Terrible
The Hong sisters are now on my must-not-watch list as I disliked Hotel Del Luna as much as this one. Their attempt at writing atmospheric, romantic suspense got lost in translation because the pacing was hella slow and there's barely any plot progression.. even after 12 episodes. The push and pull of the lead characters were at first endearing but after watching 13 hrs of them not moving beyond being disadvantaged and unmotivated, there's really nothing left to care about. I don't understand why the creators took the decision to just string the viewers along. Did Netflix demand a certain episode quota and is that why the already thin plot was stretched beyond the capabilities of the scriptwriters?Was this review helpful to you?
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Here we go again
Going by the high ratings I was prepped to watch what I assumed would be a delightful romance that was interspersed with some mystery, but what I got instead was case upon case of murders being resolved by the leads without even a modicum of romantic feelings. Undoubtedly this was a well written script, however, and while it satisfies the sleuth in me, it was a let down in other ways. For one, I didn't expect the FL to look or act so childlike which is one of the biggest problems I have with most Chinese dramas. This need to infantalize the FLs in C-dramas has got to stop. The actress had this deer-in-a-headlights look whenever she wasn't performing an autopsy and her interactions with the ML and supporting actors were painful to watch. While this might be a script issue still there was that disconnect that gradually got me so exasparated I had to watch at 2x speed.I think the ML together with his sidekick brother carried the entire series with their performance.
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It started out so well
I watch Chinese dramas for badass heroes/heroines who fight for the good and destroy the bad people who try to harm them. Not so with Fighter of the Destiny because the story lacks continuity in that the hero gets into a dire situation (usually bcos someone plotted against him) and then he's miraculously rescued after which he returns to normalcy without ever seeking retribution on those who attempted to kill him. At a point, it seemed like the whole world was out to get him and he just folded every single time.It also didn't help that no one else in their clique had the intelligence to move things along. Loulou was always crying, pouting, or shouting for her Shifu, while thirty-six and the bear guy kept getting more stupid as the story progressed. Conversely, Chengsheng being the only one who could solve the riddles, heal with his blood, develop good fighting skills even if we barely saw him practice, and was primed to save the world...was just a tad bit too much.
Another negative aspect of the story is that I'm tired of the childhood-friends-to-adult-lovers pipeline in C dramas. I simply cannot watch another stupid story where kids are supposed to have fallen in love back when they were 5 or whatever. China has 1.4 billion people so even if we adjusted the population for the time period, it would still be in the millions and the likelihood of them reconnecting is infinitesimal. So, please, can writers please stop with this trope?
Lastly, despite not really liking the series, I have to give a shoutout to, Chen Su, the actress who played the Empress, as well as whoever styled her character because she was absolutely breathtaking.
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I understand the appeal but it just wasn't for me
There was such a dissonance between the story and the actors. Did the director and casting unit not read their own script before congregating 40-year-old actors to play the role of boys on the cusp of manhood? I could forgive most things but this one issue completely drew me out of the story. To compound that, wardrobe choices in the first half had the men in ill-fitting clothing and atrocious hair pieces. Again, that diluted the authenticity of the story.The best part about this was watching the family dynamic, especially Minglan's relationship with her grandmother. So precious. Likewise, Ming's sizzling relationship with Gu Tingye in the second half. So hot. Yet, even these couldn't offset the evil that permeated the entire story. It was too much and it dragged on for far too long. Yes I know, the villain is very villainy but did we need to see her repeat the same playacting over the course of 40 or more episodes?
Did we need all that back and forth at the Gu mansions? Did we need to see the minutiae of their daily lives, especially the ubiquitous eating? Did the characters in the Sheng family have to speak obliquely when they all could have benefitted from some showdowns and home truths? Minglan's father was such a waste of space and to think three women were actually fighting over him. Why would Tingye risk the lives of Minglan and his children just to save the Emperor? Have the heavens fallen?
Seventy-three episodes is a lot no matter how lovely or compelling the story and sadly this drama was unconvincing.
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Depressing
I was reluctant to let go of the characters from Story of Yanxi Palace and was hoping The Legend of Haolan would sate said longing. WRONG!I understand this was an adaptation of true events which meant the writers and creators were restricted in what could be changed, however, the plot was needlessly dragged out with each episode seemingly a reoccurrence of the previous one. Li Hao Lan, the titular character, was played by one of the best Chinese actresses yet even she couldn't breathe life into such a mundane character who was 1-D and completely inept at palace schemes. Time and time again, she's framed for some crime and is saved by either of the two male leads and obviously, this got old very quickly. The actors were hampered by the bad script and nothing could save the series from being average.
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Fluff
Going through 24 episodes of the FL wearing ugly mummy jeans and tops has left me traumatized. I swear the wardrobe person must hate the lead actress for real otherwise there's no reason to style her character with such juvenile and ugly clothes. The story is okay-ish but there's an important element that's still unrevealed which will determine if this drama was worthwhile or not.I'll update the ratings and review upon completion.
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For me, no other drama will ever top Yanxi Palace
I could watch this every 3 months because it is the epitome of a great drama that encompasses perfect writing, beautiful cinematography, and characters with more layers than a mille-feuille. It's also one that gives the most believable depiction of the Qianlong Emperor unlike Ruyi's Love in the Palace which became all about Ruyi's martyrdom.Also, I wonder why there aren't more strong female characters like Wei Ying Luo because if the viewing numbers are anything to go by, it at least tells us that audiences want a heroine who can triumph over adversity by the sheer power of her intellect and yet C dramaland is littered with the ghosts of limp-noodle, baby voice heroines who can't find their way out of a paper bag.
