Reviews

Let me first say I am not a huge fan of music dramas. I finally chose to sit down and watch "Shut up!:Flower Boy Band",(after it being out for a year), because my sister and I took on the Drama Genre challenge.

There were parts of the story that I was here for, while others I could have personally done without. The Main story line, beginning the Eye Candy band and their friendship, was the best part of drama. their friendship was endearing, and I think the best moments of the drama was from their interactions. I wasn't a huge Fan of Su-ah's characters, and the way the actress chose to portray here kind of irritated me. She felt redundant, and I found her character to be a little flat and underdeveloped to consume such a large part of the drama. Even with Ji Hyuk's and Su-ah's Romantic Story line, I never really saw chemistry between them. Which made me want to give up the drama at times because I was so disinterested in the love triangle. I just wanted to hear more music and other things related to the band.

I think the music in this drama was great, but I wish there had been more music from Eye Candy. I think by episode ten if I heard the song Byung Hee wrote for his muse one more time I was going to loose my head. So You could imagine how happy I was with "wake up",and that I actually liked it a lot.

For me this wasn't a life changing watch, and I can say in the past six years of Kdrama watching this doesn't fall into my top favorite. But I it was nice watch, and I particularly enjoyed the performance of most of the actors, (specifically eye candy), and will probably check them out if I see them in future drama's.

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I just watched this drama in two days and I must say... I LOVED it! This drama is amazing in every way. I loved it from beginning to end. It's hilarious, romantic, suspenseful, and dramatic in a very good way.

The story is great and it makes this drama amazing. I was taken by the idea from the beginning. I love some romance but it's always good to have little plots to make the drama come alive and this had it all from court to family drama. I appreciated the age gape too because I think it made their relationship more dramatic and I've seen age gapes done greatly in some of my favorite dramas (Dal Ja's Spring and Biscuit Teacher Star Candy). The cases they had were very interesting too and I loved how the writer connected everything down to characters and situations together. It was like a big spider web to me.

I was very impressed with Lee Jong Suk. This is the first drama I've seen him in and I know I'll be watching School 2013 after this. I thought his acting was amazing in this drama. He conveyed a lot of emotions in all of his scenes and I thought he was perfect match for Lee Bo Young. The chemistry between these twos are amazing! I so brought their love for each other. The chemistry between the cast is great as well too. Jang Hye Sung is such an awesome character. She has to be one of my favorite female lead characters now. I love how snotty and witty she was and her attitude about certain situations. I think she is a very relate-able character. I loved all the characters, even secondary characters too. The characters are well fleshed out.

To add on, the best thing about this show is the character development. All the characters are developed towards the end in there own way. Even Min Joon Kook had character development and I loved it.

There is only one TINY problem that I had with the drama and that is the extension. It was very noticeable that the drama was extended when it reached episode 17. There was so many flashbacks scenes in that episode that it took up the first half of it. But it's only tiny so it might not be that noticeable to some. It still didn't take away from how great I think this drama is.

Overall, I think this drama is amazing and definitely will be added on to my favorites list. It's downright hilarious sometimes and has great chemistry between all the leads. You have great secondary characters and you overall have a great story. I definitely see myself watching this drama in a couple of months.

PS, I think I said "loved" a least twenty times in this review so it must count for something :)

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I recently managed to finally watch Tamra the Island with the director's cut, which means I got to watch the original 21 episodes of awesome instead of just 16. No need to say that after finishing my little marathon, my Tamra the Island feels are higher than ever. And this, my friend, is the perfect time to write a review.

STORY: Let's be honest, the first few minutes of this drama were (and will be) for many a turn off and even cringeworthy but what follows is oh so totally worth the pain! I can't add anything more for fear of inadvertently spoiling the whole story but let's just say that the story in itself has everything you could hope for in a drama.

