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Ryûsei no kizuna (2008)
Surprisingly Non-melodramatic for a Revenge Drama
This drama reminded me of the soap operas produced by TVB in Hong Kong back in the 80's and 90's. A lot of these tropes were later adopted by Korean dramas in the 2000's to 2010's. This Japanese drama, even though it was released in 2008, was refreshing and entertaining. The reason? Because it did not use melodrama like the others to sustain the viewer's interest.
What I liked:
- the dynamics of the three siblings
- some of the realism experienced in male-female romances
- unconventional characters > love how each sibling had distinct personality traits
- the fact that the younger brother and sister played a big part in the solving of the mystery, and did not simply be relegated to sidekick status
- character development for the protagonists and antagonisists
- the ending
What was iffy:
- could have paid more attention to the relationship dynamics between Koichi & Shizuna
Ishiko to Haneo: Sonna Koto de Uttaemasu? (2022)
Interesting episodes to start, but fizzles out soon after
Each case really does have quite a compelling premise. The types of cases are also very interesting because they're civil suits, not criminal ones, which we've already seen too much of in both Asian and North American dramas. The problem is that the middle section of each case gets really boring and I end up dropping it for a couple of days before I try to finish it.
What I liked:
- unusual and interesting cases
- favourite case was Oba's
- male and female leads - actors had pretty good chemistry
- creating a protagonist who has a superpower, but who also has a major flaw
- the other supporting characters in the ensemble
What was problematic:
- writer/director didn't know how to build up complexity in a story to keep it interesting
- Ishiko's and Oba's dynamics > actors had no chemistry with one another
Since there are more things that I like about this drama than not, it should have got a higher rating. However, the overall series is just very blah.
Informa (2023)
Alright, but *could have been* Amazing!
Why?
What I liked:
- the characters - and the brotherly camaraderie
- the dynamics between the two male leads, Kihara & Mishima
- the action scenes
- Mishima's character development
- the plot twist
What was problematic:
- there weren't any scenes that were memorable
- storytelling was muggy at times - not clear what the nature of the corruption was all about
- not clear on the backstory of how and why the tabloid chief and the police captain were willing to collaborate with Kihara,
- underdeveloped villains and antagonists
What I would have liked to see more of:
- the journalists working alongside Mishima
- especially the office assistant and the editor-in-chief, Nagasawa
For a film that claims that its premise is about a journalist and a former yakuza working together, it tends to focus too much on Kihara, and subsequently ends up glorifying the yakuza more than anything about the work of a journalist. Mishima's character becomes more of a sidekick rather than a formidable equal. There just isn't enough meat in terms of storytelling and character development.
Vivant (2023)
Nonsense and Ridiculousness Rivals "Descendants of the Sun"
If this were made to be a satire with a lot of humour, it might have worked. Too bad it was made to be a drama/action/thriller/(fantasy) because I simply cannot take it seriously.
If others can believe such ridiculousness as was presented in episode 1, then perhaps they can watch the rest of the drama. For me, I am dropping it.
What I liked:
- Hiroshi Abe
What was unbearable:
- the main characters, Businessman Nogi and Doctor Yuzuki.
- Masato Sakai plays the bumbling idiot well, but the character is too obnoxious
- what is with the over-acting from Fumi Nakaido?
> her character is supposed to be a highly trained doctor > being able to hold down a job in a foreign country and culture means she should have the temperament and experience to behave more rationally and sensibly
- an incompetent businessman from Japan knows an American CIA agent? And is like a brother to him? When he can barely speak English properly? (the ridiculousness continues)
- an ordinary businessman goes on such a tricky and dangerous mission in a foreign (fictional) country that is rampant with corruption *alone*
- portrayal of most foreigners (natives of Balka) as antagonists, while all the protagonists are all Japanese)
Quartet (2017)
Multi-layered Story about Friendship, Loyalty & Trust
This is the second J-Drama that I've seen centring on classical musicians that I found to be just adorable!
What I loved:
- the complicated plot that unravels slowly with lots of surprises
- the acting by all the ensemble cast
- the soundtrack- the modern adaptations of classical music - wish they had it on Spotify
- the developing friendships between the characters
- esp. Between Maki and Suzume
- building on the themes of trust and loyalty
What was iffy:
- almost no chemistry between the characters who were romantically attracted to one another.
