Like an Ancient Greek Tragedy.

First things, first.
I had put on hold The Smile Has Left Your Eyes,the Korean version, for very long time.Ive watched few episodes a year ago but for a reason it didn't pull me in.And i remember being really annoyed by the Female Lead.Cherry on top,by accident ive watched the last scene in youtube and that was the final bummer.

Recently i have discovered Kimura Takuya and his talent,he is my latest obsession and iam watching his works back to back.So while searching another Drama with him starring in,i found this one.And hit me hard because a year ago i didn't notice the Korean was a remake and this was the original.So without any hesitation -did i mention the word obsession?-i started watching it.Finished it in 2 seats and of course iam so happy i found it,im even thinking give another try to the Korean.I must put more faith to Seo In Guk and Park Sung Woong!

The things i loved was obviously the story and the acting mostly.

Kimura was simply amazing and i liked the 2nd Ml's acting as well.
As for the ladies here, Shibasaki Ko(who co-starred with Kimura in other dramas too) was great, but the rest didn't really impress me.


Honestly what i really didn't like was all female characters!Lol.Yes i have an issue of how writers write the female roles and i can't repeat it in every review i write!So i stop here.
Poorly written from the main FL to all the rest,although every single character was crucial to the story.
It would be better to be few episodes more and give us more detailed characters.

The Detective character has flaws too and i mostly "blame"him for all the mess and the path the story took..But of course if he was more clear and honest with his sister and didn't keep all those secrets, there would not be a story, so yes..bear with him!

As for the main Ml,if this role hadn't played by Kimura it would be just a good character.His performance took it to another level and iam saying this because i have few complains too about this character.Although many said he is a true monster,a manipulator and evil as hell,i totally disagree.There was not one single moment i hated him or cursed him or saw him like an evil char.I loved his dark soul.Loved all his pain.His cold face and heart. His past molded him.He built all those walls to defend himself.A natural mechanism. Self-preservation.For me all the women in his life actually took advantage of him and not the opposite! I was supporing him,truly wanted him to find peace and the love he deserved.He just took a glimpse of all these.This character broke my heart into a million pieces.

My only complain is that i wanted to present this character with more depth and give us more insight of his true feelings.His past and his story was rushed too.Id prefer to gradually built up during the whole drama and not revealing just in the last eps.

So the story is dark and twisted.Darker than you can imagine.Prepare yourself for a ride straight to abyss and back.
The ending was the most appropriate one.It could't be otherwise.It was the saddest perfect ending this story could have.A Catharsis,in a way..
I know the Korean version is the most popular(i will definetely rewatch it because iam curious to compare now that ive watched this).
If by any chance you haven't watched the Korean,start with the original,cause the story will stay with you for a long time.If you have watched it,still give this a try,especially if you like the more dark version,as the Jdramas are always more twisted!

Anyhow,enjoy!

Lire davantage

Not exactly what i signed for...

It seems lately i mostly disagree with the Public Opinion as i see and rate Dramas under a different prism!
After all this is the beauty of diversity.

Popular or unpopular ,this is my opinion.Big Mouth is not the Super-Duper Hit everyone says it is.Not to me.Don't get me wrong.Is a good Drama.But nothing more than this.It has not the big wow factor i expected.I will be honest, i struggled a lot to push the next episode button especially in the first period of the Drama..I wasn't excited to see what will happen .I couldn't connect with the characters.I was bored with those flashbacks.I wouldn't care less about the couple's past and love story.I didn't care about their sweet and emotional moments.Fortunately those scenes weren't long enough so that is basically the reason i didn't drop or put it on hold,at least for a while.

In early episodes everything was just Meh!The most plain scenario,characters who just not fit to the shoes the writers put them in.I was extremely disappointed.

The main lead wrongly or not, accused and/or trapped and he ended in prison to be in a very short time the Big Boss around there.He suddenly became a Criminal Mastermind when in episode 1 he was introduced to us as not a very smart person.He took the Bar exams twice til he passed and " He is also an infamous lawyer with a very low rate of success " as synopsis says. And he wasn't a notorious murderer or a Big Mafia boss to earn the fear and respect of the other prisoners.

He was a conman,he was, hypothetically or not,scamming people, stole their money etc.With such a cute face and young at age i had hard time to believe he was ferocious and scary.How on earth evil criminals bought it and were shitting their pants at his sight? And seriously who would ever think that an "old dog" an "experienced" prisoner/cellmate could be a shield to him and take a stab instead?When he barely knew him? Even if he promised to grant him a favor still risking his life was too much to take.
Do i also have to ask another obvious question?On what ground he was walking around throwing promises and favors he could never fulfill? Because by that time we clearly saw he didn't have the background for all these.Neither the money nor the connections,etc etc. Iam sorry but all those stupid details really bothered me. Don't mention the excellent fight skills he just got out of the blue and he was kicking asses like a Pro.When he himself even said he never threw a punch in his entire life.I get the "survival instinct" but i mean come on!That was far fetched.Seriously i was surprised noone mentioned the obvious here.It was only me who was annoyed by all those unrealistic details?

I read many compared this with Insider!!No,no and NO!Please don't.No need to get into this fight!Lol!.To me Big Mouth is a distant relative of Insider.

Big Mouth is a bad imitation.Little something from Defendant (the warden Officer and the prison guard,cellmates bond)
Doctor Prisoner(with the accidents and the fake sick leaves)
Insider (with the Vips and their special ward)


The chain of events most of the time just not make any sense.And even if few things are explained in the next episode(s),still nothing seems plausible.
Writers give me something to chew on.I can't swallow nonsense so easily.Don't give me Dyspepsia.
What irritates me the most is the fact that the story is build on so many lousy details,you just can't ignore it!
I lost my interest about who the real Big Mouse was,too soon.Normally i would have spent hours during the whole show to solve the puzzle.Here i didn't even bother.I was watching episodes using the minimun brain cells.Too bad and too sad because the premises and the hype was high enough to draw my attention but....

