Buckle Up For This 10-Episode Gripping and Adrenaline-Racing MOVIE!

As the title states, the strongest qualities of this drama is the fact that the sole experience of watching it felt like a 10-episode movie. It was action packed, gripping, suspenseful, light-hearted (at times), and even emotional. It never had a dull moment.

Another strong point of this drama was the cast lineup. Stellar throughout the board, especially from Yoo Yeon-Seok. As the actor who’s embodied complex roles such as the iconic Gu Dong Mae in Mr. Sunshine, Yoo Yeon-Seok doesn’t fail to impress me with his ability to capture a wide range of emotions, perfectly switching up from an innocent man to a ruthless, perverse serial killer. I nickname him as the "chameleon" of the industry!

Speaking for the plot itself, originality is there, predictability is low, and the flow and pacing of events is above average. Character development, especially from the taxi driver, is what took the prize for this category. We see him going from a naïve old man to a father who’s hell-bent on taking revenge.

It did, however, have some plot holes that needed to be patched up. Most, if not all of these inconsistencies centered around Yoo Yeon-Seok’s character and his past. I feel like we’ve only touched on the tip of the iceberg regarding his family history, which plays into the possible conversation of nature or nurture, why our serial killer is the way he is, etc. Along with that, our serial-killer of a side character has one of the most durable plot-armors I’ve ever seen, logic is out of the window towards the second half, characters that seem vital to the plot are actually cannon-fodders in disguise that make a cameo for 5 minutes episodes then disappear, and the director applied some of their notes from watching soap opera’s into our family-dynamics

Overall, I’d say that A Bloody Lucky Day is definitely a must-watch for fans of fast-paced, adrenaline racing thrillers!

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Ambiguous Chemistry, But Fell Short on its Characters and Plot Execution

"Recalled" is what I’d consider to be a "semi-solid" movie. Although we’re met with another take on the "amnesiac surrounded by things that aren't quite as they seem" type of premise, the movie does contain some of its own originality.

Characters were alright, nothing too spectacular imo in the essence of being "fleshed out." Good character development of the two leads from start to finish, as it didn’t feel rushed. Other than that, I’d have to point out that the story’s flow (of events) wasn’t exactly ideal. Since we’re dealing with a narrator who’s an amnesiac, the movie juggles what’s "fact" vs. "fiction." If you’re not used to keeping up with different timelines, it’s easy to feel like your brain is utterly fried. Although I tried my best to interpret which scenes were which and what events REALLY unfolded, I’m still left with some plot holes towards the end. Also, predictability is an important factor to consider when rating thrillers and if I’m being completely honest, although I was able to predict roughly 80% of the plot "twists," I’d consider predictability to be relatively low-normal to the average viewer (unless you’re a makjang connoisseur like me).

Dialogue isnt necessarily poorly written, but noticeably lacking— what took the cake for the emotional scenes were the cinematography and acting. Speaking of acting, there were no flaws in the casting whatsoever. Although an unexpected duo, SYJ and KKW did an awesome job at portraying their characters and delivering top-notch emotional scenes. Also, despite there not being a lot of intimate scenes, the leads chemistry was really.. really good. Like, I found myself feeling like an actual third wheel the moment their eyes met (and that’s how you know it’s good). It’s really the type of chemistry that bubbles beneath the surface— I mean, I need to see these two reunite in a slow burn romance in the future or I’m suing.

As some additional notes, not only should the ending be completely rewritten, but there is one character in particular *cough* 2nd ML *cough* who was written rather poorly. I just feel like there was no depth to his character and his motives. Overall, I just found him too 2D for his own good.

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This Chemistry is Too Damn Sweet, For Love’s Sake!

Love For Love’s Sake is one of those dramas you’d think wouldn’t see the light of day due to its unusual concept, but here it is.. and it delivered!

