In the mood for laughter and love

If there's one thing I appreciate about cdramas it's that, from time to time, they manage to produce a story with characters behaving their age but also showing a pleasantly surprise maturity to their actions. In recent years, youth dramas like Love O2O, Our Secret, You Are Desire or When I Fly Towards You come to mind. Everyone Loves Me falls into this category. We are presented a group of characters who are young enough to make mistakes, but old enough to be aware of their limitations, of their missteps, and learn to grow from them.

I really liked both leads. Particularly Ling's spitfire personality, which is a breath of fresh air and I loved every minute she made Gu Xun sweat. But he didn't lose against her. Gu Xun was charming and overall had a great presence, boy needed to be taken down a notch tho. And thanks to the fact both leads are written as equals through their entire journey together, at the end of the drama it feels like they have come out as better people. I even dare say, it feels like their story it's just beginning.

Lin Yi and Zhou Ye have great chemistry and managed to portray their characters really well. They clearly had a lot of fun working together and with their character's development. I would love to see them work together again in the future.

The rest of the cast was also very good. The supportive characters hace each a function in pushing forward the story at the workplace and the leads's personal lives, which made for some very interesting office tension and hilarious interactions out of it. For example, at the beginning of the story leading man it's arrogant enough to know a good quantity of girls are crushing on him but for someone who claimed to be so popular, he spent a good portion of the story dealing with loves rivals from right to left, up and down. Everyone Loves Me? More like Everyone Loves Her. The results were awesome.

This was a very fun and easy going drama for me, with lots of re-watch potential. Every time I watched a new episode, it put me in a good mood and that's enough for me to recommend it.

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Better together.

Two lonely and neglected high school seniors find friendship, love and a family in each other when their respective difficult circumstances bring them together. The tittle comes into play as they study otters in the biology class and they learn how when adrift in the ocean, otters hold hands to be less scared and stay together.

It's the perfect metaphor for our leads and what they are going through. For them life is as big and scary as the ocean, and the lack of support from their respective families leaves them to be adrift in it, with no one to turn to when things go from bad to worse. So when at first glance this might look like a story about teenage angst, it couldn't be more far from it. Neither of the leads has a safe place to go or a sense of what a true family it's like until they find each other.

The performances are really good. Shin Eun Soo delivers a strong performance as the always in the move kinda of character, for her this is essential because staying put means thinking how bad things are for her at home. On the other hand, Kim Jae Won delivered a great deal of contained emotions. His performance is more subdued, until it comes to a turning point. Both actors share great chemistry and managed to make me believe their character's instant connection through shared pain and frustration that slowly becomes something more positive, full of warmth and eventually love.

Most of the drama was shot at night, under cool tones, which fills the story with dark vibes and sometimes a gritty feel. It gives us a glimpse at a time of day that doesn't seem fit for two kids to be walking around the city, delivering alcohol and condoms. Which is exactly the point the drama it's trying to make visually: the world these kids live on is cold and dark. Except for the scenes at the school, when they can disconnect from their families and connect with each other. Those scenes are shot under a warm color palette and full of light, sunny and happy days.

The conclusion of the story is somehow bittersweet because in order for our leads to be happy, they have to come to terms with the fact that family is not always the one you were born in but the one you choose. Abuse it's not always physical and people need to recognize this in order to move forward and start holding on tightly to those who care for your well being and happiness.

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Frustrating and boring (very little spoilers ahead to make a point)

To be honest, I found this drama to be mild. It's main problem is the script, trying to find problems where there are none and taking way too long for things to happen. I don't mind a long burn but when absolutely nothing happens on a personal level and, most of the time, the characters are in corporate meetings talking about chips, it's a bore.

