On my part, I can say Coffee Prince made me reconcile with Korean dramas. If I have to tell the whole, bitter truth, for some time I thought Korean could only produce melodramas, with round eyes girls pouting and arrogant dudes raising perfectly trimmed eyebrows. Until I landed on this drama.
Everything about it felt so real, by the middle I wasn't a simple viewer anymore: I was part of that group of friends. The kind of alchemy they created on screen is rarely found in dramas, because in most cases one is reminded that these people are acting. But Coffee Prince feels like they are having fun together. It reminded me of a dinner with my friends, or camping out with them.
There's a delicious special at the end of the drama, which shows some behind the scene bloopers and interviews. And it's amazing, because either the special looks like integral part of the drama, or the whole drama is like a behind the scene: the interaction between the actors stays the same. Even the make up and clothes are everyday things, not a catwalk display.
And I absolutely loved the way the issue homosexuality was treated. I loved that Han Gyul was tormented by the thought of being gay, but that he was even more so in finding out that she was a woman. Because love, betrayal and trust are universal feelings and have no connection whatsoever with gender.
The music deserves a mention too. Coffee Prince has an outstanding OST, very unusual and difficult to put into a precise musical category. Some pieces have a jazz undertone which I personally loved.
I've read some people complaining about the pace of this drama, saying nothing major happens. But a work of art, be it a movie, a drama, a novel or a cartoon isn't made only of events. It's made of style too, of images, silences, scenery, words. Thousands of love stories have been written and shown in dramas. What makes this one a delightful watch, is the ability of actors and direction to make us connect and "live" this sweet love story with the characters.
Therefore, I'm ready to recommend this show to everyone.
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Acting/Cast: What can I say? I fell in love with Jang Hyuk through this drama. He bears the mark of a true actor in his role as the angst-revenge driven Dae Gil. His was a very challenging character and he pulled it off PERFECTLY! He spoke with his eyes, his expressions and his intonations had thoroughly pulled me into his world of slave hunters and his misery of loving and yet being unable to love. Oh Ji Hoo as Tae Ha (righteous, dutiful, loyal) and Lee Dae Hae as Hye Won (meek, fearful and a woman with a secret) were also perfect choices. Even the dudes who acted as slave hunters, mountain brigands, slave rebels and evil ministers were wonderful in their roles. I seriously could not find any fault in the acting and cast of this drama.
Music: I absolutely love the OSTs in this drama. I listen to them frequently in my walkman. I think this in itself tells you how wonderful I think of them. What I absolutely love was how each OSTs are perfectly coordinated with the scenes and feelings in the drama. Whenever I listen to the OSTs, they reminded me of the drama and the unforgettable scenes in the drama.
Rewatch value: I had rewatched parts of this drama twice. I am not a fan of rewatching dramas as I am a very time poor person but for this drama, I actually rewatched a number of parts that I absolutely love. I must admit that I had never rewatched any dramas entirely, not because they are not worth rewatching (how I wish I have the time and luxury to rewatch dramas!).
Overall: This is my advice to you who had not watched this drama..... go and get a bag of chips or popcorn, a box of tissue and maybe a pillow (because it is quite addictive and you might just decide to skip sleep to finish this drama in one go) and just WATCH THIS DRAMA. You'll never regret it! :)
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Discovered by mere chance while following Takenouchi Yutaka's work, it soon proved to be one of my best drama findings. It wasn't even listed on MDL, nor have I ever read a review or a comment about it.
Rondo is a romance thriller. The two aspects are smoothly interwoven and so well balanced that I don't know if I should say it's a romance on the background of a major criminal plot, or a thriller with an undertone of romance.
But let me go in order.
Plot: 10.
Should you decide to watch this drama, don't be deterred by the complex police investigation at the beginning. Slowly but steadily, the jigsaw pieces find their right place and everything becomes clearer and more and more gripping. Never predictable though; on the contrary, there's a twist at every turn.
The love story is simply beautiful. I love the Japanese-Korean interaction between the main leads, it adds a lot of colour to the story and create some very sweet moments. The two characters are a beauty to watch together: both intense and believable, both incredibly good-looking.
Acting: 10.
Terrific performances by all. Takenouchi proved once again to be an outstanding, very expressive actor and, I can just as well admit it, sexy as hell. The only asian man beside Takeshi Kaneshiro who looks good with a moustache. Choi Ji Woo, whom I had never seen acting before, is wonderful. I loved their first encounter and, since I'm very partial to those, I can say it marked the moment I decided I liked this drama. On screen they share the kind of chemistry which is created by tension and suspicion.
I was impressed by Hayami Mokomichi's and Shin Hyun Joon's performances too.
Cinematography: 10.
This is a dark drama. So are the colours, the screenshots, the city views. Black and gray are the predominant hues. The overall photography and direction are spot-on and there were times when I thought I was watching a long movie, instead of a drama.
Music: 11.
Wait... the option is not available. Pity, since the music is a blast, at least for my taste. There's an awesome instrumental piece in between ethnic and trip-hop which is so well used I was always longing for it to play. The music plays a major role in connection with the shooting. Very well chosen.