- would have been better if it were 11-12 episodes long
- needed more development to the character development of Suzume, Iemori and Beppu.
- as is, it leaves the impression that this was not a story about an ensemble of characters, but one that centred on Maki as the solo lead character instead.
Dolpung (2024)
Plot moves like a whirlwind
Most problems with TV dramas is that they are too slow. "Whirlwind" is the opposite. It moves way too fast, turning and twisting from one impossible complication to another. Characters are also switching allegiance back and forth between various allies/enemies. All these points make for a very fast-paced storyline that keeps me guessing, but the problem is that the fast pace also makes it difficult for me to develop any attachment to the characters.
I love stories that feature characters who are neither entirely good or entirely bad, and "Whirlwind" has several of them, and the mature and understated acting made their portrayal of the characters very exciting to watch. Unfortunately, everything these characters do seem to be driven by the chaotic plot line. Despite these characters having very noble aspirations and idealistic goals, I just could not sympathize with them.
Most of the acting was quite good, except for the two young political aids. Lim Se Mi is particularly dull as her character seems quite one-dimensional. If her love interest was better-looking, that would have helped a lot.
Choeakui Ak (2023)
Reminiscent of Hong Kong Police/Gangster Movies
This is like a really good updated version of a Hong Kong police/gangster drama. While watching it, so many scenes and characters reminded me of what I'd see in a Johnny Woo film.
What I liked:
- acting by Ji Chang Wook, Bibi and Ha Wi-Joon
- compelling supporting characters like Lee Have-Ryon, Choi Jung Bae, Seo Jung-Ryul, and Seok Do-Hyung
- plot was not over-the-top; did not have impossible feats for the hero to accomplish, thus resulting in the need for a deus ex machina to save the day
- shows how criminal organizations realistically function using a business as a front
- portraying the police as a sometimes manipulative and dishonourable in their tactics
- story stays focused from beginning to end
- the ending
What was iffy:
- Lim Se-Mi > pretty bad acting for a lead female actor
- portrayal of Jung Gi-Chul > too decent and honourable
Kocchi muiteyo Mukai-kun (2023)
Enjoyable All the Way to the End
Like all great Japanese dramas, this one explores the complexities of romantic relationships and and the nuances of inner turmoil. What happens to people and how do they react when they begin to realize what "dependence" does to their individual identities?
What I loved:
- the understated and very realistic acting by the entire ensemble cast
- no anime-like comedic tropes
- the exploration of the definition of independence
- how characters behave and have patterns of speech that matches their personality
What was iffy:
- the subplot of Mami & Genki-Kun was too drawn out
- Kanda and Sakaida's break was too abrupt
- would have felt more complete if we got to see her telling Kanda what he did wrong
Deo Eiteu Syo (2024)
Microcosm of Society in All Its Filth and Glory
Like others have mentioned in their reviews, this story is basically a dramatization of a social experiment. Different from other gladiator-style game dramas, this is more comparable to a bunch of strangers being stuck in an escape room, trying to find their way out by solving the puzzles. The twist is that they have to design their own puzzles to solve.
What I loved:
- the acting by Chun Woo-Hee, Ryu Jun-Yeol and Park Have-Joon
- the deceptively common premise that becomes surprisingly creative and entertaining
- the portrayal of humanity in all its filth and beauty
- the character studies of very well-written characters
- all the plot twists
What was iffy:
- the middle where it seemed like even the characters forgot what they were trying to accomplish in the story
All dramas suffer a boring middle, and for "The 8 Show," if you just push through it, you'll find a very clever and satisfying ending.
Seuwiteuhom (2020)
Walking Dead Wannabe Fails
The first time I tried watching season one, I gave up after 3 eps. Because the fighting against the monsters started to appear futile. Now I'm astonished to find that it was continuing to be made into two more seasons. The story is just as pointless as ever, or even more so because it's no longer setting anything up. It's just one violent action scene after another.
Season 2 looks like it's a combo of The Walking Dead, Happiness and _Generic_Monster_Movie__. All the characters are just surviving so that they can fill up another season.
