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?
This review may contain spoilers
Hopes dashed, again
The euphoria I felt whilst watching the first dozen episodes is indescribable. Finally, I said, finally I found an intelligent series with strong characters and an intriguing plot that was truly riveting; however, by episode 20 the story and characters moved from the palace location to the barracks where we were then introduced to the other players in the game. Thereon, it appears characters that were previously intelligent became stupid, and certain plot points that had seemed inviolable at the beginning were no longer so.How do the writers explain the Emperor and Empress sneaking out of the capital dressed as guards when the audience had been told previously that they were mostly grounded and rarely ventured outside of the palace grounds without permission? On the other end of the plot advance was Sima Yi who seemed clairvoyant and could deduce future events with almost no clues just because he was supposed to be the intelligent one. In a way the writers were their own worst enemy...they actually thought giving Sima Yi ( and to an extent, Guo Jia) all the clues without us seeing him(them) work through it themselves would make the characters seem smart. They were mistaken. It was lazy and unimaginative.
Enough about the screenplay, let's talk about the actors.
Wan Qian was the MVP of this series. She more than carried the show and had the most realistic character arc of the lot of them. She portrayed an Empress that was at the end of her tether and unwilling to go down with the ship but would rather find a way to right the rudder come hell or high water. Even I was on a knife's edge whenever she came on screen. All I can say is I hope she won an award for this series. Next is Ma Tian Yu. Sigh, I'm not sure I have anything nice to say about his acting skills. His face was either set at "resting stupid" or "slightly less resting stupid". His character was one-dimensioned to within an inch. There was nowhere for him to go so they made him run around in circles for the entirety of the series.
Then there were Cao Cao, Guo Jia, Man Chong, and the lot of them who were all caricatures of beard-twirling villains. If you want to see villains done right then watch Joy of Life or The Rebel Princess where even though you know these guys will kill their unborn babies to advance their positions, they could still evoke pity and even support from the audience. Objectively, I know these issues if isolated are not dealbreakers but combined, everything dragged. The pacing, the story, the characters, everything suffered.
While we're on this subject, did anyone notice when Sima and the Princess Consort fell in love? As in why and how? Lmao, theirs was the most boring and laziest "falling in love" I'd ever seen to the point I wish the writers had just left it out cos Elvis and Dong Jie had NO chemistry whatsoever.
Was this review helpful to you?
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.
Was this review helpful to you?
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.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
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.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Was this review helpful to you?
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.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
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.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
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.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
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
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
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.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
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
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
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?
Was this review helpful to you?
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
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Hopes dashed
Seven stars for the first half and 2 for the latter. The early episodes were funny and lighthearted, and our leads Ning Yi and Tan’er had good synergy. The dialogue matched the atmosphere and whatever issues they faced were dealt with intelligently, however, once the story transitioned to the bandit arc, it lost its vitality and essence. Clearly, the plot is meant to be darker and in many ways the writers attempted to achieve that by introducing more violence and gore but the dialogue and acting never quite matched what should have been deadly situations. Guo Qilin was out of his depth. He lacks the skills needed to fully convey the direness of their situation. It was also at this point that Guo’s acting veered towards Zhang Ruoyun’s mannerisms. The pursed lips, the head tilt and a few more which, if you’ve ever watched Joy of Life or Sword Snow Stride, are easily discernible.Another factor that dragged down the rating is the set design, both for the first half and the palace scenes. It looked low budget and lacked the aesthetics required to fully immerse the viewer. Everything looked staged, as in it’s obvious this was a film set. Even the vista looked fake as if generated by CGI.
Lastly, it ends on a cliffhanger, and for those of us who are still pinning for Joy of Life season two, you’re better off shelving this until season two is released.
Was this review helpful to you?
