Typical but fun

This is pretty much as cliche as you could get but it was still a pretty fun watch. My favorite part of this is the reversal of the typical roles — the girl is headstrong and popular, the guy is quiet and shy. It was really refreshing and the chemistry was there for sure.

I really wish the plot was more down-to-earth because the second half devolved into more tropes; the evil second female lead trope is really outdated, and the stalker trope also seems randomly dramatic.

Other than that, it was fun and it was cool to see the references to Best Mistake too.

Lire davantage

Like a warm hug

Add this to the list of dramas that make me want to move to the countryside and run a little bookstore.

I loved almost everything about this drama. The yearning of the main couple is impeccable, the warmth of the bookstore and the town was so comforting, and I grew to love all the side characters as well, from the family members to the book club. The show handles darker and heavier topics of domestic violence and familial issues relatively well.

With that being said, this drama still fell victim to the episode 15 curse. The last minute separation trope is one of my least favorite plot devices of all time and this drama is an example of why. The plot started falling apart with the characters' (particularly the female lead's) decision-making around those heavier topics, and the time jump felt underdeveloped and unnecessary.

Still, this was an amazing watch; I know some people complained that it was too slow but it was perfect for me. It's one of the dramas you watch wrapped up in a blanket with a cup of hot tea, and you just let it warm you up.

Lire davantage

Adorable, wish it was longer

This was adorable and I loved the bright vibe of the entire film — it really looks and feels like a manga come to life. The friendships were really beautiful to see and the romance was pretty cute. Sometimes it's a little cringy but overall it was actually refreshing that there weren't any terrible villains in the entire film.

This is a film I think would even be better as a drama or even an anime simply because my favorite parts were when everyone was spending time together and I wanted more of it. There are also these "transition" moments that I think were missing — sometimes the development of character relationships or times just felt a little jumpy and sudden. A longer runtime could've helped develop the main conflict more too because I felt like the lessons and growth were so rich.

Lire davantage

Hits so close to home

The best films are the ones that creep up on you and this did exactly that. It's a slow burn for sure but it never feels that way and every scene hits really close to home. As someone whose immigration journey was the other way around (Taiwan to the U.S.) I honestly expected a little bit of distance between me and the content, thinking that Fen's experiences would be very different from mine.

So imagine my surprise when watching this movie felt like reliving memories; the feeling of being a fish-out-of-water, of missing home, of feeling lonely — I've felt that before. The ugly words that uncontrollably come out of your mouth during a fight with your parents — I've said those before. And at the end of the day still knowing you love each other, that "can you clean my ears for me" or "I cut a plate of fruit for you" means "I love you and I'm sorry" — I lived that too.

This movie is beautiful and I cried my eyes out. I didn't expect it to end when it did, but in hindsight I'm kind of okay with it. The film is a snippet of the life of a family against a historical backdrop and even after the movie ends, real life goes on.

這部影片就是那種會悄悄的走進你心裡的那種。劇情的速度緩緩的，但永遠不無聊，也不停的讓人念舊。因為我的移民方向是反的（臺灣到美國），我錯以為我和女主的經驗會有距離。

看這部電影的感覺反而跟回想自己的回憶一樣。那種不自在，想家，寂寞的心情我感受過。那些失控中說的難聽的話我也說過。那句『媽媽，妳可以幫我掏耳朵嗎？』中的『對不起，我愛你』我也都體會過。

《美國女孩》真的是一部溫馨，令人感動掉淚的電影。結局是有點突然，但越想越有理。畢竟，我們看到的是一家人的一時刻。影片結束了，人生卻不斷持續的。

Lire davantage

Healthiest relationship ever

There is so much to love about this, but I think my favorite part is hands down the relationship between the two leads. It was just so comforting from beginning to end. As a child the FL showed the ML warmth and he protected her, and throughout thick and thin she never ONCE blamed him for what his father did; the communication between them was great and the fact that his father murdered her parents and still break-up trope stood NO CHANCE against them...it was just insanely refreshing to see a couple like this in drama-land.