Here, the actors delivered an impeccable performance amidst the fictional backdrop of a fresh, somewhat still "foreign" concept / setting in K-drama land— transmigration. I’d have to admit, it’s hard nailing a genre as complex as transmigration where good worldbuilding is absolutely crucial; and truthfully speaking, the plot, in terms of worldbuilding… fell a bit short. Understandably, since LFLS is a short series, I didn’t expect for all the plot holes to he filled. However, we’re still left with some loose ends.

Length-wise, an 8-episode, 30-40 min per episode Korean BL is a real treat! Nowadays, Korean BLs have a running time of 10-20 min per episode. However, the problem with LFLS is how the scriptwriter tried to balance the storyline by making it equal parts "plot" and "character"-driven. Character development was adaquate, but the relationship unfolding between the two leads felt rather rushed. Honestly, this drama would’ve been incredible if it had just a few more episodes solely to polish up the worldbuilding.

Apart from that, the characters are layered, soundtrack was good, and cinematography came out pretty well for a low-budget drama! Also, the two leads had insane chemistry that practically oozes off the screen. I mean, cmon', you’re watching a drama with leads who are eye candy, can act, and can cry-on-cue without it looking forced or unnatural. I also fell in love with the ML, Cha Yeonwoo— he’s such a cutiepie! Cho Joowan’s duality for his character is amazing. Looking at his MDL photo, you’d think the man would be fierce in real life, but the man radiates so much golden retriever energy!

Watch at your own risk— otherwise, you might get attached to the characters (nothing new, though)!

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Thrilling, Gloomy, and Unnerving— Featuring Some Twisted Familial Relationships

I don’t usually gravitate towards slow-burn thrillers, but this one hit different. Overall, the pacing of the show was slow, but there were some moments filled with action that got your adrenaline racing.

The Bequeathed is reminiscent of Beyond Evil, in terms of the rural, "small town" setting and the general "slow-burn" unfolding of the storyline, as well as The Revenant’s dive into the whole supernatural aspect. Construing an eerie and unsettling atmosphere, especially in a rural setting, can be hard. After all, you don’t have much to work with apart from empty plots of land that stretch as far as the eye could see; but despite having limited cards to play with, he knew how to manipulate them well. Cinematography, lighting, the camerawork, and soundtrack all pitched in to weave this unsettling atmosphere that kept me on my toes.

Despite its original and interesting premise, the drama did fall short towards the end. Although most of the smaller plot holes were filled, unironically, perhaps the most important overarching one was left untouched: "Why does everyone covet the burial ground?" Considering that the burial ground is part of the drama’s synopsis and was it’s overall theme, it’s hard not to consider this factor when rating the dramas plot holes (now, we’re treading on dangerous territory here..). Other than that, the dramas worldbuilding, flow, pacing, character and relationship development, and overall predictability scored quite high on my scale.

Is it a fresh concept? no, but it is a good take on the noir, slow burn thriller set in a creepy, rural town where a mysterious serial killer runs amok. If you’re into that, The Bequeathed may be a good option to add to your list.

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Heartfelt, Meaningful, and Brutal— Featuring Some of The Most Insane Crossovers In Drama History

"Death‘s Game" is one of those shows you inadvertently stumble on, get hooked on the first episode, and end up devouring the entire plate in one sitting; greedily overwhelming your tastebuds with all those flavors all at once.

It’s also one of those really good shows that emerge once every six years or so and leaves you feeling like an entire different person after, like you’ve just lived a once-in-a-lifetime experience solely just by watching it. Everything from the casting, cinematography, storyline, and overall production, are brilliant. Not only did the drama do an excellent job at making a strong impression right at the get-go, it also manages to maintain your attention throughout the drama through its atmospheric setting.

Don’t underestimate those 8 episodes, as you’re going to experience a roller coaster of emotions for each one of them. At times, you’re going to feel like you’re watching a melodrama; at other times, you feel like you’re watching a gripping tale about revenge, or even a psychopathic thriller. I find that the most suitable word to describe the overall plot is by using the term "mixing-pot." now, throwing in a plethora of ingredients (in this case, genre’s) may sound like a call for disaster. However, it can also produce an extraordinary concoction— one that allows the taster to experience flavors of sweetness, bitterness, disgust, revolt, and numbness, and Death’s Game is just that!

