Reviews

EXCELLENT! I enjoyed this courtroom comedy that also dealt with family, life & death.

I couldn't have wished for a better cast for the quirky characters in this wonderfully written Mitani Koki film. Nishida Toshiyuki was perfect as the 421-year old samurai. Abe Hiroshi was in top form whether he was tap-dancing or lying in a hospital bed. Other standouts for me were the peppy Eri, Nakai Kiichi, Asano Tadanobu & Kohinata Fumiyo.

I felt that the movie was incomplete when it ended. Luckily for me, I continued watching through the credits & the dangling/unfinished feel was set right. Even at 142 min runtime, I'd definitely rewatch this!

Leia Mais

[Warning: long review]

This isn't just a show. It's a story close to life; a story of great moral value and lessons to be learnt. This is an amazing journey through the eyes of a man who can be similar to many of us at some point in our lives. And I believe many people, including myself, have come out of this journey a better person. The below is more an in-depth review more for people who've already watched the show, but if you are curious to what exactly is so good about the show, feel free to read on, since there are no big spoilers in this review.

The story is simple enough; Ken is a shy guy who never managed to express his love to his childhood friend, Rei, and now he is attending her wedding to another man. A fairy pops up to grant Ken the ability to correct some regrets of his past so that hopefully he will face an improved situation in the present. The idea of time-travel seems to contradict the idea of the show being close to life; if you think about it, however, everyone faces some regrets of action or non-action in the past; time-travelling back to change these is an ability we always wanted, and we simply see Ken doing what we wished we could do. These timeslips create a blueprint in the show which becomes obvious very quickly; in fact it is so faithfully replicated that the show is always in danger of becoming repetitive. However, each episode is executed masterfully such that the repetition doesn't become tiring; it instead gives the viewer a standard framework from which to view the characters, their story and the outcome of Ken's actions, making them seem all the more clearer and connected to the present. More importantly, you get to see Ken's gradual emotional development through the series. It is argued by many watchers that this format isn't the best way to present the show due to the repetitiveness; but for me it possesses a mesmerizing charm and cuteness that endears me to the show.

The characters are excellent, and I totally mean it when I say that. Many shows out there create characters to suit the story, which results in disjointed personalities and actions that seem out-of-character in some scenarios; ProDai is one of the rare few that have wholesome, complex characters whom you get to understand and relate to as the story progresses. It is as though the story is written to suit the characters, which is how real life works; this makes the show so much closer to life. Sometimes, it even angers the audience when they see how stubborn a person's personality in the show can be, because at times the show simply stagnates when Ken cannot bring himself to change the past; to me however, this is also one of the charms of the show, the rigidity of personalities is just so like life. Nevertheless, the genius scriptwriters have churned out enough twists and turns in the story to keep it interesting throughout, and effortlessly blended in moral lessons which never seem to be forced into the story (something J-doramas are bad at). Most importantly, the show was brought to a complete end, albeit an open-ended one, which was satisfying for most, but completely amazing for me.

Acting is top class as well; vintage performances are seen from Nagasawa Masami, Hamada Gaku and Mikami Hiroshi, as well as of course the star of the show, Yamashita Tomohisa. His acting isn't particularly fantastic, but he gave his character a personality unique to himself; he became Ken, Ken became him. In all, his was an absolutely memorable performance. The OST is another highlight of the show, with BGM that is always at the right places, at the right time, and invoke heavy doses of emotion and goose-bumps that really bring the show up to another level. Who could forget the inspiring themes of Rising Road and Hallelujah Flash, and their rearranged emotional renditions that play in heart-tugging scenes? The ending theme, Ashita Hareru Kana, and the insert Chiisana Koi no Uta are, well, I don't think I have to say more. Personally I have Ame Agari (translated as 'after the rain')as my favourite as well, because of the scenes that it plays in, and the meaning of the song towards the show: after the rain, sadness will vanish and everything will start anew.

With all that being said, the show has its flaws as well. Particular aspects that stuck out include the lack of development in one of the main characters, Mikio, and the convenient shafting of Tada, portrayed as the guy everyone hates but really, is just a good man fighting for his own love. Even so, I give the show a 10. I have to admit that I'm biased in the score and in this review; but it is really because I love the show so much. My advice is really to follow the show in its entirety, indulge in the characters and feel the fun, the anguish, the anxiety, and the exhilaration in the show. And most importantly, learn from it, and I promise any watcher that it will be a enjoyable and memorable journey for you as well.

Leia Mais

I started watching this because it seemed like a nice short series to watch, and if that's what you're looking for it is. It was funny, cute, and just plain adorable. I loved the acting. I had never before seen a drama with Jung Ill Woo, even though I had heard great things about him, and was he was a terrific actor. In fact the acting overall was amazing. I loved the music because it was simple and cutesy which is what this entire drama was up to a point. I enjoyed the story, I liked the idea of where it was going, but towards the end I got disappointed.

Something so simple and cute went crazy and out of control (I call this the "Boys Before Flowers Effect" if you've ever seen that drama) Too much happened from what there was, and some of the characters disappointed me. The ending at least for me was rushed and sloppy compared to the rest of the drama which contained some excellent climaxes and was directed very well.

If you're looking for something simple and light to watch just for laughs or just because you have nothing else to watch, then I recommend it highly. If you are however looking for an intense, thought-provoking, rapid plot, this isn't something you should be watching right now, even though I do recommend it be watched at least once, just to experience the humor.