I do think plot left a little bit more to be desired. I absolutely loved the serial killer father and the tension it instilled through the series, but there were some subplots and character arcs I think went in different directions. The reporters and public eye was something I thought would play a bigger role — instead the characters involved seem to simply teeter on the line between irrelevant and annoying.

I also want to give a shout out to Kim Kyung Nam as Yoon Hyun Moo, the ML's brother. I'm always a sucker for morally gray characters and I think it was not only written perfectly (even more heart-wrenching than the leads' story) but the actor did an amazing job at pulling off conflicting emotions. He was possibly my favorite character and I also wish we got more of him.

Overall, I wish this drama pushed the limits a bit more and upped the stakes, but the main leads are still amazing and I love them for subverting all the bad tropes. Would recommend this drama for sure.

Lire davantage

KAZEHAYA THE ULTIMATE GREEN FLAG I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART AND SOUL

Wow. This movie was such a pleasant surprise. I have to admit that I watched most of it with bated breath and I really shouldn't have because all my nervousness was self-inflicted; all those Asian dramas and cliches had trained me to recognize all my most hated tropes: evil second female leads, misunderstandings...and it turned out that this movie didn't have any of those stupid issues.

This movie actually wasn't dramatic at all — it's really just a heart-warming, adorable story about a shy girl who comes into herself, makes friends, and happens to fall in love along the way. There are no evil villains, the side characters are kind-hearted and fantastic, and the development just felt natural; I kept thinking that if this was a full-length drama we could've gotten even more time dedicated to character development and the forming of friendships (meaning I'll probably be watching the anime soon).

Speaking of which, the way they emphasized friendships in this was so refreshing as well. One of my pet peeves is when romance is treated as this "personality fixer" and I absolutely loved that it was friendships that started to bring her out of her shell and not a crush.

Honestly, Sawako as a main character is still much too suppressed and shy for me; I don't really relate to her and at times her social interactions and decision-making got very frustrating, but ultimately I understand it and the way she started standing up for herself and communicating was delightful to watch. She's quiet but not weak by any means.

And now...my favorite part of the entire film. KAZEHAYA. I loved his character so much; this is one of the moments where I wish we got more about his backstory or development but at the same time I don't even mind that we didn't because it was perfect the way it was. The way he not only treated the FL kindly in secret but also openly stood up for her and spent time with her...he was so respectful and it was beautiful to see the part he played in Sawako's story.

Anyways — adorable movie, I suggest watching this film with a light heart and optimism.

Lire davantage

College sweethearts against the world

I had been a little nervous going into this as I very rarely enjoy dramas with two timelines — usually the huge trigger event just feels so unnecessary and avoidable with some communication, and the part that comes after is so chock full of angst and uneven knowledge.

That wasn't the case for this drama at all; of course there were things that happened but I felt like all the development was very in line with who the characters were and I especially loved the female lead, who was perfectly written as someone who grew up pretty sheltered and protected but started to come out of her bubble and have her own opinions and dreams. Even when she was left out of plans there was this element of trust and insightfulness that she had that prevented the sort of frustrating misunderstanding I usually hate seeing.

The chemistry between the leads was top-notch and was hands down one of the best part of the show; the banter was hilarious, the tension before they got together was great, and overall they were just so natural with each other they were one of the few couples that I didn't lose interest in after they got together.

The OST fits the scenes perfectly and I think this has quickly become one of my favorite dramas of 2022.

Lire davantage

Tension-filled story with fantastic cinematography

I'm a sucker for anything time related and this was no different — I think they did the time rift thriller thing perfectly; the speed at which the timeline would change was so fast and it really instilled a feeling of high stakes. There are some questions about how time works and potential plot holes if you think more deeply but this was really one of those fun tension-filled films that I just immersed myself into, and the ability of the movie to make me suspend my disbelief is really just a testament to how it was made.

The cinematography was really great as well. I absolutely loved seeing the different timelines being differentiated through color filters. One of my favorite watches for this October.