Since I haven’t read the original work, I don’t have much of a day in regards to how faithful the adaptation was to its source material. However, Death’s Game was an incredible watch nonetheless. Cinematography, soundtrack, acting, and overall production were brilliant. No complaints there. Plot-wise, it has an original and unique premise, solid pacing, and manages to captivate the audiences attention throughout with its excellent plot execution. Just when you’re a sobbing mess, the plot hits you with some thrilling scenes that’ll leave you with your butt clinched. Sure, there might’ve been a few plot holes and worldbuilding could’ve been focused on a bit more (SPOILER: reincarnation is a difficult genre to tackle. In this case, more clarification was needed to explain where the original hosts souls go after it gets occupied by our main character’s). In addition, the ending didn’t really make any contextual sense and completely disregarded the drama’s worldbuilding. However, I can overlook the first two for the most part because the experience of watching it alone was so mind-blowing and completely destroyed me.

Not to mention, this drama features some of the most ICONIC and UNEXPECTED crossovers in ALL of kdrama history. If you’re a seasoned k-drama veteran like me, you’re going to have a lot of moments where you’re like: "Ariana, what are you doing here?" since you’re going to be seeing characters like (SPOILER) Baek Hee-Seong encountering Mo Tae-Gu and find yourself stumbling for a bit.

All in all, among the 2023-2024 drama lineup, Death’s Game definitely takes the spot for the most memorable, and will remain one of the most highly-regarded masterpieces in (possibly) all off k-drama history.

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Stellar Performance Throughout, Fell Short at The Finale

SPOILER-FREE PART
Following the hype surrounding this drama, I decided to give it a watch.. and oh boy did they put something into it, cause' I couldn’t keep my eyes off the screen!

Looking at Moving’s (무빙) synopsis alone, although the premise isn’t entirely new to cinema, it definitely stands as one of the more well-produced ones, both in cinematography and script. For me, there were no complaints for the cinematography, as lighting, shots, angles, ambiance, and special effects were all done immaculately. I am an avid fan of dramas that don’t shy away from gore and the knitty-gritty details. The drama may be a bit extreme and bloody, but ultimately contributes to its incredible ambiance.

Acting-wise, you can just look at the lineup and can’t help feel content that you’re not wasting your time seeing emotionless characters and botched crying scenes. Also, can we just give a quick round of applause to the young actors? Admittedly, Korean cinema is filled with so many young talents, and Moving greatly demonstrated their potential to the world.

SPOILERS AHEAD
Looking at the plot, the synopsis is as straightforward as it can be. It doesn’t take much effort to understand what’s going on, courtesy of the dramas excellent worldbuilding and pacing, which sits at a comfortable level that keeps you on the edge of your seat, eyes locked in and all— at the right time. It also leaves you anticipating for the next episode to come out— a suspense factor, which is something I feel most action and thriller dramas lack nowadays, along with its unpredictability. Character relationships developed steadily and didn’t feel awkward or draggy. Despite that, the flow of the drama felt a bit off and confusing at times (at least for me). Keep in mind that this drama is flashback galore. We spend a good chunk in the past, so the present timeline feels more like a side story than the main. Adding to this, certain important events that occur throughout the drama tend to appear in mixed order, so not chronilogically, so it takes a bit of effort piecing this event with another and constructing a mental timeline of what events took place first, and how it later contributes to a future event. To my disappointment, I was left with quite a lot of plot holes, even after the story wrapped up, from the SCAs ultimate goal (why are they actively hiring someone to assassinate the Korean supernaturals, the breeding program that was briefly mentioned by the leader of the NIS, Kim Dooshik’s whereabouts, Ki-Soo’s ankle scar and its relation to the temp teacher, the headmasters assassination, and the mysterious identity shrouding the bullied classmate.

