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Heracin
Love in the Air: Special Episode
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(Very) Hot sequel with same defaults but providing satisfying ending
A nice sequel to the Love in the Air drama which allows the viewer to get finally a satisfying conclusion for both relationships as the ending in the parent series felt a bit too abrupt and rushed in its last couple of episodes.Here, the story is clearly only romance-driven with numerous really steamy scenes offering some eye-candy and fan-service for the viewer. The plot is not that deep and stay very superficial with some misunderstandings creating artificial conflicts and leading to some new chasing needing to be done by 2 of the main leads to regain the affection of theirs love interests. While rather non-sensical, it is cute and really hot at some points.
Even if the defaults stays the same as in the original show with some really poor directing (and most particularly oddly jarring bad sound editing), it is a nice way to end the story. The acting seem to have slightly improved, helped by the fact that there are no big dramatic scenes requiring some heavy-lifting from the actors but instead a lot of sexy and playful time suiting them better.
I recommend this to people that have seen Love in the Air and are willing to extend their stay in this almost "fan fictional" universe and get even more heated scenes with these characters.
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Averagely acted and directed addictive BL story with weather metaphors and steamy scenes
A BL series showcasing 2 duo of characters who are playing cat and mouse with each other, with a lot of chasing around, some angst and pining for. The first half of the show focus mainly on one couple while the second half centers around the second relationship. I found this narrative choice a bit odd and I think both storylines would have benefited to be spread and mixed together all along the drama rather than having such a big separation.There was some noticeable issues with the sound in a lot of scenes. Most of the sound effect, ambiance and background noises were done quite clumsily: for example, when some characters were speaking on the phone you could hear that the text was being read post production and set too loud, and the mix between some background noise and the music was most of the time super awkward.
The acting was quite average and unequal with a main cast made of inexperienced actors. There were not all at the same level and depending on the scenes they had to play were rather able to convey in a suitable manner the emotions they were portraying (especially the more playful and sexy ones). However, there was also quite a bit of overacting and some of the most angsty and traumatic scenes felt a bit flat to me.
Despite this, it was still a thoroughly fun and enjoyable watch with some really steamy moments that give you all the feels. There were a lot of cute interactions between the protagonists and the story was pretty addictive to follow. The episodes were overall well-paced (with the exception of the ending which felt a bit rushed given what the characters had to deal with). Even if they were a bit on the nose, I also highly appreciated the weather metaphors highlighting the various stages of the romance all along the episodes.
I would recommend this to people looking for some steamy story with a lot of chasing around, who do not mind some all over-the-top elements and that are not triggered by scenes portraying rape and abusive relationship.
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Wolf Girl and Black Prince
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A disappointing adaptation of an already quite average shojo manga.
A flawed film which did not manage to improve on its basic source material. The script was full of -sometimes fun, even though quite toxic/outdated- clichés (the tsundere hero, the naïve heroine, the pretend dating trope,...) but done in a quite boring and frustrating way. One of the key element being that the main female lead is subservient to the male character, it can quickly become annoying to see her being trampled over all the time. The secondary characters were not developed enough in terms of background or relationship with the main leads to allow some emotional investment regarding the story told.The acting was subpar and the actors were not helped at all by the movie direction with some strange choices regarding its creative vision. For instance, the camera framing was often set very far away from the characters' faces during critical scenes, preventing the viewers to see and feel their emotions. Another example would be the way to drag out the display of protagonists running, hindering the pacing of the story for no seemingly valid reason. The OST was pretty good but again not really an appropriate match suitable for the poor narrative.
I would not recommend this movie to people unless they are looking for the usual high school romantic trope and/or they loved reading the manga 'Wolf Girl and Black Prince" from which this has been adapted.
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Bodyguard x Boss BL story mixed with a lot of pining for?! Sign me in !
A satisfying mini-series showcasing a nice BL story between a rich spoiled young heir and his bodyguard / childhood friend. This trope leads to a lot of pining from both characters and to some exciting conflict as jealousy arise.It was a quite short show so the intrigue and the few secondary characters were not that deep or developed but there was still some pleasant growth to follow between the 2 main leads.
The chemistry between the 2 leading actors was overall great as well as the acting: there was not a lot of steamy scenes but still some satisfying skinship, especially during their judo bouts which were literally oozing sexual tension.
I would recommend this to people looking for a dose of fluffy stuff with good looking guys fighting their feeling and longing for each other.