I'm watching it and fast-forwarding through any scene without Kim Moo-Yeol in it. He makes the viewing bearable, but just barely.
Atom's Last Shot (2022)
Excellent start, boring middle
I hardly ever play video games, but in the last two months, I've read one novel and watched one TV drama about video games. I've never seen a story about game developers before, so this was very new and refreshing for me.
What I liked:
- characters who are likable, despite their flaws
- the characters' display of passion and fortitude in the face of adversity
- the very many twists and turns in the plot
- character development of the trio
What was iffy:
- the realism of game design
- the world of producing and marketing video games
- the forgiving of the villain in the story
- the complete lack of a romantic story line.
Shiko Funjatta! (2022)
Surprisingly, entertaining and so original!
When I started watching the Strama, I thought it was going to actually feature traditional, looking sumo wrestlers. What I found was a young woman, a university student, who is very petite!
There were a lot of things in this drama that are commonly found in sports dramas and movies, but the subject matter itself is so original.
What I loved:
- strong female protagonist
- the variety of characters from different walks of life
- each of them break out of the stereotypes you would expect to see
- all the twists and turns
- the friendships
- not falling into a romance trope
I would recommend this for anyone who likes sports dramas and films, as well as anyone who wants to have their preconceived notions challenged.
Kajino (2022)
So Many Compelling Characters
Had not heard much about this drama before I started watching it, so I was pleasantly surprised to find myself hooked! The storyline and subject matter is something that I have never seen before on television. This is an entertaining story about the nature of the human condition.
The beginning of the drama was a bit confusing and slow, but because I had faith in K-dramas, I stuck with it. What I found was a group of unsavoury characters whom I would never go anywhere them in real life, but found that they all had some redeeming qualities that made them appear very humanistic and sympathetic. It's a marvel that so many actors on the cast were able to portray their characters so realistically without a single one over-acting.
The wait for Son Seok-Gu's character to appear was well worth it. I am so thankful that they did not turn him into some drug addict like any other American TV show would have. That flaw is so over-used that it's a become a horrible trope.
I've read that many viewers did not like the ending, but this is what a good story ending is supposed to be like.
- All loose ends are tied up
- Not everyone deserves their "end" the way it ends
- Very realistic portrayal of the human condition
What else I liked:
- respectful portrayal of non-Korean characters
- NKC's were not portrayed as dimwits to make the Korean characters appear more appealing
- story was focused and maintained a level of complexity that kept me guessing
- no excessive and meaningless sexual content (in fact there was very little at all)
What would have made it better:
- a good soundtrack with more instrumental music
- at least one likeable and strong female character (secretary had potential, but was neglected by the director)
- understand that that line of work and the times would have made this challenging
- good storytelling dictates that there should be a foil for Kim So-Jung & Ko Young-Hee
It deserves all of the awards it's won and more.
Mubing (2023)
Director Lost Sight of the Story
Hearing about it winning all sorts of awards, I thought this would be sure-win. Turns out, it's yet another K-drama that fell into the same holes as so many others when A-listers are cast in the film.
What I liked:
- the child actors and their character development
- the mystery behind the adult characters
- watching the characters try to survive as ordinary citizens in spite of their superpowers.
Loved, loved, loved Lee Jong Ha's acting.
What made me drop this show:
- the excessive "telling" instead of "showing"
- the excessive flashbacks - not every single little subplot from the past deserves 30+ mins. Of a flashback
- disappearing the teenaged characters halfway through the drama
- switching to focus way too much on the adult characters
- too much about a government conspiracy that makes it become just like any other K-drama about Korean gov't conspiracies.
Saranghandago Malhaejweo (2023)
Be more understanding of persons who are hard of hearing
This movie taught me that, similar to how "Attorney Woo" made me more understanding of people who are on the autism spectrum.
The love story was quite amazing because of the acting, especially by Shin Hyun Been. The love spilling out of her eyes whenever she was looking at Jung Woo Sung was gloriously sweet. The humanistic love came across loud and clear. The fact that Jung is 13 years older than Shin didn't bother me at all, unlike other dramas that also feature a big age gap between the lovers (e.g. Goblin, Mr. Sunshine.)
The attention paid to creating the artwork for the story was very impressive as well. If those paintings really exist in some art gallery in Seoul, I'd love to go see them.