On the other hand, there are very real problems, with lots of potential, that take the entire drama to be resolved and it's done badly. Example: leading lady has to constantly deal with a nasty and jealous co-worker who slanders her and even physically hurts her at one point. When the boss can no longer avoid the issue, leading lady's personal life is brought up and questioned. Excuse me? Her relationship it's nobody's business and furthermore why are y'all weaponizing it against her when it hasn't affected her work or the work place in the fist place? Seems to me you are all dealing with a terrible case of sexism among women and a change of attitude would have been nice. But, no, nasty co-worker doesn't even get fired. She's transferred and choses to quit altogether as if she was trying to save some face. Bitch, please. This particular storyline was frustrating.

There are other two couples, apart from the leads, that we spent a good amount of time following, only for them to completely disappear from once they respectively find happiness. No follow up, nothing, until the last scene of the drama.

The one saving grace is the cast, which is flawless in the respective roles they were given and had good chemistry (at times).

It honestly seems like a waste of a good cast on a mediocre story. A shame.

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Acosy, warm and lovely story.

The first thing that stands out it's the cast, which is conformed by some of the hottest and most talented young chinese actors nowadays, which includes Wu Lei, Zhao Jinmai, Wang Xing Yue, Chen Jing Ke and Wang Run Ze just to name a few.

I think this drama it's a good choice for their careers as they are able to deliver more quiet, subdue and nuance performances in comparison to melodramatic historical stories. Amidst a Snowstorm of Love it's more on the mature and calm side of Dramaland, something that I really appreciated.

This is a soft-spoken story, a mirror to our leads' personality and relationship. There are no grand gestures, insurmountable challenges, or family opposition. Instead we find, front and center, a story about love, friendship and personal growth.

Tien Jen Huang and Yu Bo knew what they were doing. I am guessing Amidst a Snowstorm of Love had two directors because half of the dramas was filmed outside of China, and they had to combine filming styles of storytelling, rhythms and aesthetics, among other practical and technical things. Both teams did wonderful, maintaining the same leve of production through the entirety of the show.

If I have to mention something that bothers me, it would be the sport side of the story which inevitably ends on the characters trying to get to the Olympics. I like it more when the story focuses on their growth as people through their personal relationships. But this is a minor point in a bigger story that it's perfectly cosy, warm and lovely.

I recommend it.

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A wasted opportunity.

I came into this drama thinking it was a romance with a side of comedy but I was pleasantly surprise to find a family drama.

Everyone does a really good job in the roles they were given and have great chemistry but you should know this drama leans more into the realism of how relationships actually work in a chinese family nowadays than what westerns countries are used to consume.

I found myself surprised, really, to find this kind of story of a meddling mother to the point of annoyance and a family that would actually enable her actions, until the breaking point. And then when things didn't go her way, she made everything worse. It got to the point where no matter how much I understood she was coming from a place of good, there was no justification or explanation for her.

I have been watching asian dramas for decades now and it's been a long time since I find myself watching a drama with these family dynamics, which it's a reminiscence of early 2000s kind of story and, worse, outdated.

Another weak point, it's that this drama simply didn't have enough story for 37 episodes. If this would have been a 20 something episode long drama, focused more on leading lady's work life, it would have been far more interesting.

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Between the living and the dead

Exhuma is an explosive mixture of south korean folklore and mythicism. It effectively evokes the universal dread and mystery regarding the afterlife.

Our group of leading characters are the perfect bridge between the spiritual and supernatural, never quite here or there, always between the two worlds. Great atmosphere, never looses the steam, with memorable moments.

But then it reaches the mid point of the film. This is a strong story, but the uneasiness and tension goes away, and never quite reaches the same high as the first half.

This film is ambitious and creative. The cinematography outstanding and visually delivering the eerie emotions you are supposed to feel in every scene. It helps that the effects are mostly practical as well, which it's marvelous to watch nowadays.

Horror film fans will be satisfied but this story is more of a mix of genres. There are no traditional jump scares but very well crafted world building and character development that will immerse you in the film experience.

I do recommend watching this film without knowing anything about the story or the characters for a bigger impact.

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I came for the romance and stayed for the story.

I was in the mood for a historical romance story and Blossoms in Adversity seemed like a good idea since it features some of the actors I like. I was pleasantly surprised by this drama. I really thought it was going to be yet another run of the mill romance but what I found was so much more.

