The best drama I have yet watched this year...
I was watching this parallel to Dream High 2, and the difference in the standards caught my eye more...
First of all, about the story. The bromance, love, friendship, family, these themes are very central in the drama, and are done perfectly. The characters are so perfectly constructed, that you'll start feeling for them after the 1st episode you watch.
The thing that amazes me in dramas like this, is that the characters are like brought to life, they became real for me, as they were not trying to be perfect, they were not perfect, and while absolutely loving every character of this drama, I could get angry with them, shout at my screen, and the next moment swoon because of cuteness, their friendship, romance...
Every episode has a story to tell, not like in some dramas, that just drag on, to get to the 16th episode... I have yet to find a scene I'd like to skip here (don't look for it :P).
I discovered several actors here, that I'm going to follow to other dramas, whatever role they take :P
First, Sung Joon, I'd seen him in Lie to Me, and impressing he was in the beginning of the series, but as the romance advanced between the leads, his character faded away, so to say honestly, when I saw him in the first episode here, I didn't know I knew him :P Though his rough voice was reminding me, I didn't catch the signals... Honestly, now I'm very much in love with his down to earth portrayal of Ji-Hyuk, I loved his caring for his friends, his shyness with Su-Ah, his mess ups as a leader, but at the same time honesty and not giving up... (I can't believe he's just 2 months older than me Y_Y)
Jo Bo-Ah, as Soo-Ah! Fantastic girl :) When I saw she's a newcomer, I automatically started searching flaws in her acting... guess what... didn't find... She did better than great, her acting sometimes reminded me of Inoue Mao's portrayal of Makino Tsukushi in Hana Yori Dango, well to think of it, her character really had similarities to Makino. Love her brave and caring character. (THANK YOU FOR NOT LEAVING!!!)
Becuse of MyungSoo (L), now I'm a fan of INFINITE :P Though sometimes he was trying to hard with his icy stare, he's a cute guy and I think he did great, his character was in the end the balance the band needed (speaking about balance...) Do-Il... I can day, this guy... we're seeing him in more dramas from now on, he's gonna become SO popular with his unusual looks (especially eyes..)
Not even going to mention Lee Min-Ki's character, oops, I did... ok... His character just glued me to this drama... an unforgettable character, like a firework, brilliant in the night, and even when it already out, it leaves an unforgettable impression...
If you think this drama is going to blow up your mind by something super new and undiscovered, you're wrong, it's actually a very old story... 'friendship or love'?
Well, guess what, the script writers did great, the main point becoming, it can be both, only you have to be honest with both parties and most importantly with yourself.
I have enjoyed every second of this drama, and can't imagine that I won't be waiting for it next Monday and Tuesday... At least I can keep the songs and rewatch the episodes, by the way, the music is also very-very good, immersing you into the boys world in the moment it starts...
I'm gonna miss Eye Candy! (who;s gonna read a review THIS long?... I had to speak up, haha~)

Leggi di Più

As a person who rarely (meaning almost never, you can check my list) watches sageuk dramas, I must say this drama rocked my world all the weeks I was watching it! Though you cannot pass it only under sageuk drama, as it is also a detective story(finding the murderer), a fantasy (mythical world with ghosts, fairies, gods of heaven and hell, grim reapers, goats with flowers growing on them, liver eating demons, etc.), romance (tell me about falling in love with a ghost, falling in love with a person who doesn't know and doesn't even care you exist/ed), family melodrama (EunOh's searching for his mother!), politics (satto against Lord Choi)...I can go on, but I won't. My point is, that taking on so many genres is risky, you never know which one of them is going to get loose and go very wrong and make the drama not so successful... you know what? This drama did not let any of the many plots get loose, the director, actors, the crew, the screenwriters - everyone has done a great job in keeping this drama meaningful, interesting, always keeping the viewer on the edge of the chair with a crazily beating heart.
One of the most important points of this drama is that is answers EVERY question it posts in the beginning and throughout the series, it has not even once made me hang and guess (not that I wasn't trying, but I mean before the answer was given :P).
The fantasy plot was the main reason I started this drama and it did not disappoint me. The detective story went on very smoothly and I like that my guesses were wrong, I like being surprised by the drama.
To say anything about the acting is really unnecessary, as I enjoyed every second with JunKi and MinAh, they are brilliant, but their brilliancy is mostly seen not in the general picture that I would write about if talking about their acting the drama overall, but in the little moments, and maybe that moments will even seen to you not that important, but I was gasping for breath (note: JunKi's acting when his father was reading the Royal Order, MinAh's acting when she was telling him she did not want to leave him in 19th episode). Also Yun Woo Jin - fell in love with him... I was crying for who JooWal had become and how perfectly he portrayed the pain and fear of that poor person. I'm going to follow this guy now!
I am almost sure the music crew of King2Hearts was working on this, as I got the same vibe from the score. Absolutely matched with the feel of the drama, bravo~
I am going to miss my dark-mysterious-ghostly-but-lovely Arang ^^

Leggi di Più

This movie should have been made silent... I mean with no words... I honestly would watch with the same pleasure as I just did... the words in this movie were even distracting... ChulSu's silence was telling so much... so much... the words were unnecessary...

