Reviews

Honestly a disappointment in hype

So many people hyped this show up and I was looking forward to it as I love all the Taiwanese bl. I’ve watched. I don’t know if I had high expectation but the plot did not do it for me.

First let me start of saying the acting and cinematography is amazing for both couples. They never felt awkward and their characters were believable . They had great chemistry , great kisses but the plot ruined it for me.

First is people recommending this should warn people who aren’t into age gaps and involvement with a minor. The first couple involves a 17 year old highschool and a person who’s an adult , while the age is never discuss with the adult , speculation says he seems to be at least 5yrs older so the adult could be 22/23 through late 20s. While 16 is the age of consent in Taiwan, legality doesn’t make is morally right. Plus the characters even mention him being a minor. While many can dismiss this age gap as it’s fiction and not real or that the characters doesn’t look like it has an age gap , it bothers me a lot. And it bothers me even more they had a NC scene when the character is still a minor despite having a time skip where the minor is now an adult . They could have made him be slightly older and in college and the plot line can still work. Second couple is cute but also know there is dubcon as one of them was drunk in an NC scene.

But still I continue reminding myself it’s fiction and not to get so hung up if it had a good story but the story line failed to deliver.

There’s a choppiness to the drama that bothers me, the characters had no depth or growth and the plot just added more plot for the sake of having a plot and plot twist that really made no sense. There was no development with the relationship of the 1st couple . One moment he dislike him, the next they like each other but there’s not much logical reason to how they fell in love. if they spent time on the first couple development on how close they gotten for more than one episode, I feel like the audience can be more attached to them. The second couple made sense on why they love each other as they grew up having a close relationship and the unrequited love storyline tugs me heart. I wish the older mafia men had more of their story as they hinted about their relationship but we never followed through

Overall,
This shown isn’t for me. People will love it but I find the hype was a let down . The plot tried having more plot line but the execution was wrong

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Ecological and dreamlike fable, philosophical but quite strange.

PLOT: The FL, organizer of customized trips, has a guardian angel who has protected her for a long time, The guardian angel Orla, the ML, is a Kawas (protective spirit, messenger of Kakarayan, god of Taiwanese animist myths). But all the Kawas must leave the land, polluted and devastated by humans. Nevertheless Orla refuses to leave and the spirits will clash : good, bad, manipulative,...

PROS:
+ Very good actors
+ I feared that the “meager budgets of Taiwanese series” would be a handicap on this kind of series with Gods, Demons, Immortals, etc. But, despite the small budget, the special effects are not cheap, nor spectacular Marvel style, but appropriate and poetic.
+ Very good OSTs.
+ the Eco-friendly message is recalled in each episode. The animist philosophy (let's respect what nature has given us and still offers us) is very present.
+ The production is efficient, without downtime, and we constantly wonder where this story will take us.
+ Very beautiful costumes (traditional?)

CONS:
- the whole thing is strange, unusual. So not necessarily for everyone (•ิ_•ิ)?

I won't watch this drama again, but I enjoyed this philosophical tale and the performances of the actors (the 2 leads are excellent!!).

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Fable ecolo et onirique, philosophique mais assez étrange.

PLOT: La FL, organisatrice de voyages customisés, a un ange gardien qui la protège depuis longtemps, Orla, le ML, un Kawas (esprit protecteur, messager de Kakarayan,dieu des mythes animistes taïwanais). Les Kawas doivent quitter la terre, polluée et dévastée par les humains. Mais Orla refuse de partir et les esprits vont s'affronter, bons, méchants, manipulateurs,...

PROS:
+ De très bons acteurs
+ Je craignais que les "maigres budgets des séries taïwanaises" ne soient un handicap sur une série avec Dieux, Démons, Immortels, etc. Mais, malgré le petit budget, les effets spéciaux ne sont pas cheap, pas spectaculaires non plus style Marvel, mais adaptés et poétiques.
+ De très bons OST.
+ le message Eco-responsable, est rappelé dans chaque épisode. La philosophie animiste (respectons ce que la nature nous a donné et nous offre encore) est très présente.
+ La réalisation est efficace, sans temps mort, et on se demande sans cesse où cette histoire va nous mener.
+ De très beaux costumes (traditionnels ?)