I have one complaint - the soundtrack. For 2/3 theme songs, why are so many verses in English? Either write an English song with someone who can sing with virtually no accent, or just sing a Korean song. Don't keep switching between the two from one stanza or verse to another. The heavy Korean accent made it hard to tell if the singer was singing in English or Korean at times, which just makes it worse. Other than that, the instrumental soundtrack is excellent.
Overall, this movie was very entertaining to watch and definitely worth re-watching.
The Forgiven (2021)
Pretty boring for a Ralph Fiennes film
Started watching this movie for Fiennes and Chastain, two of my favourite western actors. The story started well enough, but it's a pretty common premise for these types of movies about clashing cultures deeply rooted in arrogant misunderstandings and sometimes plain ignorance.
Soon, it starts to slow down and it gets downright boring.
The 2nd half of the movie picks up and you start to see things more from the viewpoint of the locals, but not enough. All the way until the end of the story, it seems like the director and writer never really put much effort behind showing us the "other" as anything more than that.
Generally disappointing as none of the main characters really grow into anything more complex than what you'd usually see in this type of movie.
Red Rock (2015)
Watch the first season and a half, then skip to the final episodes of season two
The first season was very well done. The characters were realistic, funny, and interesting. They treated the subject of workplace bullying and sexual harassment fairly, showing all of its nuances. It shows how predators work, how they groom their prey, and at the same time, they are able to convince everyone around them that they are upstanding citizens. Carda Cleere's efforts to go against everyone for the sake of what she believed was right was uncomfortable to watch, but also quite satisfying. The murder investigation in season one was also very suspenseful, partly made so because of the complicated relationships between the members of the Hennessey and Kiely families.
In season two, the drama between the Hennessey and Kylie families devolved into a soap opera. Their conflicts and storylines have nothing to do with the police officers and their investigations. These two families are some of the most useless characters I've seen on television. Their story should've ended after the Chiefs death.
McGonigle's hiring of the thugs to beat up Garda Cleere should also have been resolved before his death. If the writer and Director had treated the story properly, they would've tied up these loose ends because doing so would have stopped the antagonist much earlier on. They would not have had to drag out the story to the degree that they did. The most disappointing part of season two was that the police officers pretty much sat on the back burner while the story focussed on the soap opera between the families.
Nowhere Man (2019)
Loved Every Minute of It!
What I loved:
1. The characters - especially between the brothers. Brotherly love and loyalty isn't always sweet and respectful. Brothers fight all the time because of how competitive some of them are. There is always a favourite, and there's always a mediator in the mix. I just loved the acting and the dynamic between the actors who played the brothers because it came across as feeling very genuine.
2. The clever plot and how all the problems were resolved. So brilliant! When I thought the movie was about revenge, another plot line was revealed. When I thought it was a story about a prison break, a mystery plot was revealed to hook me into following that plot line. All the twists and turns really paid off at the end. This movie isn't all about the violence and the hate. It's also about social injustice, and it presents an angle that I have not seen before in other HK triad-type movies.
3. The artistry. I loved the cinematography, the set designs, the costumes, even the Cantonese subtitles. I don't know how many viewers noticed this, but that was simply brilliant!
Ennemi public (2016)
Enjoyed it, but wouldn't re-watch it
I like how the mystery played out, all the clues left behind to keep me guessing, all the plot-twists and reveals. Everything happened at a good pacing that kept me hooked. It was fun to watch the first season.
The acting was really good on all fronts. I love it when films have actors of various age groups, they all manage to play those characters really well and make me believe they are those characters. What makes this movie great were all the child actors who did such a superb job!
I was looking forward to the second season, but gave up part-way through because the magic of the mystery was lost to me. I wish it had done what other European dramas do - each season has a new mystery with a new set of characters.
Run Rabbit Run (2023)
Still Don't Like It After Reading the Spoilers
What I didn't like:
1. Too dark - literally. I get that the director wanted the set to be darker and have lots of shadows to obstruct my view and make me feel scared. This tactic was overused, though, as halfway through the film, I didn't care for the dark shadows anymore.