Lire davantage

Inspiring, and definitely a slow burn

My favorite part about this was undoubtedly following Chu Li from the second she joined the publishing house as an intern and her development onwards. No matter what your career is, it was really inspiring seeing how she handled entering a new environment, dealing with the ugliness of (very relatable) office politics, and overall just being very dedicated and passionate about her work and persevering to get there.

For the most part I also really enjoyed the romance, but it's definitely a slow burn for both the couples. The main leads took a long time before they even realized they had feelings for each other (which I had no trouble with). The second ship was a case of exes-to-lovers and they also took a long time to deal with the reason they broke up in the first place. Both of these, I didn't have a problem with the pacing because it felt as realistic as the progression of the FL's work was: like life, but just a little more exciting.

With that being said, there were some parts with the romance that was either frustrating or simply confusing. First, it was like they kept telling us that there was a love triangle but then hinted that there wasn't and then went back and doubled down on it; either way, I kept trying to understand what the characters were feeling and kept feeling this disconnect.

Second, I wasn't a huge fan of the way the male lead acted sometimes — meaning that sometimes the reason the drama was a slow burn was because the male lead was being pretty dim and immature; there's some things I would definitely change with how some arguments were "resolved" but overall the character development is there (albeit slow).

Nevertheless, I was glad that the romance never got overdramatic and that once the main leads got together, there were no more annoying break-ups or misunderstandings.

One thing I also liked about this drama was that there are few purely evil and obsessive characters — there are annoying people in the office, but anyone who has ever worked knows that you'll really run into those kinds of people and seeing Chu Li (who I really liked as FL) deal with them was almost cathartic.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this drama for any cdrama rom-com lovers out there.

Lire davantage

Natural Acting, Great OST

I had seen the FL actress in The Big Boss before and her acting really still holds up in this drama; she's just really natural at showing every emotion — I felt everything she was feeling from the very start. I just really loved the development of the main female lead's professional career; after getting her dreams dashed, we followed her around as she tried different jobs and it felt like a really relatable and natural journey. Even though you might think that being a singer or fashion designer isn't very common or relatable, that wasn't the case at all. This was actually a really inspiring drama and I loved seeing her overcome all the obstacles she ran into. She's bubbly but not stupid, hard-working but not a doormat.

I think the chemistry between the main leads is definitely there. The banter and skinship all feel super natural and I liked how the male lead was labeled cold but actually very logical and straightforward in his thinking. With that being said, however, I felt like the plot had some holes missing. There were repeated miscommunications that I felt like they never talked out — it was like the relationship and story moved forward and got over it and any clearing up either took place off-screen or they just didn't bother doing it.

I also think some parts of this drama were problematic in regards to consent; there was a moment where two side characters slept together when one was clearly drunker and I did not like the way they addressed it. Other than that, I enjoyed the more casual dynamic of the second couple as well even though I didn't like how they also had communication issues that took very long to solve.

Overall, I still think this was a really nice drama to watch, and the OST is really great. It's light-hearted and touching in all the right places and I think a lot of people who usually dislike c-dramas for the dubbing and hate how FLs often have to act "cute" would actually appreciate the main character in this drama.

Lire davantage

Heart-warming but has its hiccups

When I first started this drama I thought it would be high school to college. It turns out, however, that the drama starts in college where everyone is split up and then flashes back to high school. And for some reason, that made all the difference. I know this is an element of personal preference here but for me it just meant that I constantly felt like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop and that every time someone had a line about "being together forever" it was like alarm bells.

I still really liked the innocence of high school and how it did what c-dramas do best — which is balance the different themes of studying motivation, following your dreams, family pressure, friendship, and first love — really well. Even though there were some parts where I disagreed with what the "message" turned out to be (in terms of parental subplots it was because I was raised in a more Western, more independent household, or there were also moments where I disagreed with the outcome of an argument between friends) I still really liked the growth and character development that the characters underwent.

The time jump and big lapse in miscommunication which I knew was coming was understandable but still not very enjoyable; it really made the FL turn into someone who just seemed to follow the ML around and not have her own thoughts — which was unfortunate because something I had previously appreciated about this drama during HS was that the FL was not a genius but she worked hard and had her own goals, despite falling victim to a very common thing in dramas — where the ML is a genius in one specific subject whereas the FL isn't great at school but has a bunch of small quirky things she's good at so she doesn't seem useless. Still, I appreciate that this was something they ended up addressing directly.

