noob
Arsenal Military Academy
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Let's start with the good points.
The story is pretty good actually, there is this political frustration between the Chinese and Japanese, which they make you feel in lots of situations. We see how the government, the rich families, or poor students are affected by these circumstances. It's pretty interesting, and quite reasonable mostly.
It wasn't my main reason though to watch this series because of politics at all though, but it made me interested in it and I wanted to see how people react to these tensions.
I'm also not really into wars or soldiers but it has a very exciting element of course. There was obviously a lot of killing, which I don't particularly support as a 21st century pacifist, but I got it of course that this nationalist thinking was the case in older times.
For me a huge good point was the set and the costumes. They were amazing, they had this atmosphere that was perfect, and the clothes' designs were just beautiful and they used gorgeous fabrics. This has a huge thumbs up from me, because these details really get you the vibe that's needed.
Another very good part is the acting and casting. The faces they chose were so perfect in so many cases, a lot of quite important characters just really fit their roles with their faces! And they are also very much in their roles, they played pretty well from the cheesy lines to the life-threatening situations.
And now for the not so right things.
So I have my thoughts about the girl cross-dressing as guy thing though... I've actually seen a couple like this, because I like the idea of this whole thing. And I have seen more promising guy-girls. Though I have to say this main gurl wasn't that bad, she tried I guess, but I just don't get it... This casting was not good in my opinion. I actually liked the girl, but... To be real honest, they REALLY should cast a guyish girl at times like this. Because in these cases the main point is really NOT to be cute and pretty, but to look like a damn guy. Especially in the military. I believe the best would have been a little bit bulky, more muscular than average girl, who actually resembles a military guy, so that would have made it so much easier to believe than that a small, skinny girl taking down big guys with a few kung-fu moves... That is silly. It is. And bulky girls CAN also have a charm, you out there Game Of Thrones fans, you know what I'm talking about if I say Brienne. <3
Also there is your fair share of other silly stuff.
Like the super deep wounds which heal in a week or two (at a time when health care was not that cool). Or like how this military school is super kind, like really, it's like if you have a tummy ache then you can just lie down boo-hoo. Nah. I mean I haven't seen that many military stuff, but it seems to me that here they were super nice with them. It seemed more like just playing-military not actually preparing for a war, which is absolutely serious and dangerous. So it kinda made me mad, how they just dilly-dally.
Of course it's just a drama, what am I expecting? But that's the thing, if they just wanted a rom-com in a military setting, I guess that's ok. But I felt like they just couldn't make up it's mind what to be. It wanted to have these sweet, cute moments, but a lot of them didn't turn out that well. And then some very serious thing came, which was hard to take seriously after the lovey-dovey scenes... So I don't know. I think the writing wasn't as smart, or entertaining as it wanted to be.
But I suppose the best word for the series is: ambitious.
Because it tried hard. You can tell. So many details, so many characters who have a big part, or fun personality. It just wasn't that well written I think. The focus just wasn't clear. Is it on the story? or on the characters? on the fun stuff? or on the very serious stuff? I'm not against shifting focus, but it just felt all over the place for me.
It was still a VERY decent series, very impressive, it's good to give it a watch, it's interesting and entertaining. But I don't think it's flawless, I don't think it's the best, and I don't think it's a 10. But see for yourself! Maybe it's your cup of tea.
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The show is pretty much focused on this main priest character, who is portrayed in a quite over the top badass way. Surely some people are against these things, but I love it. It feels kind of similar to these super cool main characters like Indiana Jones or Clint Eastwood in the Dollar trilogy, or the modern Sherlock Holmes stuff. You know it's kind of silly, over the top, but you just got to love it.
It has its fair share of action, goofiness but also very serious moments. In some episodes these were extremely well-balanced, in some, not so well... I think more well-written goofiness could have been good, it fit the whole thing anyway and it had a very sweet and pure feeling to it, which I missed of more at times.
The story is interesting though, how they investigate and try to go against a corrupt system which is a lot bigger than these few main characters, but they don't give up!
I also liked that a lot of characters are neither just good or bad, they have both in themselves. Doubts, fears, sins, and during the show they have their journey with these emotions.
The priest is pretty much like that too, he tries to make the world a more just place, but maybe with not exactly the best methods and thinking, but these flaws sort of make him more humane and not just a badass guy with amazing fighting powers.
And yes, there is a lot of fighting in the show, which is done in a very good way I think. I'm not really into that much fighting, it can be either overacted or way not convincing... Here it's Perfect! It's done in a very cool way, it feels like a great choreography that was memorized and executed very well, the sound design puts the extra noises on it in a great way, it's not overdone but very believable, professional and satisfying. You gotta appreciate these things.