I would’ve also liked to see more of Gang-Hoon, as he had a rather weak presence throughout the drama. His story was just so.. lackluster compared to Bong-Seok’s and Hee-Soo’s.

Meanwhile, the ending felt rushed and just.. incomplete. I didn’t read the original webtoon, but I heard that the drama adaptation strayed quite a bit from its source material, so if there was a chance to revise the script, I would’ve definitely extended the drama’s length to tie up some of those loose ends.

If you’re unfamiliar with how I rate a drama’s storyline, check out my bio! Today’s ride scores a C!

SPOILER-FREE PART
Nonetheless, it was an awesome binge. Was it a masterpiece? No. However, it was still well worth the watch. I would recommend Moving for anyone. After all, you really can’t go wrong with a good superhero-themed drama to comfort your inner child with.

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Undeniable Chemistry, Questionable Storyline

Alright, my opinion on this drama may be a bit unpopular (and quite controversial)— it wasn’t a masterpiece. If anything, the acting, production, cinematography, and soundtrack made up for the drama’s main weakness— its plot.

Before jumping into the negatives, there is, without a doubt, not a single flaw in the casting. Here we have a lineup of seasoned actors and actresses, so role immersion and the ability to express the characters emotions were executed very well. It had a good balance of romance, lightheartedness, and a touch of melo. Intimate scenes were produced very well— courtesy of the leads sizzling chemistry! Although the drama may be a bit slower in pace, it wins the trophy for having the most natural and well-developed "relationship development" between the leads. My BIGGEST pet peeve is going into a drama where the leads are doing the hanky panky 10 mins into the pilot episode… like, do y’all even know each others names? Take notes screenwriters.. cause' this is how you do it! If there was one thing I could change, it would be including more variety into the soundtrack (since one song in particular was quite overused throughout the drama and wasn’t befitting for a few scenes).

Alright, now onto the meat of the review. What went wrong? To start, the premise of the drama isn’t entirely unique, though it does retain some of its own creative flair. It had a strong start by captivating watchers in its worldbuilding of 1920s Chiang Mai. However, my main complaint for this drama slowly became its worldbuilding, which also ties closely to some of the major plot holes you could practically ram a truck into. For instance, who was that person appearing in the modern House of Palatip? Could this be Jom from the past, switching souls with Jom of the present? Also, Uncle Stan heard Jom "calling him" the night before his first visit in the morning— Who was that? A hallucination? When Uncle Tan said this, is it the incident Jom experienced after laying a drunk Khun Yai down to sleep? if so, how does that timeline work? What’s up with Jom hearing the voice of Uncle Tan? Does it tie with the Jom appearing in the modern House of Palatip? How on earth did modern Khun Yai gain the memories of his past? Oh— and don’t get me started on the PAST PAST timeline before the 1920s Chiang Mai era.

Man, that was a handful. Just thinking about that plot, which seems so simple, churns my brain into a slimy mess. Clearly, I didn’t expect to have to exert THIS much power into understanding this convoluted plot.

Nonetheless, it’s definitely a bingeable one. If I had to be honest, I was hooked for the first 4 episodes and gradually lost interest later on. It is a bit disappointing how open-ended the drama left off. If there is another season planned, hopefully the writers can tie some of the loose knots and clarify the worldbuilding a bit more.

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A Youth Drama We Didn’t Know We Needed, But Deserved

A story about a boy who goes back in time to prevent a tragedy from occurring… that’s just the surface-level synopsis of his trip.

Ha Eun Gyeol, our main character, embarks on a journey that revitalizes his youth, helps his dad shine in a way like never before, and opens a door of communication for his mother to the world— one sign at a time!

Twinkling Watermelon (반짝이는 워터멜론) is not just a comedic slice-of-life saturated with fluffy moments enough to make you pass out from sweetness at every corner. Rather, it’s a drama full of wounded interpersonal relationships, character development, healing, forgiveness, and acceptance admist the backdrop of '95’s Seoul. In fact, the setting is so well-crafted, coupled with the original premise— that it makes the audience feel like they’re embarking on the same journey as our main character.