This movie is perfect with just the light and bitter-sweet music and perfect, so perfect acting, the colors it has, the beautiful yellow and deep blue, the calm air it has around...the words are distracting...

If you think you are going to watch a story how a girl made a human out of a boy raised/born as a wolf, you are so far away from what you are going to see in this movie. This is a story about people, how some people look like monsters and are the most humane beings you could find, this is a story about people that look nice, but the worst monsters you could have the misfortune to meet... this is a story about choice and responsibility we bear for every person we meet in our life, how our smallest action can influence their life, how their action - could influence yours, how careful you should be with the words you use, as you never know what it will mean for the person before you...

I am really fighting for words with my brain to explain in what a mess I am right now, this movie just blew the air out of me, and I am really fighting to bring a string of cohesive thought back into my head (that is full of guitars, alphabet letters, yellow fields and blue forests, books and sweaters, shoe-laces and pencils, and finally JoongKi's eyes, oh, those eyes...)

In the beginning I mentioned about the words in the movie, well, believe it or not, JoongKi says only 10 words in the movie (and you'll be sane enough to hear only 1 of them, as then you'll still be holding on, but when the other 9 will be said, you'll be... as I was... weeping into you blanket/pillow, not to wake your parents...)

This movie was one of the most beautifully shot movies I have ever seen, so much calmness and so many colors...

Leggi di Più

"I am here right here, right now!"

From now on, when I hear, that most of the best things are discovered accidentally (I should raise a glass for you, Rita~), but on the best right time, I am going to smile knowingly and relive the feelings I had during the 3 days I watched Q10.

This little drama has neither the mind blowing novelty, eye catching effects, heart throbbing romance, head spinning mysteries, tear jerking dramas... none... it even does not have the best script... but my mind is blown because of the beautiful lines every character delivered, my eyes never left the screen because every word the characters said engraved deep into my heart, my heart throbbed every second of the drama because all the things they said are so known, but so welcome to my ears, my head was spinning from the realization that I know all the words delivered, but I need to hear them so much more often as they are so warm, so true, so sweet and so-so right, my tears were running so calmly and sweetly, I did not even realize I was crying until I sobbed at the last moment of the last episode~

In the beginning Q10's character was so confusing, that I did not know how I could rate her for myself, at first it seems she has no facial expressions (she's a robot, for crying out loud), she delivers her lines in a monotone, tilts her head, does not blink, how... how? I was watching the 2nd episode when I realized, gosh, she is gorgeous! I can see her smiling, even when she is not, I can see her thinking, even when she can't! I was caught in this so quickly...

A little later I discovered why I had the oh-so-familiar feeling about this drama, well, you see, I have a all time favourite drama, and it is Nobuta wo Produce, if you had watched it as much as I have, you would definitely recognize the same 'signature' of the director, as both dramas are directed by the same one... the beautiful shots of the sky, the rook of the school, the friendship of the characters, absence of an antagonist, characters revealing both positive and negative traits, not being perfect, but themselves...oh and so many more things...

I will repeat myself, and say, that the most beautiful thing in this drama are the delivered lines - oh-so-familiar and known, and ought to be said more often.

As for me, am contemplating on rewatching it right now (it has been 10 minutes since I finished it), I am sure this will become one of my favourite additions to my collection and one of the most rewatched ones on my list.

Absolutely recommended~! Paffun~

Leggi di Più

A brilliant drama. I enjoyed every moment and second of it. Watched it without any breaks, in a flash, I just couldn't move my eyes away. It got deep into my heart, and is not going anywhere soon.

I laughed and cried with the characters all along. I watched the drama in 2 days, but came to dearly love the characters.

Though it did not end as I was expecting it to end... not gonna spoil that for you...again...enjoyed every moment of it.

The parallels between the 2 families with the same problem was brilliant...I fell in love with Haru's family, and came to deeply understand the despair Miwako's mother was in, though there moments I just wanted to punch her in her face...but who knows, how I would be in that situation...

This is a very deep human drama I think. The IS term is being used to explain people that they have learn to accept themselves as they are, and only then try to change themselves, or show themselves to others... If you don't know who you are, who does? Your parents? Your friends? Who knows? You are the one who decides.