CONS:
- l'ensemble est étrange, inhabituel. Donc pas forcément pour tout le monde (•ิ_•ิ)?

Je ne regarderai pas à nouveau ce drama, mais j'ai apprécié ce conte philosophique et la performance des acteurs (les 2 leads sont excellents !!).

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Suzy Bae is a really good actor!

The scenario isn't anywhere close to being realist, snowball chance in the Lake of Fire this could have actually happened, hah hah, but then again truth is often stranger than fiction!

I only watched it to see Bae again after watching "Doona" as her acting in that was really good. So was the male lead, Yang Se Jong, who played Lee Won Joon, apart from when he cried. I don't think Yang has cried a lot in his life, but not to say crying is an easy part of acting and sometimes it's due to the director.

While the story is unreal and a bit dark, it's worth a watch IMO. I prefer comedies personally, and think, at least from the very limited exposure thus far, Korean sense of humor in movies and dramas more aligns with American than it does with Japanese. This drama is short (6 episodes or the extended one, this is 8) and has interesting characters.

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Only a Devil can kill a Monster

A cool Mafia consigliere and a chaotic lawyer team up to take down a huge business cartel run by a vicious and psychotic monster. In the process several secrets are revealed, masks fall off and the true self of many are shown, friends turn into foes and foes into friends.
The cast was great and did justice to their characters be it the leads or the bad folks. You really do end up hating their guts till the end. The chemistry between the leads was too good, they didn't need much romantic scenes to show on how much they suited each other.
The story was catchy and engaging with good humor, though there were instances where it felt dragged and unnecessary stuff added to it overall it didn't bore me.
I really liked the soundtrack of the show especially "Adrenaline" and "Always by your side".

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Twisty as a pretzel factory

At its best this show is pure adrenaline. The first half maintained such a breakneck pace that kept me glued to the screen. Since the show burned through so much plot so quickly parts of the second half dragged for me though because everyone gained or lost power or changed allegiances so much that the impact of some of the twists was lessened. The love line between the leads was forced as well. I did love the complicated, passionate, toxic relationship between the second leads. It has a satisfying conclusion which is important for a show like this. I also never stopped getting a kick out of the bombastic score/power walk/hallway standoff scenes.

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Meh ending

The acting and the chemistry between the 2 main leads was 10/10. They did such a good job, if you are going to watch this then it should be because of that.

The plot was also good, slightly convoluted and confusing but I kind of expected that as this is a Chinese historical drama.

The side couples: trash. They were boring and uninteresting. Added nothing to the story and was a waste of time , although I did love the girl squad, they were really cute.

Now the ending was so meh! Like firstly their reunion was SO anti climatic I wanted it to be more eventful especially considering he's been looking for her for a year. Secondly, when they are granted their marriage by the emperor I just found it so cringy and literally skipped right through it.

Overall, it was a good drama and I would recommend it but there's definitely better Chinese historical dramas out there.

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Well executed weepy

Sometimes I love being shamelessly emotionally manipulated. This show has its flaws for sure (such as the ML's improbable transformation from random angsty teen to powerful gangster that is never required to actually do on screen gangster business, paper thin secondary characters with inscrutable motivations) but I was so swept up in the central romance that I could forgive these things. I loved how the show juxtaposed the brutality of the characters' circumstances and the forbidden nature of their love (they're briefly step siblings) with the sweet wholesome innocence of many of their interactions. Park Shin Hye and Lee Wan gave such raw, powerful performances and they have a naturalistic yet potent chemistry with each other that gave the narrative a feeling of authenticity no matter how overwrought some of the story beats were. Even when their relationship was dysfunctional, I yearned so badly for them to be able to be together despite all the obstacles put up against them. Also, the 10 episode length ensures this is all killer, no filler. I was really moved by this.

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A good production mafia bl

This is one of the heavier Thai bl. It’s not a romcom mafia but a rather more of a dark romance with comedy in it . Don’t expect a non toxic relationship in this show and I wouldn’t recommend to new bl fans unless they like the darker romance and are okay with SA / abuse.