The story it's not about romance per se, that's a side story, the main plot of Blossoms in Adversity it's a family torn apart when their patriarch crosses the Emperor in the wrong way (for the right reasons). As a consequence the men, including the children, are exiled to the north and the women, find themselves without the family's fortune and no men to support them. So, out of necessity, they create a matriarchy and end up finding agency of their own for the first time ever with incredible results as they slowly rethink the "rules" they have been living by so far. Slowly, each women starts to show their true self, their personal interests and strong characteristics, they start business, struggle and succeed, the road it's never easy but their bond it's stronger.

I will be honest, you will have to push through at first. There’s some catty behaviour but it’s important to understand that most of these females characters never thought they would be anything other than brides or mothers, as set for the society, but these women prove to be mature and sensible enough to hold proper conversations with each other and realize why they need to work together.

The male lead's story it's also very interesting and it complements well the main characters but I found the women's story far more compelling. This drama is very uplifting and consistent in its characters's development, never betraying them.

I recommend it!

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This show kept on popping everywhere in my dash, so I figure I would give it a change. I’m really glad I did.

It was very refreshing to find a tv show that portrays a healthy relationship and how a shared passion can bring people together. There’s really no drama involving the main couple, mainly because these are two people who trust each other and actually talk about their feelings. Their relationship develops slowly but surely, at a perfectly natural pace.

I enjoyed the show a lot thanks to this factor, but it was a little too much at times. It’s like the leads are the only ones who have everything figure it out, which is why everyone around them worships every single thing they do. I get why they are charming, even I fall in love with them, but I think a little more real life struggle regarding Xiao Nai’s business or Bei Wei Wei’s future plans after university would have made the show a little better.

Still, it was so fulfilling to have a leading who is so freaking smart and truly independent. Too bad I found this version of Bei Wei Wei a little too proper and prim. It is hinted that she has personality traits that are not ladylike but we never really get to see them. I think this was partly a decision made by the director to make her like that and I kinda wished they would have choose to keep some of her spunk from the original movie version.

TV version’s of Xiao Nai is a smooth bastard and I love him. The actor brought a lot of charm into the character and made me fully understand why he was so popular but, just like with our leading lady, I would have appreciated it more if I could have seen his shortcomings. Nobody is this perfect all the freaking time.

One of my favorite things from the show was the friendship between the leads but also the one with each other friends.

Xiao Nai’s besties were an absolute delight. The bromance is strong in this show and so very funny. This might be one of my favorite tv friendships ever. They aren’t just simple sidekicks but also had strong personalities and a easy going banter. They are great team and I was cheering for them to succeed!

But the real surprise was the friendship between the girls. In tv shows we always see how strong the bromance is but the women behave catty at one point or another, right? I really appreciate the way this show took the time to properly portray a healthy and rock-solid sisterhood.

Sure, you can find the typical secondary characters and sub-plots in the show too but everyone who matters ends up becoming better at the end.

Now, to the gaming part: I love the CGI they used to portray life inside the game as a second world where the characters can meet and establish strong relationships; and it’s even a cathartic way to confront others. The graphics are incredibly beautiful, it blown my mind.

So, overall, I liked the tv version of LOVE O2O and I recommend it for what it is: a breezy and lovely show.

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I just came back from a screening of Train to Busan! In my country is rare that asian films make it to the big screen, so I was very excited to be able to watch it and I’m happy to report I wasn’t disappointed.

The story is generic, nothing we haven’t seen before, but the way the film is shot and the how the characters related to each other is what makes this movie worthwhile. I particularly enjoyed how the film demonstrate that humans’ survival instinct is linked to certain selfishness (embodied in Kim Eui-sung’s character) I was on the edge of my seat through the two hours and whispering to the characters what to do so they could survive and get to Busan.

Gong Yoo has always been a good actor but lately he has being excelling with his performances and this time is no different. He really made me connect with his character and what he was going through.