Leggi di Più

In contrast to what I felt, how much I cried, to many times my heart skipped a beat, how many times I was on the verge of praying for the character's safety... my comment is going to look miserable and unworthy to this drama.
This drama is absolutely brilliant! From the first seconds to the last ones. If you try to decide to watch or not to watch this drama after reading the plot you'll be mistaken, as even the best written plot will never prepare you to what you're going to experience during this drama.. it didn't prepare me...
As I wrote in one of my episode reviews, the plot changed with such speed... the characters were full of hope for surviving one moment, and the next they were thrown into the hole of absolute hopelessness... that was making me constantly very worried about the safety of the characters, and I came to fell their pain, loneliness, hopelessness... so naturally... when they were jumping over the canyon I wasn't even breathing... not to miss any rock falling from under their feet, any sigh or deep breath they breathed while jumping... my heart was bout to burst.
This drama had the most unexpected events happen, so I could NEVER ever guess what to expect further... This is the first time I was watching a drama and not expecting the ending even slightly...
The movie has almost no cinematographic value, so if you're looking for beautifully shot drama, this one's not for you.
This drama's highest value bear the dialogues, you should hear the words being said, or being kept silent but at the same time reaching you so clearly...
Definitely one of my favourite dramas from now on...
'Ima wo ikiro!'

Leggi di Più

The story as older than world itself...
A man who doesn't feel anything and is not afraid of anything falls in love with a girl who feels everything too strongly and is afraid of everything... Both have a trauma, but the trauma is not that simple as it may seem when you read the plot.
First of all Nam-Soon (by the way, this is a girl's name and it's the name of the male lead in the movie, I'll explain why), a man who lost his family in an accident and blames himself for spilling the cola in the car and causing his parents and noona to die, after the accident he hasn't felt anything physically: no pain, no taste, no touch... empty being... but from the fist minutes I could see, that this man was not only frozen physically, but also emotionally. I sometimes thought he had been brought up by wolves, as he had no idea how to feel grateful, love, think about something else besides his empty everyday routine (which was not the most beautiful scene to watch, by the way...) but this is until he meets HER...She is his reflection, his perfect reflection, actually I think she's all the things he would like to be, but has never been able to... She's hemophiliac, so every little cut can be her last one... And suddenly he wants to feel, to taste, to touch... his opening up to her was so beautiful, I couldn't look away from the screen.
There lines at the end of the movie and you hear Nam-Soon praying to the God 'Dear God, I've never wanted to cry as I don't feel pain, but you know, when I see her crying my heart feels like bursting into thousands of pieces, please, make her not cry, even if I have to give my life for that'... These lines reflect her lines in the middle of the movie, when they lie near and she tells him 'When you want to cry next time, tell me, I'll cry for you'... Isn't this genius? They make each other complete and perfect... two broken souls come together as one...

Leggi di Più

A brilliant drama...I think every drama addicted person should watch this one.

About the life of ordinary people, who have their past, with which they are not proud of. About the boomerang of life, when it brings back all the dead back in 100 times worse ways...

About a guy who is trying to forget his past life, and live on honestly and maybe averagely happy, who has experienced many hardships as a son of a lonely mother who drank and took men home, leaving the child on the porch...His way of coping? Smile...a kind and genuine smile...

About a girl who experienced human cruelty and lost her voice only because she was unfortunate enough to be born in a family, where the father was not honest person...

About a Korean lawyer who works in Japan under a Japanese name, just so he can be accepted...

These three people meet, start helping each other, fall in love, try to overcome the hardships...

Again...a brilliant drama.

The score is perfect, by the way, it was composed by Yamashita Kousuke...and if fits the drama just perfectly...

I have watched this drama last year in winter, and I still listen to it score...

Leggi di Più

This is one of the most beautifully shot movies I have yet watched...
You know, I watched this movie first time a year ago, and rated it 7, and when I rewatched it yesterday, I was socked how I could have 'insulted' this movie that much, maybe I can say I was not attentive enough during my first watch (though that's a lame excuse, as yesterday my eyes were glued to the screen)... Let's say I wasn't in the right state of mind for this movie at that time... I am glad I suddenly decided to rewatch it yesterday.
The cinematography is so perfect, there were scenes my breath was caught somewhere in my throat... The colors (if you decide to watch it just download it, and preferably HD, the bigger the file, the better, trust me) were driving me crazy! The hill on which they placed the mailbox became one of the places I want to visit before I die, it's the most beautiful, peaceful place! The way they shot it at least made me want to go there,sometimes it seemed I could even see the wind blowing the grass and the hair of two lonely characters standing there...
The plot is simple, and honestly I didn't need more complicated, as the scenes were so rich visually, other complications were unnecessary...
Acting is wonderful! As a big fan of Han Hyo-Joo, one more time came to adore her character.
First thing about JaeJoong I noticed was his husky voice, which drove me crazy, I was WAITING for him to talk... I think he was a perfect person to portray JaeJoon...
The music is very complimentary to the movie, perfect match... calm, relaxing and light...
Also the symbolic meaning of the movie adds to it value so much more... White lies to help people, is it right or wrong? Teaching a lesson by making the person to look at life from a whole another angle of life... Learning how to withstand the difficulties of life from zero... falling in love after being hurt...falling in love...^^