ACTING/CAST: I could dwell for hours about Im Joo Hwan's brilliant acting and I'm definitely not the only one (Team Park Kyu!). No one could have portrayed Park Kyu better than him. Same goes for his female counterpart. I know not everyone will agree with me but I actually love Seo Woo's portraying of Beo Jin. She gives her character this childish innocence that makes you forgive all her "brainless actions" even if she tends to cry and not see the pain she causes others. I'm not gonna lie, Im Joo Hwan and Seo Woo's chemistry gives me butterflies and just for that the casting director has all my love and then some more. The acting is also very strong from Kim Mi Kyun's part because even tho she may play a secondary character, she gives BeoJin's mother such "raw depth" that you cannot not end up loving her character. The rest of the cast didn't stand out as much but it was good nonetheless....except for the "non-Korean" actors. Watching this drama makes you feel like Korea doesn't have a lot of foreigners and definitely none of them are decent actors. Pierre Deporte's acting (well the fact that it's a French portraying an Englishman with blonde-dyed hair doesn't help) was the most painful thing to watch for me. As a character, I actually like William a lot but Pierre Deporte just doesn't fit the part. Thankfully the pain gets somewhat numbened throughout the drama though I'm not sure if it's because his acting gets better or if it's just because you get used to it.

MUSIC: The whole soundtrack is pretty strong. You can enjoy the whole ost without having to watch Tamra the Island but both of them blend so well that it would be a shame not to enjoy its use on the show. Especially "Your Tears" (main theme), which makes me want to drown in an ocean of feels.

REWATCH VALUE: As I said earlier, the foreigners of this show make me want to punch myself in the face. This drama has some flaws but my real problem will always be the foreigners and especially William. However, this show is (thank god) not focused on him. In a way this drama is a tribute to Tamra (actual Jeju) and its inhabitants. You get attached to all these characters and in the end even your aversion to William's character can't overpower that. 16 or 21-episode long doesn't matter. Everything is Tamra the Island and nothing hurts.

OVERALL: Yes Tamra the Island has flaws but everything the drama stands for and how it is handled offset it. It's a little gem and like most of them, it's not very popular because many people don't feel like looking past the cover and miss an opportunity. Don't be one of them, watch it! And if for some unknown reason you end up disliking this drama, well at least you would have learned some history thanks to it.

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Ugh. This is Hana Kimi/Itazura Na Kiss/Boys over flowers all over again. Don't get me wrong I don't hate remakes. In fact I like them. I am always curious to see how another country or another production team will produce the same story. The problem I have with them are the fans. It's not all, but some fans are bias about the remake and insist that the original is the superior version without giving the reboot a shot. It reminds me of Sheldon(Big Bang Theory) and how he didn't like the new Spock until he watched the movie. Since then Leonard has used that incident to force Sheldon to try new things. I'm going to be Leonard today(metaphorically since I'm a girl and I am not a scientist).

Story 9/10- It's the same story, but with minor additions and subtractions.
Characters 8/10- Overall good, but I wish the villain was more evil.
Acting 8.5/10- For majority of the main characters to be played bey first timers they did an excellent job.
Music 7/10- The same as the other two versions. Not my favorite type of pop.
Rewatch Value 8/10- I will definitely watch this again when I'm bored.

Like most people I watched this after seeing the original You're Beautiful(Korean) and Ikemen Desu Ne. I loved both versions. For those who are familiar with the story you can skip ahead until you see $$$. If this is the first version you are contemplating on seeing here is the basic story line. Gao Mei Nu(Su Li Wen) was a nun apprentice who dreamed of going to Rome. She bumps into a pervert who is then chased away by Ma Ke(Chen Wei Min). He begs her to pretend to be her twin brother in order to sign a contract for this popular band called A.N.JELL. Confused she at first refuses, but when she realize it has always been her brother's dream to sing she agrees. What was suppose to be a simple once switch becomes more permanent as her brother Gao Mei Nan is getting surgery done. Alas the heroine is thrown in a house with three attractive guys as she tries her best not to get discovered or worse... sparks.
$$$
I loved the story since I watched the first version. I thought it was cute and interesting. One thing I like about this version is they keep it short. Without ruining the story they throw out subplots that weren't really necessary and add in a little of their story. This version is told at a pace that for the first few episodes was a little slow(like the original), but then kept a steady pace(like the Japanese). All in all great job Taiwan.

