IGNORE THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS, AND TAKE MY REVIEW AS A +VE SIGN TO WATCH THIS SERIES!

First of all, let me congratulate my dear Saint for building his own production house Idolfactory after all the hardships and criticisms he faced. He is giving a tough competition to all those big production houses.
So, let me talk about the premises: The story is set in a special forces academy at first, which is a very rare scenario in a Thai series. It showed the intensive training of the cops. Next, the characters become cops and are a part of an investigative defense force, so they deal with the cases. Their analytical thinking and problem-solving skills outshines here. The main base for the series is the Hindu mythological story of Naga(snake) and Garuda(eagle). As an Hindu, I knew all about the rivalry between Naga and Garuda and I really thank Idolfactory for spreading our culture and stories through this series. It was so fun to watch the stories I only heard of.
Billy and Babe did an incredible job as the main leads. Billy had improved his acting skills so much and Babe was a rookie but still slayed the role. Heng as the villain rocked....he needs to win the best villain award. Gap as the brother Yai won my heart. All the side characters and guest roles did their jobs perfectly...that's why the series is so flawless. I love how along with each case we came to know more about art, drugs, sexual abuse and so on. The series dealt with numerous social issues with each episode. What astonishes me the most this series has every genre in it - crime, thriller, mystery, romance, comedy, myth, suspense, but yet everything is blended properly. Most of the series fail when it comes to plot execution because they tried to include more genres, but The Sign succeeded in doing so. You can literally feel the hard work that was put behind to create this show.
The visuals was such an eye-candy and all the aesthetics was so pleasing. The CGI team needs a raise, because that was Hollywood-level VFX. The flow of the story and editing was impressive. I have a ton of scenes that has beautiful shots and transitions. Every scene was unskippable and interesting. I loved the cliffhanger ending too.
The OST always sends shivers down my spine. I don't know why. It has some kind of power to it.
Overall a must watch. You are missing out on a great series if you haven't watched this yet. Even if you don't like BLs, trust me you should watch this series and you will never ever regret it. I WANT TO RATE THIS 1000/10.

Leia Mais

ONE OF THE BEST WUXIA SHOWS EVER MADE!

I am absolutely speechless after watching this show. Though I haven't watched that many wuxia dramas, I am sure of one thing - this ought to be the best one out there!
Where do I even begin? Let's start with the actors. I have never seen any of the older works of the cast except for the actor who played as Zijin - I have seen him on Boss and Me. All the cast perfectly were made for the roles. And each one's acting was off charts. Cheng Yi's acting is impeccable - no wonder he won an award for his character. I was also impressed by the actress who played Jiao Liqiao, the female villain. I watched the BTS and I was surprised - Cheng Yi was the hyperactive kid, Joseph was the chill carefree guy and Shun Yao was the emotional man.
As for the story, it was a unique one with reasonable plot twists and suspense. I loved both Xiangyi and Lianhua - I am unbiased. Xiangyi was mysterious, playful, righteous, talented and cool guy. Lianhua was mature, calm, simple, kind and warm-hearted. Both of them have my heart. I immediately fell for Fang Doubing. He is so charming. And Afei - he is the cold CEO we see in office dramas. All the three shared immense bromance with each other. Loved to see their bond.
I loved the cases, but my favorites cases would be Girl's Mansion, Tianji Mountain Manor and of course, the last one Royal Palace case. The cases were all interconnected leading to the Nanyin secrets and the director had done an excellent job for paving the story. The real birth origins of Xiangyi while the drama neared its end shocked me. Normally, I am not a fan of fight or action scenes. But, I rewatched the action scenes here because the cinematography and editing were too good to be ignored. Kudos to the martial arts coach for the amazing action scenes and the costume designer for all the outfits worn by the cast. The real birth origins of Xiangyi while the drama neared its end shocked me.
I wish I could erase my memory to watch this all over again. Anyways, I will rewatch it soon. It is worth multiple watches.
Overall: 100/10

Leia Mais

BEST MYSTERY SHOW!

I am scif-fi geek and a sucker for mystery genre. So, of course I loved Midnight Museum.

I understand that many people didn't get many of the scenes and story(me included), but that's the fun! I love to interpret on my own because that leads to endless possibilities.

