Fangs of Fortune

A lot of potential but dulled by (probably?) subpar development, bad directing and awkward editing

The good:
• Male lead is so good with his acting, styling and looks, 9.5/10 on that for me. I'm not familiar with 侯明昊 but after looking him up in interviews, realise his personality IRL differs from that of ML's character - I'm quite amazed with that on how he portray 赵远舟.
• A couple of other characters I really love are 白玖 (林子烨's acting is so good especially the last part I really felt the struggle unlike for some other actors in the drama...), 英磊, 离仑 and 裴思恒 - they made my heart ache for them.
• My favourite parts are 青耕 and 蜚's arc (they are just so good together post-My Journey to You), 英磊's death, 白玖's sacrifice and 离仑 version of 白玖.
• Story wise is interesting, visual effect is super cool.
• I do really enjoy many of the OSTs and will be adding them to my playlist.
• The funny dancing at the end of every episode gave me good laughs at some of the bad dancing like from 田嘉瑞 and 丞磊 they're so cute.

The bad:
• Realistically speaking, it's kinda a mess. The editing(?), the story and their treatment of the female characters in general.
• The first 10-ish episodes felt like a joke, with random OSTs playing out of nowhere and sad ones transitioning into the funny, funky ones awkwardly.
• Could have a bit more depth to some of the characters - ok you may think wow everyone has back stories already, what more do I want? NO. I don't need back stories for everyone, I just need solid character building. For example, the ML and FL are too... nice. World saving is their priority, they love their friends (except for 英磊 I feel, rip), which makes it feel like typical 2000s character where the main characters got to be nice and proper. Ok I know this is a personal preference, but yea I would prefer something a bit more realistic to work with here.
• They literally ignored 英磊 sometimes??? Like there's this scene where the main characters were saying they're a group of 5 good friends - and this includes 赵远舟, 文潇, 裴思婧, 卓翼宸 and 白玖. BUT WHAT ABOUT 英磊?????? Idk how the story is being written but the way things were shot, it feels like he's part of the gang but they're literally not acknowledging him most of the times and just see him as comic relief? Even though he's always helping them? His death is so not worth it man.
• Females characters feel a bit shallow to me, both in terms of story and acting. Either bad directing or bad acting idk, but FL 文潇 literally feels like background to me as most of the times she's just your typical damsel in distress, I believe they could have given her a lot more personality and character development but no she literally just feels like a nice neighbourhood sister. She's just nice. I even forgot she exists for some of the episodes at the back. 裴思婧 is cool and all, they made her sound super powerful and all but every times she fights, it just feels like she has some debuff on her, I have never see her being actually really powerful or anything lmao. And I wish she has shown stronger emotion for her brother's death, didn't feel anything from her of that sort. Same thing goes for 文潇, both their reactions are just not giving.
• Awkward editing, where there are some scenes that cut between 2 camera angles and the actors are in different poses don't even get me started.
• Some bad directing/editing especially when it comes to some death scenes that feels kinda awkward. For the parts where the demons are fading away like for 裴思恒 and 英磊, the other characters around started looking at the fading parts above them even though the dying person is still lying in their arm??? Like, if your loved ones are dying wouldn't you want to continue looking at their face as much as possible instead of just looking away? Feels like a case of miscommunication between director and producer idk. It took me out of the scene.
• The characters cry TOO MUCH OMG. Every episode. They have to find something to tear up about and it's always the standard single drip of tear down their face. It just feels like the director is too focused on bringing across the beauty of crying rather than building things up more for stronger emotional cries. There's only like 2-3 crying scenes that I felt a bit more on and it's from the ML, the rest idek.
• I literally can't feel the love between the ML and FL, it feels kinda out of nowhere and forced.

Ok peace and bye, have a good life ♥

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"One day, there will be someone you want to protect, too."

It wasn't just that it was grand. That the costumes and makeup, and powers and effects for them, were a feast for the eyes. That the fight choreography was a deadly dance. And that the soundtrack was epic.

It was the friends and even enemies made and lost along the treacherous yet joyful journey. Reconciliation and deep understanding. The noble sacrifices, blows taken, and tears shed for those dear. The beauty and tragedy of the sum of a life reduced to glowing ashes in the wind. Knowing and accepting fate with a smile and a lightened heart, as you have fought for a worthy cause/people.