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Easy to follow time travel story: short and sweet
A short film with an interesting and quite original script for a youth romance.Given the short length of the movie and the likely low budget, I'm rather impressed with the production and how well the crew managed to convey the story. The acting was suitable (even if not exceptional) and the plot was well paced and simple to follow (which is not always a given with time travel concept).
I would recommend this to people who liked to watch series like Proposal Daisakusen (or Operation proposal its Korean remake), or liked to read manga such as "Analog Drop" or "SOS Love" (also called in Japanese "Konna Mirai wa kittenai").
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Cute BL story with a fantasy twist. Could have been better.
I loved the idea of the colour rush and the concept of "mono" people seeing everything in grayscale and each one needing a specific, almost fated person called "probe" to make them able to see the colours. I feel that such a strong concept would have benefited of a better worldbuilding, in particular everything related to the mystery and investigation aspects of the drama. Here, it was a bit brushed off and it seems like a missed opportunity to increase the stakes of the story.Overall, unfortunately the execution was quite poor. The realisation was super cheap (specifically when the colours were rushing through the eyes of the main character). The lines were also quite cheesy and the acting could also have been better. The actors did the best they could but it felt a bit lacking in terms of chemistry and emotions even though the skinship elements were adorable.
Despite all of this, the show was addictive with some cute moments between the main leads. I appreciated a lot the romance and found super interesting the psychological side of their relationship with the idea of obsession that was developed all thorough the show. I would have loved to see more of it.
I would recommend this to people who are in need of some heart-warming quick binge-watch with no deep-meaning.
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Not for me...I found it boring and difficult to connect with the story
Unfortunately, I was disappointed by this movie. It is for sure pretty slow and does not commit to one obvious genre. It is not really a BL, not really a queer coming of age story, neither a thrilling horror film...It is not really a default to be ambivalent in terms of genre but here really it is super strange and I'm still not sure what I have seen or if I really understood the intentions of the screenwriter.It does not help also that the film has a really contemplative feel with the camera really taking its time...It feel super slow and I think it takes 40 minutes for something midly interesting to happen. It has a strong indie feel but not necessarily in a good way: the characters are litteraly living through miserable sets: the decors for sure have a purpose in the context of the story but their poverty really does not entice more the viewer...
The casting was okay overall. I watched this movie for Gun and he is good in it. Not as great as in some of the later series I saw him in but it is already very clear how skilled he is. His presence elevates for sure the movie. I would have loved to see even more from him (especially in the more frightening scenes) but he does a good job. I was not particularly impressed nor dissatisfied by the acting of his counterpart.
I would not recommend this to people. Maybe if you are in the right mood or if you are a fan of Gun, it can be interesting to watch it...I also think that a second watch might really help to understand some of the layers of the scenario and better grasp the intentions of the screenwriter. However, even if that is the case, I will likely never watch it a second time because clearly the entertaining factor was totally missing for me...
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Eye candy with some splendid visuals but some flaws in writing and pacing (especially in 2nd half)
This drama is about the encounter between strong heroine/chaebol Do Do Hee (who runs her own company among some family dissession regarding the group succession) and very charming, powerful Demon Jung Gu Won who makes dangerous but very tempting deals with humans.I truly enjoyed the first half of the show but it unfortunately lost a bit of steam in its second half. The writing is full of great ideas, there is a mix of genre which is really well done and the set up and characterization is quite strong for a lot of the protagonists. Unfortunely, the pacing is not good and the series can feel sluggish at time with the central plot not moving very fast and a lot of gimmick being repeated to seemingly "fill" time. Instead of some fillers scenes, I would have preferred some fat to be trimmed from the story: the same story could have been done in less episodes (or shorter episodes) in a more dynamic way. I also regret a bit that the ending did not adress enough certain questions important for the future of some of the characters, after a very strong start and entertaining first half, the latter part of the drama felt a bit weak.
Fortunately, despite some of the flaws in the writing/pacing, there are a lot of very entertaining elements that makes this series an entertaining watch. I love both the female lead and the male lead: their pairing worked very well, they were beautiful together and a lot of their scenes felt very dreamy (and almost like an ad for perfect couple). Song Kang (playing the Demon) is really the king of visual in this !!! Let's be honest, he is a real pleasure to watch, his acting was good and he really elevated by just his presence the eye candy factor !!! Kim Yoo Jung's acting as Do Do Hee was very good and I cannot wait to see her in other works.