Tor and Gun had an intense chemistry. Call it whatever you want but I will call it love. Let me be delusional...

The rest of the main cast also did well...

Please give it a go - I can guarantee your jaw will drop in shock in every episode. If you don't understand something, check out my review where I have explained everything: https://medium.com/@purple3dazzle/haunted-and-mysterious-midnight-museum-thai-series-review-key-observations-only-1beb44a7a01b

Leia Mais

Are we humans or monsters?

This movie didn't make me cry. But, it left a void in my heart. It pains and it hurts as if someone had stabbed my heart. I wish everyone in this world watches this movie irrespective of who they are. It will give a chance for us to destroy our inner demons and become more humane.
The story is told from three perspectives: Saori is a single mother who finds that her son is exhibiting strange behaviors lately. Her son Minato admits that he was beaten and abused by his teacher Hori. After this arc, we all tend to blame Hori. Then, we get Hori's perspective - he had always been kind to his students and Minato was injured by him accidentally. However, the whole school and press labels him as an abusive teacher and he is fired from his job. At this point, we audience tend to be indifferent towards Hori and think that he deserves to be hated. But, the real story is hidden behind Minato's POV. Minato has a crush on Yori, a boy in his class. Yori is often bullied by his rude classmates for his girly behavior. Minato is in denial because of the society norms and that causes him extreme stress, to the extent that he starts questioning his existence. Yori is always physically abused by his alcoholic single father, who believes that Yori has a disease and that he is a monster with pig brains. Despite all the bullying at school and the abuse from his father, Yori is very optimistic and gentle. The girls around him are always kind, but the boys give him a tough time. This factor alone shows how women are more matured, understanding and have an high degree of empathy within them. Parallel to all three arcs, we see the cold principal of the school. It is said that she killed her grandchild accidentally and let her husband take the fall, who is currently imprisoned. Whether its true or false is left to our own judgement.
I felt the movie was a huge irony in more than one way. In today's date, where social media is a rage, we don't fact-check everything before we draw conclusions. We only hear the narratives we favor. We don't want to listen to the other sides of the story. In fact, we don't even believe there are other narratives. Lets say, you come across a reel about an actor being accused of a hit-and-run. If you like the actor, you will say he's being framed. If you don't like the actor, you will say he deserves jail. And if you don't know the actor, you just ignore the reel, forgetting the reel quickly. There are many cases where innocent people commit suicide because of the hateful comments on social media. If even one life is lost because of our harsh words, aren't we monsters?
Throughout the film, rebirths are often mentioned, mostly by Minato. The ending leaves us hanging with many possibilities. Again, our perceptions come at play here. There are many hidden messages within the movie. For instance, Yori has become immune to the bullying and abuse because he is so much used to it - he doesn't feel anything anymore. This was revealed through a card game with Minato.
The entire cast were amazing, but the performance of the child actors are impeccable. That was Oscar-level acting. It is isn't easy to act in sensitive topics as a child.
Overall, this movie widened my horizons. It was thought-provoking and an eye-opener. No wonder it won so many laurels, including the Cannes festival.

Leia Mais

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND WATCH THIS DRAMA!