It was unexpected found family and love that defies all description/bounds.

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Best Chinese Dramas to Close the End of 2024

All the cast are very talented. The main cast and supporting/guest cast were very well acted and captivating. Neo is zyz and zyz is neo. Chengxiao really stepped out of his comfort zone and blew us away ✨❤️

cdl is very beautiful and neat I feel the script for the goddess is not challenging enough, the goddess as FL should be given the best role and script
Aimi and Zuoye might be GJM's favorite support role couple. Ai Mi at a young age is given GJM's trust to get interactive scenes with important actors such as Neo, Yanan, Lester, and Rui.

GJM never fails to cast, even though GJM remains steadfast in its stance on never having a happy ending. GJM always lets us finish our own stories😭. Thank you to all Actors, you shine and thank you to all the film crew❤️❤️✨.

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My Top 2024 Drama, Hands Down

I absolutely loved everything about this drama. The storyline, the cast, the acting, the visuals, the cinematography, the chemistry, the osts—EVERYTHING EVERYTHING.

My main incentive to watch this drama was Hou Minghao and how much I loved My Journey to You by the same director. However, even without these reasons, this drama would've gotten my heart anyway. I cannot describe how many emotions I went through watching every episode. Joy, sorrow, anger, disbelief, thrill, anxiety... you'll get it all watching this drama.

Let's talk about the casting and chemistry. Everyone did so so well; everyone suited their roles and acted perfectly. I especially love ZYZ and ZYC's relationship. Their trope is 100% enemies to soulmates. It really got me how they also played Bing Yi and Ying Long, and seeing their ending too. It made their relationship even more sad. The six (yes, i'm including Ying Lei) of them were like a second family to me. I really tried to cherish their happier moments together.

I typically am not a fan of sad dramas and definitely avoid sad endings. HOWEVER, this drama has all my favorite tropes. The tragic backstory of the main character (and pretty much the whole cast), a journey/adventure to help save the world, slight romance and bromance, action/magic. I started this knowing the ending—in fact, I think all watchers expected it from the moment ZYZ and ZYC made the deal. With that being said, I was still left crying profusely and utterly empty in the end.

Sometimes, actors and actresses just act so well that I forget they are just humans ACTING and not the actual characters... I was absolutely enthralled with these characters :')

This review was more of a debrief for myself after watching this drama, to be honest. I was writing this with HMH's ost on loop, so I was in my feels for this. Overall, a masterpiece that I will be rewatching in the future.

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The most beautiful visuals

What a great watch, my eyes were so satisfied with this drama that I had to reflect before writing a review.

Let's start with what I liked:
- the drama was filmed in such an amazing way the storyline became secondary. You can turn of the sound and just watch. The visuals were simply breathtaking. I liked especially the way the malicious energy was portrayed
- the actors are the definition of handsome. Every single demon was stunning.
- it was funny at moments and sad at others, I laughed and cried,
- some storylines are really beautifully sad, I do like that
- nothing to do with the drama, but I loved watching the cast dance at the end of the episodes, I always watched them until the end

But what did I like less?
- the storyline was just inexistant. The idea was great, with the demon seeking death teaming up with the demon hunters to save the wilderness, but no, it wasn't convincing at all. For example, whenever there was no issue someone came up with a line such as "ok, it's the end... but I heard of this item in that dangerous area, if we retrieve it we can save the situation", and they all went to get said item. It was just like in a video game, they got to fullfill missions and staggered along a plot without consistence.
- the tears were overdone. A tear, okay, people crying, all good, but during the last episodes it was just rivers of tears. The effect only lasts this long.
- I didn't like the OST that much, but that's just on me.

I can't say anything about the acting as the visuals did so much, I'm unable to say if it was the actors or the directors and his crew.

All in all, it's a drama I highly recommend, even though I didn't rate it that well. But those visuals are absolutely worth it!

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CDrama of the YEAR and the Best Fantasy CDrama for me!

CDrama of the year!
I’m not saying this just because I’m too emotional right now, but I’ve watched almost 9-12 Cdramas aired this year, and not one—NOT ONE—made me feel this way. I was so invested in this drama.
The Cast slayed! I felt every single emotion they portrayed!
The Plot and the Directors slayed!
Cinematography!
Even the costumes!
The little details throughout the series!
I loved how the cast had so much fun on set!
Of course, the OSTs! It’s my first time listening to a whole album of a CDrama on repeat!
The fantasy element felt alive. It reminded me of Alchemy of Souls.

