#all in all its a great drama that i recommend!! i rated it 8.5/10 and i havent rated a drama in a while so that says a lot

[mengyan]

watching ajtl is like being told that you will be kicked down the stairs of a 500 story building, accepting that you will be kicked down the stairs of a 500 story building, then getting kicked down the stairs of a 500 story building, screaming crying and throwing up while tumbling all the way down, and finally arriving at the bottom to get a pat on the shoulder and a bandaid that says "congratulations for surviving" 😊

[somegirlsnerdywords2]

Favourite Anime 2020

1. Fruits Basket 2nd Season (Rating: 10/10 - 25 Episodes - Spring 2020)

Genres: Slice of Life, Comedy, Supernatural, Drama, Romance, Shoujo

Synopsis: A year has passed since Tooru Honda began living in the Souma residence, and she has since created stronger relationships with its inhabitants Shigure, Kyou, and Yuki. She has also grown closer to the rest of the Souma family and has become familiar with their ancestral secret, having helped them with many of their personal issues. The closer Tooru gets, however, the more she begins to realize that their secret holds a darker truth than she first presumed. Summer is approaching and Tooru is invited to spend her days with the Soumas, mainly Kyou and Yuki. Tooru wishes for an easy-going vacation, but her close relationships with the two boys and the rest of the Soumas may prove to cause trouble. As they grow more intimate, their carefree time together is hindered by older hardships and feelings from the past that begin to resurface. The Eternal Banquet also dawns on the members of the zodiac, and they must tend to their duties alongside the unnerving head of the family, Akito Souma. With the banquet approaching and a plethora of feelings to be solved, will Tooru's life with the Soumas remain peaceful, or will she find herself in a situation from which she cannot escape? [Written by MAL Rewrite]

2. Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun (Rating: 10/10 - 12 Episodes - Winter 2020)

Genres: Comedy, School, Shounen, Supernatural

Synopsis: The famous "Seven Wonders" that every school seems to have are a staple of Japanese urban legends. One of the most well-known of these tales is that of Hanako-san: the ghost of a young girl who haunts the school's bathrooms. Kamome Academy has its own version of Hanako-san's legend. Rumors claim that if one successfully manages to summon Hanako-san, she will grant her summoner any wish. Lured by the gossip, many people have tried to call upon her, yet every attempt has failed. However, when Nene Yashiro, a girl hoping for romantic fortune, dares to summon Hanako-san, she discovers that the rumored "girl" is actually a boy! After a series of unfortunate events involving Nene's romantic desires, she is unwillingly entangled in the world of the supernatural, becoming Hanako-kun's assistant. Soon, she finds out about Hanako-kun's lesser-known duty: maintaining the fragile balance between mortals and apparitions. [Written by MAL Rewrite] 

3. Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shiteshimatta... (Rating:  9.5/10 - 12 episodes - Spring 2020)

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Fantasy, School

Synopsis: Most people would prefer being the protagonist of a world full of adventure, be it in a game or in another world. But, unfortunately, a certain girl is not so lucky. Regaining the memories of her past life, she realizes that she was reborn in the world of Fortune Lover—one of the games she used to play.

Unfortunately, the character she was reincarnated into—Katarina Claes—is the game's main antagonist, who faces utter doom in every ending. Using her extensive knowledge of the game, she takes it upon herself to escape from the chains of this accursed destiny.

However, this will not be an easy feat, especially since she needs to be cautious as to not set off death flags that may speed up the impending doom she is trying to avoid. Even so, to make a change that will affect the lives of everyone around her, she strives—not as the heroine—but as the villainess.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

4. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 2nd Season (Rating: 9.5/10 - 12 Episodes - Summer 2020)

Genres: Psychological, Drama, Thriller, Fantasy

Synopsis: A reunion that was supposed to spell the arrival of peaceful times is quickly shattered when Subaru Natsuki and Emilia return to Irlam village. Witnessing the devastation left behind by the calamities known as Sin Archbishops, Subaru sinks into the depths of despair as his ability to redo proves futile. As the group makes their way to the Sanctuary in search of answers, Subaru has an unexpected encounter with the Witch of Greed—Echidna. Subjected to her untamed rhythm, he is forced to dive into the spirals of the past and future. At the same time, several mysterious threats set their sights on the Sanctuary, heralding a horrific fate for the hapless people trapped within. Everlasting contracts, past sins, and unrequited love will clash and submerge into a river of blood in the second season of Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu. Pushed to the brink of hopelessness, how long will Subaru's resolve to save his loved ones last? [Written by MAL Rewrite]

5.Chihayafuru 3 (Rating: 9.5/10 - 24 Episodes - Fall 2019 Leftover)

Genres: Game, Slice of Life, Sports, Drama, School, Josei

Synopsis: Winning the high school team tournament was a great accomplishment for the Mizusawa members. Each of them has made great strides in improving themselves, and the victory symbolizes how far they've come. But after accomplishing one goal, their individual aims are within reach. Chihaya Ayase has her sights set on Wakamiya Shinobu and the title of Queen, and now that Taichi Mashima has made it into Class A, he can finally compete against Arata Wataya. Everyone in Mizusawa wants to get better, and there's no telling what the future holds if they keep trying. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

6. Boku no Hero Academia 4th Season (Rating: 9/10 - 25 Episodes - Fall 2019 Leftover)

Genres: Action, Comedy, Super Power, School, Shounen

Synopsis: After successfully passing his Provisional Hero License exam, Izuku "Deku" Midoriya seeks out an extracurricular internship with a professional hero agency. At the recommendation of his mentor All Might, Midoriya lands a position under All Might's former sidekick, Sir Nighteye, now a famous hero in his own right. As Midoriya's classmates further their own abilities through various internships, up-and-coming villain Kai Chisaki utilizes his terrifying powers to gather favor in the criminal underworld. Known by the moniker Overhaul, Chisaki's ambitions collide with the League of Villains and its leader, Tomura Shigaraki. Through his work with Sir Nighteye, Midoriya discovers Chisaki's crime syndicate and the villain's hostile relationship with a mysterious young girl named Eri. Fearing for the child's safety, Midoriya and his upperclassman Mirio Toogata must work together to put an end to Chisaki's reign of terror. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

7. Haikyuu!!: To the Top 2nd Season (Rating: 9/10 - 12 Episodes - Fall 2020)

Genres: Comedy, Sports, Drama, School, Shounen

Synopsis: Karasuno enters into the second half of Nationals with brand-new opponents: Inarizaki High. The long-standing powerhouse team includes a few familiar faces, namely Miya Atsumu. Named Japan's "best high school setter," Miya previously rubbed elbows with Kageyama at the All-Japan Youth Intensive Training Camp. Karasuno will have to overcome a setter that outranks their own, and Atsumu's twin brother is on the team, too. (Source: ANN) 

8. Haikyuu!!: To the Top (Rating: 8.5/10 - 13 Episodes - Winter 2020)

Genres: Comedy, Sports, Drama, School, Shounen

Synopsis: After their triumphant victory over Shiratorizawa Academy, the Karasuno High School volleyball team has earned their long-awaited ticket to nationals. As preparations begin, genius setter Tobio Kageyama is invited to the All-Japan Youth Training Camp to play alongside fellow nationally recognized players. Meanwhile, Kei Tsukishima is invited to a special rookie training camp for first-years within the Miyagi Prefecture. Not receiving any invitations himself, the enthusiastic Shouyou Hinata feels left behind. However, Hinata does not back down. Transforming his frustration into self-motivation, he boldly decides to sneak himself into the same rookie training camp as Tsukishima. Even though Hinata only lands himself a job as the ball boy, he comes to see this as a golden opportunity. He begins to not only reflect on his skills as a volleyball player but also analyze the plethora of information available on the court and how he can apply it. As the much-anticipated national tournament approaches, the members of Karasuno's volleyball team attempt to overcome their weak points and refine their skills, all while aiming for the top! [Written by MAL Rewrite]

9. Kakushigoto (Rating: 8.5/10 - 12 Episodes - Spring 2020)

Genres: Slice of Life, Comedy, Shounen

Synopsis: Kakushi Gotou is a somewhat popular manga artist whose works are known for inappropriate content. Because of this raunchiness, when his daughter Hime was born, he vowed to keep his profession hidden from her, believing that she will be disillusioned if she finds out. This paranoia-induced belief leads Kakushi into hectic situations. Despite being a single father, he does his best and often resorts to extreme ends just to protect his secret, such as guising as a salaryman every day or holding emergency drills in case Hime somehow finds her way to his workplace. Kakushigoto tells the story of a father and daughter living side by side, maintaining their peaceful existence as the father attempts to preserve the status quo. However, there is a saying: "there are no secrets that time cannot reveal." In time, Hime must learn the reality behind the things she took for granted as she grew up. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

10. Fire Force Season 2 (Rating: 8/10 - 24 Episodes - Summer 2020)

Genres: Action, Supernatural, Shounen

Synopsis: After his confrontation in the Nether with his younger brother Shou, Shinra Kusakabe's resolve to become a hero that saves lives from the flame terror strengthens. Finding a way to turn the Infernals back into people, unraveling the mystery of the Evangelist and Adolla Burst, and saving his mother and Shou—these are the goals Shinra has in mind. However, he has come to realize that attaining these goals will not be easy, especially with the imminent danger the Evangelist poses. The Evangelist's plan is clear: to gather the eight pillars—the individuals who possess Adolla Burst—and sacrifice them to recreate the Great Cataclysm from 250 years ago. Having been revealed by the First Pillar that the birth of a new pillar is approaching, Shinra is determined to protect his fellow pillars from the Evangelist. Thus, the fiery battle between the Special Fire Force and the Evangelist ignites. Together with the Special Fire Force, Shinra's fight continues as he uncovers the truth about the Great Cataclysm and the nature of Adolla Bursts, as well as the mysteries behind human combustion. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

[theres-a-goldensky]

BL Show Review Series - 2Moons + 2Moons2

The next shows I am going to review come with some confusing context that made me nearly skip it altogether. That would have been a shame, because they quickly became some of my favorites. The shows are 2Moons and its sequel-reboot-thing 2Moons2.