Ma Dong-seok, as you would expect, stole every scene he was in. From badass warrior to doting husband and comic relief. Jung Yumi and Kim Soo-ahn are the ones bringing all the feels.

By the time we get to the final scene I was holding my breath, praying the survivors would make it to through the tunnel. I really enjoyed the film and if you have the chance to watch it on the silver screen, do it!

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The premise of this film isn’t something we haven’t seen before but it’s the actors and the way they portray their characters and how the story develops that makes it enjoyable to watch.

Xia Liang (Ni Ni) has been in a committed relationship with her boyfriend for the past ten years. She basically lives as a housewife but without the ring, wedding nor official title. It’s not like she’s expecting him to propose in a obvious and annoying kind of way, Liang is happy to just be with him. But when she finds a diamond ring in his jacket pocket, she starts to get ideas. Of course, it all explodes in her face. Isn’t that the way?

That’s when with the help of some magical (or should I say spiked?) chocolates, her 17 year old self starts to take over her body. After the initial confusion, 28 year old Liang and her younger self start to work together in order to regain youthful boldness while reclaiming and achieving long lost dreams.

The rest of the characters are also a lot of fun to watch. Liang’s boyfriend (Wallace Huo) has a lot of reflecting and groveling to do in order to correct his mistakes, while the other love interest (Darren Wang) is the dreamboat we all fantasize about. But does the fantasy hold a candle to the real thing?

Liang’s best friend (Ma Su) was hilarious and supportive, and added another layer of the girl power portrayed in this film.

Overall, this was a very sweet film to watch.

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I watched this movie years ago but even now remains one of my favorite on-screen romances, particularly because its leads are two of my favorite korean actors but also because they share an amazing chemistry and their meet-cute it’s anything but typical.

Hyung-seung (Ji Sung) dated for almost a decade what he always believed to be The One until -to his utter shock- everything comes crashing down when she leaves him. The days and months pass by, drinking away, when one night he receives a phone call from an unknown number. The caller it’s a woman who tells him to be quiet and puts on an entire show over the phone, which ultimately ends in phone sex. The caller it’s Yoon-jung (Kim Ah-joong) who was hoping to lit the fire on her dying relationship by giving her boyfriend a little surprise over the phone, too bad she misdialed his number and ended up sharing a very intimate moment with a complete stranger.

The rest… you have to watch it.

Ji Sung and Kim Ah-joong share an incredibly chemistry together and built a relationship based on friendship and trust even when they don’t even share any physical space for the better half of the film. There’s good storytelling on this rom-com that not only has it’s focus on the main character’s love lives but also how they perceive themselves, each other and their professional lives. I love how it’s thanks to this new found friendship that the leads find a new sense of security and self-steem where they reach a common place of understanding of who they are, the goals they set for themselves and who they want in their lives.

And I like how the movie isn’t shy nor apologetic about any of the leads own security about their sexuality and mutual attraction. Relationships don’t always go the way we would like to nor have conventional starts, and that’s okay.

I really recommend you watch My PS Partner. It made me laugh and fall in love with the story and characters, all accompanied by a really fun soundtrack.

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I’m down with the flu, so instead of studying for my finals I have been watching a lot of films and series. That’s what you are supposed to do, right? Last night, I watched Love 911, a korean dramedy from 2012, starring Han Hyo-joo and Go Soo as leads, and with a really good and solid ensemble of supporting actors.

Mi-soo (Han Hyo-joo) is a doctor studying towards her goal to become a cardiothoracic surgeon and working through her residency. She has a tendency for being a smartass and quick judgement, but it backfires when she misdiagnosed a woman, whose husband she assumed to be an abusive thug. So when the patient takes a turn for the worse, the husband decided to sue.

Kang-il (Go Soo) is the epitome of the wounded hero. A former soldier now turned firefighter and widower. Despite having a great team of friends and co-wokers at the station, Kang-il refuses to move on with his life, carrying the guilt of his wife dying alone while he was busy saving others.