The main idea inside writers' head was really good.But they lost their way somehow.In their try to create suspense they only create chaos.We have a saying in Greece the best English adoption is "storm in a teacup" That is the alternative title i could give to Big Mouth.
Half of the Drama was full of fillers.So many unnecessary scenes.As already mentioned, the flashbacks.Also many fighting scenes inside prison.Didn't really add to the plot.Seriously it could be 8 episodes and have a more solid and substantial story.

The bad guys is a bunch of idiots.Stupid characters,iam sorry i couldn't take them too seriously as they acted like spoiled kids.Bragging,laughing and feel superior,like Gods. They have power and money but no brains to use. I love evil characters.Here everyone is just laughable.Only mayor was a decent char among them. Every hero should have his opponent, an equally smart Villain.Well..here the hero obviously is not super smart so he gets the Villains he deserves after all..


The reason the Lawyer was chosen and dragged into this chaos,wasn't sufficient enough to me,to justify all the mess.
I know some tables have turned at the end and our protagonist became smarter,more capable and more efficient . And i would applaud all of these if was a smooth and believable ride.I could accept it easier if this persona was gradually built-up from the beginning instead acquiring all these traits out of the blue.

Of course the Drama has pros too.I never said is trash.
The Acting was really good and Lee Jong Suk although i have never watched any of his work,was excellent.I will definitely check out his other projects as i find him too talented.
Also to be fair,some of the latter episodes were good enough to make me watch it with more intense.But even so i had already made my mind and nothing could really save it.

As i said many times i don't mind any ending.Happy.. sad..open..Expected or not.I really don't mind,i can take all.But what i don't like is over and melo dramatic endings just for the sake of a "Big Exodus" which are totaly lame and unnecessary.Im not that kind of viewer to be too emotional over those endings.
I gave 6,based on the overall feeling this series left me.During all those 16 eps i never,not even once, had a moment of excitement.I felt the thrill and the suspense was poorly cooked and left an unpleasant taste in my mouth.


In other words this is how i felt about it....

Door bell rings.I open the door and there is a huge gift box with a fancy red ribbon.I take it inside.I see the box(is the 8,8 rating)I feel so excited!My heart beats fast.
I open the box and...there is another box inside.I got surprised but then i thought "ok the sender wants to create suspense..."
I open the second box and guess what?Another box!Ok this time iam disappointed and frustrated.
"I get this far i can't quit now" I open the box...Hmmm! "Where is my present??Is this a sick joke or what?"Iam already swearing hard..
I open another box.Inside there is a...lollypop.An orange flavored..The flavor i hate the most!
The End!

Lire davantage

Pure entertainment!

Let me introduce you to the characters: There are 3 priests.Two of them are to --Forgive me Father cause i sinned-level because of their hotness!!The oldest one is a mentor and unfortunately he dies!Is not a spoiler is written in the synopsisis,LOL!The younger one has a heart made of gold,And then we have our main char.A troubled man full of remorses who carries the sins of his past and turned to Church to find peace guided by his mentor.He is hot-tempered as hell,he has a bad mouth(he swears alot for a priest!)he kicks asses like there is no tomorrow,he is hilarious,he is FIRE!I Love Him!
We also have a nun,with a naughty past,a devilish prosecutor with the sweetest dimples ever.We love to hate her and we end to love her!A detective,he used to be a good one but he lost his way.A rookie young detective with her values high,she kicks asses as well and also she raps!
And of course we have our villains too!Some of them are pure evil and we hate their guts.Some others are evil but we sympathize them and even like them.At least i did!
The story is well written and simple.Our characters work together to find who murdered the oldest priest,Is a crime investigation with suspense,with many heartwarming scenes,with many good fighting scenes,with pain and tears,a large range of emotions and with the most hilarious funny moments.Seriously be careful while watching i spitted my coffee several times!
WWB!Iam so glad there is a S2!I CANT WAIT!
So what are you waiting for?Go and watch it now!

Lire davantage

I Couldn't Stop Watching!

First of all i haven't watched the Original but even if i had i wouldn't care to compare.

For those who likes the genre,this is A MUST WATCH.Period.
If you are not that much into political dramas,still i guarantee at least it will catch your attention enough to give it a try.

Designated Survivor is one of those dramas which deserves all the high ratings and all the praises.I never go blindly based only on ratings but i always check them,read the reviews,watch and judge by myself.Because 3 years ago when my journey in Asian Dramas started i followed the hype(as a newbie)and many high rated series really disappointed me.So now as iam a bit more experienced,i have more faith in my personal judgement.

This is all about Politics.Most of the time,heavy politics.Not alot of action.Not alot-to none-Romance.Although it has few comedic splashes to light the mood.Not over the top.Always keeps its serious tone.Also,especially at the early episodes i had some trouble following with the terminology,but it gets really easier and it is essential for the viewer to understand the concept.

This Drama is well written,well structured and well executed.Touches Perfection.
I didn't find serious plot holes,lame time jumps or unnecessary drama.
What makes it interesting apart the story itself,is the characters.Amazing,intriguing characters full of depth.For me there are not main and support roles in this series.Everyone was an exceptional character,played his/her role and contributed to build the story.Everyone shines equally.Not one single boring character.Same goes to the acting.Everyone was well chosen for every role.

Another interesting fact is the lack of villains.In a Political Drama you expect the good guys fight and scheme and plot against the bad guys.Yes of course there are 2 opposite sides.We tend to categorize them in "good" and "evil"Well this was one of the few dramas the line between them was really thin.Even the allegedly villains deep inside are not evil.Everyone has his own motives,personal beliefs and ideals.And everyone stands strong for them.So in my eyes this doesn't make them evil.And i couldn't hate anyone.Not even those who stands on the other side against our protagonists.

As always i pick my favorite character.Here the one who stole my heart was Cha Young Jin(played by Son Suk Ku)He has the biggest character development,he is who he is and states shamelessly his goals,often goes against everyone's opinion.A very strong and charming persona,gradually becoming a nicer and kinder person.I loved him.