Disclaimer that these are my own opinions, and I don’t know where the BL community as a whole stands on these shows. If I disliked a show you loved or visa versa, no disrespect is intended! 

MASTERLIST OF BL SHOW REVIEWS

2Moons Rating: 7.5/10

2Moons2 Rating: 8.5/10

So when I first heard about this series, it was with the caveat that the sequel was better than the original. I also heard that there was a whole different cast, so I was under the mistaken assumption that it was an anthology series similar to the HIStory franchise. When I tried to watch 2Moons2, while I enjoyed the characters and the plot, I was turned off by the pacing. The whole thing felt way too rushed, and I gave up midway through episode three.

Then I tried 2Moons, and you can imagine my confusion when it was a different cast, but the exact same characters and story line. I finally did some research into it and discovered that 2Moons was meant to continue with the original cast, but due to contract disputes or blah blah something who cares, the entire show was re-cast for series two. Then to ease fans of the original into it, the first four episodes tell a condensed version of series one. 

So while it’s true that you could just watch 2Moons2 and get the whole story, I believe it’s definitely worth it to watch series one first. The story line, which I felt was so rushed in series two, gets room to breathe in series one. If you enjoy slow burn with lots of pining and sexual tension, you’ll have fun with series one. 

The cast in series one is excellent as well. Very different from their replacements, but I found it interesting to see the way that the two sets of actors told the same story. 

2Moons

The biggest problem with series one is that, well, there’s no problem. In fact, there’s really no plot at all. It’s a story about Yo, who has a crush on Pha and follows him to university. Then, against the backdrop of the Stars and Moon competition, they get together over 12 episodes. That’s it. Literally nothing else happens.

You might think that the competition itself would create some drama, or at least some plot, but no. Yo rehearses and plans his musical performance, but he never seems particularly bothered about winning, which means that you as a viewer aren’t bothered either. In fact, they telegraph early on who is going to win, and then that person...does. And no one really cares. There’s no conflict at all. The setting is an excuse for the characters to interact and go to the beach. 

There aren’t any villains or antagonists either. Yo and Pha each have a rival love interest, but neither of them provoke much more than brief jealousy on an otherwise very smooth road to Yo and Pha getting together.

But this simple love story is still very fun. It’s like cotton candy: sweet and pleasant and so easy to swallow that you don’t even need to chew.

(left: Wayo, right: Phana)

Bas, the actor who plays Wayo, has the sweetest face, something that they comment on several times in the story. Much of the heavy lifting in getting you to care about the main relationship is done by him. 

Yo is supposed to have changed so much over his final year of high school that he’s nearly unrecognizable to people who knew him. Then, in both series, they show flashbacks, and it’s just the same cute kid, but with glasses. As I watched, I couldn’t help brainstorming ways they could have made him look different. Braces maybe? A different hair style? Some fake pimples? Whatever, roll with it for the sake of an entertaining story.

The character of Pha is a bit of an empty vessel in series one. He’s needlessly rude for reasons that aren’t at all explained. He is dim enough not to know Yo when he sees him, even though HIS NAME IS YO and he has the same best friend that he did in high school. But shh shh we are rolling with it. It’s fine. He is very handsome and has a great smirk, but his acting isn’t great. 

(left: Ming, right: Kit)

Copter and Kimmon made me love the relationship between Ming and Kit. Their spin on it was adorable, and the extra time afforded in series one meant that their dynamic has room to grow. We see more little scenes between them, in addition to the big ones that are included in the series two retelling.  

(left: Beam, right: Forth)

Forth and Beam get very little to do in series one. You can see that they were saving that for series two, so we’ll never know about the actors’ chemistry with one another. The actor who plays Forth did a fine job, but he seems a bit miscast. Forth is supposed to be a bad boy character, but they made him look like just a handsome, friendly, helpful guy. But again, he didn’t get a real chance to shine, so there’s no way to tell if he could have pulled off his bigger scenes in series two.

2Moons2

As I previously mentioned, series two suffers in its early episodes due to its breakneck pacing as it speeds through the retelling of series one. However, if you pair this with series one, then your mind can fill in the blanks that those four episodes leave out and let you enjoy watching the new actors tell the story. 

But after that, when the series takes on new material, is when it really comes into its own. With Yo and Pha’s story almost complete, the focus shifts to Ming/Kit and Forth/Beam for the last half of the episodes. That’s how this series moves into the top tier for me. All three relationships get equal weight in the plot, and all of them are equally as compelling. 

(left: Beam, right: Forth)

Forth and Beam’s plot doesn’t start until episode seven, but when it does, it comes in like a freight train. Despite minimal interaction before that, after episode seven, I was all in on that ship. Phoom, who plays Forth in this iteration, definitely better suits the part. They give him a neck tattoo and the actor looks more like the bad boy that Forth is meant to be. 

Dome has the most freedom among any of the cast. Beam had so little to do in series one that he gets a clean slate to make the character his own. His Beam is the most difficult character on the show. He’s stubborn and weirdly prescriptivist in his opinions on relationships. For instance, one of his arguments about why he and Forth can’t be together is that they are the same size? Like, bro, what even?

(left: Ming, right: Kit)

Ming and Kit remain my favorite couple in series two. There is a moment when Ming puts a finger on Kit’s lips that made my heart actually stutter inside of my chest. It doesn’t hurt that Joong, the actor who plays Ming, is a 100% certified dreamboat. His Ming is very classically handsome and effortlessly charming. He follows Kit around like a puppy looking for a pat on the head. Kit never really stands a chance.

And speaking of Kit, Nine’s portrayal of him is as this fierce spitfire who is secretly soft on the inside and afraid to trust Ming’s feelings for him. And he has fantastic hair. Plus, Kit wearing glasses is an absolute mood, and it is a travesty that the show didn’t give us more of it.

(left: Wayo, right: Phana)

Lastly are the main characters of Wayo and Pha. Ben, who plays Pha, is so much better in the role. It might be because he’s given more to do, but his Pha has personality and charisma. It’s easy to see how he would be chosen as the Campus Moon. (Though I can’t imagine what he or Forth did for the talent portion of the competition. Is competitive brooding a thing?) 

Earth, the new Wayo, plays up Yo’s naivete and nervousness in a way that made sense considering what his character goes through by the end. It would have been nice to see him stand up for himself a bit though. Instead, he needs Ming, Pha, and the Angel Gang to fight his battles for him. Also, his ability to rock a pink outfit is truly unparalleled.

And the ending? I mean, if the choice is between what happened to Yo or a character being raped (looking at you, Love By Chance), then I’ll pick this option every time. Doesn’t stop it from being a bit silly and over dramatic though. 

I would highly recommend both series, and I am very much looking forward to 2Moons3.

And if you’re interested in fanfic, I put together rec lists for multiple BL shows including this one that can be found here and here.

MASTERLIST OF BL SHOW REVIEWS

(Send me an ask if you have a show you’d like me to review - with the understanding that I will be completely honest - or if there’s anything you think I forgot or got wrong in this review.) 

[overthinkingkdrama]

Hi! So, I’ve just recently gotten into K-Dramas, and... I have a small issue, and that is though I LOVE them in the beginning, by the end they always disappoint me? Like, they start lighthearted and fun, and then by the end suddenly everyone’s in mortal peril, and I don’t care? Or they start all fantasy, and then it’s all about the romance in the end? So... Could you possibly recommend me ones that are good, or tone consistent, throughout? Please?

Hi! Thanks for dropping by for recs. These are some of my favorite asks. I just love going back through my watch list and finding dramas that fit a given criteria. It gets more fun the more dramas I've seen.

The thing about Kdramas that makes them a uniquely sticky beast is that many of them are live-shot week to week, at least for part of their run, and often the scripts are not fully written before filming begins. Popular Kdramas will also occasionally receive extensions which can cause further pacing and plot issues and (sometimes) cause a story to sputter out entirely. With the increasing prevalence of entirely preproduced dramas there's been an increase in overall drama quality and consistency in past years. That being said, Kdramas are still a decidedly mixed bag in terms of overall production quality. So it pays to either drop things with extreme prejudice if you stop enjoying them and watch widely, or to have a good drama filter friend (like me!) to give you vetted recs. As a genre a lot of the more "classic" feeling dramas have a tendency to start really light hearted and then swing super dramatic in the latter half. That's something I occasionally like, but lucky for you not all dramas are like that!

Your ask doesn't really tell me what genre of Kdrama most appeals to you, so I went through my list and tried to find you wide a variety of dramas that I think of as being well-paced and tonally consistent throughout. I've also tried to limit myself to dramas that I rated highly on MDL, although my primary criteria was "good and tonally consistent" so this list of dramas is kinda all over the map. But then, so are my tastes. Also, I kinda got the impression from your ask that you're not a fan of the uber-melodramatic side of kdramas and you want something a little more restrained and less soapy, so I tried to steer away from those more makjang dramas but did not entirely succeed, lol. I gave a couple sentences of description so you can more readily narrow down what you're interested in, and if you would like a more thorough review of the dramas some of these have full reviews on my blog which I went ahead linked where they exist.

