Reviews

I was very skeptical before I watched this, having read the manga AND watched the anime. How can a live action drama be better than the manga? I was surprised to find that I actually liked some scenes in this drama much better than the originals.

I was a little wary about watching it at first, because I had read that the characters were overacted, something I can't stand. However, I disagree. I think the acting was quite appropriate for the drama; the characters are supposed to be a bit exaggerated.

I easily connected the characters from the manga/anime to the drama. Which brings me to casting. I had a problem with Tamaki. The acting was spot-on, and I loved Yamamoto Yusuke in Hana Kimi - his character was one of my favorites. However, I couldn't get past his face, which didn't match up with my vision of how Tamaki should look. I also originally had a problem with Honey-senpai, but I grew to like his character a lot. Daito Shunsuke was perfect as Kyouya, who was my favorite character in the drama. Mori and the twins were great too. The drama is very short, and each episode is always something fresh and somewhat independent. It's hilarious and adorable.

I would highly recommend this, especially to anyone who has read the manga or watched the anime.

Leia Mais

What a cast! This is by far one of the cutest dramas I have seen, and my first KDrama. It's not the absolute best, but it has a very special place in my heart.

Park Shin Hye was great as both the fake and real Go Mi Nam. Her expressions were on point and she's great at emotional scenes as well.
I, like many, fell in love with adorkable Jeremy.
As much as I love Jung Yonghwa, his role felt a bit too lifeless. I think the fact that he was new to acting showed a bit. However, I liked Shin Woo over Hwang Tae Kyung. Although Jang Keun Suk's acting was perfect, the character was far from it. I felt that he was too harsh and I didn't like him a lot as a person.
However, all of the characters did have their moments.
I was also a little unsatisfied with the ending. I feel that if they had cut it off a few scenes earlier, it would have been perfect.

The music was another highlight, and the only thing that got a perfect score from me. It's been years, but I still sing some of the music from this drama - something very rare for me.

As much as I have criticized... The funny parts were hilarious. The melodrama wasn't too lengthy. The romance was cute. If only we could have seen more of the "real" Go Mi Nam.
I definitely recommend it if you want a lighthearted and sweet drama.

Leia Mais

This is one of the most touching stories I've seen. It's heartbreaking yet heartwarming, fun yet suspenseful. The acting from all characters is amazing.
At first, I was skeptical of casting Yoochun as Lee Gak, but now that I've seen it, I wouldn't have picked anyone else. And although there's great chemistry between the leads, I think the ones who take it away are Lee Gak's special 3-man team. They add bits of pep and adorableness that keep the drama from becoming too overwhelming. I personally loved Chi San's cheerfulness and Yong Sool's loyalty and compassion (and soft spot for Park Ha). The ending stunned me and is probably my favorite ending in a drama.
I also love that the story actually connects to a historical legend. It was well-thought-out and well-balanced. Not too much melodrama, yay!

Go watch it now.

Leia Mais

Did I really just give a full score?! YES!

Overall: This is one of the most intense, heartbreaking, addicting dramas I've watched. All in all, a truly amazing drama.

Story/Acting: I usually dislike too much melodrama, but this drama is on a whole different level.
Be warned: this is a tearjearker! I honestly don't cry much at most dramas, so if I tear up more than once, it usually guarantees waterfalls for others. Heck, my own mother only watched half an episode and she was bawling within 10 minutes. The realistic, yet surprising script, along with Kakazu Issei's fantastic acting are really what pull this along. He outshined the adult actors in this movie. I don't often find endings that satisfy me, but this one was great.

Watch it, everyone! I recommend this drama because it is very sobering. Among the many lessons this drama teaches, it helps you to re-examine the relationships in your family, and helps you realize that there is a story behind everything.

Leia Mais

I decided to post my brief review since nobody else had (also my very first?!).

Story/Acting: A pretty typical and sweet story about pursuing one's dreams.
Honestly, I watched this drama for Han Geng. The best part - what really saved it for me - was the relationship between the characters. Although most of them were a little bland for me, three really stood out: adorable Bo Ah, Xia Lei's stubborn daddy, and cocky but semi-decent guy Ding Xiao. Not to mention the scenes between Xia Lei and Momo. But if you're looking for romance, this is not the drama for you. The story occasionally bored me, and the ending was a bit flat. But it was a cute story about how dreams can be acheived through perseverance.

Music: Didn't stand out too much to me personally, but wasn't distracting either!

Rewatch Value: I don't usually rewatch dramas - especially average ones - so my score reflects that.

