Horribly xenophobic and manipulative...

Oh god, where do I even begin???

Girls Planet started off very strong. My friend convinced me to watch this show and I immediately fell in love with all the girls and their talents (Hikaru in particular ♡). The performances began like any normal show, but this time with the unique premise of cells. One Korean girl, one Japanese girl, and one Chinese girl in each. Seeing them work together with their cultural differences in how they were raised and trained was a joy to watch...at first.

See, the thing about Korean shows is well...they're Korean. That's mainly where the problem stems from. As the episodes progress, you begin to get the feeling that something feels a bit off. That's because the show is wildly xenophobic. Once you reach a certain point in the show you'll begin noticing some key patterns within each group: the Japanese member is obsolete. Who even is that??? The Chinese girl is terrible. She has an absolutely AWFUL attitude or she's so overwhelmingly unskilled and selfish. And the Korean girl is AMAZING!!! She's so talented, she's final-group-ready. She is even skilled enough to help the Chinese and Japanese members, how kind of her!!! This is an ongoing "storyline" in each group. It's not even something that happens once or twice, it's ALL THE TIME. Not even exaggerating. I think it was the same exact thing for two entire episodes.

In that xenophobia lies another problem: voting manipulation. You may be wondering "how could they possibly have voting manipulation when they were caught from the Produce series???" and you're right. They probably didn't have direct manipulation, but oh man did they have MANIPULATION. Take the above scenario as an example. You now have a Japanese girl you don't know, a Chinese girl you hate, and a Korean girl who performed perfectly. Who are you going to vote for? Not only do you have that form of indirect manipulation, you also have screen time. Whenever I voted, I swear to you I recognized ALL the Korean girls and maybe 3-5 from Japanese and Chinese. It was no coincidence. Every scene, every praise, every moment was Korean! Korean! Korean! Don't even get me started on how the final votes were 50% KOREA, 50% THE REST OF THE FREAKING WORLD. YEAH, IT REALLY WAS. It's almost unbelievable how much they were able to get away with. It's actually offensive tbh.

So what about other aspects of the show besides the xenophobia? The mentors (or "masters" as they like to call it). Useless tbh, besides the dance instructors. However, other than choreographing for some songs (that they could've done without mentoring), none of them ever did anything except sit there and critique them. How come they never got up and gave them pointers??? How come the dance instructors never showed them how to perfect a move??? How come the vocal coaches never showed them how to sing properly??? Instead, you get a girl who practices to the point of straining her voice and the vocal coaches complain about her not being able to hit a high note :/// Sunmi and Tiffany were also just as useless. I enjoyed Tiffany's critiques, yet she barely got any screen time for some reason. Yeo Jingoo was the saving grace of this adult side of the cast. He did well as the MC and oftentimes made jokes with the girls, trying his best to genuinely bond with them. Even if the masters and the trainees bonded off-screen, how come they never give us a tiny glimpse of that?

Okay so xenophobia, useless mentors, what else? One of the most important parts of a survival show: personality. Yeah...little to none. They barely have any games, bonding exercises, or activities. There are a few more later on with less girls, but still the bare minimum. I could not tell you what most of the personalities on this show are like. Unless they're very expressive, like Wen Zhe or Hikaru, it's next to impossible to really know. You barely even know which members are close friends unless you stalk social media feeds. You should NOT need an outside source to be able to recognize friends in a survival show. One of the absolute worst offenses they committed on this show was not showing any of the eliminated girls. They never asked about their thoughts, showed the girls crying or hugging, or showed their wishes for the future. As sad as it is to see girls go, I usually enjoy getting to see their emotional final moments with their friends. It's touching to see them loving and supporting one another until they later show up in the finale. In this, I legit had to look online to see which girls got eliminated because they didn't give any of them screen time whatsoever. That's insane.

The last thing I wanted to talk about were the songs. This is one of the best parts of the show. They had quite good song selections (besides the sexual ones they made minors sing) and their original songs were pretty good. Snake was a real banger. The uniforms were super pretty as well, along with the sets and stages. Overall, the performances were really really good. Some are super memorable like Yes or Yes 1, Snake, Ice Cream, etc. Basically, anything with the girls themselves was fantastic. Everything else was big yikes.

And I am not blaming any of the girls at all for how poor this show is. All of them are extremely talented, hard-working, skilled, loving, sweet, gorgeous individuals that deserve to debut somewhere or some time. MNET just needs to stop. Someone please stop them for the sake of all Chinese girls who have a dream ://

In conclusion: save your precious freaking time.

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I'm ready for more adventure

Speechless.

I don't know the first thing about One Piece. I've never watched an episode in my life and knew nothing more than Luffy. So essentially, I went in blind, and I'm so glad I did. I heard about this a while ago. Naturally, with the string of failed live action adaptations of anime, I was highly highly skeptical, but I decided to watch for Mackenyu anyway. Even from the first episode, it blew me out of the water (no pun intended).