I have to admit that there were some sound mixing problems, but aside from that, everything was PERFECT!
So, this is the Cdrama of the year and the best fantasy Cdrama for me!

The special episode saved me! For me, this is not an open ending, it’s perfect In it’s own way.

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Bestttttt

Loved it. From story to acting to visual, everything is so on point. Finally, a villain who is hard to deal with.  After each episode, there is a twist. One good thing about it is the villain remains the same. In this kind of drama, new villains always come in the last 5 episodes, but here it reminds the same.

One thing I have complained about is that, in the end, mainly the fight with villain Zhu Yan was a bare minimum. As an ML he should be the one to defeat the villain or be more involved in it. At least in "My Journey to You", ML was the mastermind in defeating the villain, but here Zhu Yan, involved in the final fighting scene with the villain, was too little. This is why I gave a 9.5 rating.

It has a dark tone but many funny scenes which aren’t clingy & blend very nicely with the plot. I think it’s because the six of them have nice chemistry, mainly Zhu Yan, Zhuo Yi Chen & Wen Xiao. Love the bromance of Zhu Yan & Zhuo Yi Chen. They're my favorite duo.

Neo Hou didn't disappoint me as Zhu Yan. He killed it. One minute he is serious & emotional, sharing his knowledge with everyone, & in second he cracks jokes, passing sarcastic comments. Zhu Yan, with a serious & crying face, says the most unserious, unrelated thing. Neo Hou truly did a great job. Zhu Yan is my favorite character.

In "My Journey to You", Tian Jia Rui's character was immature, short-tempered but here he is mature, clear-headed, smart, tactic. Tian Jia Rui's acting was good.

Loved how Zhu Yan escaped from prison the way he walked toward Wen Xiao uff.

Laughed when Zhu Yan said he could walk by himself to his cell, the experience of Wen Xiao & Zhuo Yi Chen.

Everyone's favorite thing is to criticize Zhu Yan.

Zhu Yan & Wen Xiao are always bickering. I like their chemistry. 

It’s cute how Bai Jiu keeps on holding Zhuo Yi Chen's hair whenever he is scared & his screams omg.

Every time I eat Bai Jiu have to vomit

Whenever they insult someone, that person will sneeze.

Laughed at the scene where Zhu Yan & Zhuo Yi Chen slap each other & started arguing in the middle of the fighting.
 
Like the OST.

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Story and character

I just wanna review after watching this drama, although I was reviewed in comments section.

Overall the drama is very good, I can't easily move on from this. From ZYZ appears in very beginning it will unexpected ending despite I hope everyone will happy. Yes, if you want watched this drama it will be sorrow but you will warm too, I love all of character.

HMH really portrayed ZYZ very good, with soft eyes and warm voice made it really a demon who lives thousand years and wanna disappeared anytime. CDL like pretty goddess, she really good with face expression like crying, calm, and sad. TJR portrait ZYC with cold face but sometimes laugh and always looked everyone with calm face. Every actors give hard working to live the character and made it well. BJ and YL really cute and witty. PSJ give a strong women who dependent.

I really like the costume drama, like in MJTY it's really pretty and fit the character. Sometimes it will change while the character behaviour or situation will be changed too and made it details.

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Fangs of fortune the way you are

well.. this is really the first time I feel empty after watching a cdrama... I still don't feel like the drama is over.. I still want to watch it.. maybe in the near future I will watch it again..

all the elements in this drama are very good and very balanced... from the characterizations, the chemistry between the actors, and even the ost really blends in with the overall feel of this drama...

for some people, the ending of this drama might be a bad ending.. but for me, the ending of the drama is quite reasonable.. the main lines of the storyline remain the same and there are no drastic changes... the sudden death of the main villain (the jerk leader of Chongwu Camp) I didn't believe it and had guessed that he would rise again, and it turned out that my guess was right.. the death of the characters in this drama was also very heartbreaking.. I couldn't help but cry when I watched it.. especially when Yinglei had to die (I will feel traumatized when I rewarch later or when I see that clip passing by)

afterall, this is a solid 10/10.. literary, i usually give ratings out of politeness but this drama managed to change my view that not everything i rate is real

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