The story line is very unique, both in subject matter and tone. We follow a group of normal people following the dream of orchestral performance together, under the direction of a conductor who is as rude and arrogant as he is famous and talented. The experience and accompanying tribulations change their lives, as you might expect, but the difference can be genuinely felt. There may be unbelievable circumstances that bring these people together, but the way they progress and transform is realistic and subtle. Some may complain the final episodes are bittersweet and somewhat open-ended, but I feel they composed the perfect ending for a story such as this. Any other result would have felt too saccharine, especially with the heavy emotions this drama evoked. We pursued a dream with these characters, but it's really not the result that matters...it's the path we took and what we choose to do after.
This is also the first drama where I've felt I would actually miss the characters after completion--in particular, abrasive conductor Kang Mae as played by Kim Myung Min. His acting really is as outstanding as everyone says it is. It's a rare gift to see a character spring to life as vibrantly as this; he felt like a real person separate from the actor, no doubt thanks to his extensive preparation. I mean, Myung Min was actually even able to conduct an actual orchestra at a press conference for this drama...something he'd learned how to do in five months. Another favorable mention must go to Jang Geun Suk, who was still in the early stages of rising fame (and looked nothing like he does now). I'm not sure he's played a part like this since, but I'm hoping he will soon. His Gun Woo was an earnest, hardworking, genuinely good kid...but with very human failings and no sob story to excuse them. Geun Suk was a joy to watch too, and stood competently alongside the great Myung Min as his foil.
As to music, as one might expect, there's a ton of classical used in Beethoven Virus. The performance sequences utilize elegant and meaningful pieces, looking as good as they sound. Other works serve to fit scenes as background tracks, and add a delicious feeling of high drama without also becoming cheesy. Fans of instrumental music and classic in general will love it, while others might find a spark of interest growing in them after watching! Vocal tracks are also great, with Insooni's inspirational number "A Goose's Dream" basically summing up everything Beethoven Virus stands for.
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In all honesty, as this was my first K-Drama I loved it...it was hooked me to the K-fandomness...I started living, breathing and sleeping K-Drama.
FACT: I watched the series in a couple of days.I found it sensational!
GOODIES:
I
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At first the main cast is such a good choice!
Lee Minho is my favorie actor and he didn't disappoint me.
He really acted great and I wish I would see him more in such action dramas, I really liked it!
Also Park Min Young is such a good and beautiful actress!
The chemistry between the two was tangible. So I really enjoyed watching it.
Still this drama doesn't belong to my top 5, cause the end was such a cliffhanger. But still it's very nice.
So people you want to see some action where the boy protect his love as much as he can? And the girl even though the boy's life is dangerous, still keeps staying at his side?
Then watch City Hunter!
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If you like fantasy type saguek, this is pretty decent. there is no question that Cha Tae Hyun as Woo Chi made this very, very entertaining. I enjoyed his character, for the most part and he was very affective in portraying him. He did an excellent job in the fight sequences and it was obvious to me that he did most of his stunts so there wasn't any tricky camera action to camouflage a stunt person so I liked that especially.
Uee as My Yeon was decent, at best. I did not a problem with her acting, my problem was mostly how the writer wrote her character. There were times when Mu Yeon would do things contrary to what you, the viewer would want her to do but in the end; all was right with the world.
I found the romance between Woo Chi and Mu Yeon to be one step from boring. I wasn't vested in their relationship what so ever. When Mu Yeon was the bad Mu Yeon, she was infinitely more interesting.
The supporting cast, especially Hong Jong Hyun as Chan Whee and Jo Ha Rang as Gam Nae; the Royal Guard and Damo, theirs was the romance you wanted to see and was way better! They both did a great job for two actors so young.
The rest of the cast, especially Lee Hee Joon as the evil Kang Rim cannot be overlooked. Man, he played this role and you will definitely have a love/hate relationship with his character.
Again, the redemption theme throughout this really worked my nerve. The characters were so evil and killed so many innocent people, you just never felt, even at the end, that they got what they deserved.
Filming and the setting were great, as usual, and because the drama was filmed during the winter, I must give props to the actors and film crew for enduring that COLD!! Brrr!!!
Easy drama to watch but be prepared to yell and scream at the injustices. But without Cha Tae Hyun, this really wouldn't have been good.
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- Lev Tolstoy
I hope you can forgive me if my penchant for quotes invades a review. I have watched Osozaki no Himawari some time ago and loved it but never came around to write a review for it. Then I stumbled upon the words of Tolstoy and was immediately reminded of it.
The essence of this drama is, ultimately, the pursuit of happiness. It shows how this last can be found in the most unexpected places, with the most random people, doing things we would never have taken into consideration, if we hadn't been forced to do so by the circumstances.
