repamekala

A love to be jealous of

Two enemies that could only be together bc of amnesia, and yes it's the first time I come across the amnesia trope almost 3 times and I loved it!
JinAn/Annan/Man in black:
Cheng Lei ate all three roles with Jin An being my favourite. He is a dream boyfriend, his love is shown, not just articulated and, even when he was ruthless Annan, the writer made sure we know that Jin An is Annan and his principles are the same, it was never an act. He showed his prowess as a general, his etiquette as a prince, his affection as a brother even when he was Jin An with lost memories. And the Man in black is the alter ego, justice fighter that protects the world. All the personas merged into one at the end and you wouldn't wish for anything else
Li Shuang:
Song Yi is an underrated actress. She personified a role that had a job: she works as a general but she is also a woman, a lover, a human, a sister and a daughter, an adopted orphan thoughout the story(and not some long lost princess).She is amazing and her tears, her pain, her cries ripped my heart in the last 10 episodes. I mean I was literally crying for the duration of almost 8 hours, her acting is that good. And gosh how moist her eyes are, I'm jealous. Her relationship with Jin An was a revelation to witness bc she is us, every woman in the throes of love, flirting and being happy. And she didn't turn into a puddle when she found out he's her enemy. Captured, she delivered acid and sparred with him as equals, and you could see her heart breaking. It was so real you could almost hear the sound of it.
Chemistry:
100% achieved. The actors are familiar with each other and at times I got the feeling sth's underfoot. Lots of hugs, Cheng Lei's sculpted torso, lots of kisses and heart eyes. There wasn't any real skinship but we were delivered the BEST ending in cdrama so far so I won't whine, there's still hope in the industry
Friendship, family, death:
The fist ever drama where the ML forms a FRIENDSHIP with two of FL's friends, loses one and MOURNS her! We got a mourning scene of both the ML and the FL, her death wasn't brushed off with a nod, they cried for her! Also we witnessed the ritual of her father's funeral, so touching and real, I didn't know I needed to see it till I did!
Now her father is the best father in all cdrama land and he is not her read father. She is adopted and here we see a man RESPECTING his daughter! Have you ever heard of that before?
Her brother starts as a brat who grows into an adult and with him our FL grows too into a better sister.
Secondary characters:
Yes, and they move the plot forward each in their own way and have their own merit, they are very important and there wouldn't be a story or plot without them. Watch it and you'll see
Ending:
The last 10 episodes achieved what nth so far in cdramas has been achieved: an escalated interest, a gradual peak in the plot that kept you glued to your seat, waiting anxiously for the next episodes to drop and a constant ache in the heart. I couldn't stop crying, it was so painful till the all inclusive happy ending(and what a happy ending!) that I knew right there and then why all the previous episodes were so sweet and romantic:To FEEL their love, not just witness it. To BE Li Shuang, to experience it ourselves, to get in her shoes so it's us that are BETRAYED by fate, it's us who lose the love of their lives. Bravo writer!You have my tears and my heart. And 10 stars.

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A different drama

Almost every episode had a twist that leaves you dumbfounded and the leads did a superb job displaying such grey characters. My problem is that the main villain felt like a caricature compared to Hai Yiping. Kangping prince in the end came out as a royal who was lucky enough to have clever subordinates than being clever himself. His ending was also anticlimactic, and his arc didn't quite fit the tone of the whole drama making it look like an afterthought story addition, making the last episodes a bit draggy.
The main story though is truly hitting the spot. Torture and rape and the trauma caused are nicely delivered making the pain and suffering of the victims real and not just a McGuffin.
Now the romance felt like a much needed sneeze that was never realised despite the constant nose tingling. I'm sure you know how it feels. There was such potential there, especially in the last episode when they fell into the water. That would have made it chef's kiss.
All in all, the drama deserves more hype. It's one of the few that focus on 2 nobodies trying to make something better for their country, without any real ties to royalty and wealth and the only one I have watched that shows the strengths and depths of women power and friendship without turning them into simps halfway through the story.
P.S. the OST is shockingly good. It's the second drama I did not skip the intro

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What a mess

Let's start with what I didn't like:
1) Editing. From the voice over to the flow of the scenes to the episode duration, someone just either never got paid to do it, or just pressed the AI button and let 01 bits take their course.
2)Lack of chemistry. Two exceptionally beautiful people who fell in love bc it was in the script. Especially the FL, with the atrocious voice over, came out as emotionless.
3) The plot. The relationship btw the leads was more of a second thought than the main focus. Also, so many secondary characters that dominated so much screen time I had to speed watch half of the drama. Also, what's with the songs???Not everything has to be an in drama video clip, reminiscing of past scenes. Especially when the romance is lacking.
4) The fight scenes. Most of them incomplete, you only get the end result and that as an afterthought.
5) The villain(s). At first it's the ML, then you hate Shi Zu, then it's Sen Luo(who just dies more easily than expected), then it's the Evil Sect, then it's the Sword Sect Master to end with the Premier, what a mess, every 5 episodes you get a new villain introduced.
6) Why for the love of all chinese drama gurus out there the FL's paternity was never questioned? Is it such a taboo to ask "Who is your father?" Maybe he's the problem here and not every other Tom, Dick and Harry?
7) The ending. Inconsistent, unexplained just HE for the sake of it.

