Snowbazz
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Basic plot elevated by great execution
I started this for the cells and pretty much ended it for the cells.I have to say all the scenes where they focus on psychological aspects and what's going on inside Yumi's head with the cells were amazing to watch and not just because they were hella cute (obviously they 1000% were xD), but because you could clearly see how much thought and research the webtoon artist put into these scenes.
Average and mundane stuff that I am sure everyone goes through- feeling insecure,making and breaking resolutions, doing chores (or not doing them lol), getting crushes, reigniting a old hobby and countless other things- were presented in such a beautiful way... I'd be surprised if anyone didn't find them relatable.
Also Yumi and Woong's relationship felt really realistic. They were two characters with very real flaws dealing with very real problems that pop up in relationships like trust and communication issues. Personally for me this was both a plus and minus point because while on one hand I appreciated the realistic aspects, it also became boring really quickly. At one point I had basically stopped caring about their relationship altogether. But there were a lot of cute scenes sprinkled throughout to keep me engaged.
My major complaint against this was sometimes it felt all the live action scenes were written in the 90s, the internalised misogyny was so strong here. Maybe I am thinking too much because at the end it's just supposed to be a cute rom-com but I didn't like how Yumi's entire personality revolved around her love life and boys, or how they were constantly throwing the fact that 'girls and boys can't be just friends' in our face, or how Yumi's friend circle were pitying her when they thought she didn't have a boyfriend (like the idea of a girl being single and living her best live is so scandalous). There were quite a few of such scenes but these are the only ones I remember.
By the end they did give Yumi a bit of development with her focusing on her career and finally putting herself first on her priority list but it was too little too late imo.
As for s2 I feel like we might see more of Yumi's development and obviously the cells are always there so I will check it out.
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Waste of time
Despite not being a fan of P'New's previous work that I have tried, I gave this a shot simply because it's an anthology. I thought surely there would be a few stories in here that I would like.Even though I was not liking any episode I kept watching one episode after the other hoping that the next one would be better, maybe the next story or the next couple would win me over but by the end it is pretty clear that it was just a waste of time.
Since each story gets a single episode the focus should have been on fleshing out the characters and developing the story and romance as much as possible in the limited time frame but all the episodes were filled to the brim with unnecessary scenes, long stares, characters doing and talking about the most mundane things and all sort of other filler.
This use of filler and stretching out the story when you don't have enough plot to back it up is a signature style of P'New and something that I despise in all his series. I really hope that he tries to improve this.
Ep 1- Would you be my love? 4/10
Santa and Earth's chemistry was the only saving grace here.
Ep 2- Rhythm's heart 2/10
There was literally no conflict or chemistry here. IDK why they even bothered making this.
Ep 3- Remember 4/10
I was looking forward to this the most and it ended up being so meh. It felt like the first episode of a bigger series rather than a complete story in itself. But TBH if they make a full series of this I would not be interested because this just so disappointing.
Ep 4- Once Upon a time 5.5/10
Balloon's conflict was actually really good but they didn't really explore it much. And I didn't root for Mek and Balloon's relationship.
Ep 5- Break up Zone 2/10
I love friends to lovers and I am quite surprised that they could make me hate my favourite trope in this episode. Plan literally cannot act and their progress from best friends to lovers does not make any sense to me.
Ep 6- VS Love 7/10
This is probably the only good thing to come from this series. It actually had a plot without any filler and I liked the chemistry and how their relationship developed. If you don't want to waste your time like me then just watch this and call it a day.
Ep 7- 50% 3/10
Perth is a very skilled actor but he was bogged down by bad writing here. The main characters do not have a single proper conversation in the entire episode, so I didn't buy they romance at all.
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Short but packs a Punch
The episodes are short but the writers never let that interrupt the flow of the story. The plot is well paced with no moment that felt like a waste of time. At the end of each episode I kept wanting to see more.The shining stars of this drama are our two main protagonists.
