Reviews

While I have not finished this drama series (it is still currently being aired), I have enjoyed what I have seen thus far.

I did not care much for the early episodes with the young characters, though I do understand that these episodes were important so that you can understand the history of the characters.

Story
The story is different compared to the other dramas I've watched, though that doesn't mean there aren't moments that have that dramatic flourish of being almost completely unrealistic. However, in the 10 episodes I've watched, there actually hasn't been as much progress as I would have hoped being this far into the series.

Acting/Cast
Kim Bum, oh my goodness he is perfectly cast for this. The moment he makes his appearance as the older Tae Do you will swoon. Moon Geun Young as Yoo Jung Yi is also very good as she does translate the characteristics of the younger version of herself fluidly.

Music
I really haven't paid much attention to the music and so far the OST doesn't have a song I would want as part of my music collection.

Rewatch Value
This is a long series. I probably wouldn't rewatch it for a long time for this simple fact. Though Kim Bum would bring me back for sure.

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Aishiteiru to Ittekure can be summed up like this: before the 8th and after the 8th. I stayed up until 4am watching this drama & in its first 8 episodes Aishiteiru is an absolute gem. Simply superb! Everything I look for in a romance.

First let me start off by saying Etsushi Toyokawa as the handsome, deaf-mute artist Sakaki Kohji will stir your heart. A wonderfully emotive actor, I just love performers who can express a million feelings with only their eyes and this guy totally nails it. It’s not possible to look at him and not be moved. I thought the female lead went a little overboard with all the ‘aegyo’, but thankfully she toned it down a bit toward the second act. Once things took a more dramatic turn in the latter part of the drama I could see that she had some good acting chops, but unfortunately the material she had to work with was a disservice to her character. Supporting cast were like pestilence, especially Shiori and Ken, but in some scenarios Hikaru too. I was too annoyed by them to care about how they deliver. I just wanted them to go away.

Acting aside, this love story just completely captures you away. I enjoyed watching the unique challenges the male lead's deafness introduced to his life and relationships. The Japanese, as per usual, are masters in depicting regular everyday life in all its sweet mundanity. No flash of wealth, no chauffeur driven chæbols. Just an ordinary slice of life about two young people trying to figure stuff out.

Kohji and Hiroko’s chemistry is apparent from the start. They steam up the screen with every glance, every touch, every intimate embrace; and there's just something wistful & nostalgic about the exchange of love letters written by your lover's hand. I enjoyed the music - repetitive though it was, but certainly fitting and beautifully sung.

For a while there I couldn’t believe I was watching a Japanese drama, because for sure the Japanese just don’t do romance this good, do they? And an older one at that. When I found out the same writer who wrote Orange Days wrote Aishiteiru that pretty much explained it. The sweet sentimentalism, the pure headiness of falling in love, the slow build up of passion, it’s all there. Though this time around it’s the guy who has the disability, their love evokes those same warm, wonderful feelings Orange Days did. I was on cloud nine.

Sadly by ep 9 this setup starts to unravel. It’s not possible for Asians to give us a simple love story without all the nonsensical drama … can they? One hopes, but the sick feeling that blossoms in the pit of your stomach tells you something’s up, and sure enough the usual tiresome drama cliches start to rear their ugly heads. By ep 10 an otherwise well developed script takes a most illogical and drastic turn. Things go from bad to WTF in a minute, and by the final episode the show is irrevocably ruined. I was stunned.

It made it really difficult for me to decide on a rating because the first 8 eps and the last 4 eps, esp the final 3, felt like 2 entirely different dramas. And to add insult to injury the terribly ambiguous, unsatisfying ending left me feeling let down and bitter. Mostly, I felt really bad for Kohji. The guy got a raw deal. I wanted something better for him. He didn’t deserve all that crap. If I were to rate this drama based on the first 8 episodes it easily nets a 10. Not because it’s a masterpiece of any kind, but because the emotions resonate so well & so deeply. In the end my 9 rating here is also a reflection of this fact. Eps 9 - 12 get a 1 because ‘pathetic’ is truly an appropriate label for ensuing events that were totally unnecessary and foolish.