Age of Youth: A well written slice-of-life ensemble drama about a group of 5 college age women who end up boarding together. There are a couple moments of high drama/trauma toward the end of the show that might be a turn off. But other than the finale the tone is consistent. 9/10 

Arang and the Magistrate: A dark fantasy fusion sageuk with a romance. I included this drama because it does a good job of developing the creepy worldbuilding and fantasy throughout. Though at points it can be a bit slow and the special effects are hella cheesy. 8/10

Argon: A tight, journalism driven suspense drama. Not always my genre but I found it very engaging, and at eight episodes it does not overstay its welcome. 8/10

Be Melodramatic: Another female-centric slice-of-life ensemble drama, though with an emphasis on fourth wall breaking comedy and clever dialogue. Very funny and heartfelt.  8.5/10

Cheese in the Trap: Maybe a controversial inclusion, but I very much enjoyed this drama. A slice-of-life college romance with psychological thriller elements. Some critics felt that the drama focused too heavily on the second male lead in the later half of the story, but YMMV. 8.5/10

Coffee Prince: Classic cross-dressing romance and still probably the best of its kind. A wonderfully nuanced and progressive handling of the subject matter, even after 13 years. Deals with serious subjects but doesn't go too melo with it. 8.5/10

Children of Nobody: My best of 2019, a dark psychological thriller about a child psychiatrist and a police detective who have to confront gray morality while attempting to track down a serial killer who only targets unrepentant child abusers. 9.5/10

Ex-Girlfriend Club: On the lighter side, a friends-to-lovers type romantic comedy about the writer of an autobiographical webtoon who has to figure out a way to get along with a group of his ex-girlfriends to make a movie based on his work. Only 12 episodes. 8.5/10

Go Back Couple: Also only 12 episodes (these shorter dramas tend to be better paced I find) a time-slip drama about a divorced couple who get the chance to relive their twenties and end up realizing they still have feelings for each other. This drama is both very funny and it had me bawling on multiple occasions. 9.5/10

Healer: A favorite of a lot of drama fans, this is an action-focused romance about an awkward soft boy with a secret identity as a highly skilled errand boy to criminals and an intrepid tabloid reporter who is his biggest fan. This drama is pretty tropey, but it's fun and the romance is great. 8.5/10

Hello Monster (aka I Remember You): A police procedural with a background love line about a criminal profiler looking for his lost brother and a detective looking for her father's murderer. One of my personal favorites. 10/10

Hit the Top (aka The Best Hit): A time-slip fish-out-of-water comedy about a 90s pop star who winds up in modern day Seoul and ends up befriending his biological son and meets old friends who his disappearance left in the lurch. 9/10

Incomplete Life (aka Misaeng): A realistic office drama that gave me real world work anxiety, focusing on a failed Go player who winds up an intern at a highly competitive shipping company and has to find a way to earn his keep even without the background and college education of his coworkers. Unbelievably well done ensemble drama. 9/10

Just Between Lovers: A romantic melodrama about two people whose lives were irrevocably changed by a tragic mall collapse that nearly killed them as children, meeting again as adults and finding comfort and healing in each other. A rough sit at times, but a wonderful love story with incredible acting. 9/10

Just Dance: High school, slice-of-life, drama about a dance club in a technical high school and a group of working class kids who reluctantly become involved in this club and befriend each other. Only 8 episodes (or 16 thirty minute episodes, depending on how you recon it.) 8.5/10

Life on Mars: Remake of the British show of the same name, this is a surreal time-slip police drama, about a forensics expert who gets shot in the head and wakes up in 1988. Or does he? He could also be dying on an operating table. It's hard to tell. Dark, suspenseful and trippy. 9/10

Matrimonial Chaos: An off-beat comedy about two dysfunctional couples who become inescapably mixed up in each others lives. One that's having a hard time getting divorced and another that's having a hard time getting married, and all the messy weird emotions that go along with that. This is another one of those, makes you laugh/makes you cry throughout dramas I have an affinity for. 9/10

Moment of Eighteen: A heartfelt high school drama about a straightforward but awkward loner who is forced to transfer to a new school, immediately earns the ire of a powerful student and experiences first love. Not my usual thing, but very well written with complex and likeable characters. 8/10

Mother: A cold and socially isolated woman becomes a temporary teacher and upon discovering one of her students is being severely abused and neglected, decides to pose as the child's mother and go on the run with her. Like Children of Nobody, this can be a bit of a rough watch because of the subject matter but it is very well done. 9.5/10

My Mister: A healing, human drama about a structural engineer in his 40s and a debt-ridden young woman in her 20s who end up crossing paths and saving each other from a miserable existence. My current all time favorite drama. Cannot say enough good things about it. Practically perfect in every way. 10/10

One Spring Night: A very restrained and naturalistic slow-burn romance about a woman who is about to get married and suddenly begins to question her relationship and a single father who had given up on love who find themselves irresistibly drawn to one another. 9/10

Prison Playbook: An ensemble slice-of-life drama centered on prisoners and correctional officers in their day to day lives. I find the actual het romances in this drama totally useless, but it's a large and talented cast playing a variety of lovable characters. 8/10

Psychopath Diary: Recent fave. A screwball black comedy about a mild mannered pushover who loses his memory and finds a diary that convinces him he's a psychopathic murderer, which gives him a huge boost of confidence from his new found identity, much to the chagrin of those around him and the actual owner of the diary himself. 8.5/10

Queen In Hyun's Man: A drama about a Joseon scholar who time travels to modern day Seoul and meets an actress who just landed a part playing the queen he served in the past. This one might be on the border line of too dramatic or tonally inconsistent, but it's got one of the most pitch perfect finales in Kdramas and the 45 min episodes keep it a snappy watch that doesn't drag or meander too much. 8/10

Reply 1988: A late 80s nostalgia drama about a group of families who all live off the same alley. Lovely family drama, comedy with a variety of romances. Long ass episodes especially later in the run, but I have rewatched the whole thing and I loved every minute of this show. 9.5/10

Save Me: A dark drama about a young woman who finds herself forced into a dangerous cult by her family, and is desperate to escape, and a group of 4 local young men who try to help her. One of the more unique and well done OCN thrillers. 9/10

School 2013: High school ensemble drama that launched a whole bunch of careers. In general I avoid school dramas (I know there have been three on this list so far, but those are like the only three, lol) but this show got me so invested in all these students and teachers. Also the two male leads are so shippable. 9.5/10

Secret Love Affair: A romantic melodrama about a piano prodigy from an underprivileged background who catches the eye of a married older woman and the two fall into a passionate affair. This drama involves cheating (obviously) but it's beautifully filmed and written and the music is to die for. 9.5/10

Signal: This is a supernatural crime thriller and a perennial favorite in the Kdrama community. An imbittered criminal profiler finds an antique police radio which allows him to speak with a police detective 15 years in the past, and uses this to crack cold cases and try to prevent brutal crimes from ever happening. 9/10

Six Flying Dragons: This one is a bit different from the others on the list, first of all because it's a more traditional historical drama, and secondly because it 50 episodes long. But it is so, so very good. And if you're looking for overall consistency in terms of storytelling and tone this drama has it in spades. 9/10

SKY Castle: A unique melodrama about a group of affluent competitive mothers who will go to any lengths to get they're children into the best medical schools, and a mysterious school coordinator with shady motives who gets brought in as a ringer to give them an edge. This show is kind of hard to sell but very entertaining and watchable. 7.5/10

Stranger (aka Secret Forest): The story of a stalwart prosecutor who, due to a childhood trauma is unable to feel the full spectrum of emotions, works with a bighearted police detective to root out corruption around a series of murders. This one’s rather cerebral and requires your full attention but the leads are amazing and there's a second season coming out this year I'm very much looking forward to! 9/10

The Nokdu Flower: Another sageuk drama about the latter years of the Joseon Dynasty surrounding three people who fall on different sides during the Donghak Peasant rebellion. Incredibly well written and involving historical drama. If you're not sure you're ready to commit to something like Six Flying Dragons, I think this would be another good entry point into the genre. The acting is amazing. 9/10

The Smile Has Left Your Eyes: A romantic melodrama and psychological thriller about a dangerous enigmatic young man on the cusp of becoming either a human being or a monster. He becomes involved in a fraught relationship with the sister of a police detective at the same time her protective older brother begins to focus on him as the prime suspect for a murder. High key moody and tragic if you're into that kind of thing (I am). 9/10

Touch Your Heart: On the complete other end of the drama spectrum, this show is pure unadulterated fluff, which managed to keep me giggling and swooning throughout the run, even though it's typically not my thing. An actress joins a law office as research for a role and falls for the ace attorney she's assisting. 8.5/10

WATCHER: Another OCN thriller about three different people with shady motivations who are connected to the same murder case and become involve in a corruption task force looking into dirty cops. One of those "trust nobody, everyone's a suspect" dramas with lovely complex characters and a fully engaging plot. 8.5/10

Sorry that got so out of hand! This is what happens when you don't give me a little more direction I guess. These are all dramas I quite enjoyed and I believe you will find something in there that will suit your fancy. This is a pretty accurate cross section of my tastes.

Happy watching!

Jona

[vilen--h]

Winter 2019 Anime Rating and Reviews

A bit late with this list but finally it’s here.

1. Tate no Yuusha no Narigari/The Rising of the Shield Hero

My rating: 8.5/10

This gets the highest rating from me because isekai is always one of my favorite genres and this anime is one of the best out there even if it’s not as good as animes such as Overlord. However, I warn you, if seeing injustice in shows irritates you, this one will definitely manage to piss you off for a while. The art and animation are very good and the main character and his companions are well-written. The battles are also beautiful and well animated. Highly recommended.

2. Yakusoku no Neverland/The Promised Neverland

My rating: 8/10

Don’t be fooled by the cutesy art style! This is Made in Abyss all over again. It’s dark and monsters lay ahead! Promised Neverland has twists and surprises waiting for you at every corner. The art and plot are both good and different and the characters and story are well-written with more than enough suspense to help you enjoy it until the last minute.

3. Dororo

My rating: 8/10

With a unique and creative plot and pleasing art style, beautiful color pallet and an amazing story telling, Dororo makes the top 3 on my list. Not to mention it has one of the best opening AND ending songs this season. Highly recommended.

4. Mob Psycho 100 II

My rating: 7.5/10

Mob psycho II wasn’t as great as the first season unfortunately but it’s still Mob Psycho! With its unique art style and animation and epic fight scenes. The opening song doesn’t dissapoint and it’s almost as good as the first season’s.

