Completed In 2025

This series was such a disappointment. The first two episodes had me hooked with a promising concept, but then it all went downhill. The pacing was painfully slow, bogged down by endless dialogue and hardly any action, which was infuriating. The villains felt like they were evil for no reason at all. And the side characters? Constantly betraying each other—why would you ally with someone you can't trust when your life is at stake? The romance barely made an appearance until the second half, and when it did, it felt completely out of place. One kiss, a steamy moment, and suddenly they’re discussing marriage and adoption—seriously? Jack's character was a total wreck, devoid of any real substance, while Yin did his best with a weak script. The only bright spot was  Toiting , Granny and  Joke; War brought genuine emotion, even if his impulsiveness caused chaos. His actions stemmed from love and care, making him the glue that held the plot together. The final showdown? A chaotic mess that left me scratching my head about what the writers were even trying to say. Overall, I’m thoroughly disappointed and won’t be coming back for more. It was just too boring. I really hope the male leads get a chance in a better project; they deserve to shine, but this was not it.

I regret my choice to stick with this drama until the end, as the decisions made by the writers and editors left me confused. The rapid unraveling of plot points made it difficult to remain engaged, and despite Xu Kai's performance, the storyline felt directionless. The female lead's character lacked depth, and her relationship with the male lead came across as forced and sudden. Poor music choices often led me to skip scenes or mute the TV, while choppy editing resulted in jarring transitions that left many plot threads unresolved, causing frustration. 

Ji Xing's struggle with quick decision-making was particularly evident when faced with challenges that pushed her beyond her comfort zone, revealing her vulnerabilities as a leader. Her reliance on Han Ting for major decisions diminished her credibility in such a high position, and her tendency to react irrationally, only to later admit her mistakes, was frustrating to watch. It raised the question of why we endured the stress if she was going to concede anyway. In the complex world of corporate dynamics, trust is crucial, yet she oscillated between faith in Han Ting and self-doubt, often refusing his help when she needed it most. This misunderstanding of his intentions added unnecessary tension, especially since he was silently enduring stress for her sake. The supporting characters were also underdeveloped, failing to enhance the narrative, which resulted in a lack of tension and engagement. The prolonged buildup across episodes led to a stagnant and unsatisfying plot, me longing for a more cohesive and impactful story.

Overall, I cannot recommend this drama, as it feels excessively lengthy and would have benefited from being trimmed down to 16 to 20 episodes. Additionally, it lacks  any real meaningful character development and fails to provide an engaging story.

The action scenes were decent, but why did the main character go through so much for a classmate she hadn't talked to in years? A casual drink, a beach walk, and suddenly she feels alive again? Then she finds a note from the ballerina urging her to take revenge, claiming she's the only one who can. It's absurd! How could she know that? Did they have a deep talk about her career? 

The writers fail to explore the villains' backgrounds, the real power dynamics, or police involvement. Are they part of a larger gang or just minor players? What happened to the captive girls? Despite the buildup, we are left confused and without answers. Those involved in drug production wore ankle monitors, yet this detail was ignored. The so-called hero finds evidence of many girls being assaulted, tortured, enslaved, and likely killed, but takes no action. Instead, she eliminates everyone, meaning the girls in the videos or at the hotel where the first victim was found get no justice. She cannot know if other similar operations exist. 

She claims they must not act quickly for the plan to work, yet her actions are illogical and reckless. She enters unaware of how many people are there, what weapons they have, or if cameras are present, even bringing faulty guns. Her character feels superficial; I can't connect with her or empathize. She shows little emotion, mostly just yelling and anger. When about to kill, her expression is blank. It's strange that she lost someone important, yet meets another girl in a similar situation, who only serves as plot armor to help find the drug dealers and shoot when danger arises-merely used to buy time for the main character. They portrayed the drug lord as terrifying, only for her to shoot him in the head in three seconds.

This movie misses the core elements that made the original series so engaging. It lacks the camaraderie, passion, and genuine love for tennis that truly resonates with fans. The characters seem flat and disconnected, and the plot feels rushed and shallow. Trying to fit 68 episodes of the original anime into just two hours leads to a fragmented story that doesn't capture the audience's interest. While Ryoma was the main character in the original, this version oddly shifts the spotlight to Tezuka, leaving the rest of the characters feeling dull and uninspired.

Why was this even created? Who exactly is the target audience? If you were a fan of the Korean version, then you would certainly not choose this adaptation. And if you are unfamiliar with the story and have not experienced the original, this version offers you absolutely no value whatsoever. The plot unfolds at a bewilderingly rapid pace. The context surrounding the events is never sufficiently clarified, and the romance? They might as well have left it out of the story entirely, as there is no development of emotions; they meet, and then, out of nowhere, it occurs. Speaking of feelings, there are none present in this series. The facial expressions, the dialogues, the tears—everything comes across as so flat and disjointed. I find myself utterly speechless; I am just profoundly disappointed. I genuinely wish they had chosen to produce a full-length series because I could have wholeheartedly supported a Chinese version featuring the beloved characters I cherish, but instead, we were given this. I cannot, in good faith, recommend it.

The only reason I stuck with this drama was actor Dai Gao Zheng, who plays the governor/warlord Fang Tian Yi. In contrast, Dong Ting Yao, the female lead, seems unable to think clearly. She consistently makes poor choices, which is infuriating. Ting Yao has an annoying habit of jumping to conclusions without first gathering and analyzing the facts. This not only clouds her judgment but also puts her in risky situations that could have been easily avoided. I can't understand how she talks about seeking revenge while blindly trusting people who are clearly untrustworthy.  

Then there's our morally gray and overly protective Governor, who risks his life to save her. Despite his constant efforts and the many dangers he faces for her, she still doubts him and refuses to trust him. She always plays the victim, no matter the situation, even when she instigated the problem and he had to come to her rescue. This includes him getting shot and stabbed while she acted like he had no right to be upset. Girl, you are the reason—always the reason—it's completely ridiculous.  

The ending... I'm really frustrated. Why introduce Tian Yi only to kill him? He was the only character worth caring about! Why let Ting Yao survive? I expected someone to shoot her until the very last moment of the final episode. Someone needs to take her out because there's no way they killed him and let her live as if she deserves it. To me, she's just as bad as Yu Ze and Ming Yue. And seriously, what's with that guard in the final scene? Is Tian Yi coming back with amnesia, or are we dealing with a doppelgänger? If they throw in a doppelgänger out of nowhere in the last 20 seconds, I can't handle it! This drama was a mess, but the over-the-top acting made me chuckle more than once. It was painfully awkward, yet amusing, so I got a little something out of it. That said, I can't recommend it to anyone unless they really need a laugh? lol.

 If I were the writer, I’d be mortified to release such a half-hearted excuse for a story. Sure, they’re meant to be short, but this is just riddled with plot holes—there’s hardly any story to grab onto. How can we expect viewers to connect with the characters when each episode is just a fragmented mess of what could have been? It’s infuriating, leaving the audience questioning why they even bothered to watch. There are some decent miniseries out there, but this is not one of them.