It is a drama full of thrilling moments.Full of suspense.A journey through the dirty world of politicians.As i recently watched the Japanese CHANGE i found many similarities.

I said touches perfection.One star off,because of all those moments this drama really stressed me.Made me debate and argue with myself!Made me disagree with our protagonists decisions,made me angry because of some paths the story took and everything seemed to crumble.For those moments the lack of trust and communication between all the agencies and the Blue House.It was really frustrating.There are few unreasonable and unrealistic details too,i couldn't ignore.By any mean all these prevented me from really enjoying it.

Mild Spoiler:







The gathering of the old team at the last episode was the most precious moment of the whole Drama.

Lire davantage

Each episode made me hungry!

This one was so delicious!

I love eating and cooking but i usually don't watch food related Dramas.
Iam always open to new genres but now iam thinking about it, seems most of the time i play safe and stay in my comfort zone.
Silly me!

As always the main reason to start this was Kimura- Sama.My love for him grows drama by drama.
Exceptional acting from everyone.As for Mr Kimura if you don't know he is an actor you can easily mistaken him for a top chef who is just participating in the show!
An arrogant and cocky but so talented chef,with a troubled past..A very well writen character with a great character development episode by episode.As a whole the drama is well written too.Tells a story,give us the background of the main chars and we can easily follow up with the plot.

At first i thought everything is about Obana and i was excited to watch a drama focused mostly on Kimura so i could have more and more of him.
But It is not a character centered drama.Is a team centered one and i loved the dynamic of this team,their bonds and the trust they built..And i have enjoyed it more this way.
Culinary World is fancy outside and cruel inside.I think is one of the most competitive occupations.The antagonism and the jealously among high ranked chefs it is shown here in a very realistic way.

And although 90% is inside a kitchen, cooking,i never felt bored.Sometimes also i had the feeling i was watching a reality show like Master Chef.Everything felt real,believable and natural.
I have no idea if any of the actors can actually cook in real life but i woulnd't hesitate to taste their cooking,lol!

If you are a food drama lover you will definitely enjoy this.If not,still you will have fun with the story,the characters and great acting is always appreciated.

They were aiming for 3 Stars.I gave them 9!

Lire davantage

Unpopular Opinion.This show is partially Hit and partially Miss.

Production,direction and cinematography in good levels.Nohing stunning.Good but basic. For a 2019 Drama i expected more.

The Music Department failed, big time, to dress this Drama properly.
Songs and music was excellent but way too modern for a Historical Drama.Unfortunately a total misfit.Especially the theme over all the fighting scenes!!Watch just one of those scenes and you will understand what exactly iam talking about.That music carpet is the perfect match to a modern action movie or series.Totally out of place when you watch a swords fighting scene.Many times i found myself distracted by it and i was really annoyed.


One of the main reasons i started watching this was Yi Bang Won.And yes,these days this historical figure is my fixation so i want to watch anything related to him.
Jang Hyuk is such a charismatic and gifted actor,he managed to own his character without been consumed by his over written role.
His acting deserves a 10 but the overall is an 8 just because to me everyone's acting felt too much.Many times the main characters exaggerated.I don't blame the actrors but every role was over- dramatically written.And i guess the actors acted accordingly.Over the top.


I will not talk about the romance as this factor never gets my interest.Iam not interested but every drama has a bit of romance so i just have to suck it.During the romantic moments my attention was somewhere else.It is not heavy though.Is the kind of romance where after one kiss and a long time separation(which you have been in hell during this period)you still "love" and thinking of that one person.Oh well,this plotline never works for me.But i guess if you like it i can say the romance was cute and sweet.


I came here after watching Six Flying Dragons,Tree With Deep Roots and few movies about the same historical era and characters..So if you have watched those 2 Dramas you are familiar with the historical frame,events and people who changed the country.

I was excited to watch another Drama as i wanted to view any aspect of the History and wanted to take a bit of something from every movie or series.
Of course this is loosely based on history but mostly is fictional.But this was ok with me.
I was too spoiled by the above Dramas so i was expecting to watch well executed schemes, heavy politics,plans,plots,traps and intrigue.
The viewer here is just assuming all these.Everyone has his own agenda but we get to see only the results,the outcome, without knowing the previous steps taken or the procedure.I wanted to be a part of it.To make my brain think along with the protagonists,to scheme with them all the way.This detail took the fun out for me.

The same applies to the time jumps this drama has.Nothing is explained about what happened during those missing years,we don't get any hints and we just assume the leads became stronger,richer,smarter..whatever.No i want to experience all the changes and events and reasons why the heroes and the vilains became like that at the end.I want to see their progress,their interactions,a part of the life they had before you throw me back to..present.After all is a 16, over one hour each, episodes drama so you had plenty of time to expand the story further.

I thought the drama is all about ideals and dreams about a new better country.
Maybe iam too dumb but i never understood the main reason the 2 friends drifted apart.I mean the real reason they ended up enemies.
All the misunderstandings,the grudges,the decisions they made was just too childish to me.
The story has a bad revenge plot.Both main leads supposed to"fight" for their ideals ,which never were clear enough during the whole drama.They chose parts without any ground,led only by circumstances.And they both ended up hating and wanting revenge on the same person.But still were enemies!Of course although their friendship was in bad terms all the time,we clearly see it was too strong to break,and they dearly loved each other.But as others well said,all this was just a repetitve pattern which stressed and tired me so much.So the whole "friends to enemies"trope was lame,bad executed and unnecessary to me.And sadly this is the main core of the story and the reason failed to excite me,overall.

Also too many flashbacks.And i don't mean those which explains the current situation and events.I mean just the same scenes all over again and again played as a broken record inside characters heads.I fed up because didn't add anything to the plot.The definition of fillers!

For me literally everything ended at episode 12.It should.It didn't..How on earth you pierce one's body with a sharp sword,through and through and he is still alive?That was the final drop for me.I overlooked dozen of those scenes where heavily injured human beings stand up and walk after 5 minutes.Yes this drama has many unrealistic scenes.But this one..too much,way too much to take.Im sorry for the mild spoiler.