Fate and some machiavellians ways bring these two together. The relationship between Mi-soo and Kang-il didn’t feel forced, their chemistry is fiery since the first moment. Her carefree personality brings a much needed light tone to his brooding, and his way of taking everything serious gives her a newfound weight to every decision she makes and how they affect other people’s lives.

I enjoyed it was Mi-soo who very cheekly and endearingly pursued Kang-il first. That’s right, he was the one being wooed not the other way around. In this film you will find a leading lady, willing to take risks and rejection, but also in control of her life, not letting anyone tell her how to be proper. What’s more, this way she has, actually gets her out of almost all the troubles she starts.

Kang-il’s grief was harder to watch, mostly thanks to Go Soo’s acting, which carried a lot of weight through the film. You could feel his heartbreaking and denial to move on, even when he was clearly falling for someone else. But he had lighter moments too, like when he interacted with his friends or Mi-soo, and then you could see glimpses of the real Kang-il.

The rest of the cast it’s what really made the story so enjoyable to watch. Ma Dong-seok (Police Force 38, Train to Busan) is the adorable and though Chief, who behaves like an older brother and father figure at the same time. A true leader. And then you have Kim Sung-oh (Fight for My Way, My PS Partner) and Hyun Jyu-ni (IRIS, Descendants of the Sun) friendship-turned-romance which is both hilarious and endearing. My favorite part is the cameos from Jung Ji-hyun and Yang Dong-ge, the detectives who befriend Mi-soo at the police station.

Overall, Love 911 was a fun romance with enough gravity to have actual character development and a lovely message about the meaning of happiness and living your life.

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It all ends the way it started. With grown men getting a beating from a tiny little woman, but this time around there’s two of them and the mobsters still run in fear and tears. Also, they were their babysitters.

Personally, I through-fully enjoyed the mobsters storyline from beginning to end, and it’s so like them to get conned and end up in embarrassment yet again. In their defense, they are like a phoenix that keeps on rising from the ashes, again and again. And despite their ways, they were kind of good guys once you got to know them and kept them in line.

Another incredibly funny storyline were the neighborhood kids, who I was sorry to not see at Bong-soon’s wedding, and just kept brining laugher with every scene they were at. Their journey was equally enjoyable as the mobsters, sometimes even more because theirs was a love story with their Noonim. And I love how they went to have a little talk with Min-hyuk to know more about his intentions with their boss. I love even more than he had no idea Bong-soon had this group of high-school kids patrolling the neighborhood too. HAHAHAHA!

Also, it was good that the show clarified that Mom didn’t use physical violence against Dad *that* time around. I still believe that the show didn’t portray this woman in the right way and that her journey wasn’t all that. She’s still the bully she was at 19, the only difference is that she doesn’t use her fists. Should I be applauding this? And I would have like for Dad to make an stand other than to leave the house, for example, how about a real talk between them? He was such an endearing, honest and good character thorough out the show that I grew to love him as I love our leads. He is precious. It gives me hope that the last scene between him and Mom was much more peaceful than usually when Gook-doo’s mom was involved.

I’m also happy awesome bro Bong-ki got some screen time too. This was such a good character, just like Dad, and I was sorry we didn’t get to see more of him. I also think his storyline with Hee-ji was a little rushed at the end. And it doesn’t seem like it because Bong-ki spent a lot of time healing broken bones (thanks to his sis) but this relationship was really put to a test: Gook-doo found out not only that he had been lying through out their entire lives by keeping Bong-soon’s secret but also that his girlfriend was attracted to his best friend. So I appreciate how their friendship remained strong even after everything they went through.

As for other characters like Secretary Gong and Mr. Oh, they were another great comedy act. Especially when they were together and I love how their bromance was born by getting to know each other better through their shared experiences with Bong-soon’s abilities. Pffft!

Finally, Min-kyuk really changed through the story: started as a lonely guy looking for protection from his own family and ending up as a man with a family to protect. He was smart, honest and assertive from day one, and not once he tried to change Bong-soon into something she wasn’t. The greatest attribute Min-hyuk had was that he never made Bong-soon feel that she had to hide from the world, what’s more he even encouraged and helped her to be more like her true self and come into her powers. He always tried to be there for his girl but was more than willing to be a proud onlooker when the time called for it and let Bong-soon do what she had to do.

