Less would have been so much more…
The problem with trying to do too much is that you don’t do enough. There was not enough depth to really make this drama memorable. We were introduced to a number of relationships, all of which had promise, but none of which were fully explored. We were given the overall picture, but what totally draws you in and keeps you there long after the last episode, is not the obvious, but the small moments of unexpected revelation that can only happen when you spend time with characters.With so much going on there was not enough time to explore big transitions, let alone small ones. Some of the developments required by the plot, which were complex emotional transitions, were skipped through on a wing and a prayer. Worse, motivations were explained in retrospect with large chunks of repetition and telling rather than showing. This is such bad writing and the fault lies in a weak structure.
I don’t think that increasing the number of episodes would necessarily have helped. All of the character interactions had large amounts of emotional baggage, and if they had all been fully explored, it would simply have become too much. There’s only so much emotional pay-off that you can squeeze from story or from a viewer. When this has to be divided across too many characters it can get very thin, with the result that the viewer feels less all round intensity and therefore empathy.
I was not convinced of why there was a need to tell this story in two time-streams with two sets of loosely connected characters. The periods of time that were spent in each time-stream were frequently too long, which broke your connection to the other story-line. I couldn’t find a strong enough reason to think that it merited this treatment, they just seemed to run in parallel rather than intersecting with each other. Neither did one story enhance our understanding of the other, both seemed to say the same thing.
For this to be a special drama, and I think that the themes and concept had the potential to be so, the first half desperately needed to be pruned of some of its intensity around non-core relationships and to focus more on the central ones. As for the second half, the structural faults in the plot needed to be resolved. Maybe it’s just that I like clean lines and deep thoughts, but KISS is an aphorism for a reason folks!
Having said all that there were things to like about it too. The sombre colour palette with great lighting designs that provided highlights and supportive context for the action. The colours were rich and intense, particularly in the night scenes and the definition had a beautiful clarity to it. Some of the cinematography (enhanced by CGI) was breathtakingly beautiful, particularly at the beach.
The standard of acting from all four of the main cast was good, particularly from K and Cream although I think that the director took the melo too far in places. The characters themselves were interesting and varied although I wasn’t convinced by the character of Li Na, or Phoebe Yuan’s performance - she was no Elizabeth Taylor…
I didn’t find the OST that inspiring to be honest, which was a pity as it was set in the music industry and an opportunity was missed. But maybe I’m not that qualified to judge as I’m not a great fan of Asian music in general, which often sounds too smooth, bland and overproduced for my taste.
Overall, my interest waned as the episodes progressed and more and more flaws were revealed.
What my rating means: 6+ Some aspects of it were OK but it had serious flaws. It will pass the time but you can find something better.
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It's good but not as good as the 2009 Korean Movie
First of all the original Korean movie is just better in every way except one. The drama did the school life part better. They showed how K and Cream fell in love. That was missing from the movie. But the movie was more emotional. Although I liked the Music Producer's relationship with the assistant in the drama but most of the new storylines they introduced didn't benifit the original story at all. It slowed down the main story way too much. I also didn't like the changes they made to the original story. They basically copied "Uncontrollably Fond"s ending and put it in here. The actors did a pretty decent job but they're nowhere near the level of the actors in the original movie. The show started out great but they convoluted the ending. It would have been much better if they stick to the original story.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Mundane old-fashioned melodrama, but compensated by the acting of the ML.
Note: I watched ep. 1, 2 and 8-10 with forward speed, so it's not really the whole series. I'm glad, though, that I didn't spend my time with every episode. I don't feel it's worth the full span of time it requested from the viewers.1. Story [-]
The plot is super melodrama, which is too much. It's also cliche and out-of-date kind of a plot, which made it unmemorable.
2. Acting [~]
The younger actors, which are the main ML and FL, did a great job in acting, esp. the ML. I still cried in spite of being able to foresee what was coming in the storyline (that's how much the story was cliche, I can guess the whole story all right) because of their acting. The performance of the adult actors, though, are not on par with the younger ones. This is disappointing. I didn't feel along with the adults at all. And the job of the adults here drags the acting/cast score down.
3. Music [~]
Plain. It's a story particularly about a song, but that song as well as other OST and music in the story are just so-so. There are some live singing scenes on the stage and recording booth, and it should be moving if it's this kind of scene in a series that has the theme involving music but those scenes are so plain. The singing skills of those who sing in the scenes are not good enough, either. Anyway thanks to the production team. The director, cinematographer and editor here know how to do their job to obscure and compensate their weak points. Those scenes still come out passable.
4. Production [+]
Most part is artistic, but the technique they used to reveal the past story like college kids gathering around a bonfire to tell a ghost story is too unoriginal and lazy. Still, they have great skills in directing, cinematography and editing. This is another point combined that made the watching journey wasn't unbearable for me (other points are the ML's acting and I watched only half of the whole thing with forward button under my finger at all time.)
P.S. I don't really like the color filter in this series. Too much blue shade in the blue-filtered scenes and too much orange shade in the orange-filtered scenes. It is too intentional.
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PREPARE LOTS OF TISSUES!!!
If you have watched the 2009 Korean movie & 2018 Taiwan movie versions, this remake series/drama version is much more elaborate, touching & beautiful than the 2 movie version. I cried so so so much that my eyes were swollen the next day. Out of 10 episodes, I think I cried 7 episodes. Oh my eyes……..The acting by the 2 leads portraying K & Cream is much more realistic & elaborated. Some changes made is good, for example no kissing before they stay together is more real. The expressions expressed by the actor K when the photographer took his pictures, are much more real than the movies. Kudos to the actor & actress portraying Chang Zhe Kai/K & Sung Yuan Yuan/Cream.
It’s is good that 2 other stories were elaborated too. And the other story of An Ke Le(the cute boy), An Yi Chi & Wang Po Han is also very touching. The boy portraying An Ke Le acts very very……good. Kudos to him. Cried loads too…..
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True love will always inspire others
Crazy how this drama is able to make me cry since ep 3. And in every episodes my crying will be heavier and louder.Who would not cry a river if it's about losing someone you love the most?
No, you will definitely cry and cry for many times.
I was experienced losing my 6 years old younger brother hence I felt the emotions so much that I can't bear remember him everytime I watch this drama.
It's getting even worse because this drama also have that sense of poetic melodrama created by the singer-songwriting things. And how such a deep lyrics created by such a tragic sad love story.
And what I highlight the most is the lesson that I learned from this drama. That is true love will always inspire others.
Lovers are usually being destroyed by a small conflict or cliches but somehow egoism is the only reason behind it. They come up with two side love story when they still can't even discover what true love really means but the main couple inspire them to find the meaning of true love.
Afterall, this is life. We will meet people by chances, or coincidences etc. And we can't help but to love that person. And once you find you love, cherish it. Before it's too late, and before everything turn to be something unexpected that we really want to turn back time.
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