Also one of the revenge plots was one of the many unreasonable issues in this drama.Until that point revenge made-kinda-sense.After was just crap.The new plan was to take revenge on the person who killed the one you wanted to kill for years.The target of your own revenge.Instead of been thankful,you get mad.Well im sorry for my plain thinking here.You lose your integrity the moment the seed of revenge grows inside your heart.Is a mean to an end.That simple.Anyhow as i said everything went downhills really fast after the 12th episode.As if wasn't a hot mess already.


The Second Lead Syndrome strikes again.After Lee Bang Won,obviously my fave char,Nam Sun Ho was the second best thing to love.More Complex and deeper character,made the most rational and hard decisions compared to Seo Hwi,who behaved in the most childish way from episode 1 to 16.Sun Ho does everything in his power to protect Seo Hwi for so many years.Yes he chose the hard way,nevertheless he was only been appreciated at the very end..He is a great friend concealing his motives and let everyone think he just want to harm Seo Hwi.Well at some point to me ended to be the fool .At the end iam not really sure if both knew what they were fighting for.The screenwriter did a very poor job creating the characters.Its really a shame.

I couldn't feel for our main lead,couldn't root for him.He was one of the most annoying hero characters ever.He was too superficial,too melodramatic without any character development.Seo Hwi was never the right material to make a great leader.He was always the dog,barking and biting and chasing Prince's tail.Unfortunately Nam Jeon was all right about this.

For me there are not good and bad guys.It was one and the same.Just indifferent.And this makes a drama ..not good.
The main villain(as i can name more than one here.The "bad guy"'s role is confusing depending on which side you stand for)always keeps his position and power.Always is been excused by the(very weak and occasionally coward)King who turns a blind eye,supporting Nam Jeon,like a fool. The whole world is falling apart and the King is like "who dares to oppose me?"Nam Jeon always threatening to kill our protagonist.And vice versa of course.And the years are passing by and they keep throwing threats to each other and running into an endless loop.Too tiring,indeed.

I don't care about the morality of the characters.I rarely judge them and to be honest most of the time i do love those who live in the grey areas.What annoyed me the most was the lack of depth of Sun Ho's char.You named him your main lead so Mr Writer you had to work harder on building this char with many layers.How you expect to make a successful Drama wihout strong characters?You cannot count only on Prince,who lets be honest carried the whole drama on his back.



Epilogue:
I gave a perfect 10 to SFD.A well deserved 10.Here the 7 is the best i can give.For all the reasons explained.I cannot solely rate this drama based only on the 2 good characters in it,but only as a whole.And it failed me so the 7 ,which is my average rate, is what it gets from me.If in your watch list is SFD and TWDR,watch those 2 as you can easily skip this one.As i said i mostly started this because of the Prince Lee Bang Won.I finished it only because of Jang Hyuk's amazing performance.So if you are a fan of him is the only reason i can recommend this drama to you!

P.s.The two hottest men holding fans,always and forever be Lee Bang Won and Wen Ke Xing from Word of Honor!

Lire davantage

A Very Hot Mess!

With many hot men!
Ok,i give up.Seriously i do.I want to know the secret behind the charm of HK Dramas.I mean it.Someone please tell me what is the secret ingredient to make such a messy strory becoming such an easy and entertaining watch!

This is the 3rd in a row HK drama which left me with the same impression.And although nothing is outstanding here,i binged watch it in 2 days!After finishing each episode i was telling mysef im doing this cause my goal is to watch as many V.Wong's works as i can.I have lied to myself though,because noone forced me to continue watching it if i didn't like it!Lol.

Definetely i cannot give a 10 to this and the 7 sometimes felt was too much.
It has a bit of everything but in a confusing way.
Sports
Business
Action
Political
Corruption
Romance
And the list can go on.You will find any genre here.

Music:I loved the 2 main theme songs.
"Outstanding" sung by V.Wong(always a delight listening him singing)
" All the King's Horses" with english lyrics added in my playlist and i was mumbling it the whole time.

Cast/Acting:Iam glad i start to recognize more HK actors Drama by Drama.Familiar faces always makes every series more enjoyable.

So happy Vincent in this one is his old good self.He was perfect for Fever's role.
Hunter and Man(the Villains)are both Veterans so no more need to say.
Leo(one of the brothers) and Double,(Fever's best friend) both were good too and i liked the moments they had to be sentimental.
Iron(the 3rd brother)Hmmm His fighting is way better than his acting.His performance was very poor.
As for the Ladies of the drama.Iam sorry,is a big NO,from me.


Story/Plot:

This Drama is without any story for 20 out of 30 episodes.Yes,you read right.And if you don't read the synopsis you will be clueless about it until you reach episode 20.So in 2/3 of the series we get to know all the characters and we randomly see their daily life,their work routine and the 3 main romances blooming.
It starts with boxing.And continues with boxing.You can't have enough of boxing!No is not a sports drama,though!
It is also mixed with VR world,the Dark web,Hacking.After the 20th ep,starts the real plot which thickens really fast and corruption,politics and Economic crisis joins this mess to make it even hotter!

The Telepathy thing,which is the main link of the story,is rather silly and unbelievable,but i guess we have to respect Writer's imagination.
As for the Action.Yes there is alot.Many fighting scenes.And i love fighting scenes.But all of them here seemed fake and staged.Like they didn't actually shooting them but rehearsing the choreography.Which was beautifull if we had the chance to see it in "real time"They totaly ruined the action scenes with all those slow motions too.The flow was unnatural.

Everyone in this drama has a license to kill.Everyone is shooting and killing without even blink.No regrets,no second thoughts.No Police investigation either for almost every death.Like is nothing.And 3 of the leads were/are involved in the Police Force.
Also the Time-line is the biggest mess here as between the events we can't say if hours,days or weeks has passed.Confusing as hell,messing the story so badly at the end you just have to take it as it is.