Which was great: NO fart jokes! (Amen!)
Not so great: lotsa poop jokes... (Well, you can't win them all...)
Also a bit too much slow-motion... aaand a few not very good CGI effects.
BUT
The casting is great, the acting is great, the characters are all interesting and lovable even with their flaws (well maybe not everyone but most). The story is exciting, the music is good! And the priest is fiery aaand handsome! So if you like this stuff, go and give it a watch!
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The sad part though, it's only about 60% of the series.
The other part are the disappointing romance and other petty misunderstandings and drama... aaand the girl's story...
I really LOVE romance, and I noticed in other reviews that people actually liked the romance here, but I just couldn't see it good at all. I have to say, it might just have been better to abandon that part and just focus on the guys' friendship. Just that setting in itself how a very talented but betrayed chef is sort of forced to just join these gangsters to take revenge and how they get to know each other and work together against these bad guys could have had more potential to just focus on in my opinion. It would have been clearer, more wholesome and just simply easier and more entertaining to follow.
Also the main girl is not lovable for me, for example she is very dishonest, lies a lot (like terrible lies), and at the same time she really hates it when someone lies to her. Ok. She is this typical woman, you know, when you never know what's on her mind (if there is anything...).
Also let me just ask if a person can really be a player subconsciously? Even if she is a dummy dum, I really don't think so. You shouldn't flirt or give off signs, and then pretend that you absolutely did nothing. At times she does act like a human being, trying to show some human like emotions, and she does get better by the end, but most of the time she is just an alien to me. She feels off, weirdly written, directed or acted out. Nothing really makes sense with her story, even if they tried to make her quirky, it's too much for me. This girl and the romantic parts are very low here in my book, nothing very heart-warming, more like hair-tearing. (but maybe that's just me)
BUT!!
Thankfully not the whole show is completely about her, and that saved it for me and made me keep going.
The story is quite simple, but engaging, you want to see the good win and the bad lose. Very black and white in that way, but it's fun to sometimes just watch something not too complicated. The side characters are okay, some are even good, but not getting too much screen time, which is a pity I think, they seemed interesting, could have deserved some stories of their own.
This tries to be a decent show, has its potential, but it falls shortly behind a 7, which is not good enough to me.
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The setting was interesting, how two scarred people with tough backgrounds find each other for healing. The emotional depth of this simple story was interesting and emotional enough in my opinion to actually support a whole series about this.
What I didn't really like was how they thought that it was not enough.
At some point, the focus shifted from this, which was already a good enough setting, and could have been discovered more in detail, and with stronger focus on the characters. But I think they unnecessarily threw in some over the top extra elements, LOTS of twists, misunderstandings, drama. As if the starting situation was not serious and deep enough.
So yeah, I think that's the fault of this drama, it wanted to try too hard, when it already had a good setting from the start, which was not taken seriously enough for me, and just got kind of abandoned even. So for me it was too much, too many stuff thrown in and not properly developed or explained, or ended with a proper solution for everyone.
Nevertheless the romantic scenes were lovely and well acted, the casting was really good too I think. There were many sweet moments, but not enough for me to be honest, it was you know, typically always interrupted with some drama, which I felt a little too much at times.
The idea about the whole story was smart in a way, but kind of forced in execution for me. I still think it was a pretty okay series, a very strong 7, it's good to give it a watch, but I wouldn't call this the best one I've seen, neither it was the cutest romantic series in my opinion.
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Boring plot yet charming to watch
What an odd series. It was as mundane as can be. I remember when I was watching the first episode and every scene felt so uneventful I was waiting when is something going to happen? And nothing really did. Yet, I wanted to watch more.It's a story about a family, the parents and three adult siblings living together in the countryside and a new, kinda mysterous drunk neighbor. All of them feel like they are stuck in their life in a way, stuck in a routine or in an addiction or being a very shallow person. And all of them want some sort of change, but honestly? They feel just about the same at the end like the beginning, maybe taking a tiny half step forward throughout the whole time.
I suppose what I liked about it, is the relatability? Trying to fight the mundane everydays, trying to maintain a relationship, survive in a bad workplace, living in a toxic family, etc. Things that so many of average watchers can get behind, yet again, nothing seems to change really by the end. Is that sad? I don't know, it just feels I guess average, realistic. Bittersweet in a way, like what were we really expecting?
What I didn't like though that there was no one trying to stop the alcoholic guy from drinking... pff they actually bought alcohol for him as gifts and such. Like tf? It's something that can actually kill you, no kidding, even if you don't preach against it at least there is no need to support a bad behaviour.