5.Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai/Kaguya-sama: Love Is War

My rating: 7/10

I didn’t enjoy the first few episodes at all but I’m glad I gave it a chance to the end because this anime is a smart, great comedy with a beautiful art style and animation. It’s also interesting to see a side character (Fujiwara) steal the show from the main characters. She’s definitely one of the funniest and cutest female characters I’ve ever seen. The opening music (and animation) is very beautiful and never fails to hype me up!

6. Doukyonin wa Hiza.../My Roommate is a Cat

My rating: 7/10

A very cute and relaxing anime you can watch in your spare time. In every episode, the story is told from both the cat’s and the owner’s point of view and I found that very entertaining. In general, I don’t think they get everything about cats right but if you’re a cat owner like me (or even just an animal lover), you can probably relate to most parts to some degree which makes the anime an even better comedy.

7. Domestic na Kanojo/Domestic Girlfriend

My rating: 7/10

A love triangle drama shounen! Another entertaining and funny anime full of awkward moments for the characters and just enough suspense for a comedy to make you want to continue watching. Obviously there is a lot of fanservice so if that’s not your cup of tea, you were warned.

8.Boogiepop wa Warawanai/Boogiepop and Others

My rating: 6/10

An anime with a lot of wasted potentials. There are many problems with this anime, the biggest one of them being the over explanation of everything by dialogues without ACTUALLY helping the audience understand ANYTHING. So you can imagine there is a lot of monologues and dialogues being exchanged, except they’re vague and just unnecessary! Cut them off and it changes nothing about the plot. The few first episodes are just going to leave you confused but if you decide to give it a chance like I did, it starts to get better at around episode 8 and becomes more interesting, especially because you get to see more action instead of characters just rambling. Boogiepop is not a bad anime but I feel like it could have been a lot better. It’s still worth watching and the action and suspense are very good. I must add, it has one of the best opening songs this season and also the best soundtracks in general.

[ctl-yuejie]

Short reviews no one asked for 13/?                                                       陈情令    The Untamed

China                         Tencent 2019

                                                  _______________________

After a period of violent fights between cultivation sects the world finally finds peace with the death of the feared Yiling Patriarch Wei Wuxian (Xiao Zhan). 16 years later rumours of his return unsettle the fragile balance once again as mysterious occurrences start to increase. Lan Wangji (Wang Yibo), once a close friend to Wei Wuxian and second young master to a prominent cultivation sect, and the suddenly oddly behaving son of the Mo family, Mo Xuanyu, team up to uncover the truth of past incidents.  Based on 魔道祖师 (The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation).

ah...this one turned out to be not so short after all. please excuse the length I had 50 episodes to consider while still feeling emotional about the series

things i wish had been better: while hitting most of my favourite tropes this show sadly also abounds with my pet peeves. the cgi is overall what i expect from the average chinese tv series but they definitely could’ve done better. some of it might have looked better without the bright lightening and glossy filter over the whole series to make it look more gritty and to cover up any shortcomings. some effects were very beautiful but they failed with the most important ones: the dancing goddess, the Xuanwu of Slaughter and the Nightless City. these scenes have to be on point in order not to throw the viewers and keep them emotionally immersed. especially Nightless City was a combination of badly shot fight scenes, cgi and music that didn’t do the scenes importance justice. the wigs are a standard complaint for me in chinese perdiod/wuxia/xianxia drama, especially the side-burns never look right and it bothered me because the overall costumes were great. for a show in which music is so important and instruments can be used as a weapon i was disappointed, but not surprised, by the lack of sync between acted out instrument playing and the music (just get doubles, please!). i also had issues with the sound mixing of the dub and while the overall music was great the orchestral piece for Nightless City didn’t do it for me. this might be caused by my western analysis of music, but it sounded like something akin to russian expressionism and socialist realism (which is so weird I might have to do a proper analysis) which didn’t fit the scene in my opinion. some of the editing and camera choices were questionable, with some shots evoking thoughts of a sit-com while what well choreographed fights there were, suffered from not getting shot properly with no help of the cgi.

things i absolutely adored: everything else!!! I was so afraid of the life action because I adored the novel and not only was I pleasantly surprised, it exceeded my expectations. the casting choices were overall perfect, especially the two main leads are marvelous. the show isn’t an exact adaptation of the novel but all the changes were well thought-out and they managed to keep the original feeling of the novel. they made intelligent cgi choices at times, eg. not showing the paper puppet technique during the yi city arc and instead using cgi that looked both badass and convincing. despite maybe some confusion at the beginning (which is standard for chinese tv series i’ve found) the world-building was great, the landscape shots and some other shots have beautiful cinematography and the pacing was overall really well done. i have to commend the script writing of the show which allows the story to shine to its full potential and had very well written dialogue. each characterization was beautiful and you could feel the amount of work and love that went into it. the voice actors did very well, i fully forgot that it wasn't the actors speaking because they matched so well. the costumes were also a highlight. despite my aforementioned issues, the soundtrack and instrumental bgm is really good with both traditional instruments as well as renditions of themes with classical instruments (some great usage of oboe, cello and bassoon). most importantly: the relationship between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji was so beautiful it hurt and they really toed the line of getting taken down by censorship and staying truthful to the gay romance. i cannot commend the production team enough for this.

Rating: 8.5/10

Recommendation: Watch it! This series finds itself at the perfect cross section of adventure, mystery, comedy, xianxia and romance & the gay love is palpable 

find the series with english subtitles on wetv, youtube and viki

i am super tempted to do a review for each episode because i have so many thoughts on this show but that might become annoying word vomit so for now i leave it at this

[that-shamrock-vibe]

Movie Review: Rocketman (Spoilers)

Spoiler Warning: Even though it’s almost a month since the movie’s release, I have only just seen the movie. However, if you still haven’t seen the movie and want to go in fresh (without knowing Elton John’s history) then don’t read on until you have.

General Reaction:

Well this was an interesting biopic, I may even say revolutionary if not for the fact that I saw Bohemian Rhapsody last year which this movie is definitely going to be compared to both stylistically and in terms of its two focal characters who were in their time contemporaries.

Now stylistically, they are similar because of the fact Dexter Fletcher directed both movies, with Bohemian Rhapsody being his original brainchild but then being called back to take over from Bryan Singer after his behind the scenes drama came to light. But you definitely felt Fletcher’s directorial styling here from the scenes shot to the way the scenes were shot.

Also when you consider both Elton and Freddie had very similar stories, from the rock and roll lifestyle to the substance abuse and homosexual influences, the two are definite icons despite Mercury not wanting to be known as one.

There is also a great missed opportunity, considering everyone is trying to do a cinematic universe these days, in having a biopic cinematic universe combining Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody by at least even having Rami Malek appear in this movie as Freddie Mercury or having John Reid being at least portrayed by the same or a similar actor. As contemporary as Aidan Gillen and Richard Madden are, Madden is at least Scottish as Reid is, whereas Gillen is Irish and therefore played the character as Irish in Bohemian Rhapsody. Also Madden played the character a lot more psychotically than Gillen played him despite Madden being a younger version of Gillen’s portrayal.

The only problem this movie has, aside from the comparisons to Bohemian Rhapsody, is the fact that the movie doesn’t seem to take as many risks as Bohemian Rhapsody took. While the substance abuse and homosexuality were both explored in both movies, for the most part of Rocketman it did seem as if Elton’s hardcore downward spiralling was simply a retread on all the rock and roll downward spiralling that has come before, from Freddie in Bohemian Rhapsody to Bradley Cooper in A Star Is Born.

That’s not a criticism to take away from the brilliant movie that Rocketman is. From the great injection of Elton John’s back-catalogue, to the production of the performances that Bohemian Rhapsody missed by the way, I mean yes it depicted the stage performances that Queen put on but with Rocketman it really let you into the mindset of Elton John and, particularly with a couple of songs, almost felt like an Elton John music video.

I also feel there is going to be another overlook in terms of acting because of the high certificate rating the movie has which blocks out the younger age demographic. With an R-Rating in the U.S. and a 15 rating here in the U.K, younger generations who may not be as educated to Elton John as those born in the noughties and above.

There is also a great differentiation from the two biopics as Rocketman attempts at least to tell Elton’s story through flashbacks, with the movie starting with Elton’s admission to rehab and explaining his life to the group and the story starting to play out in that way, before being dropped around 1/3 into the movie to focus on the typical biopic formula.

I do think this movie is screaming for a sequel of Elton John in his later years, because this movie spends its entirety spewing the message of Elton never being truly loved yet doesn’t delve into the fact that Elton’s life came up roses and he got married and had kids. Instead the movie ends with him just coming out of rehab and while it was a positive note it wasn’t quite the uplifting ending that Bohemian Rhapsody had for Freddie.

Cast:

Speaking of the cast, Taron Egerton is at times the spitting image of Sir Elton, while at the same time giving very 90s Jim Carrey vibes in the best way possible. I really enjoy Taron as an actor, I feel he is very undervalued particularly with his work in movies such as Kingsman and Eddie the Eagle and now with this I hope he gets similar recognition as Rami Malek did for Freddie because he really deserves it for this.

Kit Connor and Matthew Illesle also do great jobs as the teen and child Reggie respectively, with Illesle apparently being the spitting image of the real-life Elton as they compared movie and real-life images in the end-credits of the movie.

Jamie Bell and Richard Madden are equally as great as each other. I am thrilled to still see Bell acting from being a child star in Billy Elliot. But with Richard Madden it is the first time I have actually hated a character of his which obviously is the point of John Reid here but you don’t expect to hate Robb Stark or Prince Charming.

Bryce Dallas Howard is almost unrecognisable in this movie unless you were to focus on her features. But she does a great job as Elton’s very distant mother with some real drama coming from an actress I didn’t feel had it in her.

Gemma Jones, Sharon D. Clarke and Tate Donovan are also standouts in the movie as Elton’s mother, AA counsellor and Troubadour nightclub owner respectively.

There’s also a great cameo from Leigh Francis aka Keith Lemon as a shoe salesman who sells Elton his winged sneakers, it was very fun to see him in this.