The simple message this drama tries to send is beautifully conveyed, thanks to a wonderful cast that creates lovely characters and warms the heart. Ikuta Toma is perfect for the part: he's goofy and reasonable at the same time, I'd say he is the new element that unconsciously brings an otherwise sleepy community to a new life, while he himself learns to adapt and understand.
Jotaro's interactions with Kahori, wonderfully portrayed by a talented Maki Yoko are priceless, and their phone conversations are the sweetest thing ever. "Ore ore" will remain in my memory for a long time.
What makes this drama so special, besides the adorable ensemble of characters, is the cinematography. Perhaps the Shimanto River Region is so beautiful one doesn't need to be a particularly skilled photographer to capture its charm on screen; whatever the case, the end result is stunning. If the intention of this drama direction was to promote the region, I must say they succeded: when I finally visit Japan, it will be one of the first places I put on my itinerary.
The music is lovely too, and I agree with Sewitches that the idea of having the whole cast sing the leitmotif is brilliant.
If you are the type of person who feels at ease in the countryside, who finds happiness in small things, this drama will appeal to you. On the other hand, if you need the dizziness of crowded cities with a lot of events going on, it may not. This is a relaxing trot, not a wild gallop.
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This drama is your typical drama I guess but in its own way it makes it different. acting is good, music is super bomb!:) it isn't draggy or boring at any parts, each character is and owns their own, FUN! scenes and characters. ..JUMP ON IT :)
some things i dont really like about it are that theres a love triangle, and sometimes the main character can get annoying and the storyline is a bit predictable
BUT if you love dramas with music and or stuff like heartstrings and dream high youd like this :)
the closest thing I could compare it to would be dream high but I reckon this is better than dream high personally, but dream high is a good drama
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The story was all over the place, it started out really well and I loved the first couple episodes and then it just seemed to plummet downhill. I found the story got repetitive all the way up till the end and it just wasn't very smooth at all. It makes you lose sight of everything that happened in the first couple episodes and brought on a whole new concept to the story. They really just tried to cram too much into this show and it was not planned out very well....very messy.
The acting was pretty good for the most part, I was not a huge fan Suzy and I wasn't very pleased with her role, but otherwise I think the rest of the cast did great.
The music was OK, it wasn't anything spectacular that would make you want to buy the soundtrack.
And am I the only one who found this extremely similar to the anime Inuyasha? In more ways than one, and it's not a good thing either.
Overall I had to push myself to finish this and I wouldn't recommend it unless you really have nothing better to watch. It just wasn't very satisfying at all.
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Like everybody else I absolutely adored MoonSun at the beginning. I was drawn to the love story between Yeon-woo and Crown Prince Lee Hwon because the portrayal of both Yeo Jin-goo and Kim Yoo-jung captured the magic and innocence of young love so perfectly. The wonderful chemistry between these two teenagers was so captivating that it seemed almost ethereal. The youngsters, together with their adult sidekicks (notably, Hyung Sun, the chief eunuch) played their parts beautifully and comically. It was such a joy to watch that I looked forward to watching it while it was still airing in South Korea. Also, the fantasy/supernatural element and "political connivance" further added to the intrigue that kept my interest which culminated in Yeon-woo's supposed death and Hwon's breakdown outside the palace (I swear, Yeo Jin-goo is such a phenomenal actor it's hard to believe he's just 15 years old! I can imagine him getting acting awards left and right when he gets older).
But then the adults came in and everything went downhill. How can I say that everything went downhill when things worked out in the end for the OTP in the story, you might ask? Well, for one thing there was NO character development. Each character remained stagnant. From the very start until the very end, they remained the same in terms of personality, conflicts and the way they reacted to the situations around them. Only the physical traits differed. Maybe, if they got actors who looked exactly like the younger cast instead of the ones they got, I wouldn't know the difference. Also, I could not, for the life of me, understand why the two main guys, Hwon and Yang-myung, were still so hung up on a dead girl for years? Sure it was pretty obvious that Yang-myung had a crush on her but really? His feelings for her made him pathetic and he was as good as dead even if he hadn't died in the end. Kim Soo-hyun was the sole strong link and he was the only reason why I managed to finish the entire series. Han Ga-in, as beautiful as she is, was mediocre at best. She had zero chemistry with Kim Soo-hyun, which is a pity since the wonderful connection between the younger Yoo-jung and Jin-goo supposedly set the stage for the adult counterparts' romance thereafter. And Jung Il Woo, what the heck happened to him? I couldn't stand that he was so weepy all the time. I mean, come on. He's got a pretty good range. He did really well in 49 days but in this drama, he's stuck in this woe-to-me, heartbreak mode from the moment he replaced Lee Min Ho until his death. Everybody obsessed over each other: Lee Hwon with Wol, Yang Myung with Wol, the queen Bo-kyung with Hwon, princess Min Hwa with Yeom, the servant girl Seol with Yeom. Okay, Chae-woon didn't obsess over anyone but still, he was like a statue here. I don't remember him speaking at all apart from two or three lines for every five episodes or so. It was basically all about obsessive, unrequited love and nothing else, not even a decent political storyline or even just a fantasy arc. I guess I need to blame the writers then for creating flat, one-dimensional characters. These people wasted the actors' potential by not giving them an opportunity to transform and mature (I know it was based on a book but couldn't they improve on the material, even just a little?). The villains settled into a typical Disney-like wickedness. It was frustrating to watch when you know that this drama could've been so much more. I wanted more conflict, more depth, more angst yet Moon Embracing the Sun failed to deliver. It was a fluffy drama, sweet as candy, but sorely lacking in substance and pretty much forgettable.
