Lovebird

Calikusu is a glimpse into Turkish life when the Mullahs controlled civil society.

Similar to Downton Abbey, where the lives of the servants are also reflected, it tells the love story of two cousins.

As an American, I had to overcome my own cultural sensibilities to accept what for us is considered an incestuous relationship. To see it endorsed and encouraged proved a bit difficult for me in trying to appreciate the tale.

It doesn't hurt that the lead actor resembles a young Omar Sharif or George Clooney. The sumptuous landscapes, poetic language,and great acting contribute to a lovely story. The actors' expressions animate their feelings in a realistic manner.

For bellydancers, especially, the music and dancing should resonate, as the show features some belly dancing. The language also fascinates me from a linguistic perspective, noting some similarities to Russian, my college major.

I gave my rating an 8 only because of how it ended. I really loved the show. I only hope they give us another season to end it for real, not leave it to our imaginations.

Superb acting by all characters, excellent background music, consistency of story, beautiful period clothing, location filming perfect, wonderful family dynamics, masterfully done. The ending is too short and leaves audience wanting more of Kamron and Feride and family. I have watched 3x, am learning Turkish, have read the book and plan on visiting turkey because of 'Calicusu'.

Calikusu (Love Bird) is a dramatic serial showing the growth of love between two cousins in Turkey during the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the last century. The sets and costumes are richly detailed and so beautiful. I adore the music and THANK YOU to the translators and the casting. The story is set in the wealthy home of Feride's aunt and uncle. Young Feride is tragically orphaned as a young girl and is brought up by her loving aunt and uncle where she slowly falls in love with her attractive, kind, and humorous cousin. Their relationship grows with the tumultuous family history. I have enjoyed the journey, the false identities, the youthful games, the colorful parties, the family squabbles. LOVED IT!

This is my first review ever, but I have made extra effort to do it as I have never experienced such a lasting and lingering impact on me from watching a drama.

Hats off to the directors for the fresh take on a classic story. And deep respect for the actors, especially Burak (Kamran) and Fahriye(Calikusu) for bringing to us their exceptional on-screen romance. The sets, the costumes, the Turkish traditions that are portrayed have made me fall in love with this culture.

I have watched many western and eastern romantic movies & serials but none had this lingering and wanting-to-see-more affect than this serial.

Thank you Netflix for bringing this serial to US. What a great way to help us understand other cultures and see the beauty in them.