Anyway, even though this whole series sounds kinda boring, it has such a unique charm to it that drew me in, it's interesting. I'd definitely recommend it to young adults.
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Another very strong point is how this show even though it's kinda cheesy, it's NOT AT ALL cheesy as other shows, and NOT overacted. I'm not against "cheese" of course, (or I wouldn't watch these shows) but I gotta say it was very nice to watch something like this and not getting sidetracked by how awkward a scene is with all the cutesy effects and so on. Of course it has your average misunderstandings from time to time, but not too much.
The most precious thing about it in my opinion is how the romantic scenes are acted out. It's so well made! It's not parodic, it's not super cheesy, no sound effects or silly camerawork, tasteless music and so on... It's so PURE. I can't be sure but I'd guess some of the scenes are actually the results of accidents and improvisations, and how the actors go with the flow is just amazing to watch. There are so many little details they do, which are so personal, playful, and amazingly cute, and those are being acted out with such genuine, lovable feelings.
If you are like me who loves to watch sweet couple moments with a little bit of drama going on, I really recommend it!
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HIStory2: Right or Wrong
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Definitely worth a watch if you want some lovely BL with not too much 'hot' action. (which I have to say is important for me, I like just the innocent stuff)
That being said, I also have to say it wasn't too deep, the emotions were mostly simplified, the side characters didn't have that much to do or show. But it didn't really feel off because it was sort of clear that the series doesn't really want to be more than that, and considering that I think it did an okay job. It's enjoyable and nice, a nice breeze of wind on a hot day or something like that. I wouldn't consider this the best BL drama or the best HiStory I've seen so far (that's still 'Boundary Crossing' for me <3 ).
I liked the actors but I have to say, the acting was not the best in my opinion. For me the best acting is when it feels the most honest and the least awkward, which I have to say IS difficult to do. And I did feel awkwardness at some scenes, not only with the kissing and such, just overall the acting didn't feel a 100% all the time. (and I'm not even talking about the little girl, she was actually pretty good)
/Also I'm kind of against big age gaps because I think that's just gonna be hard on the younger person, but here it's still tolerable I think./
I'd say it's a decent series, worth checking it out!
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Honestly should be a longer series but pretty perfect like this too
Yes! Exactly what I was looking for, a very fresh, lovely, short burst of cuteness.From hate to love setting, starting with a bit of a weak reason for it, but it's lighthearted enough that you don't need more.
The writing and acting is excellent, no cringe, awkwardness, cheesy slow motion, or crap like that.
Very innocent, very honest, and feels very natural, just what I like.
The side characters are quite fun but they have just enough screen time they could afford with the short series.
Camerawork, music, sounds are all completely fine and quite a pleasant thing to experience that a show can nail everything and it doesn't stop you from enjoying a every moment.
Very decent series!
Not much depth, very little story, but the setting and the characters make the show very alive and lovely!!
/Also I think probably very good first BL if anyone is sailing out for the first time! Very modest and innocent~
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Dame na Watashi ni Koishite Kudasai
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Good good good!
It was really refreshing to watch such a good show. No over-complicated story, no overacted roles (kinda), no unnecessary twists, this drama knows what it wants to be, and it's just that. Lovely and entertaining!The romance and the humor was completely spot on here! Nothing felt awkward, it was quite natural and believable too in spite of being a manga adaptation.
It's a fairly simple story about this girl, who is way too naive but has the best intentions to help out others. But because of all her clumsiness she gets helped out by her boss all the time. They have this bond which at first is more like picking up a stray cat but it develops into consistent trust and fun between them. The side characters are also fun and lovable. I actually miss discovering more about them.
Thankfully there are No evil-doers in the background with silly schemes, or causing misunderstandings. Also the love triangles are Not the heart breaking kind, people actually try to talk things out and understand their feelings before anything tragic happens, which is a relief really.
It's simple and refreshing, lovely and entertaining.
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Is there such a kind of thing? Yes, there is, and it's great.
The story was quite nice, it had lots of cliffhanger moments, where you just had to keep going to see what's gonna happen. The whole setting was interesting and entertaining to follow.
It was very emotional, with some dramas, little evil schemes, your typical drama stuff I suppose, but it was done nicely I think, it wasn't irritating, or too much. There were also a lot of lovely moments, where you just had to keep watching to get more! It felt sweet and honest. The mains were great! And the side characters also deserve a thumbs up!
The show also had I think an okay premise, about how doctors should be doctors just to save lives and such, but to be honest I don't think it came out so straightforwardly at times, even though they tried to highlight it with actions and words, but it wasn't always clear what they wanted to show as something bad or why it was a bad thing. Well, it's a little confusing without revealing details, and that's not my intention, so let's just say, I though it was a little confusing in the writing too...