One of the biggest aspects that I absolutely adore about this drama is the stellar cast. Whoever did the casting deserves some kind of award! Characterizations is so on-point that it leaves you in awe. CHW practically MOLDS into the role of Ha Yi Chan, and the same goes with the orher crew members. Line delivery was flawless, and the amount of times Ha Eun Gyeol (Ryeoun) made me cry is probably too much to count— I mean, mans is a whole tear-production plant!

Additionally, this drama teaches so many great values about family that will deeply resonate and tug at the heartstrings of many viewers. As someone with a close-knit relationship with their parents, and coming from a cultural background of collectivist beliefs, the interactions between HEC ans HEG made me deeply reflect on the relationship that I have with my loved ones.

For those who still have your parents, guardian, or a loved one in general, cherish the moments that you have with them. If theres anything that Twinkling Watermelon wants you to realize, it is as Mr. Viva said, “Major and minor chords must coexist harmoniously for a song to sound delightful and complete. The same goes for life. Experiencing hardships and joyful moments help you build your dazzling life.”

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"A" for Storyline and Production, "B" for Bromance!

A quote that reminds of Po Xiao and Feng Ren’s relationship is from The Book of Zhuang Zi, written by writer and Daoist philosopher of the Zhuang Zi (c. 369-286 BC) from the Warring States period: "君子之交淡如水," translated as "a gentleman’s friendship is as clear / light as water, meaning that gentlemen maintain relations with those who share the same ideals as them. As the quote suggests, such relationships are light and pure as water, with both parties sharing a sense of unyielding loyalty towards one another.

For a 37 min movie, you’d typically expect an awkwardly paced, rushed, or even poorly executed plot. However, the story didn’t feel forcibly "condensed," and actually made sense. Additionally, the flow of events was nice and the cinematography was top-notch, despite its budget. The movie also had some pretty awesome action scenes with fluid choreography.

In addition, the two leads had great chemistry and characterization was done very well. Surprisingly, the plot managed to pack some unexpected twists under its belt and was rather melodramatic at times too . Also, the dramas pacing was done very well, didn’t feel rushed, and the plot was executed flawlessly.

All in all, fans of wuxia and bromance mustn’t skimp out on this!

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A Subtle Change of Atmosphere

Admist all the hustle and bustle in the world, we all need some tranquility once in a while.

And who would’ve thought that a miniseries like Doona would be the embodiment of just that. Doona! Is the type of film you’d watch on a downcast day, socks off, on the couch while you’re stuck inside admist a huge downpour. It is a healing, serene, and realistic film unlike any other dramas I’ve seen so far. It is unconventional, and surprisingly, some aspects of it are even thought-provoking.

Compared to CLOY, I found that the director experimented with Doona a bit. Still retaining his own unique, creative flair, the film had many "silent" moments— that is, moments that had no on-cue soundtrack placement, since it’s just background noise. Although it did feel awkward and a bit of getting used to at first, I later realized how songs that were used in the drama were so strategically placed. Although silence is there for a majority of the film, I find that the background noise is what sets the films tone. In a way, it allows one to interpret the scenes better.

Acting-wise, you really can’t go wrong with Yang Sejong and Suzy. Although an unexpected duo, these two had insane chemistry that completely swept me off my feet. Characters were dimensional, fun, and flawed. The characterization in this drama was great, and it was only made possible by the actors portraying them.

All in all, Doona! is a really good drama if you’re looking to find something to munch on. It’s may be a mini-series, but the production of this drama is actually really good— as expected from the same director of CLOY, and the plot gives some nice food-for-thought.

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Secured the Ambiance, Completely Bombed The Plot

Honestly, I only chose to watch this movie because of Kim Mu Yeol, and I did stay after the plot went south— just for him.