Despite the mediocre, one-dimensional storyline, I'm still giving the acting in this drama a 9 solely for the wonderful child actors, Kim Soo Hyun and the funny old actor who played Yung Sun (I adored him!). But the rest? Nah. I still believe to this day that Han Ga In was a terrible choice for the role of Yeon Woo. Yoo-jung was just, amazing. Han Ga In was more like a wallflower than lead actress. This is the same case with the actress who played Jan Di in Boys Over Flowers. It's hard for me to love a drama if the lead actress is horrible or just plain bland, most especially if the lead actors are really good because it further highlights just how weak/irritating/unsatisfactory their performances are.
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Acting was great! I mean each character was acted in a very funny and very beautiful way that it easily makes you feel the same way as s/he does. You will absolutely not feel as an outsider while watching it.
Story was good. It wasn't that much surprising. Just a high school, maybe not that ordinary but still a high school drama in which you see friendship, violence, love and so..
Music was also great! I've never listened to FUNKY MONKEY BABYS but after hearing theme song, sung by them, you may count me as a fan!!
Overall it was a great drama but I believe it would be much better if they cut it from the ending of 6th episode till the last episodes.. I know the other events are also important in order to get the ending but I do not feel like they really needed those things~
Anyway if you want to watch not an ordinary high school drama where you may not be able to see many girls, you should watch this drama and have fun!! Or just listen Funky Monkey Babys' Soredemo Shinjiteru and feel the happiness you can get from the drama itself~ Oh I love it!!
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Hana Yori Dango is the best adaptation of the Boys Over Flowers manga even though it wasn't the first that I saw. I watched Meteor Garden sporadically since it came out in 2001 and then the Korean Boys Over Flowers. I was halfway through BOF when I decided, out of curiosity, to watch the Japanese dorama. At first, I must admit, I didn't find anything remotely impressive because let's face it, the guys are not really that good-looking (and as a rule, the F4 bullies are supposed to be hot, drop dead gorgeous or something). Matsumoto Jun, Oguri Shun and the others just seemed so ordinary, you know? But as I continued watching the dorama (and abandoned the Korean one without regrets), I became enamored by Matsujun's acting. Seriously, can this guy get even more adorable? He was hilarious, I could imagine Domyouji Tsukasa in the manga coming to life! But he could also be fierce, violent and downright irrational with serious anger management issues. We all know Lee Min Ho is very good-looking and a pretty decent actor but strangely though, Matsujun's performance alone eclipsed Min Ho and eventually, I couldn't imagine anybody else play Domyouji except the latter despite his "imperfections". Matsujun really endeared himself to me. Moreover, his chemistry with Inoue Mao was amazing. You know how in other versions, you'd rather root for the Makino-Rui pairing because Domyouji's character seemed too crazy? In this drama, I was for Makino and Domyouji all the way! They looked lovely together that I tended to overlook his unreasonableness and fiery temper simply because the guy portraying him was so good at it! Inoue Mao was also perfect for the role. She was steely and determined. Her strength was apparent yet there was still that naivete and delicate feminine quality to her that made her loveable as well. And whenever they interacted together onscreen, this amazing connection forms and you get pulled right in. Their chemistry made HYD a huge hit despite the fact that the original storyline was utterly ludicrous, cliche and soap opera-like. The limited number of episodes was an advantage too because it prevented the story from becoming too draggy, unlike its Taiwanese and Korean counterparts. The bromance in this version was also very convincing and you can tell that even if they were shallow spoiled brats, they still treated each other like brothers. The guys could count on each other through thick and thin.
