Change Your Image
kkaterhyne
Reviews
Maxton Hall - Die Welt zwischen uns (2024)
MIXED FEELINGS
Okay, I will start this review saying that I have mixed feelings about this tv show.
BAD THINGS (IN MY OPINION)
1) As a big fan of the 'enemies to lovers' trope, I was disappointed that Ruby and James fell for each other too quickly in the show. It just felt rushed and not quite believable that they'd be head over heels in less than two weeks (as stated by Ruby in episode 3). I think if they had started the flirting in episode 4, then progressed to the "falling in love" phase from episodes 5 to 7, followed by the "break up, we can't be together" phase from episodes 7 to 9, and wrapped up the show with episode 10, it would've made a huge difference, as those extra episodes could've made their love story feel more authentic and realistic. (*I know that the show portrayed their love story as it was narrated in the book, but there the events unfold at a slower pace compared to the show, that's why it feels faster).
2) Lydia, Cyril, and Alistair looked way older than their supposed 17 or 18-year-old character. Sure, the actors might be adults, but without their school uniforms, they could easily be mistaken for professors like Mr. Sutton (who is a young adult).
3) While I appreciated Ruby giving James some much-needed reality checks, doing it in front of everyone seemed a bit harsh. Yeah, she was mad, upset, and frustrated, but airing those harsh comments in public wasn't necessary. James didn't take her mean words too personally because, deep down, Ruby was right. She was the only one brave enough to confront him with the truths he needed to hear. Still, it was bothersome seeing Ruby roasting James like that. Expressing her thoughts and opinions was okay, but humiliating James in front of everyone was not nice at all. I understand that things can get heated in the moment (and Ruby did apologize to James after their first argument in public), but later on, she does something similar and doesn't apologize. I know that James was a jerk with everyone, including Ruby, but he never publicly roasted her the way she did on a few occasions.
4) Lydia's secret relationship with Mr. Sutton was just not okay. The fact that she is 17/18 and he is older than her (I assume he is in his early 20s *20-23) make her love story troublesome. I understand that we can't control who we fall in love with, and I genuinely liked their characters (I did feel sorry for their forbidden love story), but I wish the situation could have been handled differently. In the book, they began their friendship in Tumblr when she was 15, and even though, they met each other in person after almost 2 years, Lydia was 17 at that time, so Mr. Sutton spent the summer hooking up with a minor. I consider that their story should have started in her last year at Maxton Hall, as she was 18 (or about to turn 18). This minor change makes their relationship less problematic since Mr. Sutton probably has an age range around 20-23.
GOOD THINGS (IN MY OPINION)
1) The chemistry between the main characters was beyond the screen.
2) The show stayed true to the book almost entirely, with some changes that actually enhanced the story by adding action and dynamism. It was awesome to see most scenes and dialogues faithfully adapted from the book.
3) The inclusion of songs in certain scenes really made them 100% better.
4) Some romantic scenes between Ruby and James were quite breathtaking and heartfelt. James' love for Ruby literally carried the show. Ruby's character is static, simple and even boring since her main ambition revolves around Oxford; she has a supportive family; and she could be with James if she decides to. There is not real or BIG conflict in her character. On the other hand, James' familial and societal expectations add layers to his character and make his evolution and character development 100% more complex and entertaining to watch.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I know the show isn't flawless, but it's far from bad. It's entertaining, quick to watch, and enjoyable. If you're a fan of the books or are part of the "enemies to lovers" trope, you'll definitely like this show. Sure, the story is predictable, cheesy, and doesn't present us anything that we haven't seen before in these type of shows, but like I said, it's definitely worth a watch!
Duy Beni (2022)
Really Good and Very Entertaining
I started watching the serie and till this day, I have only seen 3 episodes. Some people don't like it because they think it is a remake of "ELITE" but is not, the series have a similar storyline but trust me, is different in many ways so don't believe that. We don't know yet if the series will continue airing because if it doesn't receive enough rating in Türkiye, then it will be canceled (I hope it doesn't happen though because I really love the show). Right now, the series has potential so I expect the directors to take advantage of the talented cast they have. My rate is 8/10 because it has some minor flaws but overall is good and very entertaining, I enjoy watching every episode.
Zemheri (2020)
DESERVES A TRY
Well, since the beginning of the pandemic I started to watch Turkish TV series and Zemheri is one of my favorites.
The love story between Firuze and Ayaz is so romantic and breathtaking. These two characters faced so many challenges to be together that I was literally begging for a happy ending. Each scene between them was always full of emotions. The actors definitely did a terrific performance with their roles, the way they portrayed their feelings made their interactions more painful and heartbreaking, which I loved so much.
The rest of the cast played their role decently, some characters were better than others but all did an amazing job. Each episode keep you hooked, you get the opportunity to love and hate each character, and by the end of the series each of them shows character development, which is something great to see after all the things they did.
This series only had 10 episodes and I still don't know the reason, but I appreciate that the directors gave the story an acceptable, decent ending. At first, I was afraid to watch it because when a series is not well received by the audience, the producers just stop filming without giving the fans a proper ending. Fortunately the directors did a good job wrapping up the story in just a few episodes so we could have an ending.
I recommend it this series to everybody, specially to those who are madly in love with "enemies to lovers" stories. This series is perfect because is short, enjoyable, and beyond romantic.
My rating is an 8/10 because it does has some flaws, but overall is worth to watch. Please give it a try, you will not regret it.