I have a love/hate relationship with shows that are tagged 'body-swap'. Because in most cases, the swapping leads to chaos and the story gets twisted and the ending would be unsatisfying. Mainly, other shows portray the effects of body-swap - like a boy in a girl's body getting periods, shopping issues, unaware of what to do being a different gender, etc. But, in this show, these things take a backseat. In fact, the two leads are pretty comfortable after the gender swap. The only thing that tells them apart is their mannerisms - Kagura walks with her legs stuck together when she becomes a guy and Yashiro walks with his legs spread after becoming a girl.
I liked the storytelling and plot execution the best in this show. Though there is very very mild romance...which occurs in the last episode only, I still loved the show. This might be the first time I loved the entire cast - there were no villains. Instead of focusing on what happens with the bodily changes, the show focuses on how our past relationships change once we are a different person, unrecognized by our family and friends. And this is what makes this show unique. There are times we ourselves have thought about being a different person, but have we ever considered what would happen to our loved ones if we did transform into a different person? Both Yashiro and Kagura regret it after the body-swap, when they realize how much they are loved by their families.
Another beautiful aspect of this show is it explained why the body-swap occurred with a backstory of the God. The backstory was an unexpected surprise for me. Other body-swapping dramas just make it a magical moment - like something happened accidentally and so the body-swap. And that always annoyed me. The backstory of God was so sad and the God's ending was even sadder - the last episode made me a crying mess.
I loved Rin's and Yashiro's(in Kagura's body) date. As someone with no friends, I always wanted to go on dates and do makeovers and shopping and have fun...so that scene made me cry. I loved everyone, but Ukon stole my heart. In fact, that chihuahua did a better acting than most of the professional actors out there. I am not a pet-person, but I have a soft spot for Ukon. And Ukon's ending also made me sad. Another thing I loved is that Kagura mentioned my country India to visit - and there was a complete scene of almost five minutes for it.
It was funny that everybody fell for Yashiro, despite him being in a different body. The show should be titled, 'In Yashiro's Favor'. LOL.
This is a must-watch. I recommend it. Even if you don't like BLs, you can go ahead and watch it.
BTW, the actors playing Yashiro and Kenta have their birthdays that are only two days apart! WOW!

Leia Mais

LIFE ON MARS IS AMAZING THAN LIFE ON EARTH!

Sorry for the long review. But, I just had to rant on how much good this drama was.
First of all, this review is solely based on the remake, I have not watched the original version and I am not planning to watch it in future. I do know the plot similarities and differences between the shows.
Let's start with Jung Kyung Ho. I had always loved him ever since I watched Prison Playbook. He was impressive as Tae Joo. The way he kept his face straight all the time as Tae Joo was inexpressive most of the times - and the way he gets lost in thoughts and his despairs and struggles with trauma - everything was realistic. By the end of the drama, he had come a long way from being an indifferent cop to becoming a trustworthy friend. His trauma was in obstructing him from interacting with others which gets knocked down by the 1988 team.
Dong Cheol is my favorite character in this show, along with Na Yeong. I saw Park Sung Woong on a BL called Method and I have seen him in some guest roles, so I didn't have much idea how is acting was. But, this show proved that he was an incredible actor. Dong Cheol was street-smart and short-tempered, a stark contrast with Tae Joo. Still, the bromance between the two was amazing. They understood each other completely. I am impressed about the amount of swear words that came from DonG Cheol throughout the show.
I have never seen any of the shows by the rest of the main cast. Na Yeong was impressive. Unlike in most K-dramas, where female cops are mostly dumb and are bad in terms of fighting, Na Yeong shines by her intelligence, analytical thinking and insane fight moves. She is the only one to whom Tae Joo admitted his crazy time-travel story...which shows how much he trusts her. And in return, Na Yeong made him feel at home unlike others who initially were cold to him. Since this is the 80's era, women cops are rare - she is the only one who is wearing the cop outfit and she is always assigned to do tasks for the male cops instead of doing the police work. Only Tae Joo respects her and in the end, everyone treats her as a fellow co-worker than as their made. And though they hinted that they might have a relationship, I was completely fine with no romance, just like in The Psychopath Diary.
Nam Shik and Yong Ki shared a different universe altogether. They were a good as a duo and worked well as cops. Yong Ki was an asshole at the beginning but his character took a turn while we neared the climax.
Everything aside, Tae Joo had a loving family. Both the 80's era family and his present family cared for him. Tae Joo's dad might have been a jerk, but he was really a best dad to Tae Joo. No wonder his death affected Tae Joo so much.
Everyone has different theories on what happened, so here's my take: I think after coming back to 2018, he attempted suicide to be with his friends of 1988. Both the mom, ex-girlfriend and doctor wanted Tae Joo to be happy...that's why he chose the 1988 world. It might be heaven or maybe he really was in 1988, since Hyun Seok calls him. Which is kinda depressing, I laughed because Tae Joo was happy and cried because it hurt that this could be unreal.
I liked that when Tae Joo was in 1998, the narrative for the drama's intro was 'Am I going crazy? What happened?' and then when he was back in 2018, the narrative was 'Am I really back? Or is this a dream?'
One thing bothered me was Tae Joo went back to 1988 to know the truth about his dad's death, but I wished that he also could have pretended Min Seok from becoming a killer in the future. In the end, the victims of Min Seok still died.
Overall: 9/10. Minus 1 for making my head spin because of that ending.

