Reviews

Short drama done right

First off, I love a good mistreated daughter done right kind of drama. KeYi, unlike other females who cry and act weak can stand her ground at times. I 100% appreciate this type of female.

And to pair her with the cold domineering Prince Jin is the perfect combo. Her cute antics to win him over is adorable and maybe I'm a psycho but I love when shes at her most pitiful moments and he's always there to help. Even if it's secretly. He's good at punishing people. I thoroughly enjoyed those scenes.

Supporting characters are great. Shout out to his personal guards, steward fu, his sister and her nanny for loving Shen Keyi.

And short drama means misunderstandings and problems are solved rather quickly. Probably the biggest pro of this drama. Problem arises, solved within the next 20 min. No eyerolls and missing hair patches yelling at the screen.

Overall 9.5/10. Only complaint is the ending could of been done better. Was very rushed and choppy. A reunion leading up to marriage would have made the transition smoother. Regardless, a happy ending is a win in my book.

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Amazing musical performances - a Light and Feel-Good drama

Disclaimer: I enjoy music but won’t say I am a big fan of classical music. I also don’t play any instruments. The rating is purely based on my enjoyment while watching and after watching.

+0.5 because of the beautiful full-length musical performances.

Usually, I would rate a drama like “Reversal Orchestra” an 8.0 rating. The plot is simple and light-hearted. It’s a typical drama about a group of people (musicians here) who work hard to achieve the ultimate goal together. Along the way, you have side stories of different members with a tiny little romance subplot. These side stories are simple enough to give each character a little background, but not long enough to give it depth. There aren't any annoying characters. All the musicians are supportive of each other. There’s no in-group rivalry and they are just TOO nice. This is definitely a feel-good drama. This is not a drama that will spark deep conversations or amaze you in many ways.

But to me, what stands out in this drama compared to other dramas with a music focus, is the amazing performances. If you enjoy classical music, this is the drama for you. Much of the screen time is dedicated to music playing. There are several full-length performances that are amazing to watch and listen to. Oftentimes, I get disappointed when I watch a drama about music, and you get chopped up performances, especially when the characters are supposed to be preparing for this big showdown. The showdown becomes a letdown. But not here! “Reversal Orchestra” not only has a believable orchestra playing the music and we have satisfying performances. It’s quite amazing to see the actors so in sync when playing their instruments. They do make me believe they are true musicians. Each movement is synchronized within the section. It’s beautiful to see. However, what I just described could also be what you dislike most about the drama. You might find it boring because the focus is on music playing and performances. The background music is classical music. There are not songs with lyrics, like a traditional OST.

The actors and actresses deliver good performances as well. It’s a typical J-drama with moments of overdramatic acting. I have been on a Tanaka Kei (ML) binge recently, and am happy to see another side of him. I cannot sing enough praises of his choice of projects. They are so diverse! Kawowaki Mugi plays a likable female lead. So glad she’s not another innocent, naive pushover. She’s kind but could be crazy and feisty.

If you are a classical music lover and want a light and easy watch, “Reversal Orchestra” is definitely the right drama for you. However, if you are looking for something deeper with a stronger message or moral, you might want to look elsewhere.


Completed: 5/1/2024 - Review #436

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Hope just like the title

Watching this drama make me realize how study can actually be fun. This drama taught a lot of lesson of how teacher should guide their student. And how we shouldn't judge other people capability of studying before we know their situation just like the 5 kids in this drama. The thing that I like and agree with is we shouldn't overthinking, donot ever feel regret cause it just make you suffer more, resentment can be your strongest weapon, and etc. Really recommend this drama for those who really like to watch some slice of life and little romance.

For the ending I think it should just cut to 29 ep cause I think it is just unnecessary for it to be 30 ep. Because in the ep 30 it really just feel like it feel weird ending like CY with SY, Li Ran alone, BXX and Jiang divorce. I think they can make it to 29 ep and then in the 4 minute before the ending they can show the past journey how they studied with some good voice over telling the journey we been thought it can be said up and down, from how we start the journey with little hope and trust, from how we were helpless on our situation, to what we become right now with full of hope and trust to keep moving forward, to how we confront with problem and sharing our feeling with other to be better and etc.... Maybe something like that will make the ending better with photo of them graduate from high school with qing bei colledge admitted certification. This is just my opinion

Overall really recommended this drama. It is underated

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More like The Substitute Princess's Suffering

I had to skip a lot of parts due to my weak heart watching an innocent girl suffering from her early life til she was almost dying. I can't deny that there are a lot of cute moments, romantic scenes, and sometimes comedic too. But in the end, this drama is like a torture for me.
I think I will never rewatch it, Im so sorry.
But what I honestly really like is Shen Keyi and Zhou Yu relationship. A friendship with true and genuine feelings, for me at least.
There are a lot of toxic villains that will annoy you, so becareful lol.
But maybe this kinda story indeed exist in ancient china back then idk but it seems so realistic without any fantasies.
No regrets, but still I still had a lot of skips.

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An Entertaining Watch Indeed

At first glance, “We Are” seems like a cliché bubblegum show without much substance, however, as you delve deeper into the show, without any cynicism it is pure swoon worthy romance and presents a genre I quite like which is equivalent to the early 2000s chick flicks. Although it doesn’t have much to say or has no edge, it gives us heartwarming love stories, actual courtship and although there are elements of slow burn romance in some of the couples, the show balances it out by giving us different solid story lines to follow that are all wholesome and you can’t help but root for each single couple. Comfort shows with low stakes, that are written to make the audience feel good are severely underrated and its easy to write them off as bubblegum shows that lose flavor quickly, however, you cannot deny that when they are sweet, they are indeed sweet.