Re-watch value is obviously a little lower, as it always is with suspense dramas. Once the twists are known, a little of the thrill is gone. Which doesn't mean I won't rewatch this drama when a reasonable time will have passed.
There is only one sad note about this show: the quality of the streaming videos available. Subs: an atrocity. Although I marathoned through the drama, I must say it was an odyssey. The first episode, which is 90 minutes long, is impossible to find whole and in the right order. It almost made me give up the drama entirely, until I decided to find an alternative way... I'm glad I did. The rest of the 10 episodes has to be scraped together here and there. But if you have the patience, you won't regret it.
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The story is phenomenal, never once was I bored. The story has something for everyone, be it comedy, action, intrigue, romance. While, there were parts of the story, that bothered me, it was needed to make the drama flow better. This story was simple, yet at the same time complex, kind of paradoxical.
Acting:
Jang Hyuk as Lee Dae Gil was absolutely brilliant. At times I found myself crying with him, laughing with him, wanting to kick his behind. At the beginning he wasn't the character/actor who kept me coming back, because well I couldn't stand him, but the more I watched, perfect.
Oh Jo Ho as Song Tae Ha reminded me of what a man with honor is. While he could seriously put the hurt on someone, he wasn't greedy about having the power to hurt/control people.
Lee Da Hae as Hyewon, I can't really say anything because I don't like her, throughout the entire drama she annoyed me to no end, but the drama wouldn't have been complete without her.
Those were the "main" actors, but I feel one of the supporting actors deserves a mention...
Ahn Suk Hwan as artist Bang, he brought comic relief, that was much needed in this drama. No matter the role he plays, he performs perfectly.
The music was perfect, it wasn't all slow and boring. It mixed old music with newer styled music very well.
Overall, if period drama's are your thing, watch this drama. The only thing that kept me coming back in the beginning was all the muscle, but I am female, so that would attract me. I have a hard time picking period drama's, but once I pick one, I have to finish it, and am usually disappointed, but this one has by far surpassed any and all period drama's I have watched. So much so that I actually sat here and tried to formulate my impressions into words by typing this review.
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1it started out promising with a likeable cast and a fairly entertaining plot.i watched the first half with great enthusiasm.
some where around episode 7 or 8 it got very contrived, almost as if the writers just said "oh, screw it!"
on top of that i am OVER k-dramas where they take a perfectly attractive girl and through awful clothes and hair make her much less attractive. the female lead is a hot mess 90% of the time also, how did tha male lead walk? his pants were so tight i was amazed by his ability to breath in them, much less deliver lines with a straigh face.
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Hanazakari no Kimitachi e
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Hana Kimi was one of the first dramas that I've ever saw. I've watched it complete 2 times and my favourite parts at least 10 times. It's a really must see in the drama world. It's not the best drama with the best story and the best acting, but it's really entertaining and cute. If you are in your teens, then you'll definitely enjoy it. If you are older, you'll probably won't like it because you'll think that it's way too over-the-top.
The story is not really that original in the girl-dresses-as-boy thing, the original part is how develop it and why she does it. Also the side stories are pretty funny, like the competition between the rooms and all that.
The acting is pretty good, I love Maki, she's one of my favourite actresses. The whole cast is great, you can notice that there's chemistry between them, that they really bonded and friends throughout the filming of this.
The music was good, it was funny and according to the moments, also I love the theme song, I have it as ringtone on my cell.
On the rewatch value it is definitely a 10. I've watched 2 times and will probably watch it another 20. It is a funny light drama that cheers me up when I'm down.
Overall, although it isn't extraordinary, Hana Kimi is a classic and a must see for us drama fans, it really is something.
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The World That They Live In
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Story-The story is about how the drama world functions, it tries to highlight the differences and similarities between dramas and real life. In the romantic part it's completely different from any kdrama that I've ever seen. So to give you an idea, the leads are exes, so it isn't about how they fall in love, but rather how real couples relate. I loved it because it was a completely realistic story and the kind of romance that shows is completely mature, as opposed to you typical romcom. Also I love that the story isn't only about their relationship. It really shows how the drama business function, and I loved the stories of the supporting characters, specially Uhm Ki Joon and Seo Hyo Rim's. I love that throughout the drama you can see all kinds of love, and that the main idea it that sometimes reality is way better.
Cast-Hyun Bin and Song Hye Kyo are like the bomb together, they have so much chemistry that at some scenes I thought the whole thing was gonna explode. I wasn't surprised at all when I found out they announced they were a couple in real life two months after the drama, I mean, you could totally see it through the screen. I loved Son Hye Kyo's evolution from Full House to Worlds Within, it shows she really grew as an actress and left behind her innocent self. The supporting actors where all really great, and each really had a chance to shine at least in an episode.
Music-The olnly thing that wasn't perfect in here. It wasn't bad but it wasn't anything special. Actually, it resembles a lot to My Girl's OST.
Rewatch Value-Definitely will rewatch it soon, I loved it, specially the cute scenes that make your heart melt.
Overall-This is a great drama, I recommend it for anyone, it has everything from romance (a lot), to comedy, family, friendship, drama and simply life.