What I liked
1) The Dragon Lord
2) FL's mother's plot
3) Zhang Linghe. But I've yet to see him with a FL he's got chemistry with.

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Maturity

The drama is a healing journey. First of all let me tell you that we are dealing with adults. Everyone behaves like an adult is supposed to, even the "villain" is using corporate means to frame the FL and not a white truck.
Now don't get worked up. The work plot frames the relationship between the leads, it doesn't dominate the story. It works as the background scenery where they grow and evolve as humans and as lovers. I especially loved how each headhunt addressed an important issue be it love or childhood trauma, that corresponded with the leads' lives.
Their lives on the other hand are not disseminated to every freaking detail, which was a first. Yes, both carry wounds and heavy ones that is. The FL lost her father in the fire that he rescued the ML from. It's the one trope that came perilously close to making the drama look like a joke. And yet,they dealt with it like the mature adults they are. He told her immediately when he found out and she took some time to digest but she weighed life and knew what was best for her and for them. No unnecessary, silly breakups and dramas. Are they ok with it? Of course not, and there will be times they'll talk about it, she'll wake up from nightmares, he may feel guilty but they are working it out together.
The ML is a divorcee and we never get to see the ex wife. Why should we? Some people divorce and never come back to haunt their exes. And maybe down the road she'll come back to see her daughter. I'm sure they'll deal with it appropriately like the adults they are.
Now, the second, third etc leads are all part of the plot showcasing different aspects of love and emotion and friendship that complements beautifully our leads' journey. Even the annoying chairman has reasons to be so hurt. Do we know what happened to his son? No. We presume he committed suicide. Is it necessary to know? No. Nothing has to be excruciatingly analysed. And that's the gist of this drama. Life is too short to overanalyse it. Shit happens, make the best of the rest.
Now, I didn't talk about the love btw the leads as I'm sure lots before me have already done that. I will talk about the ost though. It suits every scene so beautifully that you can't help but smile when you listen to it.
All in all, it's an amazingly cleverly told love story that uses all the know tropes out there just for the bliss of deconstructing each and every one before your eyes, making your delusions look like every day possibilities!

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Short, tropey to the core but what a treat!

Ok let me start by saying the ML comes at first as a toxic mfk who you want to slap to kingdom come. And lo and behold, our FL in just a few episodes slaps the sh*t out of him! What a treat!LOL! Not a woman to mess with, our FL schemes for almost all of the episodes to take her sweet revenge. All the tropes are here:toxic ML, misunderstood and sa FL, vicious SFL, villain, amnesia, misunderstandings, lost family members, revenge, blindness! There's also humour, like wtf??Need I go on? And yet... And yet reader! He 's really served humility in a platter! And they talk about it! They literally forgive each other like 2 adults at the end! It's so out of cdramaland that I'm shocked to grading it higher than what it's really worth! ML 's my new crush and oh, his smiles... A dream! His acting is also commendable. Now the FL is a known actress in such dramas, but damn girl, feel the kisses a little more, don't be so unfazed.

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Nicely delivered

I really got hooked to the story from ep 1. Their chemistry was top notch and their kissing scenes were fire. But ep23 introduced us to the misunderstanding which felt really inconsequential. Of course the story wouldn't move on without it, but I had hoped to be delivered better. I loved the first villain he had me boiling from anger and the shifu/father relationship had me in tears. But the second villain left me bored and I truly didn't care about his arc. Everything was so predictable, that they had the chance to kill him in ep34 but they didn't so as to have the final showdown in the last episode. Who does that? They didn't even have him detained or imprisoned. I ended up fast forwarding almost half the drama.

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What a masterpiece-Ending explained

How did it pass censorship I've no idea! It's rebellious beyond words! The drama is a study of love and freedom with full fledged characters and wholesome plots and arcs. The actress is a prodigy, she's sexy and innocent and clever and cunning and funny, she embodied every role to its fullest. ZBB is as always his perfect self and WD as NXY/TM is an unforgettable surprise as a poetic villain! I truly loved how he unraveled his role(s) and his insights! I'm in love with these people and their performance!

