistent story but in reveling in the sweet moments that the drama has, and it has so many!
The Good: The acting in the drama is top notch and it is easy to relate the romantic situations to real life. Both male leads are really good looking but I was quite taken aback by how incredibly cute Min Hyuk was. He is probably the most playful male lead I have seen. I could really relate to how he felt when he called Bong Soon a cutie pie or his reaction when she sent him the Min Min emoji, even the caress of the hair he liked to give Bong Soon, these details on him falling for her made it so enjoyable! The height difference with Bo Young is very obvious but she overcomes it with cuteness. The first time, I was not too impressed by Bo Young but this time I realized that her poker face or deer in the headlights reactions in certain situations is exactly how some girls act and she is quite sensational when she acts happy, confused or sad; her expressions are often worth replaying.
The OST is excellent and apt for a romcom. I particularly liked Double trouble Couple and Heartbeat but the whole OST is a good listen with a peppy and fun, youthfhul vibe. I even liked the action music they brought on in the thriller scenes.
The thriller element in this show was actually good. The villain felt dangerous but was not so horrific as to make this unsuitable for adolescents. He was smart and a worthy adversary talking less and doing more. I have had enough of dramas where the villain makes baseless and empty threats. Here, the villain was genuinely ahead all the time and would have probably won if not for the supernatural element.
Overall the humour in this show was very good and I mostly liked the slapstick nature of the comedy. The supporting characters were quite involved in the storyline and came together quite well. Kyung Shim as the girl who preemptively understood certain things or the secretary and even the Development Team doppelganger of the gangster were enjoyable characters.
The Bad: The main story of Bong Soon and her powers is hopelessly underdeveloped. That was why the first time I felt the drama was a drag. The writers call for an absolute suspension of disbelief. Ok, just roll with it. However, it is hard to take messages about weak girls and the strong preying on the weak seriously on such flimsy premises of unearned strength. Frankly, I found those lines irritating and preachy. The journal on the family's use of strength and Bong Soon's plans on what to with her superpowers, there was almost no detailing. The drama gets all the subtle elements of the lovable romance right: the smile, the teary eyes, the cute laugh, the rising tone of the voice showing ecstacy and completely messes up the detailing in the story. It is so frustrating.
Bong Soon's aim of joining Ainsoft is not to create games but create a game centered on herself, the height of narcissism. There is little in terms of further details on this game and it is kinda important since she has nothing else on her resume worth joining a corporate firm.
The villain's reasons for kidnapping are not really well specified. He wants to marry them and then what? The police's handling of security protocol was really awful. i couldn't understand how lockdown of facilities was not initiated even once even when the guy made repeated similar attempts at the same hospital.
The funny baddie of Tak Baek development was played too long without adequate character development; the amount of screentime given to that segue was too much. The segue needed better writing to funnier or could be edited to a fraction.
One last thing, I feel a bit worried for Bong Soon's fiance. She can be a bit of a bully at times and her mother is a particularly bad example. I wonder how he would stand ground in an argument against her when all she has to say is that I don't like it and you might get hurt but well..let's assume a happily forever after.

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Rather random martial arts film