Would I recommend this? For Han Geng fans and people who have a strong dreams they are working toward, this might be an inspirational drama to watch. Otherwise, I wouldn't prioritize it.

Leia Mais

I surprised myself by enjoying this. Enjoyed the quirky character Seol Nae Il, enjoyed Shim Eun Kyeong in Miss Granny and now in this drama. (The story doesn't really say if she is autistic or exactly what her condition is). She was still lovely and fought her own demons in the drama but her character was pleasant and gifted I think I would have liked to see more about her background something other than her piano teaching struggles. As usual Joo Won was great. Character is talented, suffering from a phobia and the girl must rescue him as he rescues her. The usual cliches and NOT ONE KIss WTH. I'm deducting points for that. Lots of hugging though. Still the music was great and made me wish I too knew how to play an instrument any instrument by the time the drama was over. The Dean was fabulous, LOVED her clothes and style in this drama. The other characters I enjoyed as well, it was a nice story. Didn't dive into the supporting characters background just skimmed the surface. The characters were interesting and the scenery was beautiful even the school. There were no crazy girlfriends, or family member to distract you. Except for the occasional strict parents and teachers which is to be expected when you deal with shows on talented people but there were very likable parents as well who showed support. The focus was on the music and their experiences and gave a glimpse into a school that produces that type of talented people. Sped right thru the episodes without a problem and kept me interest. It's Likable and sweet. Nothing too fluffy and nothing that has you yelling at your screen.

Leia Mais

I just love the story.
Meteor Garden was the first Asian drama i have totally followed and watched and have loved the cast/actors. And at first, I was really hesitant to watch this drama back then when it was shown in my country. Since i was curious how it will be compared to MG, I said I will give a try at the first episode. But after the first episode, dang! I was really blown! I loved it already! it was interesting up to last episode.
They may not as good looking at first compared to MG actors and BoF but the cast have their charms to lure you to continue to watch. And every actor is like tailor-fit for the characters in the story. Each character convinces you or actually never made you think they were just acting out each scene.
I am really convinced the characters were meant for them.
Inoue Mao is by far the best for Makino role and Jun Matsumoto for Domiyouji role. They have the best chemistry compared to other versions. No wonder up until now rumours about them still come up from time to time. The other F4 members too, I believe had it been other actors to be put in that role, the story and it's charm will be different.
This is the best Asian drama for me now. And will always be in my heart. I have lost count already how many times I have watched this drama and the 2nd second season as well as the movie. And I am still for sure, going to watch it again when I feel like to.
I will always recommend it to first-timers to Asian or Japanese dramas.

Leia Mais

I absolutely love this drama

It broke my heart several times. I connected with it and found the relationships between the characters to be perfect for showing how everyone has their walls and boundaries. The things they keep hidden and the sides they want to show. I watched this years ago, loved the soundtrack and still listen to it today. I absolutely love the actors and their work in this show and if I could find a copy of the drama to buy I would own it!

A lot of people complain about how shows end and not being how they expect it to or want it to. I always enjoy a show for what it is and understand that this is how the producers wanted it to turn out. The ending to me was fun and light in comparison to some of the more serious aspects that went on during the show.

Overall, give it a try. I find it to be a wonderful gem in the taiwanese drama market. If you take into consideration that a lot of shows that make it to international audiences bank of the comedy aspect, this has so of that too.

Please enjoy!!

Leia Mais

When i started watching this drama i really didn't expect much. In fact ,being a japanese serie, i really thought that i would end up dropping it. I don't know what it is about jdramas but in most of them, al least those that i have seen up until now, the acting and the plots are in general ... how should i put it, well quite horrible. Something that i find quite bizarre because i love anime and i find them and japanese voice actors brilliant. But i digress.
The thing is that l liked this particular drama; a lot. I liked the actors performances ( Yamashita was interesting in the role of the naive, goofy but honest detective Saionji while the "just as you are, just as you are" phrase of Hiratsuka stuck in my mind for days) and i enjoyed the plots of every episode.
Was it the best detective drama out there? Probably not but it was very interesting, smart, at times quite funny and not boring at all. I would in fact look forward to the next episode and missed it when it ended.
If i had to rate this particular drama, i would give it an 8 in total and i would really recommend it. Other than that it all comes down to personal preferences. For me, it was a nice show ( taking into account that it is a japanese drama)

