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In BL University
Coffee Melody Special Episode
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As advertised
This was as advertised, literally nothing else happened.Both couples are shown after a year of dating, with Yi coming back to Thailand and meeting with Plaeng, and Gene and Nuea navigating their relationship after a year of dating.
They decorate the café for Christmas, teach each other how to make coffee and play the guitar and discuss stuff that happened over the past year and also what they have in store for them in the future.
There are two episodes, the first featured Yi and Plaeng, the second featured Gene and Nuea. Besides a ton of cute moments and a lot of conversations, there wasn't quite much else.
Also, this is the follow up to the finale of Coffee Melody, and in retrospect, it's a choice. The finale did have some updates on all the characters, but I would have preferred them in the special as well. It's just a weird production, a finale that didn't feel like one and a special that didn't feel like one either.
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Twelve Months to Eat Soil
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A life alone doesn't necessarily mean a lonely life.
Tsutomu lives a life of solitude, alone in his mountain cabin, with rarely a visit from people. His only companions are his dog, his gardens and nature. Living season by season, month after month, life just goes by for the writer.As he experiences nature bloom and wilt it's way as time passes, he reminisces his past and contemplates his future. Harvesting seasonal produce, cooking it the way he was taught to as a novice monk, reminiscing about his childhood. Meeting his editor, who worked with his late wife, who he cannot move on from, still hanging onto all remnants of her. His carpenter friend, his mother in law, his gardening, everything around him is a reminder of his past and it continues to dwell on his present.
A few unexpected events then allow him to contemplate on his future, whether he should embrace his past and gain closure. His slow life, seemingly devoid of meaning suddenly has more and less meaning than it did before.
An introspective, slow burner, even if doesn't manage to keep you on your toes, I don't think they ever meant it to.
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What-
If a drama was a question mark, this would be it.I still don't quite comprehend what I just saw, a bunch of trainees who signed up to be actors, but are being trained to be idols instead, a lot of interpersonal drama, around five couples, a sabotage plot.. I haven't even covered half the things in the series.
Every storyline was started up, had minimal movement and didn't conclude. So many characters disappear for episodes on end and pop back up like nothing ever happened, but even then it was completely filled because there are 20+ characters who all have around the same screentime.
There was no investment in anything as far as I was concerned, from my side as well as theirs. The only couple I actually cared about didn't have much going on, and like all the other characters, had nothing going on as individuals. There was no distinction between who they wanted us to like and who they didn't, because not one of them had the depth to give us something to care about. It's all a blur in my mind, plots come and go, characters come and go and no one seems to bother.
Finally, let's talk about that finale-
Wow. I have never seen a worse one. I've seen shows worse than this, but even there, the finale was something that served as a tie up. This did nothing of the sort. Not one single arc was concluded. Not a single one.
They also chose the last episode to try and talk about something important and serious, and didn't. It was concluded in a horrible manner, might I add.
Everything was left up in the air, and I was left with my hands up in the air in frustration.
So save yourself the torment, this isn't it.
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Give it a try
This review is a LONG time coming because I watched the show months ago, but I couldn't think of what to put in my review once I finished it. I thought giving it some time would help and then I promptly forgot to actually do it.Since High Street (sequel to Senior High) just started airing, I decided to write it now.
Here's the review:
⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGS ⚠️
The show contains depictions of bullying, violence, SA, murder and much more. I found it pertinent to include this because the depictions are rather explicit, and caution may be exercised before watching.
I started watching this because I came across some clips on YouTube, but I decided I wasn't going to watch an 50 episodes (100+ with both seasons) just to catch a glimpse of two people who may or may not become a couple. I decided the clips were enough until I realised that I didn't really have the complete context of the story, plot wise or romance wise, since both seemed to be integral for my understanding.
I then caved and started watching it, deciding that if I didn't like it, I could just stop. And would you know it, I couldn't stop. The show is dramatic, a little cringey, and downright impossible at times (most of the time), but it keeps you invested.
It's the kind of series where the kids have more common sense, compassion and just plain humanity compared to the adults. It's more dramatic than it needs to be and that's probably what worked.
The story follows Sky Love Cruz, a recent transferee to Northford High, the school which her twin Luna Amore Cruz attends. Not long after, Luna dies of an apparent suicide, but Sky thinks otherwise and decides to investigate. As she rules out suspects and gains allies, she discovers the deep, dark secrets of the school and the people in it.