So here’s what I recommend, chingus. Go ahead and watch this show in its entirety at your own risk. But if you need to have or prefer to have a happy or relatively satisfying conclusion to a drama you’re about to invest 12 hrs of your life in, stop after the 8th episode. Arassoyo? Save yourself the grief and just create your own ending. I sure wish I had. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.

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Story: Meh is all I can really say about the story line. It had some cute points and was often funny but the story felt predictable and a little boring. So meh.

Acting/Cast: The acting in this drama was Decent. The chemistry between the main leads is what kept me watching. The Cast did a great job overall in my opinion except the second male lead. He was stiff and I felt a robot could have shown more emotion. No wonder he didnt get the girl.

Music: Amazing. If there is on sole reason to watch this drama it is for the OST. I loved every second of hearing it and never got bored of it like I do with most dramas. Have been singing Hello Hello for DAYS!

Rewatch Value: I dont really like rewatching a Drama and this one story line was so Meh that unless I am in a major slump with nothing to do I wouldnt rewatch it but for me that is true with almost all dramas.

Overall: It was good but not great. Watched when I got bored over the couse of about two months. Good time filler but not amazing entertainment. I would though defentily take the time to listen to the OST.

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I'm expecting alot from this movie but as a result what I got is a disappointment.I began to took interest on this because thriller-mystery are kinda my things and the poster itself looks great.It did'nt satistfy me however,its not a total let down.Just don't expect too much unless you wanna be like me. If based on the storyline alone I think I'd give this only 6.I remember watching The Devil one year ago which starred by Shi Min Ah who also got this kinda ability and help the main lead who also a detective(played by Uhm Tae Wong)to solve the case.The concept is quite similar except the graffiti part.She did'nt have that talent.So it's lacking in originality. Also not so smooth, uneven & predictable plots and adding to that, I don't feel pretty attached to the characters emotions.You just don't feel that much thrill-tingling sensation when it's supposed to be more.Seem like I give too much criticism when there's alot of good reviews but that's how I feel dude! :/ I just give this movie more point for our main eyecandy,Kim Bum & lots of mind blowing graffiti painting showing in it. What an art!! ^^ And the last thing I want to mention is..I loved that last scene ;)

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I expected I would like this drama, because I'm in a "family drama" mood and it was great. I really loved it!
The story is not a typical kdrama story with a lot of twists, birth-secrets, evil characters etc. It's more like I was following the life events of a normal family, whit ups and downs, remaining always with the feeling that something like that could happen in real life. That's the reason why I really enjoyed the show. It is different.
The characters are very well written, all of them had theirs own story, with funny events, sad events, love stories, friendship, breakups and reconciliations, marriage, birth and death. The chemistry between all of the characters was very good, giving the feeling they're a real family.
Of course the strongest plus point is the love story of Tae Sub and Kyung Soo. I loved the way it was presented, it was not too much for a kdrama, sometimes I even had the feeling the kiss is missing (but , in the end, I think it was better without it). The other love stories were also good, but not like that one.
The acting was brilliant, everyone portrayed his character very good. After this drama i'm loving Lee Sang Woo more and I noticed Song Chang Ui. It's the first time I see him playing a main role.
If you wanna watch a family drama that's not very complicated, with a plot that flows smoothly, with strong characters, full of family-love, with good love-stories I recommend this one!

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the story was great. overall story was superb. but the ending was a bit hard to understand for some...

THIS IS ALL IN ENDING. IF YOU HAVNT WATCHED IT BETTER NOT READ!!!


first. what happen to jin sung's family? were they really hit when he called them?(confirming presidents park's threat.
then if so. if they were hit by the truck why kill oh soo?
if they were not hit then you can stab oh soo all you want.
then of all the thing i expected, why let mo cheol die without a purpose?
he could have donated his eyes to young. he could have have ordered her younger sister that when he dies, he will donate his eyes to young.
because he said he never seen the love that oh soo has for young. then if so, is it not good to help them? and make the death a good purpose. because his men even said cheol has been protecting them like a family. which they show he did. he did care for soo and jin sung, so why not ley mo cheol donate his eyes? the ending would be better for young to see again.

about jin sung and hee sun, what happen in the end? although they were together why not make them happy. why is hee sun with a guy and has to joked by jin sung in order for her to comeback? and they were talking are they going to visit soo? is he dead? for them to bring flowers?

and the ending with no clarity. is it a dream? a fantasy? or real???
if real why make it more blur? why not make it clear its the ending so why put a suspense?
i believe it was real but it was painful in the eyes to watch even in big screen.

that is only in my opinion.

all in all the story was great, music was good. will suggest and recommend it...