Songs:

Alright so, because I am not as big an Elton fan as I am a Freddie fan, there is only a handful of Elton songs I know. Fortunately, all of them are used in this movie as well as some songs I have never heard.

My favourite unheard song was “I Want Love”, possibly because of the poignancy or circumstances around the song, but it really got to me. My other favourtie songs were “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)” and “I’m Still Standing” but almost all of the songs had me toe-tapping from time to time.

Recommendation:

If you are a fan of Elton John then this is a great movie for you. If you love a movie that ties in fantastical and grounded elements then this is the movie for you. If you simply want a somewhat feel good movie combined with a dramatic story then this is also the movie for you.

Basically if you want to see a movie but don’t know what to see then go and see this movie.

Overall I rate this movie an 8.5/10, I would have loved to have seen the grittier side of Elton’s life being more gritty or unique to the story but other than that I really don’t have any complaints. It’s a charming story with some memorable scenes and great music.

So that’s my review of Rocketman, what did you guys think? Post your comments and check out more Movie Reviews and other comments.

[kim-lexie]

august favorites.

OH MY GOODNESS i am realizing at the end of september that i never did post this. well dang it’s better late than never.

 it is once again time for another rewind. i am starting my new job as an official registered nurse, so i packed in as many movies and dramas as i could into the start of the month. and i am still watching a few on-air dramas that i am loving. 

music. 

BTS answer comeback. these boys really came for my heart when they gave us the full versions of my fave vocalists songs. this whole album was incredible and i am so proud of them. i am hoping to make this its own post bc i cannot contain all my feelings in this rewind with regards to BTS answer. our boys were just so freaking extra in this mv, and i loved every second of it. 

power up by red velvet. of course we got the red side to red velvet. the first listen it was an ‘oh no no’ but now whenever i hear that ba-ba-na-na it just gets me up and dancing. gotta love everything and anything these girls do!

we go up by nct dream. these boys be sneaking into my nct bias list. i seriously fell in love with this song upon first listen. it is a bop and i am so freaking in love with this song it is on every and any playlist i have. that line distribution though 10 out of 10! they are all such little cuties and i love them with my whole heart. lil precious beans.

just look at mark in his last comeback with nct dream. *tear*

there were so many stellar stills in this mv, like everyone be looking like a model having the time of their lives. example a:

astro. like anything and everything. i have officially decided to stan these 6 precious boys. and i am so happy that i did. all of their songs are great, and i appreciate their fresh vibe. 

killing me by ikon. these boys like seriously never chill. they are always coming at us with those hardcore bad boy vibes. seriously such a bop and i love screaming these lyrics, and that breakdown has such a drop and it’s incredible.

bobby once again slayed my existence. just look at this man.

and can hanbin just chill, like ever. he is coming for me and my bias list. 

dramas & movies. *spoiler alert*

little forest. i loved this film. it was very relaxed and passive. it was a snapshot into hye won’s life. from the countryside to city, back to her own little forest. it was a lovely dynamic film, it was calming and the OST was on point. it was all about the little joys of life and finding her own harmony and place in this world. i really loved the relationship between her and jae-ha. since the ending was ambiguous which is exactly what i expected from this indie film, i hope that it was her long awaited mother’s return. and that she ended up with a happy ending being with jae-ha. i rate it a 9 out of 10. 

this film made me realize how much i missed ryu jun-yeol! the last thing i watched with him was reply 1988 and that was waaaaayyyy too long ago! i also love kim tae-ri as i am currently watching mr. sunshine and she is a fabulous actress. adding her to my favorites list!

a werewolf boy. this one was interesting. a new take on the beauty and the beast fairytale. i appreciated the acting from both my faves song joong-ki and park bo-young. it was great to see the origin of these talented people. i also loved seeing the bad side of one of my faves in the reply series, yoo yeon- seok. if only they could have been happy together. he was only protecting her. i enjoyed seeing their relationship develop. this was a great film, i loved the whole premise of the flashback from the grandmother, so titanic. the waterworks really hit in the end credits as he was making the snowman, which was the book he was to read to her once he learned to talk which he was able to do 6 decades later. i rate this a 9 out of 10 i loved it~ uwu

one of the many moments i bawled my eyes out.

architecture 101. this was a great film, and i can see why it is such a highly recommended kmovie. i enjoy a good flashback second chance romance. there was a lot happening in this one, and lines to follow. i love seung-min’s personality, he was so sweet and kind to her. jung-suk my man, i loved him in my annoying brother and he did not disappoint in this one. the ending was real ambiguous, and i don’t appreciate. it definitely was not one of those make you feel good romantic movies. so they both let go of their first love in the end, and he ran away to the states and she ran away to jeju. great communication in this film, no repressed feelings at all. (i hope everyone can sense the sarcasm in that statement) it was truly a recipe made in drama heaven. i rate this classic a 7 out of 10. 

come and hug me. i loved this drama, i had to wait a while for it to come to standard subscription viki but it was worth the wait. of course, there was childhood trauma and seriously scary scenes that i was not expecting from the cute and misleading instagram clips that i saw of the two main leads. but i kept with it and i would give this drama an 8.5 out of 10. the child actors that they got to play the younger versions were absolutely incredible and their skill, talents, and abilities surpass that of the typical child you see in dramas and i was continually blown away by them.

[miragerules]

The 15 Best Current TV/Streaming Series

Well we are closing in on the end of 2017 and with most series having had or are soon going to have their mid-season finales I thought I’d update what I believe are the best current TV series airing or have ended this year.  Now I don’t watch a ton of television as I have not seen Outlander, Legion, The Man in High Castle, American Gods, Star Trek: Discovery, Runaways, and among others that people have recommended to me.  Anyway here are in what my opinion are the best current TV series.

1.  The Expanse: Some have called The Expanse “Game of Thrones in space”, and it does have some of the same vibe, but The Expanse has surpassed Game of Thrones as the best show on TV or streaming.  Through two seasons, The Expanse has been excellent with a detailed mostly realistic compelling story about the near future with a diverse cast of characters with interesting stories that brings each characters journey to life, beautiful effects, a wonderful soundtrack and some intense action. For more read Brian Tallerico of the Rolling Stones article Why ‘The Expanse’ is the Best Sci-fi TV Show You’re Not Watching.

Rating: 10/10

2. Westworld: Westworld is based on the sci-fi western novel by Michael Crichton and film starring Yul Brynner.  Jonathan Nolan brother to Christopher Nolan and creator of the underappreciated and excellent Person of Interest created the series.  Westworld brilliantly expands on the ideas and concepts from both Crichton’s novel and the film delivering a thrilling and mysterious story that stars the likes of Anthony Hopkins, Jeffrey Wright, Thandie Newton, James Marsden, Thandie Newton, Ed Harris, and Tessa Thompson.  

Rating: 10/10

3. Black Sails: Black Sails has officially come to a conclusion with the wrapping up of the excellent fourth and final season this past April.  Black Sails through four seasons took audiences on somewhat of a historical look at the life of pirates in the Caribbean during the early 18th century. The writers delivered compelling characters helping the audience root for these criminals even though we shouldn’t, and the writers didn’t hide from showing the good, the bad, and the downright ugly that was the life of a pirate.  Unlike any other film or show Staz’s Black Sails showed the viewer what it was like to be a pirate.  Obviously there was the violence, action and nudity that helped make the show great, but really it was the stories, and characters that made Black Sails so good throughout its four seasons

Rating 10/10

4. Game of Thrones: Game of Thrones though out its seven seasons has always been excellent, but this past season with its shortened season had some issues mainly with continuity and plot holes.  What I mean is that time and distance seem to have no meaning this past season.  I know Westeros is a long continent from north to south, but why has it taken so long for the White Walkers to get to the wall. Another is how even though it just seemed like a day or maybe two did the Dothraki go from Dragonstone (at least that is where the Dothraki were at the time) and cross all of Westeros in what seemed like a day.  Yes, Westeros is short from east to west, but not that short across.  I loved the battle and the scene of Jamie charging at Daenerys on horseback, but thinking about how Daenerys and the Dothraki just does not make sense.  These are still minor criticisms in what is otherwise an excellent show with just one more season left.  Sadly, it sounds like we are going to have to wait to early 2019 to see who ends up sitting on the iron throne if anyone.

Rating: 9.75/5

5. 12 Monkeys:  The final season of 12 Monkeys is coming up in 2018 with its fourth and final season, and from how quickly the Scfy channel aired season 3 the network will be happy to see the series go.  Scfy may be happy to see the series go, but that doesn’t change the fact that 12 Monkeys is one of the best shows around.  The show is obviously based on the Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt starred film with the same name.  Only the series follows James Cole and Cassandra Railly as they travel through time trying to stop the rise of the group The 12 Monkeys and stop the plague that nearly wipes out the human race from happening.  The series has some outstanding writing, and action sequences, but perhaps one of the best elements of the show is the friendship/relationship between James and Cassie.  Their relationship is most likely going to be doomed, but is beautiful to watch thanks to that acting and chemistry of actors Aaron Stanford and Amanda Schull.

Rating: 9.75/5

6. Godless: The first of four Netflix shows on this list.  Godless is technically a mini-series so it won’t be on a similar list like this next near, but Godless is still a compelling series neither the less. Godless mainly takes place in a small mining town of La Belle where the majority of its men died in a mining accident leaving the women to run the town.  The series follows the lives of Roy Goode, Alice Fletcher, Bill McNue, and the antagonist of the series Frank Griffin played brilliantly by Jeff Daniels. In modern Hollywood, westerns are a risk, but thankfully, there is a streaming service like Netflix that took the chance and writer/director Scott Frank who brought Godless to life with a compelling story, riveting characters, great cinematography and some great action sequences.

Rating: 9.75

7. Jessica Jones:  Technically Jessica Jones wasn’t on air this past year, but season one was excellent and the second season is premiering in early 2018.

Rating: 9.5/10

8. Daredevil: Like Jessica Jones, Daredevil wasn’t on air this year, but the first two seasons were great and the third season probably premiering in late 2018.

