Good God, this was one of the best dramas I've watched--this coming from someone who hardly watches/slightly dislikes Chinese dramas in the first place. This is mainly due to my distaste for bad CGI and occasionally tacky martial arts, but all is forgiven for Chinese Paladin 3.


Story: While it's your standard normal-guy-turns-hero-to-save-the-world tale, each character's history and individual story arcs are noteworthy. This drama is very character-driven, which makes for very passionate touching scenes, but also very whimsical humorous scenes. Be prepared to laugh and cry with the entire cast. I repeat: Laugh. Cry.

I'm a sap so I might be the only person to cry, but the brotherhood, loyalty, and romance in this drama had me in tears. The number of reincarnations takes a little getting used to, though. There may only be a few characters, but there will be twice as many names...


Acting/Cast: This is my first time watching Hu Ge in action, and I now understand why he's so popular. It's not just because he's fairly good looking, but because he can ACT. How 'bout that? Not only that, I feel that the entire cast was picked well. They all fit their roles, and executed them so nicely...


Music: Just one sentence: I watched the drama because I came across the soundtrack. (One more sentence: With a soundtrack that good, there's no way CP3 would be bad.)

Rewatch Value: Not that high, because at some points it feels elongated. Fight scenes get lengthy, serious talks get stretched out, misunderstandings between characters wastes some time...But I'd rewatch it if it meant I got to skim through all those things.


Overall: Some characters and their respective arcs get a little too much attention, while others hardly get the screen time they deserve, so I'm a little sad about that, but within that short time you really get to appreciate their character. The slightly-weird CGI may be an initial turn-off, but stick with it and you won't be disappointed.


PS: There may be some plotholes that make you scream "YOU IDIOT, JUST ____ ALREADY!" but thinking that won't change things (unfortunately), so take the plot as it is. It was based off a video game so you might have to give it a little slack when it comes to patching up plotholes... =_=;

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Story: I don't think it's a very novel storyline, but it's cute so it's worth going along with. I have a stronger disdain for cliches than most people, and I thought this was okay. It does jump around a lot and doesn't have much time for development (unfortunately), but in the two hours they had, they got enough in for the story to be full enough to be enjoyable.

Acting/Cast: Satou Takeru has already blown my mind multiple times--and he carried the team well in this film. Apparently this is the lead actress's first work ever, having beaten out 4,999 other applicants. I think she beat them with good reason. Her singing voice and acting didn't leave me asking for someone with better skills in either arena. With manga adaptations it's quite common to see good-looking but subpar actors and actresses cast in the lead roles just for higher viewership, so I'm extremely glad that didn't happen here. I'm the type that will avoid a work if it has an actor/actress in it I don't think acts well (since it'll also detract from the drama/movie itself), so I'm, again, extremely happy with the cast and the acting.

Music: As a movie about music, if the music was bad there'd be no point watching it, right? Right! The music and lyrics were great--and most importantly, fit the story and the atmosphere. Maybe not something I'd listen to on my iPod forever, but quality enough to keep the movie believable.

Rewatch Value: I don't like rewatching, but maybe I'll rewatch the cute and sweet parts. ><!

Overall, a must-watch for even a cynic like me. Manga adaptations or high school romances are usually quite...silly? Shallow? And I'm quite skeptical of them as a genre, but I was pleasantly surprised with this one, despite the fact that overall development was lacking due to their movie-length time constraint.

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Like so many other reviewers, BBJX was my first Chinese drama. I've tried parts of others many years ago, but promptly dropped them because of dull plots, bad acting, and atrocious CGI. This time though, I've been moved to tears by both the story and the acting. CGI was kept to a minimum, which was nice, but bothered me a little whenever it came up.

Story: T_T Beautiful and tragic. It starts fairly lighthearted and easygoing, but gets very heartbreaking. The main character maintains the mentality of a 21st century girl, and I think that's something new to time-travel dramas. She (the main character) desperately tries to protect the people she loves, but in the end can't change history, so she can only stand by and watch things play out before her.

Acting/Cast: Perfect casting? It's definitely fairly close to a perfect casting, honestly. Liu Shi Shi (the main actress) starts off fairly weak, since this is her first starring role, but she soon gains the depth and emotional connection with her character that she needed to bring her character to life. The other characters, all of them, were great as well!! The staff and cast all had great chemistry on set, and it shows through on the screen.