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I started watching this movie because it had Yamada Takayuki, Yamamoto Yusuke, and Erika Toda in it. The cast looked promising and so did the story. I guess I was wrong.

As the synopsis states, it's a story about six men who worked together at a summer beach bar. One day they come across a letter from their dream girl Eriko. The letter isn't addressed to anyone in particular, but asks if the recipient would meet her at the beach bar on Christmas Eve. As it turns out, they all show up at the beach bar on Christmas Eve. Though they are surprised to see the other guys.

Some parts were funny but the acting was mediocre and so was the story. It lacked in so many things. Most of the movie takes place in the beach bar/shack where the guys debate about who loves Eriko more and who should be with Eriko. And then, out of nowhere a lawyer comes and orders them to tear up the shack since it is illegal but ends up joining them in this debate for Eriko.

And you hardly get to see Erika Toda in the movie except for the flashback scenes. It would have been better had it been told in a different way and in a different setting.

I was expecting a lot because the cast was very good, but I am really disappointed.

Overall score: 5/10

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A drama that literally takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotional twists and turns, Que Sera Sera revolves around 4 young people, all dealing with their own personal struggles, and how they overcome and grow.

Kang Tæ - Joo is a suave, unrepentant lady's man who goes about his romantic liaisons with cool practicality. He's your regular joe with high ambitions. He sees the beautiful rich women who fall over themselves for his manly charms and good looks as his ticket to bigger and better things. He’s a realist, with little patience for idealistic folly.

Some people have described him as a jerk, but to me he isn't. He never misleads the women in his life about his intentions nor does he try to hide the fact that he's essentially a gold digger. He's certainly a lady killer, a breaker of hearts, but not a mean spirited one. Women can't help but fall for him, but to Tæ-Joo that's neither his fault nor his business.

I don't always agree with his methods of achieving his goals, but I respect him. I admire his ambition and drive to make something of his life. It’s far better than the laziness, inertia and complacency that grip today's youth. So what happens when a brutal realist and a starry eyed idealist meet and fall in love? Well, chemical waves short circuit and the whole goddamn house burns down.

The show features an intense love quadruple which serves as the main driver of sending your emotions into a tailspin. Normally I hate these type of romance dramas, but this wasn’t bad at all. It kept me anxious but not angry. And as other reviewers have pointed out QSS isn’t your run of the mill kdrama with chaste kisses and secret glances. It’s wild and it's hot and it’s passionate. Sex is not taboo. The characters are age appropriate in their behaviours, if not always in their deeds. I loved it!

What I enjoyed even more, though, were the extremely valuable life lessons imparted:

- Life is a gamble, you can win a fortune or lose everything.
- Opportunities come only once, don’t pass them up.
- By the same token, know that whatever path you choose in life comes with consequences you have to live with.
- Most of the time money doesn't make you happy.
- Love, though fragile and fleeting, is the most important experience of human existence.
- We want what we can’t have, but don’t appreciate what we do have until it’s gone.

It was just amazing. I felt like by the end of the show I learned and grew right along with the characters. This is why I gave the drama an 8, instead of a 7.

The only downside, and why this drama didn’t net a 9, was that I wanted more ‘happy and in love’ screen time with our leads. There was an overabundance of negative angst. Not the exciting, sexually charged type of angst you’ll experience in say … Lovers. I’m fine with negative angst as long as equal amounts of positive angst balance things out.

Characters, on the other hand, were very three dimensional and human, all having their negative and positive attributes. I have to continuously commend the Koreans for writing such layered characters who I didn't see regularly before my foray into Asian entertainment.

Of the four main ones I felt like the female lead Eun Soo was the weakest link, mainly due to how she was acted by Jung Yu Mi. First of all, the actress looked like an underaged teenager and was much too childlike in her portrayal. As the drama progressed she matured a little and you realize she isn’t completely a pushover, but that she’s written as the stereotypical ‘strong’ Korean female lead afflicted with misplaced pride, noble stupidity; defiant, stubborn, obtuse … for totally idiotic, nonsensical reasons to the very end. Don’t get me wrong she remained a sympathetic figure throughout the show, but there were moments when certain behaviours of hers raised my ire.

