Reviews

All in all, I feel this was a cute series and easy to watch. I enjoyed the humor and the chemistry between the leads. I did find it strange however, that I didn't really feel the chemistry until the much later episodes. It wasn't that they didn't have chemistry early on, but rather I had a difficult time reading into what they really thought of each other. The lines were pretty blurred. I couldn't really pinpoint the moment of realization for one of the leads. That doesn't really matter though. And it could be just me. Later on, everything became more clear and I could feel the chemistry through the screen.

So where do I get a meat pillow? This is what I want to know....

Leia Mais

I didn't watch the Taiwanese version nor read the original manga. If my review makes you want to advice me to watch the Taiwanese version or read the manga, I won't do it. So my review will be based on my real thought for the first time to watch this series. (^_^)v

The first thing that stand out the most is the 'packaging'. The 23 minutes duration reminds me of Korean web-drama, short with beautiful editing, scene transition, color correction and the backsound music, even this MARS were presented in such a 'kawai' frame. It's kinda rare tho finding this editing treatment.

In the opening of each episode, there is always a highlight caption or something like a synopsis from each episode. For example in the episode 3, it's said "Kira's important drawing gets plagarized. That painting gets circulated and a side of Rei that has never been shown before is seen..." ==> ( I hope this doesn't count as a spoiler ;-)
I don't think that kind of synopsis is necessary. Even though the sentence leaves some mystery, some how I feel like "oh in this episode the character X will appear, doing something evil to female lead and then the male lead will be her saviour". I already can draw the story right after the opening credit (-_-)>. I think those caption were added in order to makes viewers keep drawn with the story. It's just too bad that a short duration but the story already can be pictured in the beginning. After 2 or 3 episode I skipped the opening to ignore those caption, for me it's more fun without it, no big deal.

Fujigaya Taisuke is good enough to played Rei's character, he can pulled double side Rei's character well enough (in whisper mode: he's such ikemen tho so I'm totally fine with it XD ). He always wear necklace with feather chain, whenever I saw it I expected that necklace will be an iconic item in this drama, but my prediction was wrong, LOL. That necklace looks really appealing so I though it could be main lead's important or memorable item, like you know that kind of typical drama always put something iconic stuff to makes the story more meaningful.

Kubota Masataka is my second reason to watch this drama, and his character is the most I anticipated. At first his fashion really distracted me. He always wear loose outfit, fine with shirt or sweater, but his pants is totally disappointing and reminds me about first generation K-Pop boyband [Please somebody bring the scissor, my hands is so itchy wants to cut that pants XD]. Kubota Masataka played as Kirishima Makio who obsessed to Rei. This! this is my favorite side story. His hidden true character really the best one. Now I'm sure that he has awesome murderous expression. I praised the writer to write his character really well, especially in episode 9 and 10 where his character at its peak. Those two episode woke me up who almost fall asleep. It can be counted as a twist but the reason behind it is just really deep. *thumbs up*

Iitoyo Marie is a new face, but I feel uncomfortable to watch her in this drama. Her character was the main reason why my rating dropped a lot. She looks awkward to me, she keep bowing her head and folding her hands. It's true that Asou Kira is supposed to be a timid girl but I don't think she expressed it well. Even her character in this drama was a little bit off to me. Let's see, Rei and Makio has strong past story and bold character. Their past story were told in backflash so it feels make sense and I can understand their feelings. But not with this Kira. Kira's identity was introduced as "High school girl who has closed off her heart" (it appeared in every episode opening along with Rei and Makio) but her character didn't through my feelings, there is no backflash story about her (well it's not a must tho) and the main reason why she closed off her heart was untold clearly.

Sometimes I think why Rei just randomly picked an introvert girl as her girlfriend, their fateful meeting didn't strong enough to make him fall in love with her. So it makes me feel like Rei-Kira's relationship was a bit off. So in the end, this drama visually beautiful and fast. I'm looking forward on the next movie on how Makio character will develop.

Leia Mais

It's so easy for these kind of stories to end up feeling cheesy or clichéd, but this is not the case with Bara no nai Hanaya. The dorama is fresh and delicate, and touches upon various themes like family, friendship, vengeance, and kindness with the utmost sweetness and without too many pretences. Nothing in the story is ever exaggeratedly melodramatic or tragic, but it will make you cry nonetheless. Sometimes you will be happy-crying, sometimes you won't. But you can't help but shed a tear or two because the stories, the characters, the emotions - they're all real and will melt your heart.