Rating: 9.5/10

9. Rick and Morty:  I know most wouldn’t expect an Adult Swim cartoon to appear on a list of the best shows on TV or streaming, but Rick and Morty is the exception to the rule.  What Dan Harmon has helped to create with Justin Roiland is truly something special as Rick and Morty is one of the most funny, tragic, complex and fascinating cartoons….no Rick and Morty is simply one of the most funny, tragic, complex and fascination shows on TV or streaming.

Rating: 9.5/10

10. The Punisher: The Punisher could have easily failed as a series with the climate we live in today with all the gun violence and mass killings in the United States today, but Netflix’s The Punisher is pretty much a rousing success that’s mainly thanks to Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle and Steve Lightfoot, and the rest of the writers that shied away from glorifying violence and guns.  There are many elements of the series that are good from the story and relationship between Frank and David Lieberman and between Frank and David’s family as well as the action sequences, but for me one of the best elements of the series was the growing friendship between Frank and Karen and the will they won’t they vibe.  Sadly, we don’t get enough of the two, and I am hoping for former and Frank and Karen end up getting together and the writers steer away from so-called “canon” when it comes to Karen from the comics.

Rating: 9/10

11. The Shannara Chronicles: Like The Expanse, The Shannara Chronicles is a show very few people watch and judging by the ratings on Spike I doubt the series will get a 3rd season, but through two seasons The Shannara Chronicles has been great.  The Shannara Chronicles series is loosely based on the fantasy novels by Terry Brooks, and you’d think with the first season airing on MTV and the second on Spike that there wasn’t much to the show besides a simply story and hot characters getting it on and you would be wrong. Yes, the series follows the formula of the fantasy genre, but The Shannara Chronicles has a fascinating cast of characters, a pretty well developed story, and some good set pieces for the obvious limited budget the series has.  I highly recommend everyone check out the series.

Rating: 9/10

12. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Rating: 9/10

13. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Rating: 8.75/10

14. The Orville: Going into the series premier with Seth McFarland staring I thought The Orville was going to a half hour Sci-fi comedy after all McFarland is the mind behind Family Guy, The Cleveland Show, American Dad, and Ted, so I was pleasantly surprised when The Orville turned out to be much more than that.  McFarland’s The Orville is an hour-long sci-fi dramedy.  The first season does have some issues mixing comedy with sci-fi drama, but overall McFarland with the rest of the cast and the writers do a good job with mixing the two elements creating a fun and compelling hour-long series that honors Star Trek.  

Rating: 8.75/10

15. South Park:  After what is now, 21 seasons you’d think South Park would end up like The Simpsons in that South Park wouldn’t be funny anymore and only relying on their name and nostalgia for what they once were, but South Park continues to be a hilarious show.  This past season Matt and Trey Parker tried to move away from the season long story, and focus from episode to episode.  You can tell Matt and Trey are just as frustrated with the current state of affairs in America and dealing with Trump/President Garrison as the rest of us as often times they didn’t know what to do in each episode or tried to cram to much in a single episode, but the two handled it well.  The best episodes of the 21 first season were "White People Renovating Houses", "Holiday Special", "Doubling Down", "Super Hard PCness" and the season finale "Splatty Tomato" that introduced us to the conservative White family and the hilarious use of the term “Thank god for the whites”.

Rating: 8.5/10

Honorable mentions: The Big Bang Theory, Arrow, The Gifted, Brooklyn Nine Nine, The Defenders, Iron Fist, and Lethal Weapon.

[mioreviews]

Fire Force Season 1

[ Anime / Action Drama ]

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Anime Websites

Rating: 8.5/10 

Sorry this took me a while! This anime was recommended to me so many times, so here we go! In short, Fire Force is about Tokyo in the Year 198 where Special Fire Forces, a group of fire users, fight off a phenomenon called Spontaneous Human Combustion where people randomly turn into living infernos. Meanwhile, we follow the journey of Special Fire Force Company 8 and the uncovering of why this phenomenon is happening.

Nicely paced plot. There are slower points, but I think it picks up again perfectly before it gets too boring. The plot is very intriguing, and the second season was set up really well.

Great characters. Characters are all unique and lovable. The mature ones are very respectable, but there are still plenty of comical moments as well.

Action. Plenty of fighting and action scenes. The fire users’ action scenes were cool to watch.

The fictional lore is intriguing. I don’t think this lore has any connections to history or mythology, but it is intriguing nonetheless. The author made sure there was a great origin backstory, and I appreciated it.

As for why I rated it an 8.5/10…

A “typical action series”. There are many “basic” action anime elements to this series. Underdog, anime fan service, characters realizing their true potential, that one super overpowered character. There are some unique additions, but the backbone does seem very basic if that bothers you.

Not much character development. By the end, some characters did become stronger as time passed, but their personalities are exactly the same from the beginning. Nothing really changed besides them getting closer to their goals. I would’ve loved a heartfelt maturation moment here and there.

Plot holes. The concept is cool, but what? The entire purpose of this series is to figure out the how and why, but there is a lottt that isn’t explained. 

Overall,

‘Fire Force’ may seem a little “basic” but still had its own charms to stand on its own. The backbone of the series is pretty basic, but that isn’t uncommon for new series. Even with its plot holes, the characters’ motivations are very personal and everyone loves a good underdog story. Plenty of action scenes, a wide variety of characters (who all have their own backstories), trying to do right by the world, the pursuit of justice, the love of family and friends. It’s a great series that got me really pumped for season 2!

[daydreamer0078]

10 Best Netflix Series of All Time that You Shouldn't Miss

10 Best Netflix Series of All Time that You Shouldn't Miss

I think it's the perfect time for you to binge-watch Netflix series. You know what I'm talking right haha ! Netflix has become one of the best streaming services since it has providing good quality content for the audience. There are tons of series and shows on Netflix as well as movies. You may don't know what to watch now and might get confused which is the perfect series to watch right away. Don't worry, we've listed some of the best Netflix series you can watch. Among all Netflix shows, there are 10 Netflix series that you shouldn't miss. While you're at home, you can watch the following series. I think once you start watching them. You may binge-watch because of their gripping screenplay and content. We've listed out best 10 Netflix series of all time you must watch. Let's have a popcorn tub and watch the series ;) :

10.The Crown

( Image credit: Netflix) Seasons: 3 Episodes: 41 IMDb Rating: 8.7/10 Cast: Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, Matt Smith, Tobias Menzies, Vanessa Kirby, Eileen Atkins, and more... Plot: Queen Elizabeth's life reign from her younger years to the 21st century. Description: The Crown series is highly lauded for its magnificent cinematography, epic execution, and characters. It is a great watch series if you haven't seen this yet. WATCH NOW

9.Sex Education

( Image credit: Netflix) Seasons: 2 Episodes: 17 IMDb Rating: 8.3/10 Cast: Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey, and more.. Plot: A young boy with a mother who is a sex therapist sets up a new business at school with his fellow high school classmate. Description: If you're really looking for a fresh comedy with hilarious characters. Then, this is the perfect Netflix series for you to watch right now. Especially, if you're a teenager, you can relate to so many aspects and will enjoy the whole series. WATCH NOW

8.Narcos

( Image credit: Netflix) Seasons: 3 Episodes: 30 IMDb Rating: 8.8/10 Cast: Pedro Pascal, Wagner Moura, Boyd Holbrook, Alberto Ammann, and more.. Plot: The series is based on real story of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. The DEA agents tracks and sent on a mission to capture him and other drug kingpins. Description: Narcos is an interesting and crime drama series. Once you started watching it, you may not leave until you watched the whole series. It is highly acclaimed by many people for its storytelling, interesting screenplay, and fantastic production values. WATCH NOW

7.Breaking Bad

( Image credit: Netflix) Seasons: 5 Episodes: 62 IMDb Rating:9.5/10 Cast: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Betsy Brandt, and more.. Plot: A chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with stage III Lung cancer decides to manufacture and sell methamphetamine to secure his family's future. Description: Breaking Bad is one of the best series ever produced by Netflix. It is highly recommended and greatly praised for it's engaging storytelling, fantastic characters, and acting. The people who have finished this series addicted to this one and haven't found a perfect replacement for this series. WATCH NOW

6.Black Mirror

( Image credit: Netflix) Seasons: 5 Episodes: 22 IMDb Rating: 8.8/10 Cast: Daniel Lapaine, Hannah John-Kamen, Michaela Coel, Charles Babalola and more.. Plot: The series explores how modern technology in the future reality affects the relations between humans and brings out darker aspects of society. Description: This series will make question yourself about how technology affects you. It is one of the best sci-fi and dark series you shouldn't miss. It looks up about modern technology and brings out dark aspects of the near future that disturbs in some ways. WATCH NOW

5.Mind Hunter

( Image credit: Netflix) Seasons: 2 Episodes: 19 IMDb Rating: 8.6/10 Cast: Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, Anna Torv, Sonny Valicenti, and more.. Plot: In the 1970s, two FBI Agents sent on a task to interview and study serial killers to resolve crimes easily in the future. Description: If you love crime drama films like Seven and Zodiac. Then, it is the perfect series for you to watch. It is lauded for the gripping screenplay, fascinating story, and intense characters. WATCH NOW

4.Dark

( Image credit: Netflix) Seasons: 2 Episodes: 19 IMDb Rating: 8.7/10 Cast: Karoline Eichhorn, Louis Hofmann, Jördis Triebel, Maja Schöne, and more.. Plot: Set in a german town, the disappearance of two young children discloses the secrets and exposes hidden relationships among four families. Description: It is one of the best fictional Netflix series ever made. You must watch this dark fictional series which has greatly acclaimed for it's thrilling story and screenplay and many people who have watched it regarded as MASTERPIECE. WATCH NOW