But starting off , the acting and cinematography are perfection. I felt the characters were real and not people just reading off their line . Apo is an amazing actor and best fitted to be the main character and Porsche is a likeable character. While I’m not a big fan of the second couple , Bible and Build had me on a rollarcoaster of emotion because of how convincing they are with their characters. I felt their pain when they’re hurt and cried for them. Tong did amazing with his character which is the best. The other cast Member were also great. The NC scene is one of the best in this industry from how it was shot to the chemistry of the couples

The negative is that the story went down hill basically after the best episode (Ep 6) when the main couple together. The characters logic went out the window from both main characters and how the second couple came to be is illogical. The show ended with some plothole that hasn’t been answer and no third couple which leads me to believe they were planning on doing a second season but outside drama/scandal happen.

It was a good series to watch and I enjoy the ride but with how heavy it is, I wouldn’t say this is a rewatchable show for me. I would watch it again with friends but not a comfort type of show .

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Great spin on a time travel story

This one is a real mind bender. Plot-wise this show was consistently excellent. The story was creative, well paced, and expertly balanced its substantive existential concerns with the borderline soapy family drama. I liked how the writers handled the logistics of time travel. Even with the limited screen time afforded to it I was able to buy into into the romance. I read the ending as ambiguous enough to support multiple possible interpretations, which suits the vibe of the show well. The one downside was the acting was a bit patchy at times. Lee Jin Wook was generally good in this but there were also times when he was too stiff and expressionless. Jung Dong Hwan's performance as the villain was fine initially but got so bad in the later episodes of the show it was hard to watch. His constant slack jawed/bug eyed mugging was embarrassing. I can enjoy hammy overwrought acting under the right circumstances but his clownish performance just annoyed me and was out of sync with the rest of the show.

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I made a MyDramaList account just for this incredible drama

Simply amazing, right from the start the story is getting better and better. Perfect cast i would say too, will be watching the dramas of the casts after this. Lots of moral in the story that we can learn and take notes. Just learned that the author of the original manga is Inagaki-sensei who wrote some of my favorite manga named Dr. Stone and Eyeshield 21 and yes both of the series revolves around the same kind of selfish people in the world which makes me hooked on this work of him. Hope we can see season 2 if any, such an incredible journey of 10 episode, BRILLIANT!!!

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Excellent show

A delight. The build up to the romance is subtle and slow burn, it's not the kind of show that got my heart fluttering right away, but here slow and steady wins the race because the leads are such lovable characters and watching their chemistry build was fun. Their dynamic is so wholesome, sweet, and funny. No dumb tropes to deal with either. No noble idiocy break ups, no sudden trips abroad, no contrived miscommunications, just lots of cuteness and mutual growth and supportiveness.

Thankfully the plot is accessible even if you don't know know anything about Korean politics. The practical and emotional stakes of the various issues that come before the district council are clear, and the show does a good job depicting the small victories and petty corruption of life in local politics with a lot of heart. The only thing I wish the show had dove deeper on was the relationship between the ML and his father.

The heavy use of fish eyes lenses and extreme wide angle shots were bold creative choices that paid off well. The director did a good job of visually emphasizing to the audience the offbeat nature Goo Se Ra's personality and the distorted perspective made comedic scenes funnier and office scenes more intense. I also love the super vivid color palette and how many close ups we get of the main actors' faces, allowing them to really shine as performers. Watching this makes me lament Nana hasn't done more rom coms because she's obviously extremely well suited to the genre. She's such a force of nature here.

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So much squandered potential

I wish this had just been a straight up House style diagnostic procedural where the doctors solve a case per episode and that's it. The patient stories and the debates about euthanasia and end of life care were good, the rest of the show was lacking. I hated the relationship between the two leads. Even apart from their DOA romance, I found the leads to be shallow and underwritten characters. This was especially true for the FL. So much staring into space as crappy ballads drone on in the background. The antagonists are potentially interesting but the show doesn't know how to utilize them effectively and they were ultimately just frustratingly inconsistent and two dimensional. The last few episodes are particularly frustrating, sloppily plotted and emotionally unsatisfying.

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