Leggi di Più

I loved this movie, the months I was waiting to watch it were not wasted...
Han Hyo-Joo confirmed one more time her acting talent and bringing tears to my eyes.
If somebody asks me to tell them about this movie in two words, I'll say 'warm sun'... This movie gave so many warm feelings...
Director's and cameraman's work is brilliant... The game of lights in this movie, in my opinion, is one of the main positive effects... Because of the light in the movie... everything is printed in the smallest details in my brain... the girls clothes... the guys hair... the sun in the room... the beautiful kiss... the family feeling with the dog... the massage...the drama watching time...their field full of the yellowest flowers...her, touching his face to 'see' him... (I can go on, until I've told the whole movie..thehe).
Though the plot is not something brilliant and new for a Korean movie, actors and the crew makes the movie unforgettable, in my opinion..
Watch it, you won't regret!

Leggi di Più

The first thing that came into my mind after watching this film, that all the bed scenes were really unnecessary (well not altogether unnecessary, but there were too many and to intense, if I may say so).
Now when the film is over, I am thinking, so what? What was the meaning of the film? What did the creators want to tell the audience through the movie? (I won't spoil your pleasure by telling the ending). And don't think I am saying this as a negative thing, though I really can't hide the empty feeling in me now... really empty, which, I didn't think I would have after this reach and beautiful movie. But I really do, I think the ending is not worth of the 2:20 minutes of this story that tells about friendship, love, passion, loyalty, pain, respect... and all the beautiful and highest things that should have brought the movie to SOME ending...
The cast is just... PERFECT! Wow, Song Ji-Hyo (a big Running Man fan talking here)... just WOW! So feminine and strong, her queen, GREAT!
Jo In-Sung... his general... when he had tears in his eyes, my heart was breaking with his... and I can't help but mention his face when he was kissing the queen... I was holding my breath to hear his... just... froze me... Saw him first yesterday, while watching The Classic... he is definitely growing on me...
This movie is definitely worth watching, though not everyone will and can watch it. The story is great, though, repeating myself, leaving an empty feeling about its ending... I'm shutting up, just watch it yourself!

Leggi di Più

An outstanding movie, actually. Why I didn't give it a 10? Only and only because of the colors... I'll explain. The movie is full of symbolism, most of the time very clear and eye catching... and absolutely fitting. My only complain is, that the director tried too hard with grey colors to make the characters seem more lonely and lost. The only 3 sparks of color were when Anna wore that gorgeous red lipstick and the green dress, the dance of the unknown couple (by the way, this scene is mind blowing and breath taking, silent, and at the same time telling so many-many things)and, of course, the kiss... it was a firework of colors, like the sky suddenly became so bright with sun, you couldn't even look straight...
To talk about acting... to say anything... really won't mean anything... as everything was just perfect, perfect, perfect!
And the music... sometimes it made me dizzy, if I wasn't sitting while watching, I'd fall down for sure...
This movie really made my day!
Totally recommended!!!

Leggi di Più

*drops this right in the list of the favourites*

To start honestly, I was not so sure I was going to watch this drama, as lately I was all for youth dramas and was avoiding watching dramas with adult (over 25) actors, that is why I didn't watch it while it was airing... You know what? I am glad I didn't watch it while it was airing, this is one of those dramas that need to be devoured, that put you in the mood of this drama. While I was watching it, I didn't want to watch anything else, I haven't watched the aired episodes of the dramas I am currently watching, I just DIDN'T CARE~! This drama deserves all the positive and wonderful reviews I have read and much more. I am honestly in love with this drama, with the cast, with the characters, with the story. It presented me with absolutely wonderful moments, with a lot of smiles and laughter out loud, with a lot of cringingly cute moments... and much more.