It had a strong start. Ambiance was good, suspense was there, definitely had me at the edge of my seat at some points. The movie has characteristics of a traditional psychological thriller, with a sprinkle of horror into the mix. Cinematography was adequate, nothing wrong with the whole production and acting crew. As always, KMY effortlessly delivered his role and the rest of the cast portrayed their characters well.

Now, with such a good start, what could possibly go wrong?

All was well until the supposed big reveal. The moment that happened, the smile literally fell off my face and I really wanted to slam my laptop into the trash. Not only did they ruin a completely good start, but they just had to recycle some cliche, overused-ass premise that we’ve seen countless of times in the industry— cults. Dear lord, what in the world were they thinking by messing up a completely good start with talks of recruiting the "chosen child" ? A "God child" ? I’ll admit, I did not expect the plot to take this turn. However, I am definitely not pleasantly surprised.

Not to mention, the movie had plot holes you could drive a monster truck through.

Overall, a complete waste of potential down the drain.

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An Absolute Mindfuck

Everyone here needs therapy, including me.

Did I just single-handedly binge the one and only drama that managed to score relatively close to my sleep paralysis demon, Mouse (2021), which had a chokehold on me for two years since it’s release?

Possibly.

First things first before I get into the actual review. How the HELL does this drama only have a rating of 7.8/10? Imo, it deserves at least an 8.6 if not greater!

—

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Had some meaningful shots and unique transition scenes as well. The lighting in the drama changed depending on the scene. Overall, it was very fitting and helped to set the mood for the scene extremely well. The shots were also done very professionally and in a very abstract, artistic manner. I was blown away by how impactful doing something as simple as placing a camera and adjusting the lighting so that a character’s eyes had absolutely no light in them was. It really sent shivers up my spine and evoked a lot of complication emotions in me.

ACTING
I have to say, every actor and actress nailed their roles. I’ll especially acknowledge Yamada Rouske for delivering an impeccable performance throughout. After all, he played two roles that were drastically different from one another, but his acting blended seamlessly with each character’s personality. In all, emotions ran high for the drama, and that was mainly due to the fact that everyone in the cast were seasoned actors and actresses. Everyone acted with their eyes, which managed to capture the rawest emotions.

STORYLINE
Holy shit. That’s all I can say to summarize the plot of this drama. To put it more informally, this drama is a complete mindfuck. It’s convoluted.. but somehow MAKES SENSE. Even after all the series of events that unfolded, there were maybe only 2 plots holes left at the end that weren’t filled, but since they’re not vital to the plot as much as some of the other plot aspects, I’ll excuse it. The premise itself is very unique and almost mind-boggling of how good it is. Be warned that it is quite makjang— a Korean term meaning that a drama has an over-exaggerated, "what the fuck is going on?" kind of plot with a series of ridiculous twists and turns at every corner possible. This style of drama may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for those with short attention span like me who can’t handle slow burn and thrives off action, this drama will be right up your alley! The pacing of the story wasn’t too fast nor slow, and the flow of the events in the drama blew me away at how good it was. Every event linked to one another, so it really put me in that detective sort of mode when trying to connect them. Spoilers, but the ending couldn’t have been more perfect imo. Relationships between the characters progressed naturally and the screenwriters even sprinkled a generous amount of character development for the characters who needed it most towards the end of the drama. Possibly my only complaint regarding the plot is its predictability. Nonetheless, it really messes with your mind. One moment you’re sure that the person is the culprit, and 5 seconds later you’re questioning the meaning of life. Also, the length of the drama was great. At one point, I did feel like the plot got unnecessarily draggy, but those series of events really managed to unfold into something grand later on. Finally, one of my favorite aspects of the plot is the amount of morally-grey characters we have. It’s safe to say that almost all of the characters were developed, dimensional, and fully-fledged. Towards the end, the drama makes you wonder if justice was really served or not. Did the culprit deserve the punishment they got?