Anyway, watch this if you like a fast-paced and unpredictable plot with multiple strong female characters.
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Wow, wow, wow
The first ever modern C drama that I'm rating 10 stars and it is all thanks to the juggernaut that is Lin Yu Shen who must be one of the top 2 charismatic actors I've ever watched.I'd initially dropped Dating in the Kitchen a few months back but immediately came back to it after watching LYS's mesmerizing performance in Heavenly Sword and Dragon Slaying Saber and somehow everything just clicked this second time around. The depth of emotions from LYS and Zhao Lusi was palpable and it has to be the first time a male lead has ever cried of heartbreak convincingly. My heart ached and rejoiced with our ML as he navigated dating a much younger woman who was from a completely different level in every way. Their joy, love, laughter, and tears pulled us along as they grew to trust each other even when others repeatedly tried to break them up. I'm so happy that I watched this.
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Too long
I’ve long admired Korean scriptwriters for their ability to weave intelligent and compelling stories and for a drama of this magnitude to have such minimal fillers is truly a feat. However, as much as I liked the story, it was let down by wooden acting from both lead actors, especially the female lead who, to me, had a limited range of expressions. She pursed her lips in all situations and I could never tell whether she was happy, sad or angry because her expressions were the same.Another issue that dropped the ratings is the obvious low budget set and costume, in addition, the cinematography shows its age.
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It should have been titled 'Secrets'
Just a few notes:1. That suspenseful opening scene with the two sisters doesn't actually happen until episode 100.
2. This was a beautiful story of different types of love
3. There were too many damn secrets
4. Yoon Tae Young's performance as Goo Chun nearly brought me to my knees. No character has ever made me cry so hard, especially one that barely says a word.
5. I'm pissed the people who needed to die didn't.
6. With 108 30+ min episodes, the series is long so even though I liked almost everything about it, I still fast-forwarded and even skipped a bunch of episodes and you know what? I didn't miss a thing. The only part you must not FF is the first five episodes as this really sets up the whole series.
6. I'm at episode 100 now and I'm apathetic to this soap opera, even if it is a good one. It's just so damn long and I'm tired of their faces
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What love? What King?
This was such a downer. Watching it felt like I was drowning in a syrupy pool of despair and dissatisfaction. Apparently, this was meant to be the Chinese version of Love in the Moonlight but I can categorically say that this was a rather poor facsimile. Ultimately, the Korean version is far superior in both plot and casting. The story didn't know if it wanted to be a comedy, melodrama, or serious political suspense; so it ended up being a superficial mishmash of the most common palace tropes.A girl who grew up as a boy went into the palace to collect a debt and ended up being appointed as the King's chief eunuch except the king is a mere puppet who's controlled by both his stepmother-the Empress Dowager- and the top general. The King desires to be a good ruler but in order to do that he must unseat the Dowager's camp. Both teams thrust and parry without actually landing any major blows. In the midst of the power struggle, the King falls in love with the FL and they work together to achieve said goal.
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How does this have such high ratings?
I’ve made sighing into an Olympic sport because I must have done so a thousand times while watching this drama. Not only was it tedious but it also had an underlying message that didn't sit right with me. Firstly, I detest ditzy heroines who talk like babies; it's unappealing and cliche. Secondly, and despite it being the central theme, the hypnosis aspect was done poorly. No one should ever put another person under hypnosis without their consent. I could have overlooked it had it been done once or twice, however, the FL selfishly did it multiple times to the point I ended up hating her. Once I stopped caring about her then nothing else mattered. Not the romance or palace politics or the love triangle. I needed them gone.Was this review helpful to you?
The story itself was good, everything else fell flat
With many laugh-out-loud and crazy moments, this series can only be viewed as a parody cos anything else will freeze your brain cells. So although I laughed at the beginning, it slowly got boring and the love story bordered on saccharine.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
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This ought to have a higher average rating because it’s just so good
More recent Korean dramas rarely exceed 20 episodes and so when I realized Dong Yi was 60 episodes long, I nearly skipped it. Well, thank God I didn’t because this series was a little bit of heaven that ticked every box of tropes I want in a historical drama. The icing was having Ji Jin Hee as the gorgeous Emperor. My oh my, I practically swooned whenever he came on screen not only because of his excellent acting but also for that chiseled face. He and Han Hyo Joo had an insane amount of chemistry that practically sizzled. Yes, I like me some unequally yoked lovers. An Emperor falling in love and marrying a servant? Sign me up please.More than this, there was enough palace intrigue and harem shenanigans to keep the pace moving swimmingly; also, and for once, a Korean drama actually had an ending that didn’t rip my heart out. What more could I ask for?
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Cute
This series has thrown my rating system into disarray. Objectively, this is the hallmark movie of C-dramaland in that we get a story that's fast-paced, romantic, and watchable yet it has the depth of a puddle and a very linear story arc. Nothing special, still, it's exactly what is needed to cleanse the palate after watching a dense drama like Legend of Mi Yue (which I disliked).Is it fair to rate it so high? Yes, because I'd like to send a message of support to the writers and production team so that they're encouraged to keep honing their skills and hopefully improve their outputs regarding quality, storytelling, and production values
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