Music: Completely heartbreaking songs, once you hear the lyrics. As for the instrumental tracks, I've always had a thing for traditional Asian music, so perhaps my bias is showing.

Rewatch Value: Things get sad, things get long. Well-developed characters make any story far more interesting, so I would actually really enjoy watching it again. In fact, feel like it DESERVES or NEEDS a rewatch, so that I can actually understand where each character is coming from. Maybe after my heart recovers...

Overall: Beautiful, complex story--you can't see what's going to happen next. For those who like to ship couples, you'll find yourself jumping ship at LEAST once. If you've never watched a Chinese drama, this is where you ought to start. Please forgive the CGI. ;-;

Also, can I just say, GORGEOUS COSTUMES, SCENERY, PEOPLE.

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Story: It's an intriguing story, despite the premise being somewhat predictive of how cliche it is. It wasn't developed at all, and I found it very difficult to believe due to its inconsistency. I think they spent more time on some parts than they should have, and that left the leads little time to develop any chemistry on screen. At its core, though, is a solid idea--one I would watch if it were expanded into a full-length drama.

Acting/Cast: Both leads are relatively new on the scene (in terms of experience, skill, popularity), but they both did pretty well. There were some parts by Gouriki (actress) that I found to be poor, but overall it was okay. Kiriyama (actor) is clearly the stronger actor between the two.

Music: I don't recall there being any[thing noteworthy].

Rewatch Value: I've mentioned in my other reviews that I very rarely rewatch, so I give everything a 5 unless I really do want to watch it again.

Overall: I'm not ecstatic about it, but I don't feel like I wasted an hour either. It was interesting, enjoyable, and it was cute. The acting wasn't amazing, necessarily, but I didn't expect it to be considering the original time slot and channel on which it aired. It was cute and average.

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Sayonara Kabukicho was better than I expected!
As a film that tackles the complicated side of romantic relationships, Sayonara Kabukicho is an &quot;artsy&quot; film that is sometimes slow-paced but never boring. I enjoy how the story explores the different circumstances of, and relationships between, its characters. Each has their own missteps, their own problems, and it is nice to see this film's take on &quot;taboo&quot; topics (prostitution, cheating).
Each couple/pair that visits this love hotel has their own sins, and thus their own secrets, and the degree to which they suffer really comes through. Each of the characters' internal struggle is beautifully conveyed, and that's what wins me over.
Moral of the story is, &quot;In pursuing everything, you lose everything.&quot; Thankfully, it's not a one-note sob story with the sole purpose of being a tearjerker; rather, it takes these trials and tribulations inherent to human nature and exhibits them in a very real, very raw way. I felt quite introspective at the end, hahaha ^^

I have no complaints about the acting, which is a pleasant surprise considering how Maeda Atsuko's previous works were not particularly worth praising...
The music in the film I enjoy tremendously. Perhaps I just enjoy heart-rendering ballads, but I was especially taken with Maeda's acoustic tunes, and the theme song that plays at the end of the film.

I don't usually enjoy human dramas or movies because they're often so real they're boring, or made with the only intention of making the audience cry, but I had a very pleasant experience watching Sayonara Kabukicho. Highly recommended to anyone looking for something a little different!

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There are already quite a few reviews for Maou, but it was so good, I couldn't resist writing one of my own. It looks pretty biased, even to me, that I give this drama 10 for everything...but I can't think of anything to take points off for! /tearsofjoy

The story was suspenseful, but never slow. The tension was always high, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire nearly-11 hours. I relished in every second of it. I had predicted something else for the ending, but somehow I'm very happy with the real one. One word: INTENSE. If you pick a side to support, it gets even more exciting. xD

I must really, really commend Ohno Satoshi for his performance. Nothing to say--I was rooting for him the entire time. I cried when he cried, raged when he raged...I got my heart broken twice. The entire cast, though, was amazing as well, just that Ohno blew me away. I must say, not all idols can act, let alone act as well as Ohno.

The soundtrack had one track that played a bit often (perhaps because I marathon'd the series, but I love it so much I didn't care at all. If I listen to it now I'm sure I'll cry. The track is called "LiVE/EViL". Plus, Arashi's "truth" (the opening theme song) is one of my favorites even now.

Rewatch? I'LL REWATCH IT 5EVERS (it's one more than 4ever, you see).

There's suspense, there's romance, there's intensity...If you haven't watched it yet...Do it now! HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

PS: Cry easily? Have a box of tissues ready!