Edit 22/2/2025
Explanation of the ending

The ending is a bit weird and definitely needed explaining, but I think it was done on purpose, either bc they wanted to hype the drama or bc they, themselves, can't explain it. Here is my take. The first time XXC returned to save MXL and kill HW he changed the timeline. Him knowing who the Pavillion Master is long before the reveal implies that there was once a timeline where MXL died and he found out the ID of the master during the final fight. According to this observation the whole timeline can change in ways that does not affect the outcome. He couldn't kill HW the first time he came back because fate is written and the outcome already known. So, bear with me:
1) Fate (NXY) knows the outcome. By "dying" fate is no longer decided.
2)Demon ZM is the future ZM with XXC soul fragment in him reliving the 10000 years of imprisonment.
3) He has both the memories of himself (not distorted) with AZ and XXC with MXL
4) Everything goes the way it does bc the main characters relive the last 10000 years and yes, TM becomes NXY, but fate now can be changed bc that's a new timeline, the third one (see No11)
5) When MXL meets ZM there is no hate. I want to think he took the time to explain how things are to both MXL and XXC.
6) Now here's the tricky part which still bothers me. XXC has to die whether MXL does ore not, bc that's how ZM is freed and the timeline with no HT is activated. So he dies as per the first and second timeline(I''m explaining it on No11), only this time there are two soul fragments in ZM making XXC's memories more formidable.
7) NXY doesn't become TM because his celestial form was destroyed to let people have free will. HT is already dead so there is no need to relive the final boss battle.
8) So how does MXL get her memories back? ZM can do that bc he's double xped bc of two XXC fragments.
9) He's freed from the Abyss and just returns to Snow City being one whole soul plus extra(that's why he keeps his demon powers) and reunites with MXL
10) Does FY die? I think not. In this timeline I want her reunited with her brother
11) I haven't addressed XXC saving young MXL. As I've already said there are two timelines. We are watching the second through the whole drama and the third timeline is hinted at at the last scene where ZM is in Snow city. So in the first timeline, XXC finds HW is the Pavillion master in their final battle and MXL is saved from Moonlight Pavilion by SQ. In the second timeline (the one we are watching) just like XXC finds out HW is the pavilion master but he can't be killed yet, XXC can't take MXL bc she has to be SQ's disciple. Don't forget we are still in arranged fate timelines.So whether it's SQ or XXC saving her, MXL has to follow her Dark Abyss arc. In both timelines she falls in love with XXC and she hates the Alliance(in the 2nd timeline more bc they killed her Mister). That's why in the second timeline she falls in love with XXC all over again despite her Mister memories, and she makes sure he knows that

So in conclusion:
Three timelines
1) Arranged fate, SQ saves MXL, she falls in love with XXC despite her revenge plan, XXC fights Pavilion Master, death of both leads BUT by trying to save MXL, XXC triggers timeline:
2) Arranged fate, XXC saves MXL but she has to become SQ's discipline, he attacks HW but it's not his time to die, repeat the same story and now HT is dead and we reach timeline
3) Arranged fate, people live and die as needed up till NXY's death. Free will and no HT, but an all knowing ZM with double soul shards, demon powers and a happy ever after. There is no blocking of XXC's technique in the third timeline bc ZM is the future ZM of timeline 2 who decided to relive the 10000 years of punishment. Thus ZM is stronger than ever.FY doesn't die in this timeline bc there is no TM (artifact side is dead) to protect from a HT that no longer exists. With NXY's death the second timeline shifts into the third, because HT and TM are already dead. And that's how we get the last scene in the Snow City

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Why aren't we talking about this drama??

What did I just binge watch? How utterly obnoxious that there is a director and a script writer out there who know how to produce an enemies to lovers drama?? In the pit of dramas where the main leads supposedly hate each other, this drama DELIVERS. They truly hate each other! I mean, not just for clickbait!They constantly scheme, barely killing each other just to achieve ther goals! The FL is gorgeous and such a delight to watch her act! No damsel in distress, no crying behind closed doors,no doomed love! The ML is amazing and his chemistry with the FL is top notch! He falls first, but she falls...not harder, but more freely. I loved that she constantly chooses herself even when she falls in love. I was literally sending thanks to Heaven when the hero TOOK his FUCKING time to process his feelings and what love is! And she didn't just give up, she was there showing him that it's ok, she likes him and let's just see where that takes them.And yes, he was remorseful for his past behaviour, he agonises over how can such behaviour breed love. The FL talks about sisterhood and female emancipation, about marriage loyalty and they even bring up the matter of pregnancy and death risks at the end!!Have I stressed enough how A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E-L-Y amazing this drama is?And their love scenes!! So natural, so sensual, so real, so close up!!! I was curling my toes!!! I loved everything:The silly plot holes, the rather abrupt action scenes, the short emotional parts (bc time is precious in short dramas and they're not really dead most of the time), the story, the visuals, the kinky aspect, the unhinged dialogues, the mediocre secondary characters, the realism of it all and the improbability, too! Watch it, just watch it! I devoured it, no ff, in one evening. Non stop!