The production value was amazing: the clothing, the decors, the style and directing were all top-notch. There was a lot of details that made the fantasy elements feel very real (the office of the demon, the book, the clocks,...so many details helping in the world building). The fight and action scenes were convincing and there was some pretty iconic moment in terms of filmmaking. The OST is pretty great as well with the intro song really beautifully opening each episode.
I would recommend this to people looking for a high production value rom-com with some fantasy elements. Despite some flaws in the writing and pacing (especially in the second half), the casting, directing and filmmaking make it worth it. I was mesmerized by the decors, the clothing and the visuals of both male lead and female lead, they really brought a dreamlike quality to their relationship. If you enjoyed drama as "My Love From The Star", you will likely enjoy this.
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Emotional well-acted roller-coaster romance during the Qing invasion of Joseon Dynasty
This historical drama take place in the Joseon Dynasty, in the 1600s, during the Qing invasion. The invasion aspect is the one that intrigued me the most with some pretty interesting political aspects. The war is quite gutwrenching to follow as it impacts a lot characters you appreciate more and more.This story is quite melodramatic with a romance that I think is quite nice and with a lot of emotional stakes...The romance is not my favorite part of the drama as it is truly a series of misfortunes and heartbrakes. It for sure take a lot of resilience for the heart of the viewer if you are rooting for some of the couples...
Production and acting-wise, it is very good...The soundtrack is nice with very melancholic balads perfectly fitting for the story but are not necessarily songs that I will keep on listening very often contrarily to some other shows. There are a lot of action sequences that are well executed and the crying/sentimental scenes are very well done as well.
The actors and actresses are very well casted and you found yourself very invested in their characters survivals. Ahn Eun Jin is brilliant as the brave and strong female lead with a super attaching cunning side. Namkoong Min is excellent as the flawed but super intelligent and tactical hero. I love them as individuals but I am less invested in their relationship as it is sometimes difficult for me to understand why they should/need to be together. They have a nice chemistry together but it is not the most sizlling one and I hope to be more invested in the romance in Part 2 of the series. I'm also truly wondering if I'm not protecting my heart by trying to not be too invested in the romance...
I would recommend this to people looking for a very good historical drama with good acting and set during an interesting period of time. If you do not enjoy melodramatic moments and just want a cute / fluffy romance, this is not the drama to watch as it is pretty rough for the heart.
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Not memorable nor original but cute BL office romance lacking substance
This BL office romance is centred around Jun (the boss) and Jun (the intern) who are childhood friends that lost sight of each other and meet again in a hierarchical context in the marketing team of a perfume company.As many Korean BLs, the total duration of the show is pretty short making it sometimes a bit frustrating in terms of pacing (you can often have the feelings that the sentiments and emotions are too quick to come) as well as in terms of plot development and logic. Here, it is a bit the case, I truly enjoyed the meet cute, the introduction as well as the development of the first 6 episodes but I found the ending quite rushed. It was still nice to follow but it felt lacking in terms of storytelling because some narrative arcs were not really properly developed. I more specifically really enjoyed the storyline around the idols world and I wish the drama would have expanded much more on that aspect.
I found the acting relatively average and I wish it could have been better especially in the more emotional moments. It is to be noted that contrarily to most Korean BLs, the main characters do not shy away regarding physical contact, kisses as well as sexual innuendos. The main leads managed to make those scenes believable even though it is not the pairing with the most convincing romantic tension. I wish there would have been more airing time for some secondary storylines as I really enjoyed the performances of Jung Ye Bin (as the comic relief girl) and Jo Chan Hyun (as the SML). Despite the scenario giving them almost nothing to play with, they left a really good impression on me and I would be curious to see them in other roles.
The music will not leave a lasting impression on me. It was nice but not remarkable. I found the production very good and colourful, with some really well filmed scenes being either the funny moments or the sexy times.
I would recommend this to people that enjoy BL story in an office setting. It will for sure not revolutionize the genre but it is a sweet drama, not memorable but which is fun to binge-watch.