Without giving away much about the plot (which I won't either way because it's far more complicated than one would expect) the story manages to keep you on your toes the entire time. Yes, the scenes are drawn out, yes plot points could have been concluded much faster than they actually did, but there is a high chance that you'll be invested either way. It very much reminded me of the soap operas we get on television where I live, and maybe the familiarity made me like it a bit more.
Now, I will admit that both seasons have sort of become one in my mind because I watched them at a stretch, but I do vaguely remember where they made the cut, and season 1 provided quite the setup for an even more dramatic, over the top and traumatic viewing.
Give it a try and see if you like it. If I'm being completely objective, this is not everyone's cup of coffee, maybe even not mine but be what it may, it surprised me and maybe it'll surprise you as well.
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Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2
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What Did YOU Eat Yesterday?
Every once in a while, when the drama and conflicts feel too much, when you find the need to watch something that feels like a warm embrace, when you want to watch people navigate real issues with grace and sensitivity, I hope you'll think about this series.I'll keep this short and sweet. Watching two people in love, handling their lives in the best possible manner makes you incredibly happy. Watching them influence the lives of those around them and get influenced by the very same people, watching them grow and evolve as they solve problems big and small, issues important and relevant, all while maintaining the healthiest of relationships is something admirable.
So I'll just say this. If you ever find yourself searching for a drama where every scene feels like a conversation you can witness in real life, where food plays an important role, whether it's to discuss issues or bring people together, or simply satisfy your craving, where you may get the sense that you're somehow part of this huge family, where it's just genuine happiness on screen, I hope you'll think about this series.
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Confusing, from beginning to end
This has got to be one of the most confusing miniseries' I've ever watched, because you can see what they tried to say with the story and at the same time, you can't. I have so many doubts about episode 1 but I can't remember them because they've been replaced by equally confusing doubts about episode 2!The actual premise they wanted to execute is quite interesting, ghost of the lead's ex - boyfriend takes over the body of someone the lead detests, but ex - boyfriend can't let anyone know it's him in the body of the casanova, simple enough. They screwed up the execution though, and boy how! The thoughts and actions of the characters rarely line together, the dialogue and narration is so messy that it's impossible to distinguish between the flashbacks and the present, and there are so many plot holes. More often than not, it's like the ex - boyfriend cannot remember that he mustn't reveal his identity because he's dropping clues everywhere. There's a weird love square between the lead, the ex - boyfriend, the casanova and the lead's sister, I mean, you have to see it to believe it.
You can tell what they wanted to do though, they wanted to create something sad and angsty, but with the runtime and the way they bungled the story, there's only so much they can present. Interesting premise that just faltered.
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I promised myself that I wouldn’t write a review for this series, but here we are. This review is not one of personal opinion, but rather completely objective.What makes a series good? A cast who can genuinely act, or a production house that knows it’s way around, or a story worth sticking with? Unfortunately, Amore seems to possess just one. Acting can only carry a series up to a particular point, after which the audience needs something more to stay with the series through it’s run. Be it whether there are sound glitches, an everlasting story that seems to be headed nowhere or the introduction of controversial actors, Amore has it’s fair share of problems, but what is the factor that this series contains that continually keeps the viewers interested?
The answer to that would seem to be the acting. The chemistry between the characters, especially Wil and Joey is off the charts right now and these characters seem genuine, which resonates with many an audience. The cast only seems to improve every single episode and that’s an amazing thing, but it’s not enough. As I mentioned before, just good acting is not the saviour. This was marketed as a love story between Jimmy and Joey, and that was honestly the reason I started this series, but as the episodes pass, I feel myself getting tired of the ongoing storyline. With the absolute absence of romance between the leads as of now, lack of consent, the love interests that keep hounding the lead, this drama seems to be heading down hill.
What’s still keeping you and I here though? That I don’t know the answer to. Maybe it’s hope that it will get better, or maybe you are genuinely interested in the show. Be what it may, by my standards this is mediocre. I sit here with the hope that it will get better and if it does, maybe this review will end on a positive note.
EDIT AFTER EPISODE 25
So..... it did not get better. Yes the acting is absolutely consistent, and my complaint that the story seems to be going nowhere is quenched, but god, when did the story get this bad. For a while, it genuinely looked like the story was going to get better than before, but it somehow took a turn for the worse.
Long drawn out dialogues, unnecessarily written scenes that seem to have no ultimate connection to the final outcome of the story, the writing out of several main characters and the incredibly annoying behaviour of some characters are just unbearable at this point.