I really loved this drama and I hope that through this review I can encourage at least a person to watch it. If you ever read this and because of this start watchingt this drama, please send me a message or leave a comment on my profile, it would mean a lot to me.
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Taisetsu na Koto wa Subete Kimi ga Oshiete Kureta
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While the original Gokusen had popular names such as Matsumoto Jun and Oguri Shun, Gokusen 2 has Kamenashi Kazuya, Akanishi Jin, Hayami Mokomichi, and Koike Teppei. For those who've seen the first Gokusen you'll find familiar faces also among the cast - and a return of Kuma! One of my favorites from the first season, I was happy to see him return in Gokusen 2!
The acting was great, I loved the entire cast!
The music wasn't anything special - the theme song changed from "Feel Your Breeze" to "No More Cry" at the end which wasn't a bad song. I loved Kamenashi Kazuya's "Kizuna" that was played during the drama, though (:
I can see myself rewatching this drama sometime, but probably not for a long time.
Overall - I enjoyed it just as much as the first season. For those of you who have seen the first season - you won't be disappointed with this one. For those who haven't seen any of the seasons yet but are curious because you like the cast - watch it! (:
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Story- UNPREDICTABLE. The story starts off slow (not to the point of being bored) and is too focused on the character of Hae Ryung (not UEE's character)but by episode 10 things start to pick up and become super interesting because it focuses on UEE's character. The last episode made me want to rip my hair out. The ending kept in line with the unpredictable theme. Its probably the worst ending Ive ever seen in my life! Seriously if it werent for the first 23 eps having solid writing i would have rated the story lower just because of the sorry ending.
Acting- UEE can act her butt off! She changed my opinion of her (hated her in YB). The rest of the cast all made thier characters believable. I really despised the character of Hae Ryung though (very pathetic and no character development until the last ep.)
Music- Nice enough music that was memorable but nothing that i would be obsessed with.
Rewatch- If it werent for the ending Id probably would have rewatched it in 2 yrs or so but i have no wish to rewatch this drama, although it is at least rewatchable.
Overall this drama had huge potential but the lack of a believable romance and the nonsensical ending really ruined the good feelings i had about this show throughout its run. I'd still recommend this drama though because the writing is good and the acting is very good.
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The Story deserves a 10 because is a true story about a real girl who went through this, and the purpose of this drama was for people to know it, and really learn to appreciate life, and I think that it really does cause that. This one of the few dramas that are life-changing, that instead of making you laugh makes you think how lucky you are just for the fact that you can study, or walk, or even speak.
The acting was 10 also. I hate Sawajiri Erika, I think that she is one of the worst famous people aver, because she's careless and has a really bad reputation, but you can't deny that she made the performance of her life in this drama. She makes us completely understand the pain that Aya is going through and how she gradually loses control of her body. I also loved Ryo's performance and character, the parts where I cried the most were the parts where he cried. I also loved the family, I think they all acted completely according to their part, even though it was really challenging.
The music definitely 10. It completely moved you.
I've watched three times, and I don't really get bored, it's a completely moving story, I love it because it makes me feel lucky and thankful to God.
Overall a solid 10, one of the few dramas which REALLY deserve it, not because of its cast or music, but because it's a tribute to Aya
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Most of it is due to the excellent cast. I knew Ueto Aya from Attention Please and loved her there: she was the reason why I watched that drama and the only reason why I completed it. There she was feisty and entertaining, here she plays the role of a disillusioned young woman, wary of men - who can blame her? - and in desperate need of warmth and a sense of belonging. Her acting is outstanding, one can't help falling in love with her fragility, her courage and beauty.
Takenouchi Yutaka is just as awesome. His character is that of an honest man who leads a simple life but is ready to go to any length in order to save his sister. He's so sedate throughout the whole drama, I expected him to burst out at some point. But he didn't, and I realize now this is what makes him into such an endearing character. He expresses a world of meaning via glances and silences: I loved it.
The encounter between Risa and Kengo is poignant and their interaction from that point on is always defined by a sedate fire. Nobody shouts, or desperately cries or have fits of anger, and yet the chemistry is powerful.
I don't think it's accidental that Matsuda Shota speaks in a very sedate and calm way too through the whole show. This is the imprint of Nagareboshi. Just like the beautiful jellyfishes that float around in the aquarium. I never thought I could come to consider jellyfishes such beautiful creatures.
The side cast is just as brilliant, mostly the women.
The photography deserves a mention too. There are some truly outstanding sceneries of Japan shown in this drama. I was captivated by the colours and the general atmosphere. I love it that Japanese can produce wonderful dramas without the pomp and the shine we have been accustomed to with the usual super stars sporting gorgeous outfits or your average hero under the shower. This is a simple yet complicated love story between two very average people. It could be us.
The music is beautiful, although not my genre. I usually prefer instrumental pieces in dramas, so I don't really care much for songs. But it suits the pace and the feel of the drama perfectly.
If you like well acted, slow developing stories without love triangles or squares, played on style more than actual happenings, this drama is for you. I suppose it's for mature viewers - and I'm not referring to age.
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