The ending doesn't make any sense,but it is a Happy one(well i don't really care about Happy Endings)but if the "Live Happily Ever" matters to you,then is a plus!

Is this a Drama you MUST add to your watch-list?Not really.
Is it a Drama you can give a chance?Definetely.
HK Dramas as i said in another review,have their own uniqueness and deserves more Love.Is nothing like Korean,Japanese not even Chinese Dramas.The majority of them is really engaging,and if you try a few iam sure you will seek for more,as i did.

Lire davantage

An Addictive Drama without any Ground

..To be addictive at all!
It was more like a sophisticated Soap Opera.And i do hate Soap Operas.But i kinda liked this one.Well, i don't really know if the word "like" is the most suitable,though.It's complicated!I hated it so much and i ended up finishing it within 3 days.I was watching non stop.No,it wasn't a "guilty pleasure"It was something different.

As i just finished it i have so many scattered thoughts and so much to write,i don't really know where to start.Iam the first to write a review for this,so i'll do my best.

The story is about a man who lost 10 years of his life.Kidnapped and captured in a cave,away from home.A very intriguing idea,indeed.
And then we follow his return back home,his interactions with family and friends, his struggles to adjust back to his normal life,to take control and gather himself.

The start was really strong and had so much potential,promising for a captivating story to have you glued to your seat.Fast paced and a nice introduction to all characters.
I have to say here that every character in the first few episodes was such a sweet,kind,helpful and caring person,i was confused if this was a Happy Family Drama instead of a Crime/Thriller/Revenge story.
Only exception was the Sister in-Law.Every time she was on screen i wanted so badly to punch her face,lol!

The problem about this Drama is that the writer was too ambitious and had too much on his plate!
Every story has its main and supporting characters.Here,for a reason i cannot really comprehend,every char had more or less the same fair amount for stardom!
What i mean by this,is the fact that we get to know almost each character's backstory,which thb,was unnecessary and totally irrelevant with the main story and the protagonist's life.Ok,not all of them but yet this is one of the reasons the story was so damn dragged and get me bored quite a few times.27 eps-actually 28 as the last one is 1,5 hrs long-please,why??15 or less would be ideal!Anyway,it is what it is.

Let's do more digging into characters.

Vincent,our main lead.
He literally returned from Hell.And after all he went through,i thought i would sympathize and feel for him.And although i stand for his anger and totally understand his need to take revenge and find out why all these happened to him,i couldn't relate to this character.I couldn't feel his pain and i can't justify any of the decisions he made.To start with,Vincent to me was never a good person.He was always in the grey zone,cocky and arrogant prior his captivity.Cruel,insane,short-minded,after.I dont know this actor.I have bookmarked few of his works but this was the first Drama i watched him starring.I wasn't overwhelmed neither by his acting nor by his role itself.And this is bad as he is the ML!!
When he returned there are few nice moments,him united with his family.And we see how gradually regains his physical health.
But what about his mental health??I mean,seriously.This character SHOULD attend like over 500 sessions with the best psychologist of the country!Ok i know iam exaggerating but still,this was the most lame,unreasonable and unrealistic detail of the whole drama.Having your family's support is not enough after being in captivity for 10 years!

Max: Vincent's friend and apprentice, the second victim of the kidnapping,who managed to escape.He suffers from PTSD,he caries the Survivor's Guilt and he has a "death wish"He is shown as an adrenaline junkie,participating in extreme sports to feel the "rush" He feels obligated to Vincent,he is unable to say No to him,and he always ends to be his partner in crime.Actually he was the most innocent among all the characters.The only char i really sympathized.
And yes Vincent Wong is one of my ultimate obsessions but it pains me to say that not even him could save this Drama.And to be completely honest,this was the first-and i hope the last -time i didn't enjoy his acting!Way too average for Vincent's talent.I blame the writer and the role,not him!

Cathy the wife:Presented as a saint,a pure angel,never gave up searching of her husband.Spent alot of effort,money and time.A loving and caring wife.She ended married her childhood friend and seemed conflicted after Vincent's return.
She holds some cards.She has few secrets.This character could be more interesting and with much more depth but it failed.

Yan,Cathy's hub and Vincent's friend:Such a pathetic character to me.Creepy and fishy all the way.An ex mercenary,a skilled killer.But he was driven by jealousy and nothing more.Another character who had great potential to show more but once again failed.

As this review is already too long and iam sorry about this,i won't continue with the other chars.Well everyone else was more like a filler and the writer could easily omit them from the story as not adding much to it.(am i a bitch??)

Few last thoughts:

I was really tired by the Love Triangle and all the jealousy included.
Too many unnecessary characters and stories revolving around them.Nothing essential,ended a messy plot and lost focus from the main story.
I wanted more about the kidnapping,the period Vincent spent in the cave and the period after he was rescued.They devoted just 2 episodes in total,which is a shame.The story could be more intereting if they developed those aspects more.(instead they gave us the soap-opera gossip-like vibes)

Too much melodrama.Really wasted potential.Mediocre acting.Too much shit to take.
A nice cinematography for a HK Drama,it was a plus especially the scenes in Vietnam.
They really must improve the visuals in fires,explosions,blood,wounds etc...

Don't ask me why i got addicted,watched and finished it.I don't know!
Did i regret it,though??
NO!

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Concentrated Life Lessons

Into 12 mini episodes of 12 minutes each!

Every day i add dozens of movies and series in my watch list.Everything that seems interesting.Just to keep track.
And every day im going through the list to prioritize/delete/search again all those titles.

So because the list is getting really big i decided to start watching those series with not many episodes and Psychic Explorer
was the ideal start as it is really short.

What i didn't expect when i hit play was to be immersed so deep into those little stories.
Additionally,the scenario of each ep is based on a true story.Sad but true.

Domestic Violence.Mental and Physical Abuse.DID,Suffering and pain.Anything,just name it. Broken people trying to take themselves back,to heal their souls,evaluate life again and finally be stronger through psychological counseling.
The synopsis is pretty accurate,with each episode visualize each case.

