Tackysue
Florida USA
I embarked on this journey after completing "Empresses of the Palace" with the same female lead, Sun Li. I love her. She's amazing. So I figured this would be no different, right?
Well, it's different and better! Not that I saw huge flaws in EOTP but this one made me "feel" stuff. The story here was more compelling and the acting was exemplary. There is tragedy and heartbreak a-plenty (I see a trend in Chinese historical dramas) so prepare your heart. There is one scene when Shen Xingyi (played by the amazing Chen Xiao) is heartbroken by a decision made by Zhou Ying and it broke me. I cried real tears that flowed like Niagara falls! Sooooo sad.
There are many slow episodes (at 70 episodes there are bound to be more than a few that drag) and the back and forth of the romance between (SX and ZY) gets a little repetitive. The side romances are ok if trite. But the bad guy, Du Mingli...LOVE him!!! What a great character. Well acted and so complicated. You both love him and hate him all at the same time. I guess the same can be said of Shen Xingyi. He grows up and becomes someone you fall in love with.
I've watched three long Chinese history dramas but this one is the only one I'd watch again the next time I have 70+ hours to kill. :D
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Youth Over Flowers: Africa
4 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
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I'm a big PBG fan so I hate not being able to give it a glowing review but I gotta be honest.
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I liked:
No distracting love triangles. Just straight "I like you and only you"
The emotional story of the Onew as Lee Chi-hoon (so good!!!)
Chemistry between all the couples
Beautiful scenery
Bromance between male leads
It was well acted and well directed (mostly)
"Happy" ending (I hope that's not a spoiler)
However, I felt the story was actually a little weak creatively, a bit repetitive, and forced. I am not sure if I actually liked it or just enjoyed it. It wasn't a knockout or particularly memorable but wasn't a total waste of time either.
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It's not a romance, though that is a big part of it. It's not a comedy, but that, again, is a big part of it. It's a show about family and friends. For US viewers, think The Wonder Years and Parenthood all mashed together. Tears from laughing and crying were shed. It takes a lot to make me cry but this got me a few times for all the right reasons.
The remembrance of youth was the focus of the show. The neighborhood scenes made you either remember your own families/friends and the neighborhood where you grew up or wish you had one like this. The sweet and simple friendships are like comfort food. The strength they have for each other when times got tough is where you FEEL their connection. I wish people reached out this way more in today's world. I think we'd be better off.
I almost didn't watch this because I wasn't quite sure I liked it at the first episode (I get sidetracked by the hitting and yelling among families in Asian dramas) but I am SOOOOO glad I stuck with it. By the end I was wishing it wouldn't ever end. But the story was told and it was a wonderful story. Every family should watch it.
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Not being Korean, I didn't have any concept of racial issues that were addressed in the show. It made me sad. But the relationship that develops between the prickly teacher and wayward student and then between the estranged mom and son is sweet and special. One of my favorite scenes from the movie (there were quite a few so this is just a taste) was when Do Wan-deuk is praying for God to do something to get the teacher (who is trying to help the kid) off his back and concludes (then prays for) that the only hope is for God to kill the guy. Then a bit later, the teacher is injured. A classic k-drama piggy back ride ensues with Wan-deuk saying, "This is not what I meant!" Good stuff.
There's not really a romance but the little bit there is makes you smile. It's a little predictable (reminiscent of Good Will Hunting - an American film) and a little too tidy at the end but I enjoyed watching it. I felt the acting, especially the two main leads (Yoo Ah In and Kim Yoon-seok) was superb and lifted the film out of the predictable plot.
Well worth the watch if you can find it.
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Strong Woman Do Bong Soon
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I liked that there was a romance part that wasn't particularly complicated or up and down but was sweet and organic. I liked that the love triangle didn't crush my soul at the end. I thought the OST was really well done and well timed (mostly). The story is a bit all over the place and several loose ends are never really tidied up which is unfortunate. The "thriller" part of the show feels a little too scary for such a lighthearted story but it is necessary to drive the plot and give it weight. It could be triggering to someone who has suffered trauma so be aware of that.
The best part of the show though is the comedy. Laughing out loud happens rarely to a jaded old timer like me but I definitely laughed out loud. There's a lot of silly slapstick and fun in this show which was refreshing. Who couldn't love a pint sized super hero who is oblivious to her charms. Bong Soon is my hero, too!