During the college days, I liked that the romance took a bigger role. It makes sense, because they'd grown up. But everything that I loved about the balance in the high school days seemed to fade away. In a new setting, the new roommates and friends that the leads made in no way matched up to the old characters we'd grown to love. And like I said, the plot of the FL making her life revolve around the ML, and then the ML being mean to her still, just all felt very frustrating.

I felt like they inserted some conflict into the second lead couple too, and while I thought this was necessary, I felt like the way they did it with a time jump instead of slowly showing their progression (because the story wasn't following them during college) felt kind of random and awkward and almost too similar to the way the main couple just randomly cut off ties.

Overall, I still think this was a fun watch and I really liked how there was really a sense of nostalgia and inspiration as we watched them grow up, but as much as I love romance I prefer it as a subplot in the earlier episodes.

Lire davantage

First half > Second half

So in the first half of this drama, I would have flat-out rated it a 10/10. Considering it's from 2014, the production quality might be a little low and the humor and timing a little awkward, but I was willing to overlook all that because I really loved, above all things, the main female lead. She was independent, strong-willed, confident, work-focused, and walled off romantically — everything I felt I could personally relate to. Kai Qi is precisely how I want strong female characters to be written, flaws and all. And I felt like the male lead was the perfect counter-balance. His personality was softer, quieter, more caring, and compromising, having grown up as the bullied younger sibling. They meshed perfectly and the storyline was stressful in all the best parts (I had no idea that a cooking show could stress me out so much!). The childhood friends backstory was integrated well too, as was the second lead's history with the FL.

Even after they got together, I really liked the romantic dynamic that was still fun and allowed the better parts of their personalities to shine through.

It was about an episode after that, that things started to go downhill. The plot started inputting random tropes (spoiler: a kidnapping plot) and character decision-making (the FL especially, who had always been straight to the point), started to make no sense. Of course, there was an obligatory break-up, and for two characters that had begun communicating so well before, it all just felt very dramatic and forced. The sudden extreme of the plot really felt like they just pulled random tropes and inputted them into the story.

It got worse because they just dragged this out so long, until the end of the drama, where it felt like there were no obstacles for them being together, other than the female lead just saying no for no good reason, for reasons that they had discussed multiple times.

The female lead had always been a straightforward character, and a lot of that was lost. This isn't limited to the main ship either, but also to the second couple — but I was wondering why there were so many episodes dedicated to coming up with elaborate schemes to get people to meet coincidentally or be part of random competitions to trick them into getting together when they could just sit down and talk things out like normal people. There was basically no plot, just the ML chasing after the FL again.

While all this was happening, the second lead's personality started to shine through more, but there really wasn't time dedicated to his character or a full plot for him at all. There were a few side plots for supporting characters and while I don't really have a problem with that, I felt as though the acting was mediocre and the writing was not really fleshed out enough for me to even care about them or see how they were relevant.

All in all, there's still a sort of nostalgia when I watch something like this, especially because there's some over-acting and it made me cringe, as old dramas often do. All that aside, I still do like the set-up of the female lead. The second half, however, is probably something I'll purposely overlook.

Lire davantage

Heartwarming but...

I felt like the first half was a lot better — it was a lot of the main leads getting to trust each other, one of them being so used to be alone and the other thrown into a situation that just made no logical sense. Their dynamic was really cute and interesting, and this did stay balanced throughout the entire movie; I really loved that there were no stupid misunderstandings and that any issues they had with each other were discussed. I loved the acting for all the Woo-jins, and the cinematography was unique and worked really well.

With that being said, however, the ending just felt like a cop-out; it felt like it was very much created for the hopeless romantic, the one who believes that love triumphs above all. But for a movie I loved for its practicality, it was disappointing. All those times the movie brought up things that made me go "Whoa, I hadn't thought about that" and suddenly it was like they couldn't think of an answer and decided to just drop the subject altogether.

Lire davantage