I would explain the story but here's the great thing about this dorama: there isn't just one. Every time a plot closes, another one opens up. This makes the story flow beautifully and naturally, and keeps you wondering what will happen next.

The acting was amazingly well done, especially considering there's a child - the girl playing Shizuku - in the cast. Even the supporting cast was great. The only reason why I didn't give it a full 10 is because I don't think I liked Katori Shingo-san's acting in some places.

The music was perfectly suited for the dorama, and I suspect the ED theme will be stuck in my head for quite a while.

This is a beautiful, essentially human, family drama. It's a real gem worth watching, and I recommend it to everyone.

Leia Mais

This dorama here, will be the funniest thing you'll ever watch ......ok, if that's a little too much than still be sure that it will be there for a while and if not, go see a doctor.

This bizarre yet smart, over the top yet minimalist comedy has achieved what very few dramas can, it's cast enjoyed the show more than the audience and one can easily tell. There are scenes with the Konbini manager where the rest of the cast literally fights to hold off their laughter; oh how I wish I could watch the behind the scene footage (speakng of that, if anyone has any clue where to, pm me onegaishimasu!).

I didn't know any of the cast beforehand and that's sad, because I can never take them seriously ever. If you have nothing better to do (Heck! If you had, would you be wasting time here reading this?!), go watch this drama and remember,

'God is dead (Kamisama......shinda),
- Nii kun

Leia Mais

please don't waste your time by buying these types of dramas...there are really many good dramas out there....please don't fall for the ratings...
about this drama:
1.it is not up to the point.
2.slow (very slow) and boring screenplay.
.
it is a thriller detective (investigation) series..but the main story doesn't even concentrate at that type of plot..first two to three episodes may make you wander ..but after that it's just a normal, slow, boring love story between a detective and a graduate girl.....and even love sequences aren't interesting....total boring.....even if you have so much time to waste,please don't watch it...

Leia Mais

This drama has many very good aspects and it is thrilling to watch and to try to figure out who the Pied Piper is in the end (I guessed right). There is a lot of tension and action, so you do not get bored, which is definitely the best about this drama, along the good acting, especially imo by the reporter.

HOWEVER... in some other aspects this drama is insanely unrealistic. And I do not mean the overall story, which is great - the whole plot of revenge and everything. I mean many of the individual plots and scenes. Courtroom, police work, order of plans and many more border on fairytail. They are just so far off of normal procedure and what would be realistically done, that its impossible to overlook.
Then, the female lead, although well acted, is one of the weakest, unprolifically written female characters I have ever seen. They could not have made her more naive, believing in good, crying here and there, being always forigiving, and a tag-a-long. Gosh.
The finale felt very cheezy and at the same time oddly dissatisfying.

All in all I cannot give it a higher ranking. It's a good drama, but not outstanding, although I really appreciated the few plottwists.

Leia Mais

I absolutely adored this show. I love the reply series and I want to say that this one might be my favourite. I love how there is more of a family and friends theme in this one! The neighbourhood of Ssamsundong is a neighbourhood I've always wished I've grown up with: having close friends live right beside me, helping each other out and being a close knit family. The cast is wonderful! I just like the simplicity behind the series and how entertaining it was. It is a bit of a long show as it's usually an hour and thirty but I enjoyed every minute of it. It's the type of show that makes you feel like you grew up alongside the characters where you're just a part of the neighbourhood. I loved this drama, it's more than who the husband is (though the person I was rooting didn't end up being the husband). Overall the drama can make you go through a roller coaster of emotions and made me feel nostalgic in a time period I wasn't even born in.

Leia Mais

After years of being on my "on hold" list, and me being distracted by other dramas, I finally finished "Arang and the Magistrate" (Yay!). I guess technically this is a sageuk, but it's really more of a supernatural fairytale. There's romance, mystery, action, humor... There are ghosts, villains, and reluctant heroes... I am not familiar with the Arang folklore, or Jade Emperor mythology, so I was honestly confused at some points, but this really is a great drama, and I'm happy I revisited it.