Kara Para Ask (2014)
THIS SERIES DESERVES A CHANCE!
Okay, since the start of the pandemic I'm in love with Turkish series. I already watched Hercai, Siyah Beyaz Ask, and Fazilet Hanim Ve Kizlari, and let me tell you that all of them were pretty good. Kara Para Ask is also a good love-story with a pinch of crime and mystery. The relationship between Elif and Omer is one of the most beautiful ones I had ever watch. Many of their scenes are just so romantic and breathtaking. Even though Turkish soups are very conventional and kisses are rarely more than a peck on the lips, Elif and Omer definetly have many memorable kisses. The chemistry between them is just amazing. All the secondary characters are excellent actors as well, their scenes are entertaining and enjoyable. Every episode feels like riding a roller coaster, you get to love and hate almost all characters.
But despite loving the series so much, I do have to admit that it does has a couple of illogical scenes, the storyline sometimes does not even make sense, a few characters were added to the show to create unecessary drama, some actions or decisions made by the characters don't match their personality or values, and the directors really stretched the story without no reason. In my opinion, it was too long but that was not a problem at all since I truly fell in love with Omer and Elif. I could watch their love story a million times.
I recommend it to anyone who is madly in love with romance series. Tuba (Elif) and Engin (Omer) acting was brilliant and the rest of the cast were equally talented. Overall, it is a good series to watch. You might love it or hate it but trust me, is worth to watch at least one episode to find out if you really like it or not.
Cruella (2021)
Quite good but 30 box is a lot of money, so think twice!
Well, I just watched the movie and let me tell you that it wasn't that bad. Honestly, I wasn't expecting too much from Disney because you know, most of the times they f* up their live action films, but at least for me, this one was very entertaining and enjoyable. Yet, I understand why many people is beyond disappointed with the movie. The writers and the directors decided to follow a different path regarding her original character. Thus, if you're a huge fan of Cruella's character in 101 Dalmataians, you'll find this movie quite illogical and boring.
I enjoyed the movie so much because I never liked 101 Dalmatians and Cruella isn't my fav Disney villain, therefore, it was easy for me to watch it as an "independent film." It might sound crazy and even stupid but if you detach her character from the original film, you might end up liking the movie.
I think you should give it a try cause is not the worst film you'll ever watch in your entire life, but before you pay 30 box keep in mind that: THE MOVIE BARELY RELATES CRUELLA TO HER ORIGINAL CHARACTER IN 101 DALMATIANS.
Sefirin Kizi (2019)
Disappointing!
Well, although all the actors in the show did an amazing job, the main characters (Nare, Sancar, Mavi, Gediz, and Melek) are the best! The first season was okay, the storyline was very engaging and entertaining, I enjoyed watching every episode. But guys, season 2 didn't make justice to its processor because:
* Some new characters were added to the show but they are not even developed throughout the episodes. At least for me, they are quite irrelevant.
* There are a whole bunch of unnecessary scenes that makes the show boring.
* Nare's and Gediz's characters were "erased" from the show.
***Gediz lost his life in a sudden car accident and the actress that played Nare's role had to leave, so in order to continue with the show the producers decided to destroy her character. She was portrayed as a bad, selfish mother that ran away to a different country leaving her child behind, but that doesn't even makes sense since the audience knows that Nare will never do something like that. This makes the show look so stupid and unrealistic. Nare and Gediz definitely should've a different ending.
* The producers added Mavi's character as a new love interest for Sancar. What bothers me the most is the fact that Sancar was deeply in love with Nare and after she "disappeared" he literally falls in love with Mavi after a few episodes. Where's the fervent love he used to have for her? He forgot Nare pretty fast and again, that doesn't make sense because Sancar supposedly wasn't able to forget her in approximately 9 years, how can he forget her in just a month? (This is stated by Sancar's mother in one of the episodes).
Listen, I know a happy ending was probably not the best ending for Nare's and Sancar's "toxic" love-story but the producers really ruined the show. I'm giving 5/10 just because the first season is worth to watch.
Ps: this is my opinion, and no..I don't hate the actors nor their characters, I just truly consider that the storyline was poorly written after episode(s) 34+. The show has a very talented cast yet the producers didn't (and are not taking) advantage of that.
Emanet (2020)
I LOVE IT
This show is really good. Each episode contains a dose of drama and the storyline definitely keeps you hooked. All the actors do an amazing job portraying their designed character (specially Yaman & Seher) *they deserve an award*
At the beginning, you'll probably hate the main characters and literally you'll want to kill them :) but please... give them an opportunity coz their story is worth to watch <3
UPDATE: I initially loved the show so much. I tried to keep up with all the episodes but the directors fu* up the show. They stretched the storyline so badly and destroyed the personality of many characters. A ton of scenes were added just to create unnecessary drama between the main characters. They barely had happy scenes, and their relationship was full of misunderstandings and heartbreaking moments. Yaman & Seher overcame lots of horrible things to be together, and they didn't get the ending they deserved. I am truly disappointed, the series has like 400+ episodes of approx. 1 hour and this wasn't enough to give the fans a good series to enjoy. My initial rate was a 8/10 but now is a 2/10 because even though the cast was talented, the series is just not worth to watch. When it started airing, it was super good and entertaining, but then it became beyond unenjoyable. So if you decide to watch it, please be prepare to experience a rollercoaster of negative emotions, I am sure you'll ended up leaving it like most of the fans cause only a few people have the strength to stand 400+ episodes that are not pleasant to watch.