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The Untamed (2019)
10/10
Great story, funny, romantic, emotional, definitely entertaining
2 March 2020
Not quite sure how I found out about this Chinese fantasy drama but thankfully, I did. I'm a bit late to the game and not all that familiar with the background but from what I understand now, it was a book or web based story that was turned into an anime series. It's now been recreated live for the screen.

At first, it's a lot to take in. I'm not familiar with Chinese shows so wasn't quite sure what to expect. There's a lot of information in the first few episodes and they're more on the silly/fun side. I was worried the whole show was going to be like that but it's not at all. It really builds who the characters are and the relationship foundations. I think it was around the mid teen eps where it started to become more serious and at some point along the way, I became so hooked. This is a binge worthy show which sucked because there are 50 episodes. I did not want to stop watching at all!

The special effects can be quite funny at times however the acrobatics are cool, fun, interesting and overall, you forget how low budget some of it seems. The costuming is absolutely gorgeous. It's almost like they put the biggest part of the budget towards costuming rather than CGI. So worth it.

The dynamic between the main character, Wei Wuxian and his significant counterpart, Lan Wangji, is beautifully developed and told as well as his familial bonds. The story creates these breathtakingly heartbreaking, emotional scenes that balance well with the lighter humourous scenes in between. I was impressed by the main actors range and with the limited facial expressions of Lan Zhan, that actor really did a great job in expressing so much by doing so little. Excellent!

There's a lot to the story and a lot of characters which I had a hard time keeping up with. I'm now watching it again to catch what I missed and the show is just as good, if not better, the second time around. This is an intriguing, entertaining, addictive show that you will stay with you even after it's over. I highly recommend giving it a go.
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Skam (2015–2017)
10/10
Brilliant portrait of youth in today's world
15 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
The show is geared towards teenagers but I feel would be appreciated by adults of any age. Thought provoking and emotional, each season takes you on a journey through one characters point of view, each season being a different character. It's not a typical teenage angst approach but a more intelligent, in depth, gripping drama on the realities of the world we live in today and how the characters navigate through them. Some topics covered are relationships, racism, sexual assault, bullying, homosexuality, mental illness, learning to become true to oneself and the courage it takes in getting there.

The cinematography pulls you in each moment along with the music...the music is excellent. It has superb writing, characters and incredibly impressive actors for being so young. I can't recommend this show enough. I heard there's an American version in the works. If that's true, not quite sure I want to watch it. It's going to be incredibly tough to even come close to the original.
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Eyewitness (2016)
10/10
Seriously bummed this was canceled
1 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I found out about this show through some video I saw on YouTube and was intrigued. Found the whole show online and was instantly hooked. Of course, Catherine Hardwick has her 'Twilight' filter/coloring on, which drives me a little crazy but still, the show is shot beautifully. Suspenseful, frustrating, heartbreaking, touching, this show spans the whole emotional board. The relationship between the boys was very well done. Not a gratuitous love story at all. It's a heartbreaking and touching portrayal of someone coming to terms with who he is and the journey the two take in discovering each other.. all while keeping a secret that affects the lives of others. Found myself frustratingly yelling at the TV during the investigations through all it's twists and turns. All the characters were well developed and played really well. Was really disappointed to learn there wouldn't be more of this show. Great casting, gorgeous cinematography, intriguing story lines. This show really has it all.
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Shadowhunters (2016–2019)
7/10
Gets better with each episode
28 September 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I had read 3 or 4 of these books a few years ago and liked the movie although I thought it was severely lacking in certain areas. The best part of the movie was having Jonathan Rhys Myers as Valentine. So. Good. I was disappointed there weren't any additional movies and had no idea they did a TV series instead. I saw this show on Hulu and so glad they decided to go that route. The first episodes were OK... some bad acting, makeup is horrible, the swords.. haha wow... just awful but it was the first episodes of a new show that went along with the books so I kept watching. The budget always gets better if there's a second season and it really shows here. With each episode, I was more hooked. By the second season, in complete binge watch mode. I love the chemistry between the actors that play Magnus and Alec and between Simon and Maia. I think they made good actor choices with most characters, some better than in the movie. Unfortunately, I don't think the guy that plays Jace fits, nor does Clary's mom and Luke but now that it's just Luke, he has grown on me. I think the guy that played Jace in the movie was more fitting. This Jace just doesn't capture the Jace in the books. It feels too forced. In the end, my issues with the show hasn't kept me from looking forward to season 3. I'm hooked and can't wait til 2018.
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