Eric Mun as Kang Tæ-Joo was absolutely divine. Eye candy and talent, for a voracious cinephile like me it doesn’t get any better. And you could tell he’s Korean - American too because the guy has mad swag. I was swooning! This is the first time I’m seeing Mun in anything and I can understand why everyone says this is his best role. I can not imagine who else could play this character better than him.

But while Eric swept me off my feet and impressed me, the true stand out was actually Lee Kyu Han who I had recently seen in Smile, You and did not like! I thought his character was useless and a pest, but here wow … he played the ruthless, lonely, misunderstood, vulnerable businessman to a T. I sympathized a great deal with him even when I was supposed to hate him, especially toward the end. Finally, Yoon Ji Hye did great as the desperate, insecure rich girl.

Everyone pretty much threw themselves into their roles to create a truly engaging watch.I wanted a bit more from the ending, but was still satisfied with what we got. This was gooddrama, folks. Romance done right. It’s crazy and a little far-fetched as only Korean dramas can be, but totally worth it. If you don’t already have Que Sera Sera on your list, add it now.

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This is one of shows that sparked my enthusiasm towards anything related to air travel and commercial aviation. And still is. Good Luck is one of those very rare well-written, well-acted, and realistic aviation-related shows. Well, actually few details are not that accurate, but they are just little nuisances among the greatness of this show.

I like the way its scriptwriter measures various contents in Good Luck!! because they are well-balanced. Most of the story lines are revolves around the career of Shinkai. Every details and his job in the airlines (such as safety, seniority, check lists, training, and even periodic medical check-up) are portrayed very well. It's not suprising that this big-budget drama is supported by a premium airlines in Japan, All Nippon Airlines, so it didn't fail its expectation. Not only the pilot's everyday life, but his relation with fellow pilots, family, girlfriend, and neighbor are amusing as well. It's all natural and very realistic. Some anticlimax near the end may have deducting the overall points of this drama, but that's not a great deal.

Perhaps what bring this drama into life are the actors portraying the characters, particularly Kimura as young first officer (one rank below captain) Shinkai and Tsutsumi (my personal favorite actor) as Captain Koda. While Kimura plays his usual style, Tsutsumi stole the limelight with his superb acting and depth. The supporting casts play well too, while the actress playing the veteran flight attendant Togashi deserves honorable mention. Even some actors who are not known for their acting prowess play well here.

Last but not least, this solid drama may make you turned into an aviation enthusiast like I was. If it's not, at least you will be entertained along the show.

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I have to start out by saying that I am middle aged and thus may have a different tolerance for slow, slow, slooooooooow dramas, especially those that make me feel nostalgic about my own youth. Sprout is really nothing special, the simplest story about a girl who falls for a boy who is dating someone else, and how the relationship unfolds over a summer vacation. The reason why I give it such a high rating is because the show delivers exactly what it set out to do, and that does not happen as often.

I loved Sprout because it really captures the essence of that first love, and it does so with great cinematography, beautiful piano music, catchy rock tunes, and lots of eye candy. The intense feeling that you're destined, the incredulity that you're not the one for the one you love, the fact that you can feel both agony and exhilaration at the same time when you catch a glimpse of the person you like when you're going down the steps in school. It also shows quite well how one refuses to accept that one has stopped loving someone and moved on to someone else--that first disappointment in oneself and in love in general.

The show is very slow, but I think this is because with the fixed images, the piano music, the seemingly simple scenes, they want you to savor how intense and unique the commonest of moments may seem to you when you're first in love. Perhaps this series works better for those over 30 who know love changes flavor after a few years, who knows.

The acting is a bit off, particularly in Jesse Lewis, who is gorgeous but has much to learn. Miku is awkward, but it does not go poorly with her character, and Chinen Yuri displays all the warmth and charm that one would need to fall for a boy in high school. All in all, I think this relatively young cast did a pretty good job.