First, I seriously heart Shin Min Ah. She's beautiful, and confident, and my ideal anti-damsel in distress. This makes her perfect to play Arang, a ghost who knows how to fend for herself, and is determined to solve the mystery of her death. I loved her after watching My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, and this character has similar qualities. She is matched with Lee Joon Gi, who I've never seen (Yes, I've never seen Iljimae), but they are pretty much a match made in heaven (pun intended). I was really impressed by him, and his throat clearing became my weakness. Their chemistry is amazing, their banter is super cute, and they look great together. Their relationship is definitely my favorite part of the drama, but the drama offers so much more.

The rest of the cast is filled with interesting characters. Kwon Oh Jung as Dol Soe is the best side kick ever, and perfectly matched with Hwang Bo Ra as the partially phony shaman Bang Wool - they were too cute, and their flirting was perfect comic relief. The supernatural characters were interesting. The villains had depth, although Kim Yong Gun was perfect at being absolutely evil. I was especially impressed with Kang Moon Young, who's bad plastic surgery (possibly mean, but true) boosted her creepiness, but she also played the role extremely well. There were no weak links in the cast, which helped make everything believable.

The story is pretty epic. It was mostly interesting, and filled with mystery, and twists, and just enough tragedy to tug at my emotions, but there is a point in the plot where things start to drag. The first time I stopped watching around episode 12, and now I know why. I was absolutely hooked and eager to watch the next episode until about then. Then the plot started to stall/lag a little. It's not that it was boring, not exactly, but I just became less eager to watch the next episode. There's also a point where characters, Arang in particular, started to frustrate the hell out of me. The story eventually ends, resolving every complicated plot point in a coherent way, which is worthy of praise, but I still never regained the excitement I had in the beginning. At least I think it was all resolved. I still may be confused about some parts honestly, but it felt resolved to me.

As much as I admired the cast, directing, and writing, I also have to applaud the soundtrack, and the costumes! I loved that the soundtrack. The soundtrack not only mixed genres well, but also incorporated the stars well... Lee Jun Ki's "One Day" is definitely swoon-worthy. I also don't normally pay attention to the costumes too much, even in sageuks, but I thought these were particularly good. I loved the ghost tattoo/mark, loved that each character had a signature look, and was particularly in love with Sato's hat!

Overall, I would definitely recommend this one. It may not make my favorites list, but it really has so many great elements that make it a kdrama classic. I even felt myself grateful that it was 20 episodes long, because around episode 16 I still wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to the characters. I could totally see myself watching this again too, the same way I would reread a good fairytale. It's certainly a memorable, and unique drama.

Leia Mais

What a great adventure this was!

When I started this drama I wasn't even sure if I'll like it or not. I haven't seen anything with the leads except for Jo Yoon Hee (The King's Face) and therefore had to get used to the male ones. First impressions were good but not overwhelming, though interesting enough to keep watching.

And man, was I glad I continued this one!

What about the story... It's basically about a small negotiation team that doesn't have much recognition from the public and has to kinda prove its existence every single time something happens. But it wouldn't be a kdrama if there wasn't a bigger story behind it - the story of Pied Piper. And here is where the impressive part starts. It's not necessarily the story itself but the way it was delivered that makes it so worth-watching. Step by step revelations and each of them just makes you more curious. Add a very captivating and skillful cinematography and incredibly top-notch actors to it, then your dessert may be served.

Shin Ah Kyun and Yoo Joon Sang were at their best (their interacting was purely epic) and I'm not exaggerating here. Their characters were wholly shaped by the writers as well as their development and growth during the drama. Jo Yoon Hee tried her best, too, but in the end couldn't keep up with them completely. But she wasn't bad either, just sliding out of the light sometimes which was kinda sad, imo.

As for the cinematography. I don't even know how to describe it the right way. It's just the way how single scenes are put together, underlined with precisely accurate music. The beauty of it just leaves you speechless and shocked at the end of an episode.

My rating's not a whole ten but don't be bothered by it. I for myself did find some tiny flaws and couldn't overlook them - as well as for some cases the team had to take on. Sometimes, they just seemed to be a bit overdone.

I still think this drama is underrated. There's even a message delivered that you can pick up - or not.

So, let me give you an advice: If you have some free time and are in need of a really good crime drama, start this one. It's worth its 16 hours.

Leia Mais