3.BoJack Horseman

( Image credit: Netflix) Seasons: 6 Episodes: 77 IMDb Rating: 8.7/10 Cast: Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Aaron Paul and more.. Plot: BoJack Horseman, a star in Horsin in the '80s and '90s concerns about popularity, depression, addiction of drugs and alcohol and sustaining relationships. It explores black-comedy and life philosophy in an alternate reality where humans and animals live side by side. Description: Even it is cartoon series. This series has a depth and real philosophy that make you think seriously. It has the elements of comedy, emotions, and dark aspects. It is highly lauded for its depth storytelling and fantastic experience. WATCH NOW

2.Money Heist

( Image credit: Netflix) Seasons: 2 Episodes: 31 IMDb Rating: 8.5/10 Cast: Úrsula Corberó, Álvaro Morte, Itziar Ituño , Pedro Alonso and more.. Plot: A group of robbers who leads by a professor strikes on a money-printing factory and robber 2.4 billion euros. It's all about they take off and run away from the police. Description: Once you start this series. You will binge-watch for its addictive screenplay and gripping storytelling. It is highly praised for acting, cinematography, production values, action choreography, and so many aspects that make you binge-watch. WATCH NOW

1.Strange Things

( Image credit: Netflix) Seasons: 3 Episodes: 33 IMDb Rating: 8.8/10 Cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Winona Ryder, Millie Bobby Brown and more.. Plot: A young boy in town disappearance leads to supernatural events around the town. It's all about how his friends and family confront those supernatural events. Description: This is the best sci-fi series produced by Netflix. If you watch Netflix series and haven't watched Stranger things yet. Go ahead and watch this series right now. It is greatly acclaimed for its cinematography, fantastic storytelling, golden sci-fi mood and ensemble cast. WATCH NOW So, these are the best Netflix series you can choose. Considering all series plots and genre, choose what you like and enjoy the series as long as you're in the home. If you're not a person who watches series but instead movies. I would recommend you to go and visit the below link and watch them if you haven't watched them yet : 10 Best Movies in 2019 that You Must Watch If You Haven’t Seen If you love the genre of action and adventures : 5 Best Action Movies and Franchises of All Time You Must Watch I think this is the perfect time for you to start MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE : MCU Timeline – Watch Every Marvel Movie in Order You might be interested in these articles, Have a look at them. 16 Most Anticipated Movies in 2020 Best Hollywood Movies of 2019 that You Must See! MARVEL PHASE 5 MOVIES AND SHOWS LIST HUGE MARVEL PHASE 5 LEAK – MCU Read the full article

[overthinkingkdrama]

Exit Review: Psychopath Diary

Synopsis

Yook Dong Shik is a hogu. Softhearted and easily taken advantage of, he’s miserable in his job as a stock analyst, where his good nature is abused by his boss and coworkers. In his off hours he finds some small solace is walking neighborhood dogs and escaping into his favorite movies: crime dramas and psychological thrillers.

After a big investment by one of the higher ups goes sour, Dong Shik is picked to take the blame. Even then, he can’t seem to stand up for himself. Pushed to an act of desperation he composes a suicide note and goes to a nearby construction site to take his own life. There he unexpectedly stumbles a real life serial killer preparing to murder his most recent victim. In the chaos that follows Dong Shik gets a hold of the serial killer’s journal, is badly injured, and loses his memory.

Upon regaining consciousness, the only clues to his former personality are the contents of his apartment and the red-bound diary that was found in his possession. Dong Shik can only come to the conclusion that he was in fact the serial killer whose thoughts and desires are so graphically portrayed within the diary. However, rather than cracking under the horror of such a revelation, Dong Shik experiences a surge of newfound confidence. He’s not the loser his family and coworkers believe him to be! Beneath his fleecy hogu exterior--he decides--lies a vicious wolf: a predator. Now he’s off to live his best serial killer life.

Review

Story: I think an important thing to know about this drama right off the bat is that the main character is an idiot. And that makes sense for the kind of drama this is because you don’t get to the point where sweet baby rabbit Dong Shik thinks he’s capable of serial murder without establishing early on that he has the personal emotional intelligence of a small box of gravel.

So that’s square one. Don’t go into this thinking that Dong Shik is going to intuit his way out of this situation, or that he’s going to pick up on hints that often have the subtlety of a head on collision. Expecting that is a one way ticket to frustration. If you’re with me so far, then you’re ready to watch Psychopath Diary. This is a black comedy and the underlying concept is built at least partly on its absurdity. All that being said, this drama is very, very funny. Sometimes it’s cuttingly funny, deriving laughs from situational humor, and sometimes it leans heavily on Yoon Shi Yoon’s skill at physical comedy. I thought the balance of dark themes and zany comedy was quite expertly done.

Acting: This is one of those roles where I find it impossible to imagine any other actor playing the same character even half as well as Yoon Shi Yoon does. If this script wasn’t at least partly written with him in mind or if he didn’t heavily improvise his role to make it his own, I would be very surprised. He thrives in playing characters that require rapid switches from serious to silly, from intense to ludicrous. I suspect he picks this kind of drama on purpose.

If I had privately hoped before PD aired that we might see a continuation of the quieter more serious side of YSY, like we got in Nokdu Flower, that turned out very much not to be the case. If anything YSY is more bombastic and overblown than usual, but for me it works and what might be fairly called his habitual overacting was tonally appropriate and consistently made me laugh rather than cringe.

Park Sung Hoon as the real serial killer Dong Shik only believes himself to be is a scene stealer, and I can’t wait to see what else this guy is going to do. Even though Psychopath Diary did rather disappointingly in the ratings I hope some sharp casting director snaps him up and puts him in a big role very soon because I would be ready to watch him do practically anything else after this. What a force of sheer charisma this guy is, and he and YSY have magnetic chemistry.

This is the second time I’ve seen Jung In Sung do one of these concept heavy, love-line light dramas with a comedy bent (the last one being Terius Behind Me) and if this is going to be here brand, I’m down for it. I think she does a very good job with these sorts of roles, and I was unperturbed by the near lack of romance with her character. If anything she is underutilized, but still shines at the right moments.

This is the first time I remember seeing Heo Sung Tae in a comedic role, and at first it was quite jarring after WATCHER, but he was my favorite member of the supporting cast, and as good as he is as a villain watching him in PD made me wish he would do only comedies from now on.

Production: This is a quality drama. It looks good, it has great sound design. I love the way whenever Dong Shik is “getting into character” we see a videotape slide into a VCR. I also really liked the lighting. Costuming and set design are fairly minimal and unobtrusive. The only think that I wish they would have done more with was Bo Gyung’s hallucinatory version of her father, who I thought was very interestingly and amusingly employed in the first couple of episodes and then disappeared for large portions of the drama after that. It felt like a missed opportunity for her character.

Feels: This drama is consistent in delivering both laughs and suspense, and while I did think they somewhat belabored the point in the last two episodes, it gives a satisfying resolution for the all of the characters. I was impressed at how they developed the scenario and kept in interesting week to week. I worried that it would lose its novelty after the first few weeks, but to my relief the drama remained well paced throughout--aside from a few rough patches in the last two episodes--and the writers seemed to know how to milk the absurd situations the characters found themselves in for comedy. I don’t think there was a single episode where I didn’t belly laugh. During its run this was easily one of my favorite airing dramas, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it shows up on a best list at the end of 2020.

Would I recommend Psychopath Diary? Definitely. Especially if you like black comedies and unusual drama scenarios well executed. 8.5/10

[blowing--minds]

mdzs adaptations masterlist

look this is my first post on this account and I figured what better to make it about than my current obsession: modaozushi (or “the grandmaster of demonic cultivation” for all you english plebs out there I say as if I was not, in fact, one of those english plebs)

so I got into this fandom around mid-november-ish (as my ao3 bookmarks will clearly show you) and I have got to say: I am LOVING it

there’s just something about it that kinda latched onto me, and i doubt it’ll ever let go. and you know what? I’m okay with that.

so let’s b-b-break it down

from what I’ve gathered, mdzs is the favoured child of the threquel of Chinese novels written by mòxiãng tóngxiù (each standalone but they all seem to be set in the same/similar universe(s)). the other novels include the scum villains self saving system and heavenly officials blessing (both of which I ALSO have feelings about but this ain’t about them). from my understanding, mdzs is the most popular amongst the other two, and it’s pretty obvious. this bitch has SO MANY different adaptations attached to its name it’s unreal. and here is where our story begins…

let’s start of with the classic: the original novel.

(you can find the English translated novel here: https://exiledrebelsscanlations.com/the-grandmaster-of-demonic-cultivation/

so the novel. I’ve heard some pretty mixed reviews about the novel tbh, and I have admittedly not finished all of it (look okay it’s p long and I could be using that time for fanfic) but I’d say generally ppl like it. the plot seems reasonably solid, the characters are *chef’s kiss* (especially my son Lan wangji) and it’s overall a nice mix of Soul Crushing Angst and a slightly below comfort ratio. oh and it’s gay.

not bad.

the main complaints I’ve heard about it are, uh, some questionable consent scenes between the main characters (nothing too bad, but enough to rightfully piss ppl off, and pls watch out for it if it might trigger you).

other than that, I honestly dont hear the novel talked about too too often, but idk. I mean I liked the parts I’ve read.

the only thing I know about it if that it’s… a thing, and the art looks very nice (v similar to the donghua; we’ll get there)

Imma give it a 7.75 stars out of ten.

up next: the donghua

(donghua: basically a Chinese version of anime)

the donghua is actually the only adaptation I’m like semi-comfortable talking about (because I’ve actually watched the majority of it) and let me just say:

stunning

I believe it’s following the book canon fairly closely (don’t quote me on that) and it’s currently ongoing with two completed seasons and the third in the works. it’s all easily found on YouTube with English subs if you’re interested! (couldn’t find any dub)

I,,,,, actually love the donghua with all my heart ngl. the animation is absolutely BEAUTIFUL, I adore the voice actors, the character designs are so visually pleasing and it’s just 👌👌. ofc since this is a Chinese tv show there is some censorship (so I guess the main couple (being very gay) probably won’t explicity get together) but honestly? I ain’t even that mad. there’s plenty of undertone anyhow.

I just *clenches fist* love it so much. high HIGH recommend.

