Hard to Find

Sad but still great!

I should say that I don't normally watch sad ending dramas as I don't like being sad after watching all that time but I think this time it was more realistic that it was a sad ending. I would definitely be happier and liked it more if we get a miraculous happy ending even if it isn't realistic but because the acting was good and they made me believe they can't live without eachother I can accept this ending. (still sad though) I could understand both leads and why they make those choices. After a long time of not deep thinking, whiny female leads (for chinese dramas) finally a nice female lead. Both of the lead's acting was great. Overall very quality production. My only problem was them never telling the child who was her mother/father was. Even way before deciding killing themselves. Made me feel like they just put the child there to add extra drama and left it without knowing what to do. I think it has rewatch value but I probably won't to protect myself from the pain again.

Read More

Short-form Series worth watching

The series is divided into 3 parts, the first part depicts a man so vengeful with a woman, after some time they meet and when they meet, the woman has lost her memory, the second chapter tells the flashback of the relationship of the man and the woman, the third chapter is how the man and the woman solve all the things that happened in the first chapter, I really liked the first chapter, the acting, the storyline looks beautiful to watch, but unfortunately in the third chapter, everything looks clichéd story, I should give a score of 9/10 but I give a score of 8/10.

Read More

Hidden Gem

I stumbled upon this one by accident. You almost wouldn't think it was a short drama. It captivated me from the start. Plot was unexpected out of the norm. ML and Fl had create chemistry. The sets were stunning. I would have to put this right up there with A Familiar Stranger. I definitely felt ad for the daughter. I can kinda understand why he did what he did but still, i believe she had the right to know that at the very least who her dad was. However, because its a historical piece it wouldn't make sense why the mother and father were no longer together.
Why do these dramas have to end like this. 😭
Definitely will have you on an emotional roller-coaster.

Read More

Very very VERY sad ending

At the start, I was genuinely engrossed in the drama, but I found it hard to continue. It's not due to any fault of the actors - they truly excelled in their roles. I was spoiled in the middle of the series that both leads died at the end. As a fan of dramas with happy endings, the deaths of the main characters left me feeling disheartened. I wasn't quite in the mood for a Chinese adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.

I started watching when the episodes aired, so I couldn't spoil myself beforehand which is a habit of mine. After reading the summary, I generally go straight to the last episode, to the last 5-10 minutes. I must check if the main couple is alive, together, and in love. I hardly tolerate any other ending. (You can check my profile to read about my pet peeves! lol)

That being said, if you don't mind sad endings, you might enjoy this drama. Certain episodes had me completely captivated. The male lead's reasons for harbouring animosity towards the female lead were compellingly portrayed. Additionally, the female lead's amnesia added an intriguing layer to the plot.

Overall, it's a nice fantasy drama, although it did feel a bit lacking in budget. So, if you're okay with sad endings, I would still recommend giving it a try.

Read More

An Engaging and Haunting Drama

I greatly enjoyed this drama and would wholeheartedly recommend it. The characters have depth, are likable, work well together, and deliver engaging performances. The scriptwriting and filming choices are thoughtful and effective, and several viewer expectations are successfully met. The narrative is nonlinear, moving back and forth in time, while the setting alternates between dark and brooding and bright and hopeful. These contrasts provide visual variety and effectively convey mood, atmosphere, and psychological states.

The plot contains multiple layers, and the cinematography helps reveal them without making the storyline feel repetitive. What works particularly well is how easily the show could have relied on familiar, clichéd subplots, yet instead it takes a different approach, presenting a typical narrative in an atypical way. This keeps the storyline fresh and engaging, with conflicts and resolutions remaining unpredictable. As a result, it is easy to become invested in the characters and to sympathize with their struggles.

Read More

Masterpiece

If you want to see a drama with a happy ending, then you've come to the wrong place.
If you want to see drama with big emotions, endless love, devotion, passion, and friendship, then this is the drama for you.
I loved every episode. I suffered along with the characters, cried a lot, and the ending broke my heart.
And yet it is a masterpiece full of good actors who knows how to act and they all did an amazing job.
FL Shen Yu Jie is so beautiful and she suffred so much in the drama. ML Zhao Yi Qin is one of the most attractive men in China, in my opinion. His emotions when he cried broke my heart. He also suffered a lot. Both carried th drama. But the supporting cast was also amazing. Wang Ze Xuan was so good as the evil emperor. In the end, as he became more and more feminine, he was great. And our cute Fang Xiao Dong. He became the best friend of the FL and the ML in the drama. He is also a great actor.
Everyone has their own opinions and preferences. But for me, it's a really good drama.
The ending broke my heart. But the actors made even a sad ending bearable for me because they performed so excellently and made it easier for me to say goodbye.

Read More

Pretty visuals, painful choices, and a romance that needed therapy, not tragedy

Over the last 4-5 years, I’ve adopted a policy of dropping dramas that fail to engage me early on. There’s probably over 300 dramas that I rated 7.0 below, and in a lot of these cases, I regret having finished these low-rated dramas solely to avoid the social pressure or sense of obligation or just for the sake of saying that I’ve watched them.

In retrospect, I could have allocated my time to alternative entertainment options; however, my viewing habits were less discerning in the past due to a limited selection of high-quality dramas, whereas the current proliferation of excellent dramas has enabled me to cultivate a more selective approach to my viewing choices.  

This rather long segue for a drama that I dropped is perhaps unnecessary, since I have already exceeded my tolerance and continued despite my disinterest, hoping I would change my opinion, but I didn’t.  

First, I had issues with the pacing. Although the cinematography in this low-budget drama was undeniably beautiful, I unfortunately found myself compelled to repeatedly fast-forward through numerous excessively long shots of rain and snow, which, while visually appealing, ultimately proved to be somewhat tedious and distracting from the narrative.  

Secondarily, the drama presented the ML as an unlikeable character. I understand the rivals-to-couple-back-to-enemies-to-lovers trope, but I wouldn’t date someone who repeatedly tried to kill me. Therefore, I deeply admired the SML’s sacrifices for the FL and his unwavering loyalty. 

Thirdly, since I had no intention of continuing with this drama, I checked the ending and discovered both main characters died. Mind you, I am not against a tragic ending if the plot calls for it. I knew, in fact, that at least one had to die, but not both, particularly given how it concluded. Their deaths would have been acceptable if logical, but abandoning their child is infuriatingly selfish. The idea of supporting someone who would resort to suicide after their partner’s death fills me with an immense sadness. As a parent, leaving my child because of my heartbreak is unacceptable; my child deserves better than to be orphaned.  

Given what I know now, I’m happy I didn’t waste my time on a mildly interesting drama—or I would have burst a coronary.

Read More