Leia Mais

IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO WATCH 55:15!

YOU ALL NEED TO WATCH THIS AMAZING SHOW!

55:15 Never Too Late is about five 55 aged people transforming into their 15 year old selves suddenly. All five of them are strangers to each other but form a solid bond when they realize they are in the same boat. When life gives them a second chance, what they do will do? Will they be able to return their old selves or begin a new line as 15?

The entire line of cast is amazing. The similarities and mannerism matched perfectly between the young and old actors. There is no way you could tell they are different people. All five characters have a solid backstory because of which they have turned into 15. My most favorite character would be Jarunee, followed by Paul. These two had the most heartbreaking storyline. There are 16 episodes instead of the usual 12 as per Thai show norms. But there was never a moment I felt bored or thought that this show was a waste of time. Tbh, each character made me feel like I was the one who is 15 transformed from my old self of 55.

I really wish more people could watch this. It has some solid messages in the end that just hits the nail in your heart and you will remember those moments forever in your life. It is a healing series - a series that makes you find the right path if you are lost. PLEASE SHARE THIS POST AND RECOMMEND THIS SERIES TO EVERYONE YOU CAN! That's the only we can do to a series that totally deserves more recognition.

P.S: Jaya Janiya's song is stuck in my head and heart!

Leia Mais

BEST DETECTIVE DRAMA WITH 1920'S VIBES!

Ok, where do I even start? First of all, I am not a big fan of Hu Yitian but this show made me one. I never thought Hu Yitian could play a funny, goofy, materialistic and gluttonous guy. But, Lu Yao's character was definitely made for him. I have never seen any of the works from the other two leads, but Leon Zhang was amazing. He has a gorgeous smile and the bromance between him and Hu Yitian was so excellent. In fact, I never really shipped Lu Yao with the female lead although Lu Yao ended up getting married to Youning. Tbh, Lu Yao had more chemistry with Land Lady than with Youning. For me, Youning and Lu Yao seemed more like siblings and less like a couple...though I loved the love confession during gunning and the marriage proposal.

This is the first time I am seeing a detective in a C-Drama who accurately replicates Holmes. Lu Yao might be too much of a materialistic and a foodie guy, but his observational skills are on point. He is very knowledgeable and it pains me that his family ignored his talent and tried to control his life. I have become a great fan of Lu Yao. It was so fascinating to see him solve the cases. Also, I like how he keeps his material cravings to a certain limit - he only goes for the rich and helps the poor.

Like everybody else, I hated Youning initially. She was annoying, she fabricated the news to sell the paper, she beat Lu Yao frequently and meddled with the cases. But, gradually she became less annoying. There are times when her instincts are precise - she accused Tong Li and the butler of the lightening case because they were mean to her and turns out they were the real culprits. She tried to get Lu Yao out of the venue before Zou Jing died in the explosion. And let's be honest, she had all the information in her fingertips and she was well-connected with people, so she was an integral part of solving the cases.

Chuseng was a gangster before he became a police officer. He was all about fists. In almost all cases, Lu Yao was the mastermind in solving the cases. Without Lu Yao, he couldn't do anything. He was also a playboy, but for some reason, I liked this playboy. He genuinely loved and cared for both Youning and Lu Yao. I would have loved to see more of Chuseng's past life as a gangster. As a BL fangirl, I'll just pretend that Lu Yao and Chuseng ended up together.

There were so much handsome men in this series. Especially, I loved Adou, Salim and the coroner. The actor playing Salim is an Indian and I was so happy to see him on a C-Drama. And I loved the 1920's vibe of the show...it must have taken too much efforts for the setup for each case. The cases were interesting and some of them even made me emotional. I love the fact how they linked all the cases to the final big boss.

Overall: 8.5/10. Would love to see a S2.