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The drama's a bit old, but for Arashians and non-Arashians alike, this was a heartwarming but also very humorous drama to watch.

The story might not seem particularly notable, and actually rather cliche, but Yamada Taro Monogatari turned out to have a very interesting final conflict and ending. It was a touching story about friendship, family, and making it past financial troubles. It's cliche, but you'll just have to trust me when I say it's worth a try if you're looking for laughs AND tears.

I will disclaim that I did not like the first few episodes that focus on the leading actress AT ALL. I didn't like the actress to begin with, and her acting gave me creeper goosebumps. Blech! She gets better later, I suppose. This brings me to the acting/cast...not much to say. This drama was meant to be an idol drama, so I didn't expect much of the acting, and I was right to do so. Nino's acting throughout, though, pulled together the drama for me. His parents [in the drama] were the strangest...people...ever.

I have no comments on the music...I don't remember any of it except the opening theme that made me really energized after hearing it. xD

Rewatch? I don't usually rewatch anyway, but I'll probably rewatch a few episodes that were particularly funny. ;)

Overall, you'll have your share of laughs and of tears. I recommend watching this to loosen up after a long day--it's nothing too serious, but still has some integrity to its plot.

PS: +1 point in "Overall" for the kids at the ending. ; A ;

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I'm on a Chinese drama marathon! After Bu Bu Jing Xin and Chinese Paladin 3, this is my third Chinese drama in three weeks. The entertainment world/sphere is very, very small, so there are a lot of repeat actors and actresses in the dramas. Not that I mind... ;)

Story: I think this is where this drama succeeded, but also slightly failed. The Robin-Hood-esque team and original characters were all loveable, even the antagonist garnered some sympathy from me. The care that was put into each character's past was well worth it. On the surface Guai Xia Yi Zhi Mei may seem like a group of vigilantes stealing from the rich and giving to the poor like any other preceding drama, but it has the strong theme of reconciling the past in order to move forward. I greatly enjoyed this aspect of the drama that gave it a new dimension, which in turn gave this drama a leg up over other dramas in my book. However, too much time was spent on individual "cases" and not enough on the overarching plot, so the ending felt like a bit of a cop-out, a bit abrupt. The ending was good, though!! Just that I feel that the 30 hours of the drama weren't divided up the right way. (Revealing the main character's past took AT LEAST 3 FULL episodes! There's really no need). BUT!, Character development and general plot gets an A+/A, it's just that the drama's plot distribution bumps it down to a A-/B+.

Acting/Cast: They WIN this time. Honestly, Karen (the producer of BBJX, Chinese Paladin 3, AND Strange Hero YZM) has her arsenal filled with great actors and actresses ready to go. Both Wallace Huo and Liu Shi Shi are very popular now (2011-2012), and they get to pick and choose which scripts they take on. I've become a fan of Wallace Huo (the protagonist)--his rugged handsomeness had me swooning every episode. The way the entire cast acted in this drama was very impressive--Many things were said without words. A sideways glance, a furrowed brow, little nuances made the Yi Zhi Mei team come alive and have real chemistry with each other. I'd rewatch just to see these guys act again.

Music: Probably because my expectations were set deadly-high because of the last two dramas I watched, this time nothing really impressed me. I hardly noticed the instrumental tracks in the show itself, if at all, and the opening and ending tracks weren't far too impressive either. Not bad, but not great either. At least everything fit with the overall tone and theme of the show.

Rewatch Value: Okay. I probably won't touch this drama for a while; this drama felt both slow and fast at the same time. I can't handle the stress! However, I wouldn't mind watching it again a few months from now. The story and the cast are great enough to bring me back, but I'd still skip the long arcs.

PS: Last three episodes get an A+, but they won't feel like an A+ until you watch the other 27 before it. :(

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Story: It touches on a sensitive topic in our current age of technology and increased focus on identifying and helping those with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Though the entire film centers around these problems, the approach is still subtle in a way where the message to the viewer is firm but not preachy or PETA-esque. I think if you are even mildly intrigued by the plot, I highly recommend that you watch it. On the other hand...

Acting/Cast: Our main man, Yamapi (Yamashita Tomohisa) has done it again. He's not a bad guy but his acting is just so flat...I don't even know how to describe it, because his tone and intonation are there, but his face, body language...just somehow doesn't line up with the words that are coming out of his mouth. However, the lead child actress is an absolute delight.