It's so obvious how much love and passion they put into this project. Everything from the detailed sets, the costuming, the fight choreography, the personalities, the story arcs, and it acting, it all felt so genuine. Even as a non-OP fan, I couldn't help but smile at the world they were able to bring to life. I felt Luffy's passion. I felt their deep bond as they went from strangers to family. I felt their struggle to survive in the dangerous world. It took me on a rollercoaster of emotions as I went from laughing to tearing up within a few minutes.

I was so intensely invested in the crew's journey, I nearly forgot it was an 8 episode remake of a 1000+ ep anime. Now I think I can see why it's so popular and gone on for so long. Personally, I think Inaki did a fantastic job. Though I don't know Luffy's character, I can tell how much love he gave to his portrayal. In my case, he played such a lovable lead. His portrayal never felt overexaggerated or cringey to me. Whenever he showed up, I actually felt relieved? Zoro was certainly a standout too (or maybe i'm biased). Funnily enough, he had some of the best one-liners in the show. I also really couldn't ask for anybody else to play him. I think he's portrayed more seriously in this, which I personally thought fit with the overall atmosphere more. Buggy was fantastic as well. I'm excited to see more of him if they have future seasons.

In general, I adored the serious tone the show carried throughout. One of the things that always stopped me from watching One Piece was the comedy aspect, which I'm not a fan of. And this adaptation captured the more serious, realistic tone perfectly. Overall, it was just a splendid show. I'm in awe. I never would've thought I'd be as invested as I got. It created such a vibrant world, with addicting arcs, and likable characters. All in only 8 eps. I seriously highly recommend it to anyone a fan of action and adventure, even if you're a One Piece fan. It's honestly nearly perfect. I can't think of a single glaring fault.

Now I'm ready for season 2.

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A bit lackluster...

**HOPEFULLY THIS IS ALL SPOILER-FREE**

Believe me when I say I watched this without comparing it to any of the other countless zombie movies out there. I didn't even try holding high expectations while watching. I genuinely went into it for the actors, but unfortunately even they were not enough for me to be satisfied.

Story:
I think the most disappointing part was with the story. Even though most zombie movies do not have complex stories, most at least have some type of lesson to take away, yet I didn't get anything. In turn, this made watching feel a bit empty. What is the story they are trying to tell? Why are they telling it? What is the purpose of this story? I couldn't really find any of these answers besides them wanting to show off zombie CGI and action scenes. The only possible messages I could scrape off were very minimal at best. Nothing really appealed to any type of emotion or frankly even any purpose. When it did try to appeal to emotion, I feel like none of the scenes were well-paced or set up well enough to have that emotional impact it should. Either that could be due to the pacing, or maybe even the...

Characters:
** MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS idk tbh **
Additionally with the story, the characters didn't get very much development, at least to me. They never got from point A to point B in their own personal growth. They didn't even have enough scenes showing their friendship growth either. Besides maybe a few conversations here and there, they never entirely established a foundation for me to care enough about either individually or together. It was a bit of a shame because of how much I love both Ah-in and Shin-hye. Yes, I did feel that sense of dread and fear when they faced dire situations, but it wasn't more fear FOR the characters, rather more towards the imagery. Honestly, I think out of all aspects, the characters may be the one I am most disappointed from. Because they have no real reasonings or development, it's incredibly difficult to connect to them in any way to feel any emotional impact. I would even have loved some kind of backstory to either too. Maybe a scene where they sit down to talk about what their lives were like, what kind of regrets they have, what they want to live for, who they want to live for, etc, but none of that ever happened :((

Music:
This will be short because I can't remember any of the music. Nothing really stood out, as they were most likely all just instrumentals.

Acting:
Amazing in every way. No complaints. They're both amazing in general and this work was no exception. Ah-in portrays the sort-of-dorky, sometimes comedic, sometimes sad Junu extremely well. I could feel the agony, fear, relief, and joy as he went through it all. Shin-hye portrayed the skilled, seemingly cold-hearted, Yubin equally as well. Although the characters themselves were disappointing to me, their acting was phenomenal. Although emotional scenes may have been too short with too little impact, I could still feel all their tears. Seriously great stuff.

Zombies/CGI:
This was probably my favorite part about the movie. What's a zombie movie without the zombies? The make up was incredible, the CGI was fantastic, the choreography was entertaining. When I watch zombie movies, I'm a much bigger fan of the fast running type than the slow ones. At least to me, they're a lot scarier to watch. I think the movie could've done with a little more explanation, but it's okay because most movies can't really explain this kind of situation well. Understandable. So long as they're scary, they've done their job...and I can definitely say they did their job well here. There's also a new feature to these zombies that I have never seen before. I cannot spoil here, as it applies to certain scenes in the movie, but I thought it was a great addition to their fast speeds. It really added even more to the scariness of the zombies.

Overall:
Overall, I did think it was decent. The zombies, CGI, and acting are all phenomenal, but the lackluster story and characters are hard to overlook. It made me feel empty and not in the sad way.... I would recommend if you simply want to watch an exciting zombie movie that isn't too scary nor emotional. It's one you can casually watch for some excitement, but I suggest not coming if you think it'll be a tearjerker or the next Train to Busan.

FINAL RATING: 6/10

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A Masterpiece

Admittedly, I had no idea what this was.