Doo Shim's character grows through out the story from a pessimist who wants nothing to do with her powers to slowly realising her responsibilities and it's beautifully executed.
And Na Woo So - In the first two episodes it feels like he would be the average rich jerk ML we are used to seeing in Kdramas but he defies all my presumptions. He is the perfect partner for our FL, always there to support her but never overshadowing her.
And when these two opposites attract we get the most heartwarming romance. Though it feels a bit rushed in the starting owing to the short episodes, it took no time to grow on me. I couldn't resist their charm and chemistry.
However, as well written as the two main characters are, all the side characters fall short. Maybe it was the length of the episodes or maybe just bad writing but I think the side characters were not really fleshed out and were only there to further the plot.
And the worst thing here is the villain. His motivations are laughable at best. There is no point in finding any logic there.
The writers did a good enough job (as much as they could in a fantasy teen romance at least) in exploring the theme of what the students go through and the kind of pressure societ puts on them when it comes to academics.
While I was not familiar with KSR and NDR before, their long list of filmography is enough to show that they know what they are doing and it was clearly evident. With low budget dramas you expect to see somewhat cringey acting and production but that was so not the case here.
Although I watched it while it was airing, this drama is perfect for binge watching in a single setting.
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Another run of the mill 'Zombie' Drama
Korea has no dearth of Zombie and post apocalyptic movies and dramas and sadly Happiness adds nothing new to the table.There is nothing here that you probably wouldn't have seen in some shape or form already. It's the same old formula that has been repeated quite a few times.
Now there is nothing wrong with reusing well established tropes and using the same formula as long as you can make it work with a good storyline. But that's where Happiness falls short. It is riddled with plot holes so much so that after a point I just stopped counting them. Left and right all the characters keep making stupid decisions that makes absolutely no sense. And most of the side characters were so weakly developed and annoying that I could not care less about them. And to top it all off we have such an abrupt ending it makes you wonder if the writers just lost interest in the middle of it.
But where this drama falters in all other aspects, it makes up in terms of the two main characters. Especially Yoon Sae Bom, she felt like a breath of fresh air. Honestly I loved her, if not for her I probably would have dropped this.
And even though the romance between the leads was not the focal point there chemistry still knocked it out of the park. It was not too much in your face but they had a quiet domesticity between them that I absolutely adored.
It is however addicting to watch, it is the kind of drama that you binge watch at once and then forget it even existed because that's how low the impact was. Overall I'd say it's an oksyish one time watch.
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Better than I thought
I'll be honest I was gonna skip this one after being disappointed by the initial trailer because I just have a very deep hatred for the whole body swap trope. But I am a sucker for Earth and Mixx's chemistry and I was bored so started watching this on a whim and honestly I am pleasantly surprised.Don't get me wrong, I still don't consider this a great drama by any stretch but it was a fun watching experience. They executed the body swap plotline quite well. If any drama wants to explore that particular trope, I feel this is probably the best direction they can take.
A major reason I enjoyed watching this was Earth and Mixx. The way they were able to convey so much yearning and longing for each other throughout the show was so beautiful. Childhood friends to lovers is one of my favourite tropes, so maybe that's why their storyline felt more special but I think we can all agree that their chemistry is amazing.
Moreover, I really appreciate the various facets of Thai culture that they showed us. From the cuisine to the scenery to the rural urban juxtaposition, it was all perfect. Also, Win's career and the backdrop of cattle farming is definitely unique and never really delved before in a bl.
However, this drama is riddled with flaws the worst of which was how nonsensical some of the plot points and conflicts were. The initial conflict that kickstarts the whole story was ridiculous enough on it's own but the writers managed to make it even more ridiculous in the last two episodes. You definitely need to leave aside common sense while watching.