Direction,Cinematography and acting,everything was really good.I didn't pay attention to music,to be honest.

Exceptional concept and execution.This short series is a real hidden gem,easily beats some overrated long-winded Dramas.
The moral at the end of each episode is really precious.

Take my advice.You can't afford to miss it.

P.s The dubbed thing in most CDramas is a fact i cannot change,so i don't care.

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What a lovely surprise this Series was!

A Mature BL all the way.
And when i say "mature" i don't mean nudity,hot kiss scenes and spicy sex scenes.Don't get me wrong i love all these,lol,but this is not the point here!
A complete,concentrated story within only 7 episodes of 20 mins each!
This is how Bls should be.
Unlike many others with 12 or so hourly eps dragging out everything with unnecessary fillers,lousy dialogues and too much Drama.

They managed to make an interesting story,to create the two main characters in such depth,to give us a nice plot,a real look into troubles ,struggles,fears and hopes of normal working people,without anything felt out of the top.

And all these with the right dose of fluffiness',the eye candy main leads,few really sweet kisses which didn't seem fake and an adorable way to show love and affection.
No childish behavior.Not unnecessary awkwardness while holding hands.Everything felt natural as expected to be when you are inlove.

Did i wish this to be longer?Yes of course!I wanted to see more of their daily life in their own new company.More interactions with coworkers and friends and all this.But still iam more than happy and satisfied with those 7 little cute eps.And iam looking forward to more projects like this in the future.Iam glad Korea starts to take seriously the BL Genre.

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This one is much better than most people think.

It was a Fun and Light Ride

Ok let me start by saying i have my fair dose of Bl Dramas.And i like any type.When it comes to BLs iam not that picky.Most of them are about school/Uni love and after watching many , the story and the plot all seems one and the same.The details,differ them,like actors and their skills,direction,production,etc.

Ofc iam always excited when a fresh BL comes out with a compelling story and interesting chars.And no,Tonhon Chonlatee,is not one of them.It belongs to the left pile among with dozens of other similar Bls.But that is totally fine with me,as long as i have fun and i was entertained while watching.

I was way too sceptical to start this.The reason is obvious.The really bad rating and reviews made me postponed this for a very long time.But because i know myself at the end iam not discouraged by all the bad comments and i gave this a try to form my own opinion.My testimony?
This one was more funny and enjoyable than some other "highly rated" BLs out there.
It was the perfect choice for a relaxed weekend,without much thinking and seriously, with a good laugh.It was exactly what i needed and Tonhon Chonlatee didn't fail me.

Yes most likely i will forget all about it in a week or so,but i had so much fun watching it,i laughed a lot and i fond of all the characters.
Nothing is exceptional here.From production and direction,music and acting,everything was pretty decent.And that was enough for me not to drop it.I said when it comes to BLs im not that choosy,but hey, i still have my standards!Lol!

And believe me i have watched many 8+ rated which were the hell way too worse than this very poorly 7 rated one.Is not a masterpiece.Is not the perfect BL you can find.You will not find strong messages and rebellious characters willing to change the world by their actions.

Take it as it is.A light,funny comedy,with a cute romance between handsome guys,and a small dose of the necessary melodrama. A bitchy annoying ex-girlfriend,homophobic parents and an asshole "i hate gays" main lead.Sounds too familiar,right?So why all those negative reviews,like noone has ever watched another BL similar to this with the same problematic characters,the same angst and the same "i don't like men,i like you" trope??Why all got so surprised like was the first time we encounter same topics? In my opinion it doesn't deserve all this hate.Don't get me started by comparing story and acting with some "Great Hits" which comes to my mind right now.And,there are many...Obviously iam not imposing my opinion to anyone.

I stand for my opinion,though.I loved the most the secondary couple.Ai and Nai were absolutely hilarious,couldn't stop laughing every time they were on screen.Pang was a good and supportive friend to Chon.Na, was another great character and although his screen time was too limited he made the difference and i wish his role was bigger.This kind of characters always are memorable.As for Chon's Mother!What to say!Pure gold!She was there to balance Ton's father.Homophobic,yes!But why everyone was upset by this character,i really don't get it.Iam not saying being homophobic is the right attitude,jeez,ofc not.But don't forget he is a parent and as a parent he normally wanted to have grandkids.And Ton-right or wrong-never gave the impression to his parents that he is into men.I mean c'mon he didn't even admit this to himself.So "hating" Dad's char is not reasonable.
(and without spoiling too much the last episode turned all the wrongs into rights!)

We are not living in the perfect world and i don't like to watch perfect characters in Dramas too.Unfortunately Homophobia is a fact.Look around you.We are far from Utopia,iam afraid.It would be great if everyone accepted everyone's differences.
It would be awesome if homophobic parents/brothers/relatives/friends and co-workers did not exist..As i said ..Utopia.

As for the story itself and the course it took at some point,If i had to blame someone here,this would be Ton and only him.He should had admitted his own feelings sooner.He should had treated Chon differently and not trying to make him act "manly"He shouldn't had kissed that crazy bitch,causing so many misunderstandings.

But on the other hand if none of these ever happened how the strory would progress?I too often read complains about many Dramas,any Genre,about the story and how the plot goes.Iam not a writer but what is inside their head is not always messy and lame,lol.We as viewers must understand that most of the time everything happens for a reason.Iam not the kind of viewer who wants to go from point A to point Z too fast.I can take annoying and irritating plot-line,dislikeable characters and surreal incidents when helps the story to go on.Iam not reffering to this one,just a general comment.

Many were over thinking and over analyzing the story here.I mean ok,nobody wants to watch BS and surely we don't want the writers to underestimate our intelligence.But as i already said,take it as it is.A funny and light BL comedy.Why everything has to be sooooo serious especially in this Genre?There are other genres with a serious and heavy plot and there iam way too strict and i do criticize a lot when iam not satisfied with the plot.I got myself into BLs mostly because it is a light watch and not so demanding.Ofc there are serious BLs with great messages,unique story,character development and so on.And Tonhon Chonlatee from the very first episode didn't take itself too serious,giving the right vibe to the viewer of what to expect.At least this is how i interpreted it.