Leia Mais

Paradox.
My feelings for this drama are a big and bouncy paradox.
I'm not lying, this is one of my favorite korean drama but, at the same time, it's the one I hated the most!
See? That's a paradox. The cruel irony behind the love and hate for this story.
You can actually describe this story as “The most pain in the back love story of the latest centuries.”
It breaks my heart calling this drama like this but it's the sad truth.
The drama started so well and got me hooked by the very first seconds.
Two kids with both sad stories. Fell in love, a tender love, but some complications and tragics plot twists break them apart.
Ok, let's say it clearly.
When they were kids they were two adorable cupcakes.
But right after 5 episodes, they grow up and that's when troubles starts for me.
The main actress can make you fall from your chair while trying to drink some Belladonna and kill yourself because of her awful and exaggerated acting skills.
That's probably the reason why I don't like to watch a lot of korean dramas.
The huge amount of tragic and sad scenes meant to break your heart but,in the end, just make you ask for mercy because you just can't handle those pathetic scenes anymore.
I can't write spoilers, so I'll just try to let you know what “pathetic” scenes are.
Crying, crying every single time even when it's not needed.
Why do koreans cry so much in drama? That's a mistery to me.
Trying to take revange on a man for what he did ( or not did) when they were kids.
Kids get scared, it's not a fairytale so why being such a bitch with him for something ( something really terrible) that has happenend to you when both of you were SCARED KIDS?
But that's not the most stupid point here.
If you have watched this drama or at least you might had step on some spoilers you know that both Lee Sooyeon or Hwang JungWoo kept thinking about each other for the past 10 or 15 years.
When it comes to write down a character's personality I think that korean screenwriters shouldn't put tragic past on a character's life just to make you sympathize with her or him.
I'm not saying that tragic pasts are not allow but at least try to follow the string that connect the present and the past of a person without completely change it just because she's interacting with his “prince charming” ( let's call it like this.)
The female character is those kind of girls that had to handle with a terrible sequence of goings-on that traumatized her life. When she was a kid ( she was actually a 15 years old but to me you still a kid at that age), she had a really bad mother and she was living in a really bad and cruel surrounding. But, here it comes the prince charming.
The male character is a rich boy who might be living in a golden castle but has a rotten family.
A father, that is the real bad guy here but screenwriters just made you think that Harry Borrison is the cruel boy here, who loves is son just because he's the next head of the family. A stepmother who just think about her own child.
Both characters are alone somehow so they just became friends.
But korean drama's world have to be a really tragic and sad world, so something really terrible happened and they split.
So, why am I talking about their pasts? Because their past is the only thing that I liked about the plot.
When SooYeon grew up she tries to, just for two episodes though, take revenge on Jungwoo.
And ,let me say it again, it's a stupid and childish revenge. He was a kid, a kids get scared, as I said before.
But that's not the main plot.
Let's focus on the real thing.
The plot is actually complicated and intriguing but because of those two main characters I couldn't enjoying it so much.
People call it a love story, but to me this drama just make you see how “good characters” can be ignorant about some kind of mental diseases and be portrayed as “heroes” of the story.
I think that SooYeon's mother should have been punished too.
But, it's a korean drama, so this little thing just get lost in the middle of the drama.
But now, let's talk about the main star of this story.
Harry Borisson is, in my opinion, one of the best villains on the kdrama history.
Seungho had a baby faced beauty on that time. He was just a 19 years boy but he had to play a 27 or something man.
His character was the only one who was well portrayed here.
He's evil, mean, a psychopathic killer and a kind of stalker, obsessed with the female character.
Like all characters here , he sicks revenge for what they have done to him and his mother.
He's SooYeon's saviour but, even though she thanked him in the end, I still think that all this drama characters didn't really try to understand him and his actions.
There are three main victims here : Soohyun, Jungwoo and Harry.
BUT, screenwriters are as dumb as a donkey so they just made you sympathize with those two characters.
Harry is the bad guy but , God, he's a freaking victim too and 'till the end no ne tried to understand it.
It's a drama so everything is fictional but I still think that dramas have to stuck to reality as much as they can.
Here, you just spit fire for Harry sad story and sad ending.
All victims should have a happy ending, here not all of them had one.

Leia Mais

I enjoyed the movie. I love Shiwan's character so much. He's so cute and adorable and innocent. I feel like the two female characters are a bit selfish. They always get angry if a guy doesn't notice something about them and blame them for everything. GUYS are not MINDREADERS!!! I am a girl and if you don't communicate with your bf or any other person then how do they know what you like, dislike, how you feel? She communicates more with the phone and I would be pissed if my bf is texting some other girl about his feelings and etc. That is like emotional cheating on the bf part. I would consider it cheating. Overall I enjoyed the movie but I feel like this dating game has gotten out of hand and it's not real love that is genuine.

Leia Mais