Music: Nothing noteworthy.

Rewatch Value: I don't rewatch anything really, so I'm giving it a middle value of 5. Sorry if that's not particularly helpful.

Overall: A good film to pick for its bravado in addressing the societal and familial problems occurring today. Execution was fairly good. If the story does not interest you, don't watch it just because Yamapi is in it because you will be disappointed u_u

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This movie came out in 2006, and as it's been over five years, this movie qualifies as "old" in my book. However, the movie shows no signs of age, in image quality or in content.

Story: People can argue all they like, but I think this movie's story is very original. A girl who's "too tall" and a boy who's "too short" are perfect for each other but they fail to realize it. The second half might be cliche, but aren't all romcoms at some point? The progression pace was good, and they stuck pretty darn closely to the manga--&gt;I do disclaim that the manga itself didn't have the strongest ending, so the drama couldn't really do anything about that. It does bring closure, though. :)

Acting/Casting: The lead actor and lead actress were so perfect I'm not quite sure what to say beyond that. Though the height difference is much more drastic in the manga (too drastic to be real), these two pulled off their complexes very well. I found myself laughing at all of their interactions! They're a hilarious couple (whether they wanted to be or not)~ The other cast members weren't that memorable, but considering the story isn't about them...oh well. Risa's sister was absolutely hilarious though--so be on the watch out for her. XD

Music: I don't quite remember particular tracks, but I think that's a good thing. The music adds another dimension to the movie, and doesn't draw attention to itself. Like the backstage crew of a play...they do plenty of necessary and important work while they play is going, but doesn't distract from the play itself. Ninjas, they are.

Rewatch Value: After every romantic comedy, there will always be another romantic comedy. Truthfully, I don't even *like* romantic comedies! But this one was unique in its story, spectacular in its casting, and an overall joy to watch. I wouldn't mind watching it again--at all--though maybe I'd have some gripes about the ending, but that's all!

Overall: A very lighthearted story about two cute high schoolers who find their way to love. Lovely Complex is a movie that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, though maybe with a hint of a country accent (they're speaking in Osakan dialect and it's hilarious/adorable). Gives a new spin on romantic comedies. Manga adaptation or not, this movie holds its ground. Definitely recommended!

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Just finished this movie! I'm a little surprised that this movie doesn't have that many viewers, especially since Toda Erika is the female lead...But maybe there aren't many viewers for a good reason.

Story: I think I'll clarify the plot a little, since the synopsis available here and on DramaWiki don't say much. A long time ago, the Male Black Gold Tea Clan was provoked by a Japanese man and the MBGTC went and picked a fight with the Female Black Gold Tea Clan (a "tea battle", so to speak). Things happened, the Yagi family is henceforth cursed forevers for causing chaos, and the curse can only be broken if a Yagi descendent uses the Female Black Gold Tea to defeat the Male Black Gold Tea Clan in a tea battle. Toda Erika is this descendent, as she decides to go to Taiwan from Japan to find a way to break the curse.

Now my thoughts on the story--It was rather creative, though as a person who studied tea in college, the inaccuracies were pretty off-putting. For viewers who have little/no background in tea, this won't be a big problem, just enjoy the show. :) Unfortunately the execution of this movie was extremely poor. The plot was choppy and therefore cryptic, and it really took effort to keep track of what was happening. There wasn't a clear flow of ideas, and this, I believe, is this film's greatest fail point.

The humor that broke in between the serious moments were rather precious though. :)

Acting/Cast: The cast was chosen pretty well, I believe. This movie was a collaboration between Japan and Taiwan, so there are actors and actresses from Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong (apparently). RuHua's actress and the actor who played Toda Erika's father were two of the weakest on the cast (the latter being worse than the former). Perhaps it was the way their character was written, or the way they executed it, but I didn't buy it.

Music: I wish they had used more traditional Eastern-style music, as it is a movie about tea, after all. The music had pretty large disconnect with the film as a whole, and wasn't particularly good from a standalone angle either.

Rewatch Value: Low...low...low. Maybe, a long time from now, I'll skim through the funny parts.

Overall: The film's saving grace is it's humor, and nearly everything else isn't worth a second glance. Also, half the movie is in Mandarin and the other half is in Japanese, so it definitely helps if you have some knowledge of either one of them. The subtitles aren't grammatically correct, and don't have the most accurate of translations (so you might lose out on some humor, I suppose), but there should be no problem understanding the general premise.