Leia Mais

If you develop a need to finish this out of curiosity, SKIP EPISODES 11-15. If you don't I PROMISE you'll regret it. This drama becomes really disappointing after episode 10, which is a shame because the first 10 episodes are really funny and entertaining. The main problems are that NO COUPLES KISS IN THE ENTIRE SHOW (how realistic is that?), and a really weak/pathetic/meddlesome/infuriating character gets way too much screen time (Cha Mi Rae). The first half of the show is mostly comedy, the second half is COMPLETELY DEPRESSING and strained. I had to force myself to finish it. The ending was so WEAK. You've been warned..

Leia Mais

So, I recently finished watching Love Rain and I really liked it :)
I really liked the story, I just didn't like how it dragged on and on in the last 4-5 episodes. That's the only minus I have in the storyline overall.

The cast was great, especially the main actors. YoonA surprised me with her acting. She did a nice Kim Yoon Hee, but I really loved her as Ha Na. Jang Geun Seok was also amazing. The difference between In Ha and Yoon was a great one and he did both of them perfectly. The supporting cast also, almost everyone played double roles with a lot of difference between the two, and every actor did a great job.

The music, ah yeah, the music. The music was really sweet and cute. I have downloaded the OST immediatly and there is only one song I dislike. I also really like the fact that there are two versions of 'Because it's You', one for In Ha and Yoon Hee and one for Yoon and Ha Na.

As I said in previous revieuws, I dislike rewatching drama's, because I already know the story. This one also, has a very memorable story. When I would rewatch it, I wouldn't enjoy it anymore because I already know what's coming.

OVerall, I gave this show an 8/10, because I really, really enjoyed watching it and I only had minimal points that I dislike. I would highly reccomend this to anyone who hesitates to watch this!

Leia Mais

I really consider this drama to be a true classic. A light-hearted, cute and hilarious rom-com...and yes it's cheesy but in the ABSOLUTE BEST WAY! :)

I was very impressed with the acting in this drama, although I wasn't much of a fan of Park Si Yeon's performance. Even so, Lee Dong Wook, Lee Jun Ki and Lee Dae Ha played their roles brillantly, with not a single bit of disapointment. Especially Lee Dae Ha's character....she was just the funniest, spunkiest and the most mischievous female lead and I enjoyed every minute of her craziness! I love how she gets that grin on her face when she's up to no good. Totally adorable. >.< LDW and LJK were great eye-candy and YES they can act! :P I sincerely loved ALL the characters so much and felt myself going through the same emotional roller coaster they were going through as the story progressed.
I had no problem with the storyline either. It might seem cheesy to some but I thought it was unique and wacky enough to grab your attention and pull you in for the ride. The only thing that really stopped from giving this drama a 10 overall was the romance between LDW and LDH. It would have been perfect if they had just a little bit more UMPF! in their relationship. :PPP

The OST is also a bit on the cheesy side but that didn't stop me from singing along with it. Really, it's contagious! XD

Oh and another thing about "cheesiness" in general....some people really seem to hate it, so I'd like to close with my favorite line from the movie Ratatouille to address this issue.
"Once you muscle your way past the gag reflex, all kinds of possibilities open up." So, there you go....EMBRACE THE CHEESE! :D

Leia Mais

What a great drama. It took me awhile to watch this drama because I couldn't help but keep comparing it to Rooftop Prince but I should've watched it sooner. It is so different from Rooftop Prince. Rooftop Prince was more comedy but this was more serious. I regret ever comparing these two because they are very different and both are very good.

Although the story was kind of complicated in the beginning and it took awhile for me to understand things, when I finally understood what was happening I couldn't stop watching it. Love the story so much because it was well written. The acting in the drama was great and the chemistry between the two main leads was perfect for the story. Well I guess it wasn't just acting seeing how they are dating each other in reality now. They are so cute together!!!

It took me two days to finish the drama. I am sad though because I finished it so fast but what can I do? At the end of every episode I just wanted more. Love the drama and it was fun to watch. Don't watch this drama with the expectation of it being similar to Rooftop Prince because they are very different. It was a great drama!!

Leia Mais

I watched this movie in school when we were talking about buddhism. I think it captures the general idea of the religion pretty good and makes it easier to understand.

The acting was good, the actors seemed really into their roles and I found nothing off.

The music was nice and fit the movie, I actually remember it which is rare.

Overall I found the movie pretty boring, but that may be because it was in school. It drags a little but has interesting and even funny scenes, too. At least my classmates were laughing at times..

It definitely has sad scenes, though. Some things are hard to understand, but I felt with the characters, pitied them somewhat and some things were a little disturbing, too.

If you want to understand buddhism better, this is a movie for you. Otherwise it's not something I'd recommend to watch "just for fun". :)

Leia Mais

I just finished watching this drama in KBS. I have mixed emotion really. I agree with the other review (Jeaniessi) on this one. The 1st part of the story is really good. I was actually getting into it already but somehow at the end part it felt flat. I don't know. Also, the leading actors (Jang Geun Suk & Yoon-a) just don't have that 100% chemistry that I'm really expecting. As an audience, they haven't moved me the way I wanted to be moved (if you know what I mean). I just want to feel the emotions just wanted to really feel like I was the character but I didn't get there. I love Jang Geun Suk in "He's Beautiful" much, much better compared to this one, I would say.

I just wished the end part was written with more substance or whatever.

Leia Mais