It was quite silly at times, good silly and bad silly as well, like how some problems were solved in a too cheesy way sometimes, but usually it was actually quite realistic and serious enough to believe the situations and such.
The only bigger problem I had with this show is the one I usually have with similar romantic time-traveler shows. This is the reason I don't really like them to be honest, even though they have such potential. You know, it's the solution. But I won't say anything more about this, I read some people were satisfied with it, I'm not, but I knew it long before I won't be.
About the rating, I'd say it's a very strong 8, which is a GOOD show in my book. But for personal reasons about the flaws of time-traveling ending, I had to give it a 7.5. (sorry)
Still, such a nice, entertaining, sweet series! If you want something that has actually a quite exciting setting, but also some sweet moments, I'd say give it a try!
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At first when I saw the girl who is disguised as a guy, I was like... who can't notice that?! So even though the girl lead's acting was quite nice and charming, it just does not work to imagine her as a guy, just does NOT. Cute little face, big eyes, cherry lips... just can't. It's possible to get used to it but it's just a little weird casting in my opinion.
There were a few annoying misunderstandings from time to time as usual but not that many and they got solved quite fast. The villains were a little more interesting to be honest, it would have been maybe a little better to know them more, or have some explanation to their actions, some made more sense, some were just kind of evil and that's it.
Nothing really extraordinary to be honest, but the first half of the show was VERY lovely to watch. (that's why I gave 7 after all) Quite sweet romance between the leads, more playful and innocent. Then it turned more into dramatic and tragic as it usually does with these shows. Still nice to watch through, especially the first half.
Also throughout the whole show there are these situations which seem to be unsolvable, and well you know it's gonna be solved, but the method is unknown, so in a way that's also entertaining and sort of thrilling to watch how the story tries to solve itself.
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Sahara-sensei to Toki-kun
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Drama vs Manga
/So it's important to add that I found only the first volume of the manga translated online.The bad news: The manga is not very good. It's not that well drawn, I'm often confused what emotion the person is feeling based on the drawn expressions. The plot is not that well written, like it's not paced that well, the core idea is good though, it has potential. /Again, this is only based on the first volume, but a lot of that content were put into the drama.
The good news: The drama is really damn good especially compared to the original work! Like damn, I super wanna praise the people working on this, they put soul into it, that the original work was missing in my opinion. You can tell a lot of extra details were added, the camerawork is stunning, I love a lot of music choices too, and how they arranged together the good parts of the manga. Like wow, honestly surpising how much extra they could produce from the manga that really didn't offer much and fell flat. The drama has a lot of heart and I appriciate now even more that I see how a lot of it was added by the people working on this adaptation, like super congrats to them for their great work!
The problems I had:
- I'm not a fan of big age gaps, here it wasn't that bad, buuuut the teacher-student relationship is still kinda a risky take, like a few times Sahara did give me some creepy groomer vibes, very rarely though.
- There is a dumb time skip at the end of the drama, which is pretty lazy, but I kinda understand the purpose of it.
- The end kiss was reaaaaaaalllllyyyyy weak, ah probably the worst kiss I've seen in a BL TTuTT, I think that was the director's fault, really should have done a retake or cut it out...
BUT
Overall it is a super cute delinquent-to-good-guy-through-love story. And I recommend it! <3
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Drama vs Manhwa
So I watched this before, and I really liked a lot of parts of it, but it did have some, where it was lacking a lot, especially the ending is pretty bad honestly. So I read the manhwa it was based on to see if it's any different.First of all the manhwa does have a different vibe, a more edgy vibe I guess.
First thing I realized is the drama is missing a lot of internal dialogue which helped a lot to understand the characters more.
Especially with Tae Hyun, he is a very complex character in the manhwa, who is struggling with the aftermath of a horrible trauma that left him quite messed up mentally. He has a deep problem with self love and loving others, and he is seriously struggling with this emptiness especially after meeting Da Yeol who is very forgiving and kind to him.
In the drama I love the actor playing him (so much ahh), but the writing is lacking to show more of this very dark side of his.
Da Yeol feels like a different character in the live action one, a more mellow and naive guy, and honestly I like his portayal like this more. I think the manhwa creator was trying to go for something more like this, but their version ended up feeling more rough.
So even if the writing is lacking to build more character, still it's easier to overlook as I'm completely happy with the mains' casting and their acting, they go well together too. They do a great job drawing away your attention from the writing issues.
Most of the side characters were changed a lot, I'm neutral about it, they have about the same purpose in both, not much honestly.