Also Win's character was something else entirely. Rude, obnoxious and with an ego bigger than his brain, it really made you wonder what Korn (who was portrayed as a little too perfect and boring imo) really saw in him. But I'd be remiss not to mention that Win's antics made the show much more entertaining than it would have been otherwise and it made it eventual character development that much more worth it.
So does this drama make me change my stance on the body swap trope? Definitely not, that trope can die and I wouldn't bat an eye lol. But it did made me acknowledge that perhaps I shouldn't be so quick to jump on conclusions based solely on trailers.
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Tender and Heartfelt
I generally stay away from 'sad' or slice of life dramas, not because they make me sad but quite the opposite. They often feel pretentious almost artificial in their storytelling as if their only purpose is to make the audience cry. They are sad just for the sake of being sad. So I was a little skeptical of watching this.But rest assured, Move to heaven is nothing but genuine and heartfelt.
Despite being an anthology, Geu Ru's journey and character developememt along with his relationship with his uncle was the heart of the drama. The portrayal of autism was so tender and well done. Jun Sang may be a rookie but he has great acting chops.
Seeing Sang Gu's development from an indifferent and somewhat selfish guardian to an almost father figure for Geu Ru was one of the best part of the show. Their bond by the end was so soft and wholesome.
However, Sang Gu's backstory was the weakest part of the story for me. It just felt incredibly predictable and formulaic. Not gonna lie, I almost wanted to skip that episode. That said it was a small blip in an otherwise amazing drama.
Na Mu perfectly complemented our two main characters and was an essential part of the main trio. She may be loud sometimes but she was far from annoying. I loved how fiercely protective she was of Geu Ru. Her banter with Sang Gu was on point and so funny. It provided a much needed respite among the more heavier themes of the drama.
Each episode provides an unique perspective on death but at the core of it this is a story about those left behind. Those who have to deal with the aftermath of the death- be it the trauma cleaners who clean the physical things or the loved ones the deceased who have to deal with their emotions.
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I feel like I had the wrong idea while starting this drama. I thought it would a mystery /thriller but it was mostly just high school students doing high school stuff with a little bit of mystery plot thrown as an afterthought. Episodes were dedicated to trivial stuff like stealing best friends and the students doing English Project. Like if I wanted to watch a bunch of students doing their project I would focus on my own studies instead of watching a drama.
Even the characters were not that great. Mind was so weak and constantly depended on others to save her. I get that she was supposed to be gentle and sweet but if she can stand up for her friend then why couldn't she stand up for herself, make it make sense. Also it would have been fine if they showed some character development and her growing and speaking for herself but even till the last episode she depended on her sister.
Gun is the only well done main character. I also liked Lyla's struggle of figuring herself out.
I didn't really get SLS as I didn't care about the characters that much but even I can see that Gun and Mind made way more sense. They literally had two better ships and went with that endgame.
The acting was definitely top notch. Namtan is one of my favourite Thai actress for a reason, she never disappoints. She was able to portray both characters so differently that there was never any confusion who was who despite them looking too similar (I know they are twins and portrayed by the same actor but they should have given them different hairstyles or wardrobes. With a less skilled actor I could see this being a problem).
Seeing as this was Gun's first role he did a great job. All the supporting actors were very good.Happy that finally Sing got a role that was not just a comic relief.
My favourite thing was the relationship between Meen, Mind and their mother. Their were many emotional and beautiful scenes in the show but the mother daughter scenes were the only one that had any impact. The music was definitely a plus as well.
My main issue with this is the mystery or the lack of it. They were building up the mystery for 14 episodes and in the end it was such a small thing. It was laughable. Could have easily finished the drama way earlier, it didn't need that many episodes as it became quite draggy in the middle.
I haven't seen the Korean version but I feel like the source material wasn't that great to begin with. A remake should be able to improve upon the mistakes of the original which I don't think this did.
If I had watched this as a high school drama then maybe I would have liked it better as it really dealt with many important themes but it was marketed as a thriller and so my expectations were different.
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