2. The unlikeable characters - Mom is obviously...I figured that out near the beginning because of how defensive she was, out of fear and not out of love. Mia appears like a terribly spoiled brat through most of the film, so I didn't root for her either.
3. Lack of direction. It seemed like the director wanted to make a horror movie with a ghost, but really, the story was more a psychological thriller. If you're a director, decide. Either make a horror movie with a ghost in it, or focus on the psychological trauma. There were several instances where I thought the ghost would appear, but it didn't. Then there were instances where I thought we would get more insight into the mother's mental state, but we didn't. This movie tried to mask itself with all the horror movie tropes and tactics, and that just left me feeling cheated.
4. The Logic. I get that some of the odd behaviours are clues to help me figure out what truly happened in the past, but I also feel like some of the behaviours, if they had been addressed at the time of discovery, would have resolved a lot of the issues. But then, we wouldn't have a movie that last 1hr40mins anymore. That's why it comes across as contrived for me.
Ga-lyeo-jin si-gan (2016)
Magical!
There have been so many time-travel movies and TV shows in recent decades, and that has made the subject matter feel exhausted and sometimes downright boring. It is so hard to recycle an idea and present in a way that is creative and does not fall into the traps of all the previous cliched plot lines. This one is a gem.
The storyline is well thought-out so that it does't have some silly plot holes. The cinematography is lovely, as is the set is magical. The best part is the acting by both young and old actors. Shin Eun-Soo and Lee Hyo-Je were so natural, esp. In the scenes where it might even make adults act awkwardly. Later on, Kang Dong-Wan and Shin Sun-Soo acted with such ease around one another, as if they really had known each other all their lives.
It's a moving story about friendship, loyalty and having faith in people.
I re-watch this movie once every couple of years just to relive the magic.
Na mo Naki Sekai no End Roll (2021)
Absolutely brilliant storytelling!
Absolutely brilliant storytelling! I loved how the story sets the tone at the very beginning, and the constant shifting of timelines added so much to the suspense. The Japanese are always too good at telling love stories in a way that makes the viewer become engrossed in the world of the characters.
Also, great acting by the two lead actors, Iwata Takanori and Mackenyu.
The way that the friendship is developed between the three children into adulthood was so charming. Often the behaviours - from feeling a sense of inadequacy or shyness, leading to awkwardness - was so well written and delivered by the child actors as well.
Jirisan (2021)
Vague storyline & bland characters
Tried watching this series three times, and I still don't understand why it got such high reviews. The overall premise is so intriguing, but the stories that are built around it are so boring. A mystery is presented, but the clues to solving it are seeping out at a rate that put me to sleep. I managed to get to the end of episode 9, and that's when I decided to skip to the last episode to find out who was the culprit. I was frustrated to find that it's a completely new character that had not appeared before. That's terrible writing for a mystery. Confident and capable writers leave clues right at the beginning and keep feeding them to you so that you can put the puzzle together. The writers for this drama cheated by holding out on the viewers.
Moreover, the two lead actors were so expressionless, but I am convinced that's because the characters were so bland. It felt like there was a growing friendship that could have turned into a romance, but there was no chemistry between the actors. What a waste of time on those 9.5 episodes.
Fanletterreul Bonaejuseyo (2022)
Watch it for the Child Actors - Adult characters are as stupid as can be
I don't know how anyone can give this drama more than two stars, and those two stars belong to the child actors. The story has no direction, no conflict, and no tension between the two main leads.
And I can't believe they killed off the grandmother just so that they can create an opportunity for the two leads to move in together. Countless other idol dramas have recycled this plot device to create a situation where two unbelievable characters could have more time to spend with one another and fall in love. That's just another trope in silly romances. Thank goodness it's only four episodes long.
One Night Morning (2022)
Ignore the Gratuitous Sex Scenes
When I first started watching this series, I was surprised to read so many negative reviews on Viki. I don't know why Japanese dramas in recent years include so much gratuitous sex. "Fishbowl Wives" had this problem as well. In my opinion, the directors/writers don't need to do that because their stories are well written enough, and the acting is good enough to keep people's attention.
Some of the stories had no sex scenes at all, but had very compelling stories about human kindness, human frailty, love and friendship.
My favourite stories are four, five and eight. It lost one star because there was one episode that was just plain boring.