I encourage you to give it a try if you enjoy romantic stories that are slow, understated, and emotionally honest. But it is certainly not one of those exciting shows that have you gripping the edge of your seat.

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It's been a huge roller-coaster ride with this movie. It's hard to say why you should watch it at first. It started off slow, giving us a preview of the main leads' school days. Then it jumped right to the breaking up and the contract. But once they started getting along with the real story, I just couldn't stop. Right now, I just finished the movie and still feel like an emotional wreck. If you're a romantic, don't pass this movie up!

STORY: The story line would have been perfect if it didn't get so obvious after a while. Girl and boy start dating during school years and then break up at the girl's request to pursue successful careers (guy becomes a chef and the woman is some kind of designer / pottery maker). She comes up excuses as to why she wants to break up with him. Five years later, they contact each other again only to find that Li Xing is getting married! From this point, Qiao Qiao and Li Xing go through a series of events that tests their love and whether or not they can still go through with the break up contract. It doesn't get obvious until towards the end, but by that point, I can guarantee that you don't want to stop watching. I only gave it a 9 because the screenwriters wrote a cliche twist but they developed it so that it's not like most cliches. In a way, the cliche was made up by the ending. I just wish they had a better way of explaining the breakup. There were a lot of surprises in this movie.

ACTING/CAST: I really loved Qiao Qiao's acting and Mo Mo! He was so cute and I was so surprised at what his role was in this movie. Well, less competition! Eddie Peng broke my heart throughout the movie. He was the innocent one, the one hidden in the dark. It hurt when he tried to keep a straight face on. When he cried, I cried. When Qiao Qiao teared up, I cried. There were so many tears in this movie and none of them seemed fake. Gotta respect these crying scenes. Qiao Qiao changed her roles so easily. From shocked/surprised, to anger, to calmness. As an actress, she played her character really well and it was nice to see the diverse personalities that she put on. Of course you can see this happening with Eddie Peng as well. Definitely great actors/actresses in this movie.

MUSIC: Loved the background music! Fit with the mood and flowed with the events.

REWATCH VALUE: Definitely re-watching in the near future. It's something you would watch when you want something uplifting. It's uplifting in the sense of how romantic it is and keeps you hopeful for something like this to happen in your life. It's something you can watch when you're bored.

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What a unique movie for its time. I had never heard of this movie until recently from a friend who loved it.

Each of the four male characters have their own interesting backstories and past histories, but the most important is that of Sun-woo (played by Kim Jae Wook) and Jin Hyuk (played by Joo Ji Hoon). I think it was rather groundbreaking for its time to have an openly gay man who flaunts his sexuality and kissing scenes between two men.

Yoo Ah In's character had an interesting backstory but since he was just a supporting character, the story was not elaborated on very much.

What makes it unique is probably the 'hyperrealistic' or 'surrealistic' way in which the movie was shot, with strange musical numbers popping out of nowhere during which the characters express how they feel, instead of speaking it, or the way each character's memories fade in and out of reality, such that sometimes I don't know what is real or not. I personally did not like this because I became very confused about what was the truth.

There is a bit of everything in this movie, such that it is difficult to pinpoint what genre this movie would fit into. It has comedy, romance, and some drama to it.

Even though I am still utterly confused about the ending, I would recommend this movie as a 'chance card' watch - you won't know how you would feel about it until you have watched it.

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This movie feels like a documentary that depicts the ups and downs in the relationship of a very ordinary couple!
Personally I loved it!
Story: the story of most couples in this universe...we all lived/ will live this story (or at least parts of it)...a very ordinary couple breaks up...then they get back together...then they break up...that simple...the funny thing that at the end the movie describes itself as a boring story of a regular couple...but I didn't really find it boring :D
Acting/Cast: both did a great job in their roles...specially Min Ki...he improved a lot though his character is pretty much regular he made it seem really special…with the right expression and accent...he was just living the role!
Music: nothing special!
Rewatch Value: I'll definitely rewatch this but as I've already seen the whole thing and it's not much on the comedy...I didn't rate it high!
*Overall the movie had a simple idea...treated it well...the leads had good chemistry...it was definitely worth watching (Y)
*This isn't a sweet, heartwarming or funny movie but a realistic one...please put that in mind when you go watch it so you don't get disappointed :)

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