Hana Yori Dango definitely had been my guilty pleasure in the past. Out of the 3 versions I've seen, this is the only one that made me a bit obsessed XD (blame it on Matsujun and Inoue's chemistry!). I won't recommend it anymore because I'm sure most if not all watched it already. Rewatch value? A resounding 10 of course because I enjoyed re-watching it myself back then. Their silly banter and sweet, toe-curling moments (even if some were cheesy) brought out all those warm fuzzy feelings and well, who wouldn't want that? LOL.
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Whew, what can I say about this drama other than, objectively speaking, it's pretty much a masterpiece? If this had been a Hollywood film, I can dare say that it would even win an Oscar for Best Picture and earn Best Actor nominations for Joo Ji Hoon and Uhm Tae Woong. Every aspect of it was done well, from the plot, directing, to the production and acting. I like revenge thrillers like "Green Rose" and "Time Between Dog and Wolf" but hands down, The Devil is the BEST revenge melodrama ever. Why? Because it shows perfectly the tragic consequences of wrath and hatred. It shows how a man can be so consumed by thoughts of revenge that he becomes ENSLAVED by it with no hope for escape except in death. Some revenge dramas end up justifying the actions of the main characters and even grant them some sort of consolation that they deserved the "happy ending" they got after all the suffering they went through in the hands of their "victims" who did them wrong. But the thing is, it does not work that way. The cancer of hatred and vindictiveness can and will catch up with you. It will devour you until you and the lives around you get totally destroyed, leaving nothing in its wake. There is nothing but darkness inside the soul. No hope for love to redeem it. The writer was able to convey this well, with symbolism from Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy" and Rodin's art for re-enforcement, and I commend her for it. Furthermore, the actors gave unbelievable performances, notably veteran Uhm Tae Woong and pretty boy Joo Ji Hoon. Yes, that same Joo Ji Hoon who played the wooden, cold prince in the hit "Goong". He was outstanding! I never knew he had it in him and I'm glad he took the risk and accepted this role because he was able to stretch his acting skills and successfully proved to us that he is more than just a cute face.
So, after all that, you would think I'd recommend this drama right?
Actually, no. I'm going to be honest and say Mawang is the type of drama that is NOT for the faint-hearted. It's not for everyone. It's utterly dark, tragic and sinister. From the title alone, you can deduce how the storyline will unfold. The manner in which the revenge plot is executed is analogous to how the devil uses people to cause pain and even kill others...without them really being aware of it. Like a puppetry where the actual person out for revenge manipulates innocent people into committing crimes which he himself wants to do without the fear of being "caught". Thus, the methods can get unpleasant and even downright cruel. It can be hard to watch at times. But like I said, the drama is very well-executed. So if you can withstand the bleakness of the story, go ahead and see it for yourself. Just don't say you haven't been warned.
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These three words describe exactly how I feel about this unique drama which gave me a roller coaster ride from beginning until the end. I watched this two years ago but until now the impact of the story remains fresh. Perhaps because I never got my fairytale ending wish for my OTP? I admit. It hurt a lot to have my hopes and expectations dashed in the final episode since I've grown to love and root for the main characters. However, this doesn't mean that you should avoid this drama like plague if you still haven't seen it. LOL. Quite the contrary actually. Granted, 49 Days was not a perfect drama. The plot had some loopholes and some clues leading to the big revelation at the end were scattered clumsily throughout. But damn, the story was just so moving, deep and emotional. What got me the most was the main guy's unrequited love for one of the main female leads. I know it's not the most memorable love story in the drama. But it got to me because of the way it portrayed romance at a MUCH deeper level. Most love stories always start out as a love-hate thing or contain the usual "you and me against the world" formula. But here, I was moved by how intimately the guy knew the girl, how he knew her so well that it came to a point where his heart could recognize her even if she was physically somebody else. I haven't encountered this type of romantic love before in any drama and I loved it, even if it seemed so bizarre and too impossible to happen in real life. I loved that it didn't need physical intimacy to show just how pure, steadfast and selfless that love was across the screen. It was a quiet type of love, something you wouldn't be able to detect but which surprisingly ran deep that not even time nor a comatose state could shake. This is rare even for an Asian drama and it was unforgettable for me. Then there was the Betrayal between friends and hidden, painful truths involving family members that were hard to accept for our main character. Yet in spite of it all, true love was still able to heal and save the characters literally and figuratively. It gave the main characters strength, helped them move on and gave the villains hope to redeem themselves.
I cannot recommend this drama enough. Yes it's a tragedy. Yes some people die. But it's still worth watching. Why? Because it makes you reflect. It gives you something to ponder on long after you've seen it. This is something that dramas should aim for.
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