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Marvelous revenge story with a true old school villain

Before I start let me say that I'm refraining from a 10 bc of the bad editing and the second-thought romance (as per the two lukewarm kisses in total).
Now, firstly, what a villain! He is evil without a reason but the survival of his arse. Everyone is fodder as long as he stays alive. He is the epitome of a coward, hiding behind everything that serves his purpose. A weasel, scheming and slithering trying to avoid death and repercussions sacrificing even his own baby! The father is a case study on his own.
The FL: her father's true daughter, a killer but with a sense for justice (thank God). She longs for family and a home but her love language is violence and payback and the ML gets to experience it every single day.
The ML:stoic, unemotional but only bc alas! he's dying like every decent ML. Only,he forgets his hero status and grabs the FL by the neck at the first threat to his family. Truly a pair made in torture!
The FL's mother: A storm. A typhoon. An earthquake. She dominates the screen, she humbles mere mortal actors and performs for the Gods! A revelation!
Hateful side characters: serve their purpose beautifully, proving how Mother the mother is and how the FL is mothering too.
Her bi*ches: Giiiirl, if she were a gang leader 4 women would be her generals. Her angels of doom! The 4 horsemen, sorry horsewomen,of the Apocalypse: An assassin, a tinkerbelle, a princess and a milf(good for her!). And then she makes her enemies part of her power ranger team because she's the suffragette of her time! Girl power for the win!
The love story:slowburn but with a constant love/hate edge. They never let go of their passion, if only it was realised into sth more steamy at the end!
The revenge: chef's kiss. He dies-OBVIOUSLY- but in a Hitchcockian way (a pity there was no curtain scene...)
The ending:Happy! And a supernatural one, with long dead people reunion. Some say the ML will eventually die bc he's next to the deceased at the end. Well duh! it's a historical drama set 300 years in the past. All of them will die and probably he'll go first because he's older. There, solved it. Personally I think he was put on the left bc it made for a more artistic shot.
Should you watch it? Yes, it's a condensed drama, meaning you get all the flavour in a tightly packed 30 episode duration. No fillers,no wasted time.Enjoy!

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Made me wanna study

I started watching out of whim, I'm not into action packed series but this one got me hooked! What I liked:
1)All the main characters are likeable and suit their role well
2) Action scenes are lit!
3) The study theme is so refreshing. Kids just wanna learn!
4)The avoidance of sexualised threats. I was truly anxious when the teacher and girl student were threatened but nth untoward happened
5) The villain. He looks redeemable and I hope we get to see his 180arc
6) The main lead. So nicely portrayed, clueless and innocent and happy and a killing machine
7)His mother. What a badass! Damn girl, serve some justice!
8) 45m episode! Yeah! No more time anxiety! 45 mins, fully packed and fits nicely in your everyday programme


What I didn't like:
1) The actors at times look a lot older than normal students, especially the thugs
2) The more the story progressed the more the action scenes looked cartoonish. Don't misunderstand, they are artfully done but at the end they looked like superpowers instead of martial arts. The final fight reminded me of marvel cinematics.
3) Is there a season 2? I have questions. What's Yeop's relationship with the villain's father? Is he the other heir?

All in all the story gave me a nice bubbly feeling about studying which is a first so, yeah, give it try!

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Best Cdrama so far!

I have already rewatched it 5 times. Every. Single. Episode. It's that good. I occasionally rewatch my favourite scenes just for the pleasure of it. What's more the OST is lit! And it's the first time ever a drama didn't make me feel deprived for the loss of intimate scenes. The acting is superb, the dialogues come back to bite you and everything falls exceptionally into place depicting an amazing love story. No plot holes, no fillers and one of the best love confessions ever!From both of the protagonists. And their actions prove their words! Definitely worth the hype, definitely worth my time!

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Not expected

Ok let me start by saying that it's not worthy of an 8 per se, but it's so refreshingly different from all the rip bodice dramas out there that I kept watching without realising it! You don't know what to expect, but you must overcome the obstacle of the 1st episode to appreciate it.
So an archaeologist travels through time and wakes up as his concubine. He's wacko and she's supposedly more so, or so her body predecessor was. And then you get the ML's super power of being able to enter other people's dreams! Like, whaaaaat? He knows immediately she's not his concubine and yes, they resolve that quite early in the drama, and we get a very touching story that connects both their worlds... Anyway, I don't want to ruin it for you. Watch it, it's really good!

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