Bong-soon’s journey was also something to witness. When we first met her she was hiding from the world, afraid of her powers and by extention herself. These abilities she was born with had made her an outcast despite her spunk and outgoing personality, she was confident but had insecurities. Some of them born out of crush and others from the idea society holds on how a woman should be and behave.

I liked how the show connected her personal life with the city’s problems, because in a way they are one and the same, by having her best friend being kidnapped by the resident psycho. It was a good move since she was already gaining the confidence to do more with her powers by watching the news, her interactions with the mobsters and the neighborhood’s kids and Min-hyuk, who knew from day one about her powers and didn’t rejected her. He thought she was sexy! All of these factors made Bong-soon want to become the heroine of her life (beyond a video game) and I really loved to see her grow into a truly strong woman ready to take on the world.

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon wasn’t a perfect show but it was really entertaining and sweet, made me swoon and laugh out loud more than twice per episode, and I’m going to miss these characters and their shenanigans!!

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A really fun film about passionate youth!

Let me start with saying that Tori Girl was the film I needed in my life and didn’t even knew about it. Everything about this story is outstanding and here’s why.

Japanese films about university students when done well are some of the best and most endearing stories you will ever find. There’s a particular rhythm and feel to this slice of life productions. Usually, in this stories, universities aren’t a place where you study: they’re a place where you join an incredibly interesting club, filled with odd and good hearted characters. Perhaps you will even find love or at the very least a crush. And Tori Girl has all this elements… with a twist. A twist so refreshing that makes the film stand out from al others.

Drifter Yukina (Tsuchiya Tao) has no aim in life and hates her university, where there are mostly male student and almost none of them is as cute as the usual leading man. Everything changes when she meets cute Kazumi (Ikeda Elaiza) and smooth talker Kei (Takasugi Mahiro) who is captain of the Team Birdman Trial, the Human-powered Aircraft Society. Convinced she will be teaming up with him, she gives her all to the team until her path crosses with apparent delinquent Sakaba (Mamiya Shotaro), with whom she develops an antagonistic relationship and must learn to bond with in order to win the competition.

Yukina is an incredibly amusing and gutsy protagonist in a journey to find her calling, who demands to be respected by her peers. This is only emphasised by her first meeting with Sakaba, who changes up the entire tone of the film. Mamiya introduces Sakaba in the most hilarious way, pushing the film to a heightened level and it leaves an impression.

The rest of the cast is equally great and while I would have love to see more of them, I am satisfied with what we got. I know these kids will keep on getting on each others’ nerves and grow stronger as friend long after the closing credits end.

Heavy on team-building with a team captain who is a cheeky bastard that knows exactly how to play his cards, but most importantly a fun dynamic with two leads that will keep you entretened until the final minute, Tori Girl is literally an uplifting film you can’t miss out on!

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Super fun!

This is one of my favorite films to watch when I am having a bad day, it always manages to make me laugh. Steal My Heart might not be a masterpiece but it certainly is entertaining and hits all the right notes with me.

The story follows Lee Tae-ho, a hot shot criminal profiler who is currently working on a serial murder case. Thanks to his ability, the police force finally has a suspect and just when they are about to catch him, the culprit becomes a hit and run victim. Now, Tae-ho must find the driver who got away… little does he know that the person he is looking for is Yoon Jin-sook, his first love and nowadays a famous white collar criminal worthy to lead Danny Ocean’s team.

Between Tae-ho’s sense of duty and Jin-sook’s smarts, they need to find the way to do the right thing and not end up in jail at the same time, but when old feelings start rearing their head, will they make it?

Starring Joo Won and Kim Ah-joong who play their parts to perfection as the mismatched couple who are perfect for each other. The rest of the cast is incredibly funny as the clueless detectives, and one random cameo from Chae Tae-hyun.

I really recommend it to, at least, give a chance.

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