Once again, good acting can only get you to one point, you need way more than just acting to make a series enjoyable. Be it a very popular series, a much anticipated sequel or a series with not much to go for, we look for elements that make it enjoyable to the self and have come to expect a certain level of quality, which Amore seems to lack. A certain panache, if you will. Yes, the leads finally got together, in the 25th episode. The baby,.... well something happened to the baby and I don’t want to spoil it more than I already have.
With the news out that the director was fired from the company, the fate of the series hangs in the air. Will it be continued, or concluded on that slightly positive note remains to be seen.
EDIT AFTER THE FINALE
What in the actual f*** was that!!!! True Love is Sacrifice!!!! I mean seriously.... what was that???
Like they got together in episode 25, they were happy in episode 26, then comes episode 27 and bam! Jimmy goes off to become a priest!?! Like whyyy??? I’m so pissed right now.
Even without the horrible ending, the series has nothing to brag about. The premise seemed extremely interesting and it seemed like it was going to be a light hearted rom - com type series, but they just had to go the dramatic route. Sometimes the really predictable story is leagues better, and maybe with a better script and a slightly higher budget, this would have been a good, a great series even, but now, it has literally ended on nothing.
As I’ve already mentioned, it started out well, fizzled out somewhere in between and finally went out without a bang. Some dramas work, this didn’t.
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So this series was not initially available where I live, but after I started watching it, I could not stop!This series is EVERYTHING!
Now this series uses the engineer trope very well, but it isn’t nothing I’ve not seen before, that’s my only complaint about this series.
THE STORY:
The story is good. Duen has to buy flowers for Bohn every morning for a month. The story starts from here and evolves into the relationship of four total couples - Bohn/Duen, Ram/King, Boss/Mek, and Thara/Frong(Yim). The rest of the season is the evolution of their relationships.
THE ACTING:
I’m very pleased with the acting in the series. Each character is well written and actually have substance unlike some other series’ I’ve watched. Sometimes the actors can be uncomfortable with their roles, and they were decidedly so at some points in the series, they managed to make up for it very well. This may be the first series for several of these actors, but credit where credit is due.
THE PRODUCTION :
Very good production. One thing I’ve already mentioned is the engineering trope which is overused according to me, but other than that I’ve got no problem with this production team.
THE OST:
I love the OST’s of several other series’ as well, but this one hits different man! I love the OST and the lyrics of the OST. It’s just so beautiful.
SPOILERS:
I’m going to give only one spoiler. The first kiss is between... Mek and Boss!( Agghhhh!)
THE NEGATIVE:
There’s only one negative and that is the relationship between the leads. While very cute, it’s also a bit toxic. Bohn is prone to fits of jealousy and the episode about the “husband and wife” in the relationship was just unnecessary. Though it is quite usual for jealousy in a relationship, Bohn’s knocks on an unacceptable level. Also the fact that apparently Ryan won’t be returning for season 2 is just disappointing. Just have to see what happens to Mek and Boss.
THE ENDING:
So as previously announced, the series ended on an open note. Bohn and Duen make their relationship official and so do Mek and Boss. Ram King share a kiss, but King decides to not talk about it. Thara and Frong have these moments with Thara finding Frong’s necklace and all, but their arc ends with Thara describing his relationship with Frong as that of a senior and junior. I was ready to be disappointed with the final episode but I was mildly impressed. As for the sad ending Lay was talking about, my best guess is it’s Thara Frong. This was an open ending so for closure, we’ve all just got to wait for season 2.
Overall this series is quite amazing and I would urge you all to give it a try. Thank You!
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Cosmetics and Crushes
What a surprisingly wonderful series this turned out to be!The story follows Natsume and Sahashi, who work for a cosmetics company as BAs (beauty assistants), and bring in considerable sales to their branch on account of talent and charisma. Starting off as senior and junior, Natsume immediately recognises Sahashi's potential and takes it upon himself to mentor him as best as he can, but Sahashi finds Natsume meddlesome.
They eventually have a run in with each other after certain events transpire at the store, but that is the catalyst that kickstarts their relationship. When Natsume accuses Sahashi of never taking anything seriously, Sahashi instead proclaims that Natsume will be the thing he takes seriously henceforth.
Their relationship was actually fast forwarded enough for me to be confused about when it even started, but once they started, it continued on incredibly. They brought out the best in each other, constantly challenged each other, grew as individuals and made each other more vulnerable and approachable.