At first it may seem you are going to watch a drama about adults who are finding their ways to deal with their lives - you'll be quite wrong, this is a drama about men who are finding ways to become the adults mentally while their bodies are already adult, their mind is absolutely childish, they are spontaneous, sometimes hysterical, will give a man their business card to call them next time the man decides to touch their woman, by claiming the woman's all body parts belong to them, will hit the car before them (their beloved car, by the way) if they think the owner of the other car is talking to intimately with their beloved woman, they'll reject a woman they love if they think their friendship will be affected by the relationship, they will abandon the most important meeting and fly to their friend's help, they will cry with tears out loud if their friend is in shock and can't cry for himself, they'll shout 'Do you wanna die? I love you! Into my arms!', will propose every day with presents if the woman they love doesn't answer positively... they will make you absolutely adore them and their friendship~ how can they not?

The cast has done a brilliant job, and I wouldn't want to point them out separately. I am fascinated with every character that has been created in this drama, the most real, funny, humanly, childish and at the same time adult characters, I promise I'll be rewatching this one not once.

Absolutely recommended~!

Leggi di Più

For me this drama is on top of my list...
I love everything in this drama, especially the characters. The leading characters by their acting and their story make the story brilliant.
Go Eun-Song, is my favourite female protagonist of all time... Her strength and way of life makes me want to be like her...
The drama has so much to teach about different values and goals for life.
This drama has a big lesson, that the human life is so empty without a goal... even the worst plan... the meanest plan...the cruelest plan, that had the protagonist's step-mother... well, we all know what happens to bad plans that hurt other people... some time later, you understand that even she hurt all the people during all this time... after all is over, she is the one who is going to hurt the most. There are so many words in this drama, that are so true, they made me cry.
The progress of the characters is one of the strongest points of the drama... you'll have to watch this to understand all the beauty of this aspect.
And the music... Just try not to burst into tears when K.Will's song is playing and the actors are making your heart stop and skip a beat... you'll be my hero :)

Leggi di Più

As a BIG fan of the manga, let me start by saying that this version presents Sano+Mizuki romance the best way out of all the versions there are (and, yes, believe me, when I say, I have seen all of them, and not only seen but completed!)

As this drama is an adaptation of a Japanese manga, please, don't be angry with me, because my review is going to contain comparisons, but I promise, only between this version and the manga, I won't be dragging in the other versions (the first paragraph was the introduction ^^)

Th story: Of course I did not expect the Korean producers/director to take and copy out the manga, which is most of the time good point of Korean drama makers, BUT, let me just point out how much this drama suffered from the unnecessary improvisations of the screen writer/whoever. As the manga is a school life/sports there were a lot of points that the Korean version could use in the sense of the characters, events, even little moments. For example taking out/ignoring the character of Kayashima(the ghost seeing guy), only because the guy (Infinite's L) couldn't play the specific role was just NOT RIGHT! The character added a lot to the manga and would be a very good addition to the drama. I would also appreciate more interaction between the dorms, they lost so much fun~!

Other points that I would like to point out lie in the existing characters. It can only be my impression, but the Korean version just made everybody so average and ordinary, while in the manga they are awesome to extreme points! Nakatsu's love for Mizuki - too extreme and so cute! Nakao's love toward Nanba senpai - so extreme and so childishly cute, Nanba senpai - being the hot player, Kayashima - seing the ghosts and auras... and many other points. It feels like by trying to make the characters more down-to-earth, the crew forgot that they were going to shoot a youth oriented drama - the crazier the better~ so the story suffered from it... BUT, the crew remembered to turn to the manga at some moments, which had me caching my breath, there lines right out of the manga, and SUCH lines~ bellissimo~

Cast/Acting: I should honestly say that after this drama I am a VERY BIG FAN of Choi MinHo~ he played the most real Sano ever created out of the manga! His anger toward JaeHee at first, then his melting heart, his caring, his jealousy, his friendship, his love, even when he freaked out because of a cat... everything was perfect~!
Sulli did great too, she deserves a lot of compliments! I loved her JaeHee, though sometimes a little slow and dense, she was cute, brave and played her role just fine~
Lee Hyun-Woo - not the Nakatsu I would imagine, but his EunGyul was very much fun to watch too, I enjoyed his caring for JaeHee and his undying friendship, I just couldn't bear his puppy eyes when he was sad! Don't be sad EunGyula~

The music is very-very good! Though I am not a big fan of SM music (except for SHINee's some songs), hese OSTs are fantastic~! I especially enjoy Taeyon's Closer and J-Min's Stand Up~

Next time somebody decides to remake HanaKimi, PLEASE, include the ball scene~, onegai~

Overall, I enjoyed this drama a lot, it's funny, it's very cute, it's romantic. I will be missing this fun of Wed/Thu-s...

Leggi di Più