When I saw these actors beside Jiro Wang I was like, "Who the @#%$ are these people?" I never saw the rest of the band members in any drama which delayed me from watching this. However I eventually gave in to temptation and I must say these guys can act. I love Su Li Wen as Gao Mei Nan. She was funny, adorable, and serious when needed. I felt that for her first time this was a nice role, but not the best. It felt fake when she acted cute at times. I feel that a more serious role would have been better because out of the three heroine lead she handle those serious situations exceptionally well considering the other two have way more experience in the acting field. Jiro Wang was of course amazing. He acted very mean in the beginning, but soften up nicely like the other two. The thing I liked most about Jiro Wang was his jealousy. It was so natural. It makes me wonder if he is the jealous type in real life. Jo Evan is also a newbie actor and this his first role. When I first saw him as Jeremy I liked the fact his hair was brown instead of blonde, it made him look more adorable and realistic. I still wasn't convinced that he would be a good Jeremy because Lee Hong Ji(Korean) is my favorite Jeremy until I saw the dude smile. I smiled back. Jo Evan played an outstanding Jeremy. He was a bully in the beginning, but still sweet towards Gao Mei Nan and when he starts his fantasies I burst into laughter. I feel his reactions was more realistic towards the end, but the Korean Jeremy will always be my favorite. Hwang In Deok acted with Jiro before, but I never saw that drama so this is still my first time seeing him act. I loved him as Xin Yu. I felt as the second lead he wasn't a complete push over like the Korean version. He tried his best to win Gao Mei Nu's heart and the advantage of him knowing two languages came in handy when he voiced his feelings for her without her knowledge. This was a great cast for a good set of characters.

The music is more or less the same as the other versions since they use the same songs, but in Taiwanese. Overall a good drama that should not be ignored because it is a remake. If you are a fan of the first two versions watch it! Stop trying to compare before even watching this version. Also please don't nitpick at little things. You are spoiling the story for you. If this is the first version you want to watch, go for it. Defy society's unwritten rule about seeing or reading the original first. Also any fan of music, comedy, and romance should definitely check this out. You will be surprised how much you like this.

If your favorite is the Korean version: Keep an open mind. You will have some problems with how they do the plot and the Taiwanese version of Yoo He Yi. They'll be minor, but it still may affect your whole experience.
If your favorite is the Japanese version: Keep an open mind. You will definitely have issues with the Taiwanese version of Nana.

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I invite mydramalist friends to view this film...please do!!!!!!

I just watched it and want to see it again so I won't miss anything!
As I was searching for dramas and movies from my favorite actors and came across this one.I came across two great actors Ha Ji Won from Secret Garden and Yeon Jung Hoon from Vampire Prosecutor.

I gave it a try and it's already a classic for me.

The acting is great...you fall in love with their characters. There is great chemistry between them. The supporting team is funny and sweet...sometimes tough.

The story is compelling, beautiful, happy, sad...I envy that type of love, persistence,faithfulness...giving your all.

The music complemented nicely the movie!

Yeah...I really loved this movie!

It's already a favorite...and on my list.

Will definitely re-watch!

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Story: There were many mini-plots in this drama that had to do with each character and that's what I liked about it. It was a group of friends who had their problems, whether it be intertwined with each other or their individual problems. With a short 12 episodes, you go through the journey of these kids that did not associate with each other in the beginning to their friendship in the end. However, I do admit, it became slow-paced in the ending and it lost a little of its spark, and the last episode did feel rushed. The ending was realistic of how it ends.

Cast: I really believed that Junhyung did a good job portraying emotions. But the whole cast, it was kind of awkward to watch at first, but then you get used to it. They were great for being rookies.

Music: The point of the whole drama was to bring music (since it was from Mnet) into it and I think Monstar did it really well.

Overall: For me, Monstar was just a very light drama to watch. It's a drama to help you pass time and to be entertained. It doesn't get too dramatic, and /if/ it does, it doesn't last long. I would recommend to watch if you have nothing to do and want to watch just a short cute and fun drama. It's all about the journeys that the characters went through from the beginning to the end.

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When I read the synopses it reminded me of My Bratty Princess. Even though the stories start out similar, they each take their unique paths and develop and end differently.

Eternal Happiness is a gender-bender romance, but the other plots are just as important.

Some of the minor characters overacted a bit, or were lacking in skills, but the main characters were good actors.

The story gets more and more complicated, but is nicely tied up in the end. I was not able to guess from the first few episodes who she would end up with or where the story would take us next.

I would not rewatch it in the near future. The series did give me a lot of laughs, but not as many as My Bratty Princess (from which I still have tummy aches).

The music was okay. After 32 episodes it tends to stick with you. Maybe it would be different if I would understand what they were singing.