Although it was frustrating to see Natsume get into his head as often as he did (almost every episode), they eventually communicated much better than I expected them to. It wasn't really a compromise that is usually done to move past an argument, but an honest conversation involving them both.
I also loved that they showed professional growth right alongside personal and romantic growth. Seeing them get better at their jobs, gaining more opportunities and experience had me grinning. And the fact that they integrated their relationship into this narrative without it feeling forced or taking away too much attention from their strengths as a couple was great.
They also had several supporting characters along the way help them out with their connection, establishing it as something stronger than it would seem on the surface level. I especially need a spin off of Nanjo, the man was an enigmatic presence who needed more screentime.
This was a very enjoyable short series with a good story, acting and cinematography that I'd recommend.
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Could have been better
The fact that every apocalypse/disaster series seems more and more similar to one previous is nothing new, it may as well be one of the reasons I'm quickly losing interest in the genre.Surprisingly enough, they managed to keep it fresh while still maintaining the same formula. They accomplished this by incorporating small details, establishing the story and workings early on, and focusing on the subsequent aftermath.
But even subverting the usual "everything is going to hell" trope, the story is bogged down by clichés you would usually witness in the genre, from the act first, think later characteristic that runs amok amongst all the characters, to the one - dimensional characterisation. There's the usual "who's the real villain?", and the darkness of human nature, everything you would usually see in the genre.
What seemed to be innovative started to take the usual, cliched route the minute it hit the halfway mark and just like that I began losing what little interest I had.
I put this on my list for Koo Kyo Hwan but also because despite my recent disinterest in the genre, I wanted to give the drama a try, and while I can't say I'm dissapointed, I can't say I'm impressed either. The short duration meant a perfect binge watch, but ultimately I didn't rate it as high as I thought I would after the first couple of episodes.
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He will show what is real justice
What is this impenetrable line that holds the balance between justice and vengeance? What is the guarantee that the line forever exists? What happens when someone toes with the line? You know that a drama is intricately complex when it asks these types of questions. And as it may be, the audience may begin to ponder over these very questions, perhaps more as the drama moves along.Vigilante tells the story of Kim Ji Young, a prospective police officer who adopts the identity of a Vigilante to punish those who have been let off lightly by the law, perpetrators who continue to commit crimes, in an attempt to provide a sense of safety to not only the victims of the crimes, but to the general public.
The drama is efficiently character driven, and there is not one character who is morally white or black, most of all our Vigilante. He is surrounded by characters with an equally ambiguous moral compass, a journalist who cares about ratings as much as the vigilante justice system, a vigilante fanboy who's values don't nearly line up with those of the actual vigilante, and a police officer who serves his own version of vigilantism to catch our dark hero.
When each character performs what they believe is right, a web of chaos is created wherein everyone has to now perfect unprecedented actions to achieve their goals. Beneath it all though, the leads have a common goal, the crux of it all: Justice. While their methods may differ, their morality may sway, they strive to protect the public by performing their own form of justice. This creates conflict and leads to confrontation between the characters where everything they believe in comes into question, until it finally bubbles up to create the complicated connections between the characters.
There were some interesting questions the drama asked, all the while blending it with the quintessential K Drama thriller vibes. Most importantly, the story was gripping and there were no scenes I would categorise as filler/unnecessary. I believe there is much more complexity to the story than they actually showed, sort of like barely scratching the surface, and it will be interesting to see the story play out as a result of Ji Young's state at the end of season 1. Overall, a very solid series in all aspects that I would highly recommend to those who want to get a glimpse of sweet, sweet justice.
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It feels like I can hear only YOUR voice..
Watching the movie after I've already watched the series made me see sides of the story I didn't think I could discover and gain more respect for Kohei and Taichi as characters.The movie in itself was a beautiful story and represented the experiences and struggles of those with hearing disabilities while having an incredible bond between the leads develop steadily.
When you look at it as a parallel to the series, you can fill in some gaps that I think would have been left up to interpretation in the movie and have more dialogue for certain scenes in the series that I thought could have been explained better or rather, clearly.
This was a great watch, for the story, the emotions, the thoughts it provoked and simply for Kohei and Taichi ♡
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Komorebi
A profound and introspective look on everyday life.This may have been a slow burn but it never bored me even once. There's a sort of satisfaction in the mundane, repetition may not be exciting, but finding the happiness in the smallest of things, the sun that shines through the leaves, birds chirping early in the morning, a child waving to you. There's even happiness in the chaos, a move away from the schedule can bring about cathartic and moving experiences.