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Tomorrow x Together: Our Lost Summer
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Movie revisiting TxT 2022 US Tour: wish it went deeper but still felt a lot of emotions watching it
This documentary movie follows the summer 2022 US Tour of Tomorrow x Together which culminated with their first participation to the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago.As I enjoy TxT's music and appreciate the 5 members also in their individualities, it is difficult to give an objective opinion on this movie... The angle of approach of the documentary seems to be that after debuting in March 2019 and not being able to do tours/live concerts with real people during the pandemic years, the group can finally meet again its fans in the real world. It is an intelligent starting point but at the same time, I must say that overall the message the director was going for seems kind of vague.
The film consists in a mix of several elements: some interviews with the members to get their feelings and input on what happened during the tour, some behind-the-scenes moments regarding the organisation, preparation and repetitions for the concerts in addition to some storytelling about the tour focusing on specific situations happening to the members. Therefore, the direction of the movie feels not clear. They try to go into too many things but at the same times it stays in a way too superficial because of the lack of time to deepen the topics.
If you are a casual fan of the group or even considered yourself as a MOA, I'm not sure it will give you really a lot of new insights on TxT. But you will still of course for sure enjoy the movie. If you are a newcomer or know very little about TxT, I'm not sure you will really understand all the ins and outs regarding the group...There are very little contextualization done in the documentary regarding the launch of the group, their music, each of the members and you might not totally get the importance of some of the events.
Despite its shortcomings, I really think it was a quite interesting watch that will bring you for sure some feelings. It is enjoyable but also really painful on some aspects as the boys face many difficulties to go through the tour. It has clearly a physical and emotional impact on them but at the same time, they share also pure moments of joy and are rewarded of their tremendous efforts.
I would recommend this to people that love TxT. It is a nice complementary watch to revisit the 2022 US Tour in another way. Even though I wish it would have been deeper on some aspects, I'm still grateful in a way about the fact that they shared both the joyful times but also the more painful moments. It was done in a controlled way but at least it does not totally brush off the difficulties faced. It is beautiful in a way to know that just one year later, in summer 2023, the group successfully headlined the Lollapalooza festival.
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A Tale of Thousand Stars
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An almost fairy tale BL story in a remote village in Thailand
This BL story felt almost like a fairy tale to me and is centred around the development of the relationship between two guys with very different backgrounds as they meet in a remote village all up in the North of Thailand. One being the rich city boy while the other is the country strong guy, it can sound a bit unoriginal...But the context in which they meet as well as the events leading to their encounter, bring a lot of savours to the plot.The romance between the two main characters is completely platonic but it is still bringing all the feelings and is truly convincing. I found the chemistry between the two actors pretty great and they managed to convey a lot of emotions through just staring at each other or slight hand touches. The development of their relationship was really good with just the last 2 episodes containing too much of (one-sided) noble idiocy from one specific character for my liking.
I think what I liked the most from this drama is the character of Tian, played by "Mix Sahaphap Wongratch". I truly enjoyed his performance and for me he carried the show acting-wise as well as narration-wise. I'm not sure if it is entirely due to the actor' skills or if it is more linked to the writing, but I will for sure try watching another drama with him.
All along the course of the story, I was rooting so much for the happiness of Tian: I was able to relate to him and I empathised so much with his circumstances and all the burden he was trying to carry. He was the key element in my enjoyment of the show and I wanted him to be appreciated and loved for himself and not because of connections to others characters. Fortunately, the script really was satisfying in those aspects. The scenario maybe missed a bit the mark regarding some of the side characters which could have benefited for more in-depth storylines but overall it is a minor flaw to my eyes.
The production was clearly kind of low budget. Some action scenes and props felt very cheap to me but it did not prevent me to enjoy the series overall. I quite appreciated the soundtrack overall, it was a bit repetitive at time but I found the instrumental with the Klhui (= type of Thai flute) poetic and charming.
I would recommend this to people looking for a BL story with a lot of turmoil and feelings combined with remote village storylines and rural atmosphere. If you have enjoyed "Crash Landing On You" or even "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" where people from 2 very different worlds meet and fall in love with each other, as well as learn a lot from their interactions with villagers, this might be just right in your alley !
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Great action-packed story in a well-conceived dystopian futuristic world!
This action drama is set on a futuristic Earth where oxygen has become a scarce resource. A team of deliverymen ensures its distribution to a population organized under a strict social order with high opportunity disparities.Despite its short length (only 6 episodes of about 45 minutes), this series manages to set up very quickly and properly the stakes, the universe and the various characters. The story ramps up in an exciting way across the episodes: it is packed with action and still leave some room for a deeper thematic, resonating with the preoccupations and actuality of our current times.