Leia Mais

THE INCURABLE LOVE WE ALL DESIRE

I had never been a big fan of J-dramas and I had been putting off this for a while. Decided to give it a go and I absolutely loved the show. I am seeing the cast for the first time, I haven't seen any of their works before. Initially, I didn't like any of the leads but gradually I liked them. Especially Satoh Takeru has got a beautiful smile. Pity that his smile was shown more only in the finale episode.
Nanase's character wasn't bland. But, I do feel its unrealistic about the plot: falling in love with a stranger within seconds and making him as a goal of your life. The idea might be dreamy but it was a bit hopeful; it made me believe in love and fate. A girl finally achieving her goal of marrying her first love and even having a successful career which enables her to work alongside her lover...didn't think I will like such a cheesy plot.
However, I couldn't bring myself to root for any of the side couples. The last couple of episodes were so good. I was laughing and blushing throughout episode 10 that my mother seriously considered sending me to an asylum. The OST is good and its music is often used as background score during dramatic scenes. Overall, a fine show!

Leia Mais

DREAMS AND LAW!

I am a sucker for shows that has mystery/thriller vibes and this show is a perfect blend of both. I absolutely loved this show.

Plot: A news reporter is on a career break as she believes she will die on her duty in future. This is because her dreams become a reality. She meets a prosecutor who saves her life from a car accident - something that she had dreamed before. She had tried changing the reality but she couldn't. The prosecutor is the one who proved that the reality can be changed. He saved the reporter because he dreamed about her and the cop who gets killed in the car accident. Now, the news reporter, the prosecutor and the cop dream about each other's future events. All their future events are tied up with their professions and they help each other, while dealing with an evil attorney.

Cast: Not only the main leads, I also liked all the side characters except the evil ones. My favorite was Jaechan's brother, Daegu and Mr. Choi. We have all seen Mr. Choi as the villain in SWDBS but here he was just an exceptional hero for me. And throughout the show, I found myself more attracted to Jang Hae In than Lee Jong Suk...and even an unshaved Jang Hae In was too hot.

What I liked: Unlike other shows, where sub-plots are often created with new characters that the main leads are not quite acquainted, here we could see the sub-plots based on the people around the main characters. Eg. the reporter dreams about the barista from where she orders the coffee and the prosecutor dreams about the barista and the reporter being attacked. I love how they tied the stories neatly, inter-weaving them with perfection. My favorite scenes would be the robotic vacuum cleaner scene and Wootak's secret reveal idea by Hongjoo. The final episode had me drowning in tears. The cases were perfectly trialed in the courts and I loved every aspect of the cases. Imo, Yoobum could have been redeemed at a young age but matters got of hand and he turned out to be a devil. And I loved the bickering between Jaechan and his brother. Jang Hae In wasn't actively pursuing the love of the female lead despite being a second lead and that just adds more beauty to the show.

OST: That dramatic music score whenever something big happens - that was fantastic. Goosebumps!

Overall: 9/10. I will again watch it in future.

Leia Mais

TRUST YOUR EIGHT SENSE!

Now that I watched this masterpiece several times(I have lost count), I have more deeper understanding of the story. T8S is in a league on its own - you can't compare it with any other BLs.

First, both Ji Hyun and Jae Won were attracted to each other right from the moment they met. It was evident - their body language said it all. It was love at first sight. I am not much of a believer of love at first sight. I always thought one might get attracted to someone and they might label that attraction as love. But this drama proved that could happen. The Eight Sense is all about following your guts. Your subconscious mind knows what it wants more than anyone else around you, even including yourself. Ji Hyun and Jae Won acted upon their instincts. They didn't say 'I had always liked girls' or 'I don't like others. I only like you' or 'How can I like a guy?' or 'This is wrong. How will people judge us?'. They only cared about each other's feelings. They were true to their emotions and didn't disregard them. They never doubted why they were having such feelings. In fact, they never confessed love to each other - they both knew they were in love and started dating.

Unlike other dramas, there was no dramatic scene to make them fall in love - like clumsily falling in the arms, one main lead doing something that impresses the other, etc. They met, they tried to avoid(ep1 Ji Hyun goes to his dorm even after seeing Jae Won is having a hangover; Jae Won avoiding Ji Hyun after the incident), they tried to approach(Jae Won approaches Ji Hyun with an excuse of an lighter when he had one; Ji Hyun joins surf club because Jae Won was there), they became intimate, they got separated but then their hearts couldn't bear it and they end up together.