The entire movie may have been the story of a week or two, or that of months, but the essence and emotions were just the same. With a minimal amount of dialogues, the acting and depth created a great balance.
“Komorebi - is the Japanese word for the shimmering of light and shadows that is created by leaves swaying in the wind. It only exists once, at that moment.”
The final frame of the film, and an apt description of the film itself.
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Burn that house down
Metaphorically speaking, they did. This crashed and burned in the most pathetic of ways, even the retribution felt unsatisfactory after that sub par build-up.A good revenge drama needs a captivating plot, complex characters and good acting to bring all this forth, but what good is the third for when a drama lacks in the first two? Although technically the description doesn't promise much revenge, there is atleast the expectation that the female lead, the outsider, the “fish out of water”, would have a much more satisfying character arc. Instead, she's written in such a manner that all you can do is root for her and hopes she picks herself up while everyone around her mistreats her like they have no tomorrow.
This kind of treatment doesn't end with her, in an intricately weaved web of power dynamics, everyone you can root for is on the recieving end of the mistreatment. The only character who can be considered neutral doesn't get much screentime for us to deduce her intentions, she stays on screen as long as it takes her to leave. Everyone else is trash.
SA, violence, harrasment, these are just a few of the many heinous things these people did. They're overall complete trash, but watching them just sit and have their way while innocent people feel the brunt of their actions gets real tiring, real fast. The individual stories of all the characters they wanted to tell gets lost in the pointless power struggle in the family, and the stories that you want highlighted become a plot point move along the torment and tormenting nature of the characters.
The ending was unsatisfyingly satisfying. The kind of retribution provided against the actions was like a slap to the face, and even the fact that it all played out well for the lead was downplayed by the fact that she was tossed around left and right without a chance to stand tall throughout her journey to get her revenge.
Through the frustration and psychological torture, this was not a drama that was worth it.
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The worst possible solution
Even if the only way to solve a problem or right a wrong is to go to a magical café and make a wish, please don't go about it like all the characters did. I know it's fiction but oof-The story was confusing from the beginning to the end, despite the fact that they revealed almost everything and answered most of the questions that built up during the beginning in episode six. I watched all the characters make the messiest decisions and then immediately run to the café to fix the result of their actions, without ever knowing how the magic and wishings of it worked. Understanding that part of the appeal was the mysterious aura they maintained around the café, it still would have been engrossing for the viewers to have the world building revealed bit by bit in each episode as opposed to revealing everything in the finale. Long story short, they either needed more episodes to fully delve into the mysteries of the café, the beginnings, turmoils and eventual conclusions of all the characters and romances, or they needed better, more crisp writing that focused on the important aspects instead of giving backstories and screentime to characters who were only present, in a way, to fuel the decline of the leads.
None of the characters were especially interesting, no one could be deemed likeable, and the romance between these characters was as likeable as they were.
I wanted them to showcase a situation where the adult leads are caught at a crossroads, going through a bad phase in their relationship, a slump in their careers, that's what the summary promised! Instead, I got a mess. I didn't want to see a loving relationship but they kept pretending that everything was hunky dory, then all hell broke loose, and boy how! Thinking about how to explain their relationship is making my head hurt, it was that kind of a mess. I never got why they were a couple until they made that reveal in the finale.
The other couple was much better, and despite the lack of proper development (which is a recurring theme with everything in this series, nothing is developed or explained well until the last episode when it's all dumped on us in an information overload), they had me rooting for them. Until, of course, the reveal in the finale ruined their story as well.
The big reveal that we were seeing the same characters as their younger and older selves didn't work either, this was the only thing that became glaringly obvious as I watched and it should have been the biggest plot twist. They tried several others too, but at that point, I was too exhausted to care about some half done suspense. The cherry on top was the fact that when everything suddenly made sense, I just hated it even more. It was such a tedious process to get answers that simply made me angrier, and then just tired because of the realisation that an interesting premise had been melted beyond recognition and turned into a steaming pile of nonsense.
I'll be outright, reading this review will make it seem like this a series you need to watch to understand but even having watched it, I'm still confused. And a little nauseous because of how confused I am. And furious to the level that some of this may make no sense, but at least that's in keeping with the series. Give yourself a break and don't read too much into anything that you watch in this, and if you're as confused and angry as I am when you finish it, you know this review is here to help give you a little more clarity.
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