It is a series you can watch with your family: enjoyable, funny, lots of plotlines and nice ending. The romance is there, but it did not make my heart ache.

If you want to read more of my thoughts on this series, please read my full review: http://reviewasianseries.com/reviews/eternal-happiness/ Reviewers need love too ;).

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This is a captivating drama series. It has both romance and the intrigue of revenge. The director was able to balance both aspect of the romance and revenge which I truly enjoyed. Lee Min Ho's character portrayed a son who was torn between revenge his type of revenge to that of his guardian. As you watch, you begin to root for his way of revenge rather than that of his guardian. Through all this his relationship with Kim Nana starts to develop more and more. The drama series is highly recommended and I guarantee that you will enjoy it. You would want to see every episode and wanting to see the next.

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Attended mainly by Song Seung Heon, because I'm crazy about him... But I think I spent the whole drama sorry for him. The poor guy falls in love with the daughter of the owner of the bookstore and basically does EVERYTHING to help her, and when they finally meet again and he tries something in the category "loving" she is a complete BITCH for him! REVOLTING!! I think I never had so much anger in a protagonist as I had the Mi Do... And that useless Jae Hee who had the sole purpose of placing the blame for everything that happened in poor Tae Sang. I think part of the lost brother of Tae Sang should have been explored... I had a relationship "like and hate" at the same time with Sung Joo, but she really liked the Tae Sang, despite nearly ending his life after being rejected again. The greatest danger for men is to have a woman scorned and vengeful around ... lol
Overall, I found the drama good, but could have been better!

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The main thing that I had against this drama was that the plot was all over the place and there were too many loose ends by the final episode. To me, it seemed like the script writers were trying to cram everything into the last episodes but there were so many filler episodes before it (imo). A lot of things were brought up near the end of the drama but were never fully explained. And in my opinion, there was wayyyyyy too many conflicts and random things happening during the drama that it was not very fun to keep up with it. Honestly the only reason why I kept watching this drama was because of the acting; casting was done very well but most of the characters didn't get much character development throughout the drama. The only character that I didn't like very much was SeYi; her singing style didn't really fit with the rest...imo...not my style at least. Also, I didn't really like her character either (I thought she was a little immature).

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I love musicals, and music based dramas, thus my main reason for watching. If you want to hear great music, THIS is the drama of 2013 for it! The greatest thing about Monstar is the OST (though I hope they give us more songs for purchase).

Summary: The acting was good, and surprisingly so with many "newbies" to drama acting. It was nice to see scenes of musicians playing instruments and actually know how to play them... very refreshing. The music, as mentioned before, is top notch. There is a piano duet of J. Pachelbel's Canon that is amazing, as well as a haunting version of Nocturne with just guitar and cello that sticks with you. The story is the weakest link of the drama, which is likely why it was only 12 episodes. It wasn't a bad story, but light and lacking true depth as a drama. This could be best labeled as a light romantic musical drama, but does have entertainment value.

Details: There isn't much to put in the details without spoilers, but I can say that you will likely purchase the OST if you love music. Watching "new" actors was also nice, it gives me a few more people to put on my list of "ones to watch". I have to give a special mention to GLAM's DaHee because her role was awesome and she played it well. I fell in love with her character the most and she just tended to steal scenes when she was in them.

Rewatch value is listed as high as it is because the music will make me watch this again since the OST doesn't include all of it. Should they make all the music spots available for purchase, it would go down I think.

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Before you begin to see, was expecting something different in this drama... Not only because it is more teen - which would have imagined scenes lighter and more subtle romance. What actually occurred... But anyway, just in 12 episodes, and I think it was just... Very little. Part of my certainty was formed in last episode, but not just because I liked the drama, but because things ended up VERY races. They both focused on one thing that the X final explanation for her ended up getting a little lost... Venture to say halfway weak. Another thing, I think I'll turn scriptwriter of dramas, because couples that I always fall in love do not stay together?! LOL And I am not referring only to the complicated love triangle.... Only that I liked Na Na?? She was one of the best characters in my opinion. Ah, I was amazed - as well as others in the group - when Na Na sang and Do Nam made ??that wonderful presentation LoL! Anyway, "Monstar" is a drama that despite the mild romance, knew highlight the particular drama of each character, which was interesting. Although some just means "sandwiched??" in the middle of the final episodes so busy... Not only worth watching and worth a second season.

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