It is quite rare for me to dislike a movie this much but the Age of blood did it, compelling me to write a review after years. It was so unwatchable that I considered abandoning it entirely even though i have sat through some really terrible movies. To distinguish myself from typical naysayers I shall also provide my reasoning.
Firstly, the lack of character development is quite remarkable. Throughout the movie, not even a single character learns anything. The protagonist has no sense of self preservation and there is no clarity as to what happened to him and why he is so loyal. The principal events are not explained and it is not even clear whether the protagonist is even fighting for the 'good' cause or whether anyone is good. The utter bloodshed seems completely unnecessary when most people do not seem to want to get involved. There are several ancillary characters and there was plenty of potential for stringing together a story and some emotional appeal. The asinine writing ensures that even people dying leaves no impact whatsoever as the protagonist all but ensures such consequences due to his lack of intelligence. The little girl exists for no reason whatsoever and there is also a pretty heroine introduced almost at the end but who gets to do almost nothing.
The martial arts did not impress me because the shots are not clean. The camerawork is some of the worst I have ever seen and competes only with other denizens of the netherhells who do similar shaky cam cinematography. I would advise these sufferers of Parkinson's disease to find other occupations where they could be less destructive. The wins of the protagonist are utterly unbelievable and he seems to be a Mary sue with no explanations for his prowess whatsoever. There is hardly anything clever in the fighting. It's mostly brutal slog. When he gets a baton instead of a sword for a weapon the impact on enemies is similar. They take a hit and stay down and the inferiority of the weapon is irrelevant. I am ok with one strong guy beating everyone but it ought to be done with some level of credulity but that's entirely missing here.
There is much done to make the antagonists look cool and they do. However, their motivations are unclear and while they fight well and always seem to be winning, they somehow do not manage to kill the protagonist even showing him mercy on several occasions. Our hero on the other hand has no subtlety and appears to be closest to a bloodhound in all characteristics including intelligence and communication skill.
The story did not exist. This is despite the fact that they gave themselves a clean chit to write whatever by having the king say conveniently that the incident be not recorded in history. Why then not write a coherent story? There are so many questions this movie leaves untold. Why was there a rebellion? Did the king really commit fratricide? What was the rank and training of the protagonist? Why was the uncle working in the same prison? Perhaps, the writers were given the total length of the movie screen time to write the whole story. Perhaps, the writers might fail composition class in grade 9. Perhaps, this movie is secretly a masterpiece to highlight the worst of modern movie making. Getting the best actors, best equipment, beautiful long range camera shots and yet the worst writing and martial arts cinematography. The modern movie audience is expected to have room temperature IQ and so a historical context and attractive faces are considered good enough. Anyway, I must excuse myself for some scotch now.

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An anti-war movie

This is a rare classic and deserves all the applause it has got over the years. This movie is not for the squeamish, there are many moments that are really hard to watch and though there is some humour, it is rather dark. The story is set towards the end of World War II in the Philippines campaign. The Japanese are all but beaten and only Bushido is preventing them from surrender. This movie follows the travels of our hero through the jungle in a desperate struggle to survive. There are some unforgettable poignant moments such as when Tamara throws away his rifle, when he throws away his shoe, when he discovers an unseemly pile in an abandoned village, and when he realizes the origins of 'monkey meat'. The action sequences are few but they are hard-hitting. The actual action is momentary while there is intense buildup. The bombing of the hospital, the crossing of the road, the finale sequence, if the director had wanted he could have pulled off much more action but he chose not to. This is not an action film but a chilling reminder of the actual non-action reality of war.
This was made in 1959 but this is a movie that could not be improved upon. Its setting is unique and perspective from the Japanese side ( non-nationalistic and anti-war) is rare. The theatrical Japanese way of acting ( I personally dislike the overacting) is missing here and in fact the acting is remarkably subtle. The cast was so committed to the movie that they starved and did not take care of personal hygiene with the lead actually collapsing after two weeks of self imposed starvation.

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This is a passable action movie with not much of a story. Tiger Chen goes through a story arc in the movie but it is not really executed well even though it is actually critical to the plot. Cliches abound and the grand finales deserved better closure because it felt a bit underwhelming. The other actors do not really have much to do. Karen Mok is largely wasted. However, as everyone performed their role well, a weak storyline is better supported.
The action sequences are good though the choreography is predictable and obvious in some bits. Martial arts buffs would like the sequences as there are many of them and there are different styles on display. Thus, the rewatch value exists entirely for the action.

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This is less a review and more of a memoir of how I feel right after I've finished watching.
The story definitely made me feel. I was angry and heartbroken at various stages, particularly the end, I started watching this because of IU but by the end, I was really tired of her character. I was surprised by myself because my I was not th The inking of her as IU any more but Hae Soo, and Hae Soo's misplaced compassion and lack of understanding of So bogged me. I really could not understand how she felt so strongly about the death of her 'sister' when it was a story of utter betrayal. are we to accept that the worst crimes are forgivable because someone was in love? The martial part of me really wanted more use of the sword instead of just accepting the usual needs of politics. In the end, it seemed that even So did not have fierce defiance and will to overcome everything that had been promised at the beginning.
I almost felt like skipping the last two episodes even as they were running because it was so predictably going wrong. The flashbacks did not help. They reinforced the fact that the leads got almost no happiness through it all. It was just fleeting. i don't think the 13th prince's love story's closure was handled properly.
I still give it a high rating because the pain moved me and I could see such a lot of IU. However, I won't be able to rewatch it. I had expected tragedy throughout the time but i felt a lot of it was preventable and the characters just wanted it to be tragic; they were just so stupid at times. That's not like how I like my characters.

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