Iam sorry this review is too long.Its because i have the tendency to defend Dramas when i like them and especially when my opinion is totally opposite of the majority!

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One of the Best.. Job done so right!

Ladies & Gentlemen,this is how you make a good Time Travel Drama.Back from 2013 but still such an interesting and unique story.I believe the Genre Fans like myself,will definetely enjoy this.

Music was well chosen and some songs back from the 90's brought memories.Was a nostalgic feeling,so no complains about this factor.Never covered the scenes or the emotions,had the right dose.Sometimes too mild but still a fit.

Acting was decent.Nothing super wow about everyone's performances.Not bad,just good.Tbh,i was a bit annoyed by Ml's acting especially the lack of facial expressions,or better say he has always a very cold face and look.I wanted him to be more emotional and to show it in a more dramatic way. But the story took over for me so i passed it.

Also Direction and Cinematography wasn't something special.But don't forget is an old Drama so i don't really bother.

Time Traveling is always an appealing theme and i think we all wished at some point in our lives to have a machine to take us back to our past to correct or change things we have done wrong.(Although if i had this machine i would love to witness historical events rather than change my life,lol)

I said the story is kinda unique,well as unique as it can be especially for someone who watches similar dramas too often.But what i really liked in Nine was the fact that the device of the Time Travel was actually a visible object.The Burning incenses and not some vague idea/theory which just happens and turns the protagonists lives upside down!

Always and forever fan of THE Delorean!You know you will travel by using a car.Here is the incenses.And this travel happens upon the main lead's will and not drag him back to his past without a notice!

I also liked his faults and the mistakes he did several times while he was using the incenses.Those objects didn't come with a manual and it would be stupid if the Ml had done all right in his very first attempt of going back.I mean yes i was upset every time he made a mess and instead of fixing things made them worse.But this was the right way for the story to go on.

Another great detail was the fact that others than the protagonist carrying the memories from the past,even if this past had altered several times.That was something new or at least you do not find it too often in Time Travel dramas.And i was pleasantly surprised because i loved the fact the Ml had so much help from his best friend who firstly believed in his crazy story of being able to travel back to the past and secondly he had the memories to back him up every time things went downhill.

I have to say here that their friendship is one of the strongest and sweet things about this Drama.The Doc is the best friend anyone wish to have.As a woman the only thing i really-really envy about Men is their bond and the strong friendships they can hold through the years.

As for the Romance,iam glad it wasn't heavy or dragged too much.It was essential for the story,the Ml changed few things because of love(not that this ended pretty well for him at some point,lol)and for my taste it was tolerable!Not forget to mention the "real" kisses which was a plus!Actually ive noticed that older Dramas always has nice and real kisses comparing to newest.Oh well,it is what it is and when i see good screen kisses iam always excited!

The Fl char,as always,got into my nerves with her childish attitude.Not to mention her looks too!The actress looked so young like a kid it was a bit awkward see her kissing the handsome ML!I had to check their real ages and i was shocked to find out the Ml is only one year older than her!Great genes,you girl!

Obviously the story itself is the best thing about this drama,with actors, characters and all the rest just supporting it,the best possible way.Suspense and tension in high levels.Kept me wondering what will happen next and how this mess is going to be fixed.
The common "paradox" of not being able to occupy the same space with your past self doesn't apply here,so this made things more easy and smooth for the storyline.

Another positive aspect is that Ml does not see things just black or white.He often walks in the forbidden grey areas,being selfish and arrogant,being impulsive and sentimental.It is a well written character with many flaws and occasionally not the perfectly perfect altruistic man.He cares about the people he loves and try to protect them but is human too,sometimes choosing his own hapiness over others'.I have a soft spot on this kind of characters.

Clichés,few flaws and some draggy parts,still here.But nothing to annoy you and make you feel like wasting your time(unlike other related dramas,see "365: Repeat the Year"im sorry that one left me with a very bad taste,lol)


As for the ending..Choose what you like to believe.Write your own script.Use your imagination and give the protagonists the life you want.Everything is inside your head.Everything is possible.Make it happen.Or not!

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For Book Lovers!

A Books' related Drama?Yes please.Sign me in!Sounded a very unique and interesting story and as usual the Mystery Genre lured me in immediately.
My very first thought was "Inkheart" and i wished to find the same "magic" even without the fantasy element.

Well the title couldn't be more obvious!And i loved the use of the Greek word "Biblia" which of course means books.I think this is the third Japanese Drama with references to Greece(either Mythology or words)Just a fine touch to me.

Direction was interesting and smart,gave the right vibes.
Music was just ok.IMO it didn't really fit the mood of this Drama.It was way too "modern" and most of the time with too much beat.I wanted more nostalgic and old fashioned music themes!But is just my personal opinion and taste.

The first episode was quite slow but gave fully the whole idea of the Drama,introducing us to the main characters,the main concept and the pace as well.And yes,it has a slow pace,FYI.

A lovely and shy sweet girl who loves books and she runs a Second-hand Bookstore.Her deduction methods and skills are amazing!

An accidental customer who doesn't love reading books but had to visit the store to find out about his grandmother's book collection.

The strange and practically stranger old man who also owns a bookstore and shares the same roof with the FL,completes the trio team.

And more or less this is how this journey starts.
The first impression was a heartwarming feeling because i know exactly how it feels to lose yourself inside the pages of a book.It was almost like i was smelling that unique and exhilarating smell.Old or new books,all excites me the same!

Each episode has a story to tell and a mystery to be solved behind this story.And that is exactly what our main leads do.Solving mysteries,comforting and healing souls too!
The Mystery is not heavy and is definitely not a Crime Drama.But it has its own appeal especially if you are a book lover.