EXPERIENCE
Although there were some aspects of the plot that were relatively predictable, the thrill the drama brought along with it made up for that predictability. For the first time in a while, I truly felt like I removed the experience of watching a good thriller. Every since Mouse (2021), I was getting some serious PTDD (post-traumatic drama disorder) and still haven’t recovered from it, even two years later. However, watching this drama gave me so much thrill and really put me into the mindset of a detectives. It’s just a crazy, convoluted story that seems like there would be many plot holes, but before you even know it, all those plot holes got filled in seamlessly— and that was extremely satisfying to witness! It’s also a very thought-provoking experience. The drama really lives up to its psychological thriller tag. Every now and then I think back on some scenes and feel like my heart aches at how sad it is. Every character is pitiful, there isn’t no "pure villain." This drama really deserves some sort of tragedy tag because my heart simply wasn’t ready for the amount of angst it delivered.

SOUNDTRACK
Although the songs were very good, there was a lack of variety. Additionally, some scenes had improper OST / song placement, but hey, all the songs were fitted to the theme of the drama and were catchy!

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Office Romance or Thriller?

It’s an alright drama. Personally, I felt that it was way too episodic for my liking and there ended up being too many plot holes and unexplained events towards the end.

Character development was adequate, since the drama focused more on revealing the complexity of the characters on the morally grey scale as opposed to whether or not they actually changed for the greater good. The screenwriters really had a knack for making practically every "villain" someone who did what they did for a reason.

Cinematography was good. The shots and camera work were relatively steady and had some cinematic moments. It had some unique frame-to-frame transitions as well. Lighting was consistent throughout and unlike other dramas, I’m glad that they chose a more "natural" lighting as opposed to putting saturated filters to make colors pop— like, you’re watching a thriller.. not a romcom! The lighting really set the mood for the scenes and was overall enjoyable to watch.

Acting was also good, but I truly felt like ML’s acting lacked something important. I don’t know how to explain it— I just guess that it felt incomplete.

Also, despite popular opinion, I thought that the FL wasn’t too annoying. Personally, I found her witty (not mentioning the stalking phase.. I don’t know how she got away with that). As much as I tried not to dislike her, I was annoyed at how much screen time she had in the drama. IMO, the story could’ve just been centered primarily on the two brothers. It was a shame how the ML got so little screen time despite his importance to the overall story. FL could’ve simply been a background character without the unnecessarily romance. Too much of the plot was centered around those two, and their romantic moments felt like fillers that dragged the drama to an extent. At some point, I found myself having to skip every scene where she and MC interacted because I wanted to see ML so bad.

Ending was textbook perfect. After all, justice was somewhat served.. but only SOMEWHAT. I hate hate hate it when culprits are somewhat invincible. It makes sense if it were to be a fantasy drama, but how is it that our culprit can crawl out of practically any situation regardless of life and death like a rat? He is literally a rat!

The screenwriters could’ve had MC investigate the cases that were actually relevant, such as the ones done by his brother.. but no! The cases MC decides to investigate are merely subplots, with some not even connecting to the bigger picture! Again, this just dragged the drama on an unnecessarily longer length. All we’re left with is implications. The screenwriters drop ambiguous hints based on word of mouth here and there, such as when Meena said that the P guy was going to be his "last victim." Did he kill all those other 9 people or did he use others as his executioners? Why did he choose those executioners? Context is very limited, which makes connecting the cases to the bigger picture appear like a tangled mess.

Logic is somewhat out of the window for some aspects of this drama. For example, the whole idea of the culprit having no pulse is just so mind-boggling and anatomically wrong that I just can’t get it out of my mind.. but at the same time, I have to just remind myself that this is a work of fiction, and things aren’t supposed to make sense.. I guess?

Overall, the major flaw of this drama is the plot. Trust me, the premise is very promising, but the execution could’ve been done entirely different. First things first, start off by filling in the plot holes for gods sake!

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The Sweetest Out of The Trilogy!

"Perhaps in this life, we are destined to have one person shining bright in the sky and the other tainted by earthly dust."