I was simply scrolling around and saw this was new so I randomly decided to watch it with the intention of dropping it, but oh boy I was NOT ready for that. It has a scary way of sucking you in. Although I intended on dropping it, by the middle of the first episode I found my eyes glued to the screen unable to look away and it stayed that way until the very last second.

This story is harrowing, to say the least. It's definitely on the slower side, yet it's insanely addictive in its rawness. The story of love, acceptance, overcoming trauma, mending relationships. On the surface it seems like your typical romantic melodrama, but it is far far from that. This storyline doesn't hold your hand. It's rough and patchy and depressing with only the tiniest glimpses of hope sprinkled throughout. And let me just say, it turns dark REAL FAST.

The characters are all memorable. Even a week later and I can remember all of them so clearly. They aren't perfect in the slightest. They've made horrible mistakes, each and every one of them (besides Nana, bless her soul). Despite this, I feel like you can hold a level of understanding for their actions (besides a few). There's only one character that was a bit TOO much amidst the more realistic depictions of people, though I suppose they were necessary for the story.

The music was good, nothing too memorable.

The rewatch value is low because I don't think I could ever be tormented like this again lmao.

Honestly, I could rave about this drama all day. It was frustrating, depressing, and bleak, but it was truly a masterpiece. An unexpected emotional rollercoaster that constantly tugs on your heartstrings only to chop it in half in the next scene. If you're a fan of realism like I am, then I would highly recommend this one.

Happy crying!!! :'D

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Run for your life, run for the money

What an hidden gem!!!

If you're looking for a really quick and fun watch then I'd HIGHLY recommend this. It's one of the most thrilling and entertaining competition shows I've seen in a while. I already rewatched it and I almost never rewatch anything.

The main "plot" is a group of 30 celebrity contestants who must outrun the Hunters, which are "androids" sent to tag them. Each passing second adds more yen to the total. Once you're tagged, you lose your chance at earning any money. Eventually various challenges are set up.

I really really loved the challenges and the dynamics between the contestants. I wasn't familiar with most of them, but they all brought their own charm to it (even the not so nice ones). I adore Marin Honda now. The challenges were all intense and creative. These brought about a more psychological approach to such a physical game. Adding in aspects like betrayal, teamwork, strength, and endurance. There's certainly a level of strategy and tact to this game as well.

The show was very tense. On my rewatch, I watched with my sister. She barely watches Asian media, but she kept screaming at the TV for them to run away. I've actually never seen her so into a show like that. Being chased by someone is already terrifying in of itself. But being chased by the Hunters??? That's an entirely different story. I just know that I would never survive with a dressed up man barreling full speed towards me. TERRIFYING.

But yeah, would highly recommend anyone in need of an exciting, quick weekend watch. I'd suggest watching with someone else too because it's just so fun to scream with someone else. Also if you're wondering: Minho is fantastic in this. I'm sure many are interested in this because of him and you will NOT be disappointed.

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Frustratingly charming

It was cute, it was charming, it had its spunk and its fun. The characters are likable, the stories were sometimes touching, and overall it's a good time, but I only gave it a 6.5. Why? Because nothing happens.

You pretty much watch the same events play out every ep. at first it's a charming little template, but over time you soon realize how little character development or story progression actually happens. It pretty much resets at the beginning of each episode that somewhat makes it feel like a pointless drama to watch (for story and character fans). After reaching about ep 8-10, I already began feeling sick of the repetitive fights between the two leads for the same reasons over and over and over again. It wasn't like I couldn't understand either side, nor did I side with one particular character. Rather, I was sick of the fighting in general. It was supposed to be its main charm, "the bickering leads," and yet all I could do was roll my eyes. I wanted it to be over as soon as possible because watching two people argue over the same thing 12 times in a row is not the best time.

I can't really say it's a "feel-good" type of drama because i didn't particularly feel good or touched for majority of the eps. There aren't any lessons or omnibus types of stories, The leads would bicker, make up, root for each other, and then forget all about it by the next ep. At least for me, that frustration built up as the eps progressed. Their characters simply didn't improve or develop in any way. It's not a bad to have static characters, but if there is also no plot development, then you're just have zero story WITH static characters. They kind of just...go to a hotel, meet some people, take a bath, and then leave the next day. I imagine it's mainly due to the short runtime of each ep. It's not bad to have no story either, especially in a life genre like this. However, the combo of both makes it overall a pretty disappointing watch.

That being said though, I undoubtedly enjoyed the characters themselves. They may not have developed, but they were still quite likable. Haruko was adorable and had this fun, airy youth to her that contrasted well against Ryuuji's quips, and grouchy attitude. I also loved the touch of her love for old hotels direct paralleling Ryuuji's career. The settings were amazing. The hotels were grungy, yet extremely charming. The views they had were breathtaking, I particularly loved the pictures in the end credits, that was my personal favorite bit.

Overall, it was a fine watch. I wouldn't exactly recommend it. It's confusing because while I didn't enjoy it that much, it was also still a great show. The quality is great, acting is great, music, characters. It oozes charm. Even though I'm a huge slice of life fan, perhaps this one simply wasn't for me. It still might be for you though.

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