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At first I was super confused. There are SOOOOoooo many characters to remember and SOOOooooo much political stuff to wrap your head around very quickly. I still feel like I didn't really understand the subtleties of the history which makes me a little sad. That said, the story told in this drama was excellent.
I didn't get too hung up on the "those aren't real historical characters" much because I was clueless and that helped here. The romance parts were so sweet, if heartbreaking. Ugly tears were shed while watching. The friendships were tender and enduring despite some really tough situations. I love that!
I wish all of it could have had a happier ending dramatically (so many ill-fated relationships to move history forward) but I feel like the ending itself was testament to the triumph of the idea to create a better world for the people of Joesun...and that's kinda the point of the show. So I was satisfied.
Acting was superb. The endurance of those actors (it was FREEZING the whole time) is amazing. The soundtrack was good but that one song - Yalla Yalla...my kingdom for that song...so good!!! The story was well crafted (if heavy in content) and fairly well paced. It seemed to slow down in the middle and wrap up a little too fast at the end (I didn't want it to be over that fast...but it's like a million episodes long so...conflicted!). It definitely deserved the accolades it received and I'm glad I got to watch it.
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Last thing, the soundtrack. I'm fairly new to Asian dramas so I have only a few to compare to but this particular drama had a perfect soundtrack. It was ALWAYS on cue and exactly what it needed to be to draw you into the story. It never seemed to overwhelm the acting or story and was basically a supporting character throughout the series. Hard to find this online but worth the sleuthing to track it down and watch.
Alas, I don’t think I could watch it again because my heart couldn’t take it (unless I need a good cry) but I am glad I saw it and would recommend it to anyone that likes historical dramas or heartbreaking love stories.
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But all good things must come to an end apparently. The "we can't tell anyone" thing just dragged on a little too long until they are found out. Then everyone freaks out and I stopped being able to relate. I know it's maybe a cultural thing for a grown woman to still have to get permission for things from her parents but as a westerner I couldn't relate and it started to grate on my nerves. I'm sorry if that is offensive, it's not meant to be.
The main couple's relationship seems built on a house of cards that crumbled with the slightest wind. There just wasn't much between them save a physical attraction. Perhaps I would have stuck with it if there was more I could relate to. Alas, there wasn't so I bailed around episode 12.
PS. the music gets REALLY repetitive.
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Deze recentie kan spoilers bevatten
Took months to get through this one. I almost gave up at first though. The main male character was TOO aggressive. I know, I know...that's the point, he's supposed to be a jerk....all that. I know. I just didn't like it. At all. He assaulted the girl on numerous occasions and she falls for him. I had trouble with that. Quite a bit of trouble, actually. But then Hua Ze Lei showed up like a knight in shining armor and just stole my heart and I had to keep watching even though SLS was written all over that poor boy. But seriously, I want his wardrobe.
The story takes a long time to resolve with too many I love him/her, I hate him/her, Let's date, let's break up, I love you, NO I love you episodes. It was tiring. The writers also seemed to forget some key points (the bridge club, Shen Cai's cooking) by half way through which makes it seem scattered and leaves you wondering why we lived through the drama of those things when they ultimately mean nothing to the plat. Headscratchers.
Eventually, as Dao Ming Si matures and recognizes he's an idiot, I warmed to him. The crying scene...lordy, son...breakin' my heart. I wasn't even mad at Shan Cai for liking him over the alternative. The heart loves who it loves. Happy endings and all that.
So, with reservation, I would recommend this show. The violence toward Shen Cai is triggering so if you have a sensitivity toward that, don't watch this.
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Ji Sung does a fantastic job acting the various other personalities. My heart was broken into a million pieces as he works through their origins and extinctions. Hwang Jung Eum carried a big load as well and she did it flawlessly. She was funny, competent and believable. Together they were on point emotionally and their chemistry was perfect.
Park Seo Joon supports the pair so well as the brother who knows more than is good for him and his sister. His struggles tore at my heartstrings almost more than the main couple. UGH. Don't make me cry. But cry I did. A lot...and I'm not really a crier. I was happy to shed tears for this one, though. Totally worth it.
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