First and foremost, the one aspect that made me continue this drama was the CGI. It’s practically seamless! As expected from the team that produced Ashes of Love. Usually, for xianxia dramas that require heavy usage of CGI, it’s easy to mess up here and there. However, this drama did not disappoint when it comes to CGI. It is beautifully and very professionally done. It definitely adds to the experience! Very precise and fine attention to detail, which truly brings the elements on the screen to life. Cinematography is also done very well. The shots and sets where the drama were filmed at were beautiful!

Secondly, the casting is spot on. All actors are natural and immerse into their roles extremely well. I’m especially blown away by Li Landi’s acting. In my opinion, they couldn’t have cast a better person as Ye Tan. I find myself pausing the screen every once in a while and can’t help but squeal at how cute she is! Her mannerisms, facial expressions, and even voice (since she dubbed her own character), match that of Ye Tans so well. She is also one of the best criers I’ve ever seen. All her crying scenes were genuine and immensely difficult to NOT react to. Besides that, Luke Chen, at times, could’ve portrayed his emotions better. His crying scenes weren’t that impactful, and could’ve been improved a bit more.

With the good points out of the way, one concern of mine was how fast some of the romantic relationships developed. Minor spoilers ahead. I’m talking about QK and CF and, most recently, HS and QH. I feel like QK fell a little too quickly and rather unnaturally. Obviously, CF was the one heads over heel for her first, but when he confessed out of the blue, it was almost like QK was like: “Oh! He likes me! I will instantly fall in love with anyone who says they love me! Yes!” In my opinion, their romance could’ve developed for a few more episodes so that it would seem more natural as opposed to a bit rushed. I also noticed this for QH’s and HS’s ship. QH fell wayyy too quickly, so it felt rather unnatural. However, after that, the relationships for both couples developed very well. I am a fan of slow-burn romance, and coupled with the excellent chemistry between QH and HS’s actor / actress, it was exactly my cup of tea!

Regarding pacing, it was a bit dragged at the beginning. I’m just glad that some plot started to pick up after.. like, 10 episodes. However, despite that first half, it was definitely entertaining, which made the episodes go by quickly. Since it’s your usual romcom and follows a lot of cliches, predictability is quite high. But as mentioned before, as long as it’s entertaining, I’m all for it! Plot unfolded steadily after that initial slow start!

Finally, I cannot express how much I appreciate the amount of character development and redemption arcs the scriptwriters gave us. I appreciated how they didn’t just show the good— such as how bad characters managed to turn over a leaf, but also how good, innocent characters became broken over time, and even in death, their resentment against the world couldn’t be quelled.

Everything is not just gray, but rather black and white. Although I applaud characters like Ye Tan who’s the type to "forgive and forget," some people aren’t that strong-willed. Hatred strong enough can engulf all rationality, and not all people can ignore that voice in their heads. It’s a realistic portrayal of both outcomes, and even a bit psychological as well.

All in all, The Starry Love is a must-watch for xianxia fanatics like me. I never considered myself a fan of romcoms, but after watching this, I think I changed my mind! It is fluffy, fun, and definitely sets apart from your usual cdramas. Definitely one of the best xianxia dramas released in 2023!

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A Harrowing Depiction of Reality

“Chen Nian, you’re the first person to ask me if it hurts.”

Went in without much expectation, but left feeling utterly exhausted— both mentally and physically. "Better Days" is one of the few films I would classify as "masterpieces," which are very few.

The film centers around two young adults who both met eachother connected by their pain and stuck to eachother because of the comfort both provided to ease their pain.

ZDY and JY’s performance in 'Better Days' was more than phoenomenal. The two acted with their eyes. Just scenes of pure silence with the two staring at eachother spoke a thousand words and coveyed thousands of emotions.

Cinematography and production are awe-inspiring. Although the cinematography was relatively simple, the directors really knew how to incorporate the little details, such as background music, certain angles, and other visual enhancers to weave an atmosphere so suffocating, depressing— yet undeniably fitting to the theme of the movie.

That being said, if you’re looking for a tear-jerker, I can’t recommend "Better Days" enough.

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