Most of the plot points are also a bit mixed up, like confessing happens in a bit different way, and so on, but they are not that big changes or might actually work better for live action stuff, so I think it's acceptable.
One thing I do want to praise the writing for, it's how we see more of Da Yeol, like the change about his home life felt better and more personal, and how most of the show focuses on his struggles with archery, which was a nice decision I think.
Also Da Yeol doesn't change schools at the end in the original work. Which I liked better, it felt rushed and weird in the drama.
but OMG, so you know the title, A shoulder to cry on. Well, there is a part in the manhwa when Tae Hyun has sort of a breakdown and actually cries on Da Yeol's shoulder, which was a very close moment for them. And yes, it is NOT in the drama. Honestly big L for the drama.
So what about the ending?
Weeeell, so it turns out, the ending also sucks in the manhwa... so it's not exactly the drama's fault. It's pretty dumb I think considering Da Yeol's writing in the original work, it doesn't feel like him at all.
Though it's important to note that in the manhwa the time skip was 3 months, while in the drama it was 2 YEARS omg... (I hate time skips)
Also the drama's last episode I can't compare, as it has about nothing to do with the manhwa... I suppose they just wanted to put some fan service there, but it feels really out of place for me and not very honest.
In the manhwa there are some extra special chapters at the end showing the two living together which would have been I think a much better choice to film as the last episode... But maybe the special chapters were not out yet at the time? I don't know.
Would I recommend the drama? Yes (for the first half definitely). But I'm biased because I absolutely fell for the actor, Shin Ye Chan... ehehe.
Would I recommend the manhwa? Yes, I think it's a fun read, nicely drawn, you can finish it in an afternoon. It's not very satisfactiory though, when it comes to lovey dovey stuff.
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Such mixed feelings...
So the score of this drama here one might think is criminally low, as how good the series is... but it made a lot of sense after watching the last episode.It will not end the way you'd like or how it should. No spoilers, just a warning, as I hate endings like this and I feel like I have to do this favor for you of letting you know in advance.
I think the middle of the series is starting to drag but it gathers itself nicely again and quickly regains the same excitement it had at the first third of the episodes. I really like the main guy, I think he did amazing even despite the MOUSTACHE omg shave that thing! and the horrible dressing they committed against him.
He is good, he is a joker, a player, a bad guy and the good guy. The show often plays with the metaphor of masks and it's definitely what he has a lot of and you wonder which is the real one.
The twists are maybe a bit too much, but the way the pacing gives them to the audience is very good, so even if it's pretty much over the top, it doesn't feel like it. It's well done to keep you at the edge of your seat a lot.
It is a revenge plot, and these tend to have this moral question, if you know you know, and I don't like the answer it gives at the end.
It was no question until the end if I would recommend it to others, but now I'm stuck. I don't know. At the end it does feel like a waste of emotions and interest I put into it. You have to decide if you're ready to make this sacrifice.
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Very decent
To be honest, I thought it was going to be a dry investigation drama.It. Was. Not.
I thought the romance won't be that good.
I. Was. Wrong.
If you want something with an interesting investigation and detailed story, this is not it. If you want a funny slice of life hospital drama, this is not quite it. If you want a bunch of cuteness overload romantic stuff, it's not quite the right choice. BUT
if you want something that has a bit of everything surfacing here and there, then yes, go for it! It is I think worth your time, it's very decent, lots of heart-warming parts, good acting, good interactions. Not a perfect, but a GOOD show!
It has a not very complicated story, some evil-doers, corrupt stuff, nothing extraordinary, but enough to keep the actions moving.
The writing I think is actually sort of the weak part, it tries to be smart and deliver twists at the right time, but it always falls just a bit too far from the perfect way to do it. It's not bad though, but not very good either.
The characters are great, but again their writing is not always the best. I always expected them to say a bit better lines. I think it becomes better and better though as we go, I think the writer found the right voice as they showed more of the characters.
For some reason the main girl kind of gets abandoned halfway, like she comes up sometimes but she sort of loses her role and personality, her drive and ambition she had, I think again: writing problem, as the creator probably wanted to focus more on the guy and kind of forgot to find place for the girl.
Nevertheless the main guy is Indeed very interesting, he has a disability which you can't help but want to follow and heal.
The side characters actually grew on me more as we moved forward.
There are not that many jokes, and not that many romantic scenes, not that many interesting investigations, not that many interesting patients... BUT
When they are there, they hit hard, they are very good to watch and that's what kept me going and going, to see those parts which happened to be very well done.
(btw I love the main guy, I saw him in another drama before and watched this because of him, he gets lots of spotlight here and opportunity to shine I can also recommend this if you want to see more if him ehehe)
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