The characters made sensible choices and are intelligent, the writing is solid and make sense overall. I would just have appreciated for the antagonist to have more fleshed out motivations and aspirations. I loved the mentoring relationship that develops between two of the characters. This TV show is proof that when done well, the common trope of the apprentice being taught all the ropes and progressing (almost levelling-up in a way) remains a really interesting and compelling storyline to follow.
I was amazed by the performance of Kim Woo Bin: as expected he did a great job. He has such as strong physicality and presence which I find captivating: it is always a real treat to see him on screen. Kang Yoo Seok also really impressed me, I was totally invested in his character and I will be digging into his filmography as he was such a good discovery. Overall, the ensemble cast is really strong and work excessively well together.
The production value was pretty high. They managed to create a quite realistic and frightening dystopian futuristic world. All the details were on point regarding the decors, costumes and accessories. For example, there are several kind of breathing masks (and not just one type used by everyone which would make less sense), there are also a big variety of technologies, machines and digital tools featured across the course of the story. All these elements brought together made the series looks really believable. The soundtrack is mainly atmospheric, providing suitable thrilling or dark vibes. I liked a lot the transitions between some scenes and episodes with the picture shifting to a drawing piece: it was super eye-catching.
I would recommend this to people looking for an ultra binge-able action drama set up in a well-conceived dystopian futuristic universe. If you like movie such as "Dune (Part1)" or even to a lesser extent TV shows such as "The 100" or "The Mandalorian", this will be right up your alley!
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Unhinged and exciting performance of Kim Seon Ho, you might never see him the same way ^O^
This very gore action movie took me by surprise. I found it pretty good on some aspects: pacing, some great actions sequences with some shocking moments with disturbingly big amounts of blood. Where it missed slightly the mark for me was in terms of characters likeability. Everyone is kind of detestable so I was not very invested in the survival of anyone. The man hunt was still pretty entertaining but would have been better if I care about the protagonist being chased.I watched this film for Kim Seon Ho and was not expecting to see him in such a different role. He did not disappoint and provide a very good performance playing an unhinged and quite crazy hitman. On the other hand, I found Kang Tae Joo lacking in terms of charisma next to him. Hiq role was central to the plot but with very few dialogs, so I am not sure if it is the script or the actor who is the most at fault here. The other side characters were good overall, fitting well with the craziness and over-the-top actions sequences.
If the soundtrack did not stand out to me, I was impressed by the production value and I found the parodic undertone enjoyable. The fight scenes were good, the gory details were really bringing the film together, making the picture daunting but still beautiful in a way. The chasing scenes with cars or just characters running were well put together and successfully stressful.
I would recommend this to people that are looking for a thrilling action movie and do not mind gore. If too much blood is not your thing or if character likeability or relatability is important to you, do not watch this movie. I had personally a good time watching it and I am wondering if a second watch would help me appreciate some of the characters and plot elements better (such as the ending which left me an uncanny feeling regarding the movie's morale and meaning).
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Interesting for the juvenile crimes approached, tedious for the adults storylines
This legal K-drama provides an interesting take on the justice system in South Korea by focusing on the treatment of juvenile crimes. The format remains quite standard for the genre, each case being handled over the course of 2-3 episodes. Some stories are more captivating than others but overall I found the show pretty compelling when the focus was on the young offenders. However, my interest dropped a lot regarding the storylines involving the adults: the intrigue became a bit tedious to follow when they were concerned because of too much pathos and some plot devices a bit too coincidental.Regarding the casting, it is overall pretty good. There is no obvious weak part and the main actress does a suitable job. Most of the young actors playing criminal or victim roles are convincing. It is thanks to their skills that some of the cases were so gripping to follow. I would have loved to see the script centred more around them and their psyche than the adults characters who did not show enough growth and evolution and were often unlikable.
The music was good with one particular song fitting really well with the thematic of the show. The filmmaking was dark and well-done with some scenes tough to watch...At the same time, it was for some aspects more consensual with some "moralizing" scenes than I expected given the context of the story. In my opinion, it would have been even better if the screenwriter and the director had take an even darker road. There are grey areas approached but not that much and a bit in a superficial way.
I would recommend this to people that love legal shows and are looking for a new take on the genre with cases not often seen. It is clearly not a binge-able drama because of the difficult topics approached as well as its format and structure. It might be very triggering given its inner nature, so be mindful.
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