Read the complete article here-

https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/05/01/we-are-series-first-impressions-ep-1-to-4/

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Brainless Behaviour

This drama was a constant coin toss for me, swinging between great and bad throughout, this included the story, characters, jokes, and, in particular, cases. Every case related to one or multiple subjects around neuroscience for the doctor to talk about, however, some subjects were poorly executed and questionable. These ones were totally forced and stretched thin just for the sake of including them. Other cases were actually interesting. The humor as well was a big hit or miss, especially with the male leads. The drama placed too much focus on the male leads while neglecting the remainder of the cast dynamic. On the other hand, the detective wife didn't fit quite well and it took until the last few episodes for her character to finally blend. The drama had its good moments with its witty humor but it lacked in many areas to be a solid drama.

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An Emotional Rollercoaster

The drama was exceptional, excelling in plot, acting, and music. It stands out particularly for its realistic fighting scenes, a refreshing departure from other dramas with awkward CGI. The music, while great overall, occasionally veered into being overly loud during battle scenes, making it hard to hear dialogue without adjusting the volume frequently. Despite this, the acting was top-notch, which was expected given the talented lineup. Watching the main leads for the first time was a pleasant surprise, especially in how they conveyed emotions that many other dramas fail to capture. Both actors are seasoned professionals, adept at drawing out genuine feelings from their characters.

One minor critique is that at times, Mo Fang's acting felt slightly awkward, particularly towards the end of the series. Nevertheless, it didn't detract significantly from the overall experience. Another highlight was the portrayal of the female lead as a relatable character rather than an all-powerful figure constantly reliant on the male lead. The dynamic between the leads was well-written, showcasing effective communication and mutual reliance.

I highly recommend this drama to fans of epic battle scenes and nuanced performances, as it delivers both with finesse.

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Came for Kim Soo Hyun stayed for Kim Soo Hyun

This is the perfect example of how a mediocre plot/story/screenwriting can become a masterpiece with the right cast.
Queen of Tears is your average storyline, more like the stories of the 2010s, revolving around the traditional plot lines of, a rich girl and poor boy, terminal illness following the ML and FL rekindling their lost love, finding a miraculous cure and finally a happily ever after. Add to that there is the typical villain who is manipulative and makes your teeth itch wanting to beat them to death.

There was character and story development, but in the end, it all was just average. But oh BOY!! didn't the cast do a brilliant job?? Like every actor /actress was amazing, taking out their full potential to bring out the oh-so-average characters. If this drama was acted out by anyone else, it would not have been as successful, so kudos to the cast. It was a Brilliant performance.

This is one of that rare moments where I came for the actors and stayed for them cuz the plot did not engage me as I was hoping it would be.

This 8/10 from me is entirely for the cast and none for the plot/screenwriter.

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Actually Deceitful

The drama fell short of its promising premise, stumbling through a maze of poorly executed plotlines and lackluster character development. It didn't take more than a few episodes, after the first couple of cases, to show its cracks, the narrative was disjointed, as if the writers couldn't decide which direction to take. Once the main case with Kyung Ja & Jay was brought to the front, the story went haywire. The drama failed to maintain a cohesive storyline after that. The main antagonists motivations were a total joke of a writing, let alone, the unhinged obsession of an adult over a little girl. While it's clear the creators aimed for a clever blend of mystery and drama, the execution fell flat, leaving more frustration than entertainment.

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Embarassment With No Fulfillment

I've seen cringe before. I mean it's bl for fuck' sake. The cliches, the characters and even the plot don't always make sense; despite this, they always manage to evoke some feeling in you. This series did the opposite for me. I tried to get through the first few episodes with minimal skips... and I did succeed (for the most part) and I kept expecting it to get better eventually, until I realized, this is as good as it gets.

Honestly, I had hope when watching this. I mean I had watched "SCOY" - which had an almost equal amount of cringe - and rather enjoyed it. I was expecting something along those lines only to be met with disappointment. It's such a shame because this could have been one of the best bls of 2023 (I mean they had JaFirst for heavens sake). But they were all over the place with the writing and simply failed to deliver.

I am so disappointed! I almost cried at the hours I wasted on this series the moment I finished it. I think from now on, I'm going to be more selective with the series I choose to watch....

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So much love, so little budget.

In all honesty, it wasn't that good.
(A) The PLOT, the idea, wasn't bad at all. I hate sad endings that are usually associated with paranormal/supernatural love stories, so I really liked the early twist (ML was comatose, not dead) which lead me to believe there would be a happy ending.
(B) Too many characters, too many sub-plots. There's no need for that. Some support characters really didn't need that much screen time.
(C) The ACTING was pretty much amateur. The characters were most of the time either not emotionally invested or overreacting to everything and anything (think "extra", like really extra!). I would usually blame to the young age, but this is not the case. The coaches (all of them) were specially bad, and the Director was borderline campy. The guy playing "Jedi" (Oat Pasakorn Sanrattana) was the only one who seemed more natural, which is sad, because is the ML who has the least amount of time on screen.
(D) The AUDIO was terrible sometimes, and the english SUBTITLES (Line TV) even worse.

It was an OK show. I think the same story could easily be told in 7 or 8 episodes.

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