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Thankfully the first couple episodes offered a unique take on affairs. Of course, it didn't take long for it to disintegrate into completely and utterly cliche. It gets hard to watch actually...But I really like Takei Emi, and found that the second male lead as well as the woman who played Yuka did well at playing their parts. Yuka's actress is so good at acting that I really hate her now lol

The plot through the middle of the show lacks content, the characters don't seem to have much development, and the actors don't have that great of a chemistry...I don't know, I just wasn't impressed.
My least favorite part is that it was suuuuuper melodramatic. Maybe I've grown less tolerant of melodrama, but it was really distracting in this drama.

If you're thinking of watching this, just mentally brace yourselves for episodes 4-9 to be bad because it won't be worth it til you get to the last episode. And even then the melodrama is an issue for me =____=
The last episode was good though! Relatively. Finally something I didn't predict would happen, haha.

Perhaps the only redeeming factor would be the theme song lol
I'm a total loser for melancholic songs, so this was perhaps the best part of the drama for me.
If nothing else, watch this drama for Yuka and her character growth! Everything else isn't that special.

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Gonna write this review while my mind is fresh! Seems like I've become an ambassador of movies that aren't well-known. I'll make them known! Hahaha... xD This movie was divided into three parts (Japan, Taiwan, and Shanghai, each with a different cast), so I'll address them separately where I see fit, otherwise I'll refer to the film as a whole.

This film was a collaboration between Japan, Taiwan, and Shanghai, so there's a mix of Japanese and Mandarin throughout--in fact, the foundation of this movie is [basically] the manifestation of love despite the language barrier. Now, onwards:

Story:
Japan--I found this one a little awkward, as the two characters didn't have any sort of real interaction. The theme was kind of like "chance encounter," and that shown through to a certain extent. Some parts do feel like "chance", and others, clearly not. The practical side of me is screaming at the absurdity/implausibility of it all.
Taiwan--The language barrier is very evident in this story, and it creates some pretty hilarious moments throughout. I laughed so hard my roommate thought I had problems...The theme for this one is "having someone by your side when you need them".
Shanghai--Probably the sweetest of the three, the main actor for this story showed up in the "Japan" story as well. This one might bring you to tears, if you're that type, while the first and second will probably give you hope and gratitude, respectively. This mini-story has takes a very quick jab at Shanghai's rapid industrialization, which I felt gave this story a leg up above the others (something more than just love, y'know? ...No? XD)

Acting/Cast: The entire cast did their job well (professionals, after all), nothing to complain about, though nothing totally note-worthy. I really liked Ryo Kase (actor of the "Taiwan" mini-story), and the actress in the "Shanghai" mini-story. "Japan" was a bit of a throwaway for me, in general. Cast included.

Music: A+++++. However many pluses I can add onto it. I (probably mentioned before somewhere) that I love traditional Eastern music...and I got my trad'l Ea. music, so I'm a happy bumpkin. The self-titled "biking like mad" scene in "Japan" was the first music track that made me excited to hear the rest. Make sure you listen through the credits too, that song is beautiful!

Rewatch Value: Probably not. I don't usually rewatch in the first place, so there's not much to say.

Overall: A good watch if you're looking for an interesting take on the various facets of love, though you'll have to look somewhere else if you're looking for your everyday romantic comedy because this isn't it. If you're only going to watch one mini-story, watch "Shanghai"! :)

I would've given this movie an overall score of '5', but I liked the last few seconds of "Shanghai" too much, so I added an entire point. *U*

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Drama was really close to the manga, including the [hilarious] moments that were acted out very well. I thoroughly enjoyed this drama, though I've partly read the manga and watched the anime. Usually with manga adaptations, the director/producer/screenwriter end up ruining a [usually] already not-that-great manga. This didn't happen here and I was very impressed and pleased.

It's very silly, but it has a solid, original storyline that's worth following. I'd recommend this drama if you're looking to have a good laugh but don't want to feel your IQ draining out of your ears watching cheese crack dramas.

[Edit, I've already written a (different) review of this on my blog (linked below). If you want a little more of my thoughts than this review here, feel free to check. But the review here on MDL should be enough otherwise. :)]

http://moosea.blogspot.com/2012/01/review-ouran-high-school-host-club-live.html

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