I’m giving it 9.5 stars out of 10

to conclude: the untamed/cgl verse

so if you’ve been lurking around the mdzs tag on tumblr, this is probably the one you’ve heard about the most. live action, with 50 episodes, all like in the 40 to 50 mins range, what’s not to like?

well. it diverges a lot from canon (new plot points, changing some stuff around, new OCs, the whole shebang) and it definitely is more heavily censored than the book is. some ppl like the divergences, some don’t. I like a couple of them (I liked how they gave more screentime to more minor characters, and I def liked my girl Lan Yi) and there were some I didn’t (let! Wei! wuxian! stay! on! the! dark! side! also what the fuck jgy). overall it’s more up to preference.

I did note a lot of ppl actually liked how it was more censored. since the censorship takes away most of the sexual side to their relationship, it also for rid of all the questionable consent scenes as well, and it let the viewer focus more on the romantic side of the main couple. although again never explicitly stated they get together, you can clearly see how deep their relationship goes and how much they mean together, romantic partners or not. I… really liked that.

ofc, the one thing that sorta bothered me was the things like the CGI and the wigs. this is more not picky, but I definitely felt the fighting in the donghua was much more badass and cool, whereas the cgl verse kept bugging me with all the… twirling and questionably cgi’d flips. idk, I guess maybe the producer didn’t have the biggest budget? it just kinda bothered me, but it took nothing away from the overall story

Imma give it 8.5 stars out of 10

vague notes :

there is also a translated manhua (Chinese equivalent to manga) adaptation and an audio drama adaptation! I have zero (0) knowledge about either of them, but they are a thing so… check them out? lol

fanfiction:

mdzs has pretty good fanfic on ao3. not the biggest fandom I’ve seen, but it does seem to be growing quite fast (at a rate I have only seen in fandoms like *pained cough* voltron or the umbrella academy) and it’s generally very good! I am thoroughly enjoying it. there’s a lot of gen as well as romance, and ofc my fav genre: gen romance (jk my fav genre is gen) but there really is something for everyone, a statement I do not say often. fanfiction.net does not have nearly enough (and is a pain to find) so I recommend endeavoring on ao3 if you’re interested

conclusion:

mdzs is great. oh and happy bday lan wangji!

[overthinkingkdrama]

Exit Rant: Mr. Sunshine

[This is intended to be a spoiler free review of Mr. Sunshine but it may include a few minor spoilers throughout. It’s also long as all hell. Enjoy.]

Wow, here I am with my Mr. Sunshine review and it's only...*looks at wrist despite not wearing a watch* nearly three months after the final episode aired. Totally in keeping with this blog's commitment to publishing consistent and relevant content *manic laughter*.

The truth is, even if it hadn't been bad timing schedule-wise, Mr. Sunshine was going to be a difficult drama for me to review. This drama has so much to recommend it in terms of beautiful production, epic scope, unique period setting and blockbuster cast. There is something conceptually mesmerizing about Mr. Sunshine that engaged my basest fangirl and aesthetic sensibilities, but the actual experience of watching the episodes does not live up all the premise promises. What Mr. Sunshine delivers as a drama is, paradoxically, less than the sum of it's parts.

Let's focus on the positive first.

The cast in this drama is god-tier. You're rarely going to find an ensemble cast like this outside of Chungmuro. Your first, second and third leads all can and have headlined films and dramas of their own, and a lot of the stars here (like Kim Tae Ri of The Handmaiden fame) have critically acclaimed film pedigrees.

There's a lot to say about the actors and the performances, and there's no way I'm going to get to all of it. The extended cast is large and exceptionally great, and I'm not going to be able to remember and talk about everyone by name, so I'm going to have to limit myself to the main cast.

It's really the cast that moves heaven and earth to make this script work. To the degree that sometimes it felt that each actor lived in their character and lent flesh and texture where the writing let us down. Kim Tae Ri, played Ae Shin with so much fierceness and unshakable dignity that I couldn't stop cheering for her, even when the plot sidelined her character for what felt like episodes at a time.

For many people, the rousing showstopper performance of the drama was Yoo Yeon Seok as Gu Dong Mae. Early in the life cycle of the drama I recall hearing that Kim Eun Sook got herself embroiled in some controversy because people felt that the Japanese-sympathizer Dong Mae was far too likable considering his political ideology. Some hasty shuffling was done and rather than being characterized as a bald-faced fascist, Dong Mae became more of a freewheeling mercenary gangster-type. This was a positive change in my opinion. I don't want to retread what has already been said (a lot of it by me) about Dong Mae, but YYS has never been and may never be as interesting or as sexy as he was in Mr. Sunshine, in my opinion. He plays the morally grey character with edge and blazing charisma and, if nothing else does, makes the drama worth checking out.

Information broker and enigmatic owner of the Glory Hotel, Kudo Hina, as portrayed by Kim Min Jung and (my personal favorite) and the soulful Hui Seong, born into a blood-soaked privilege he can't escape, played by Byun Yo Han, wonderfully round out the cast and are, if anything, tragic underutilized by the plot. The only person here who perhaps underwhelms is Lee Byung Hun as the titular main character. I don't have strong feelings about him as an actor or as a person one way or the other. I've enjoyed some movies he's been a part of. I do feel that visually he looks too old for baby-faced Kim Tae Ri, but I'm almost used to that kind of thing in Dramaland. His performance is perhaps meant to be restrained--nigh on repressed--but it comes off as a bit bland and wooden. Which isn’t to say he’s bad, and I feel Eugene had a lot of potential to be a very interesting character just...decidedly less interesting than everyone else.

A lot of praise has been heaped on the way this drama looks, and I will agree, it’s a very pretty show. Personally, I disliked how heavily color graded certain scenes, especially outdoor scenes were. I found it a bit distracting and it took away from how otherwise gorgeous some of the scenery in this is when the sky is tan or everything in a scene is tinted blue for some reason. But the production deserves a lot of credit for creating a full and lived in feeling world, for the beauty of the sets and the costumes, the sheer attention to detail, and the way they used all four seasons to set the tone and give you a sense of the passage of time.

And let me just state that during Mr. Sunshine’s run I was decidedly obsessed with it. I posted about it, I talked about it to my friends, I talked several of those friends into watching it with me...and a few of those people still speak to me to this day. When I start criticizing it here in a few seconds, know that doesn’t mean I didn’t get a lot of hours of enjoyment out of this drama or that I think I’m too good for this show. I’ve seen 4 of Kim Eun Sook’s dramas so far and this is easily the best one. It’s not just better than Goblin, DOTS and Heirs, it’s miles better. Is that everything? I think that about covers it.

Now for the bad stuff...

I’ve said this in the past in relation to Goblin, but it bears repeating: Kim Eun Sook is good--possibly even great--at creating singular, iconic story moments and absolute rubbish at developing a cohesive plot that builds tension over multiple episodes and pays off in a logical way. At the time I said it I was basing it off of relatively little experience with her writing, but I’ve seen the pattern repeat itself two more times since then and I’m increasingly convinced that I’m a genius.

I do believe there are extenuating factors that account for the poor pacing of her dramas. The number of episodes and the episode length might not be within Kim Eun Sook’s control and she’s not responsible for poor editing either. Both Goblin and Mr. Sunshine suffer a lot because of bloated run time, and maybe that’s the network’s fault but it leaves plot feeling thin in places, even like it’s futilely spinning it’s wheels waiting for the next important event to come along.

With Mr. Sunshine the issue wasn’t even that there wasn’t enough interesting plot or character backstories to fill 24, hour plus episodes, possibly even more, it was that at times it felt like the drama flatly refused to delve into the interesting details, preferring to leave us miserably treading water in the doldrums of the story. It felt like we had to beg and wait for even morsels of backstory about certain characters--the drama was especially mum regarding Kuda Hina’s history--while the two leads endlessly mooned over one another. How many scenes did we need to watch Eugene and Ae Shin soulfully stare at one another?

Mr. Sunshine never successfully builds momentum until the last 2 or 3 episodes of the run. And while there is a lot of lip service paid to guns and glory and sad endings, but much of the drama feels like it's milling around with hands in pockets waiting for the tragic curtain call. Even the badass sniper heroine is frequently sidelined. It feels like the story remains stubbornly in the set up phase, one step forward and two steps back. It's as though Kim Eun Sook has all of these wonderful toys--great characters, huge budget, interesting time period/setting--and she simply doesn't know what to do with them.

Consistently my frustration with Mr. Sunshine was its inability to effectively incorporate the extended cast into the plot. It feels like all characters exist in separate bubbles waiting for their turn to have a scene. Those scenes are interesting but maddeningly brief, and then they are shuffled backstage once again until it's once again time for their requisite 5-10 minutes of screen time per episode. 

This problem is especially present in the main cast with Dong Mae, Hina and Hui Seong. And that is what is so deeply exasperating about this drama, because there is just enough good peppered in to keep me invested, so many great elements poorly employed. It makes one want to take KES's script away from her and take it home and fix it yourself, because you just know she's not treating it right.

When calamity comes, and it does, it feels disproportionate and somewhat unsatisfying, because the build up didn’t do it justice. The drama ends with a rousing crescendo, but it feels that the individual character arcs were never allowed to reach their full potential. I’m not one to shy away from tragedy, but it left me feeling rather empty.

I wish I could a finer point on it than that, but it’s a murky issue to me. I know I’m not connecting with the story as much as I want to, but it’s hard to put my finger on the exact reason and that just adds to my frustration with it.

I stand by my assertion that this is still the best KES drama I have watched. Thought admittedly I’ve still only seen 4 of them, this one shows the most promise and, I think, the most growth. But it’s not there yet. I don’t know if I could ever watch it again, but I’m glad I watched it once. If for nothing else for the fantastic performances of several old and new favorites. I give Mr. Sunshine an 8.5/10, which is probably too high considering everything I’ve said about it up to this point. However, it’s just too strong in terms of overall production and cast for me to feel good about rating it any lower.