In most BLs, the main obstacles would be homophobic family and friends, society judgement and pressure, ex returning suddenly to reunite with one of the guys or one of them already being in a relationship. But, internal trauma becomes the backdrop in this drama. The fear of losing another loved one haunts Jae Won and he tries his best to let go off his feelings for Ji Hyun, but couldn't. They didn't 'Fight the world to be together' instead they chose to 'Be together and fight the world'.
Ji Hyun being an introvert was courageous than Jae Won when it came to love. He did things that he usually wouldn't do - he joined surf club, he went with Jae Won to the beach not knowing any details, he put Eun Ji in her place. He was determined to win Jae Won back. After watching this drama, I have started believing in my guts more. I think all we have to do is trust that inner voice and believe that it will lead to the right path. Be bold and listen to your heart. No matter how you are treated badly by people for your guts and decisions, trust that you are doing the right thing.

I know many would be annoyed by Eun Ji and Tae Hyung. But, don't we all have one or two people who annoy us in our lives? Don't we have people who are ready to laugh and mock when we fall down? Don't we have people who don't regard our own happiness? So, don't drop or avoid this drama because you don't like the side characters. At least the couple has got Ae Ri, Yoon Won and Joon Pyo who didn't judge their love.

The song choices Ben Goldstein's I Can't Lose It All and Conan Gray's The Story - they were just perfect choices for the couple. I hope we all get a love as pure and magical as Jae Won and Ji Hyun's. I don't get why the ratings are dropping for this masterpiece. Why nowadays people aren't appreciating good stuff?

Leia Mais

THE BEST TWILIGHT EVER!

I don't usually write reviews unless what I watched turns out be an art of masterpiece that drags my lazy ass to write a review on it. Where do I even begin? (Because I am crying this series has ended...)

Let's talk about P'Aof, the director. I know he is exceptional and always gives us masterpieces...but he went too far...I am sure he can't create a better masterpiece than Last Twilight. Because LT has reached such lengths and has set the bars so higher that's its currently somewhere in the stratosphere...P'AOF, THE DIRECTOR YOU ARE...

JimmySea served us with their amazing acting and insane chemistry with Vice Versa. I had no doubts about their acting, but Sea as Day outdid his acting performance. Its not easy to act as a blind person when you can clearly see. And also those micro-expressions he makes...I want Jimmy and Sea to win best actor awards and P'Aof as best director now. You can't turn a blind eye to such a marvelous work.

Mark and Namtan were the best pair I ever imagined. GMMTV should give them a new series because their chemistry is chemistrying...I wouldn't mind a spin-off with them along with some scenes of DayMohk.

I wish all those BL haters and non-BL people see this work. That way they will realize LOVE IS LOVE and how beautiful the journey of DayMohk's love was.

Overall: 100/10. I will come again and again because this show makes want to believe in hope, love and life.

Leia Mais

ONE OF THE BEST MYSTERY CRIME THRILLER SHOW!

I had always been a big fan of whodunit and detective shows. I am so glad that I gave it a try and I hope more people watch this masterpiece. The show started with a dead woman in her condo at Horizon Tower, who is possibly murdered. Each suspect were given screen-time of two episodes, in which they were interrogated by the main leads who are detectives. The last couple of episodes were dedicated to the POV of the victim herself. All of the suspects stated their alibi to prove their innocence in the case. At the same time, we get to deep dive into the victim's life...which helps us to form our own judgement against the suspects and the victim. Ep. 8 was very traumatizing. In fact, every episode made me cry and the storytelling was in such a way that you would start pitying some characters. This drama also talks about some dark topics like sexual abuse, child abuse, domestic abuse, mental health issues and so on. In the end, everything was tied perfectly. Though I would have liked to see the culprit suffer more for everything that was done by them. Each character had their own flaws and shortcomings, their own story that they want to project to society and their own dark secrets...which makes them very realistic and relatable.The piano score was the best in this show, which started just in the first five minutes of the first episode. All the background scores were pretty good, with a hint of dramatic note in them. The English OST was also perfect.Every actor/actress did a solid acting job. I had never seen Angelababy's performance before and I was astonished by how well she played the victim role. Amazing cast and outstanding performance.PLEASE WATCH THIS DRAMA, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. YOU WILL BE MISSING A MASTERPIECE IF YOU DON'T WATCH IT!

Leia Mais