-Side Note:For Non Asians like me,most of the time it was really hard to follow with the book titles mentioned in the drama,the authors and all these,just because almost all references were upon Japanese literature.Iam sorry but iam completely clueless.-

There are not thrilling moments,not much of suspense either and the mystery plot is not exactly what we say engaging.Is ok not to binge-watch it.(although i did)
It is a quiet,slow and sweet drama,mostly about human relationships and how books can somehow bring people together.A nice and kinda unique story,well executed.If any of those details sound interesting to you,you can give it a try.Is more a slice of life than mystery so watch the first episode to decide whether you are into it or not.

P.s. I liked it so i gave an 8.But being strictly objective,if you are not interested in books at all,this could be a 5!

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This Drama will scar you!

It is a Masterpiece from the Past.
Everything about it is Dark.And I LOVED every scene,every line,every piece of music and every character no matter how shady,rotten and troubled was.First episode,just few minutes in it and..Oh Heavens!Do i hear The Rolling Stones - Paint It, Black??? And the Classic Rocks continues!I had fallen so hard i can't go back since!

As i have been watching Asian Dramas for only 2 years iam practically a newbie.I always check the new releases and relatively new Dramas but iam getting too excited when i find old Dramas,older than 2015,that get my attention enough to start watching them.And Karamazov no Kyodai is one of them.And God,iam so glad i did!

Always iam a bit worried about old Dramas.Mostly about the technicalities,the quality of the production,etc.Although when the story and acting is good,i can overlook and not be demanding.

Here,what a pleasant surprise!Cinematography couldn't be better to fit the Darkness of the souls.The pain and the suffering.The troubled lives our protagonists lives! I loved the faded colors in the flashbacks.The gripping music to accompany those scenes.The spooky crows!So E.A.Poe! The "photo shoot" scenes!So artistic! The narrative is superb!From the flashbacks to the present day and back to memory lane not a single dull moment.Nothing is confusing either,regarding the plot line.Is a journey from past to present full of autumn colors and painful memories.The gloomy atmosphere in this Drama is amazing! Perfection meets perfection!Directors,,cinematographers and the crew who chose all the music songs and themes.Great job you all!

As for the acting... The Brothers.I felt i was somewhere in a corner very close, watching them,feeling what they feel,being angry with their anger,being emotionally and physically in pain,suffering with them.I felt i was their little sister,unable to help them,just witnessing their lives.The Father.A true monster with black soul, behind the closed and opened doors!A scary character,made me feel uneasy.The definition of realistic acting!

Profound conversations and dialogues with depth between the brothers reveals piece by piece their characters,brings in surface all their hidden fears,their struggles and their hopes.You will not find even one single lame line here.

Is it a Sin to hate your own father and want him dead?Does this necessarily makes you a bad person?Can we that easily finger point and have a selectively morality?
I asked myself all those questions while watching.Sometimes it was hard to answer.Some others it was really easy.One thing is for sure.We all have a good and an evil side.We all have our inner Demons.Is up to us to feed or exorcize them.

There are so many powerful moments depicting emotions, thoughts and state of mind of the characters. The Father/Monster haunts the brothers even after his death.He is torturing them from the grave,leaving them unable to react,to gather their pieces and eventually move on.No,he is still there playing mind games and bring more pain.
I thought when i started this that all my interest would be focused on solving the mystery and find out who the killer was.That is the reason i chose this Drama in first place,because of the thriller & mystery element.I couldn't imagine that i would be so absorbed by the brothers' characters and get into their psychology.I found myself caring less and less about the actual crime and i was lost in their lives hoping to find a way to heal their broken souls,survive from their past and can finally look at a brighter future.

The 7,9 rating is not enough for this brilliant adaptation of the famous novel.Shame on me i haven't read this yet!But i definetely will.

If anyone can recommend any similar Dramas,please do so.Doesn't matter how old are they.Thank you.

Please do not skip this.You will miss the opportunity to experience such a Masterpiece.

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Failed to pull me in.

I usually don't watch this kind of Dramas.Apparently,for a reason. Shamanism,talismans,rituals,exorcisms and evil spirits, not really my thing.I thought to give a try just to make myself more familiar with this and check if i like the genre or not and The Cursed seemed too intriguing and a nice start as the story was interesting somehow.

Music added much to create the necessary suspense especially in those "creepy and scary" scenes when bad evil spirits fighting against each other.But quickly fades,just leaving an echo.Nothing memorable.

Actually nothing was really scary,spooky or creepy.Horror and Gore in a very light version far from give me chills.

Acting was nerveless.No chemistry among any of the characters.Their acting was like doing chores at home.Like they were bored to say their lines.Anoher typical day at work. It is the first time in a Kdrama i felt this way.It was quite shocking!

Villains weren't bad and evil enough. I guess this was because i cannot see Sung Dong Il as an evil character.He is a great actor but in my eyes he is like a sweet uncle!This role wasn't for him.The presumed good guys were more evilish than them.

First of all you must throw your morality out of the window,to enjoy this.Exactly as the two FLs did.Otherwise you will curse the protagonists and you won't be able to justify any of their actions.Started off good and promising but couldn't keep my interest in high levels.The 2 Fls working together without remorses or any hesitations about causing harm to others was intriguing indeed.As they suppose to be in the good side.The idea of fighting fire with fire was interesting as the scenario is not what exactly we say "politically correct"And i liked the way the Drama was going.But in my opinion it never reached its peak.It was in a flatline most of the time. Very few moments gave the kiss of life but wasn't enough.I FFW many scenes and i never ever done this before with any other Drama.This says a lot about the level of boredom this series gave me.

It left me with more questions than answers,during the progress of the story i wanted more clear explanations about the evil spirit,its role and how powerfull it is,which criteria needed to possess a body etc etc.If those info were sufficiently given to me,maybe this Drama would keep my interest.But it didn't.

Its either me not at all into shamanish and stuff,or the Drama wasn't good or both.I don't know.I have checked my watchlist, i have few more similar to this but iam not willing to give a try any time soon.

There is a movie and an upcoming S2.Not for me!

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