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An amazingly CREATIVE APPROACH to a heartwarming slow burn romance ❣️❣️
If other dramas are like morning shower,this drama is a relaxing bubble bath!! It doesn't hit you immediately but the warm feeling stays with you like a good memory. That's a weird analogy for a drama but this is how I feel. It has a high rewatch value for me for this very reason.Plot - The plot is about two people who meet each other in a VR game and their lives get intertwined with each other.
The Gaming element was such a cool idea and the writer deserves credit for it.
Romance - Its mature, easygoing, slow but there's the right amount of ANGST and build up that makes the character and relationship growth seem realistic. I like that they have taken their time ❣️❣️. The couple's journey is soo natural and believable that you feel like they are next door neighbors.
The male lead is very charismatic with his maturity, professionalism, wisdom, the courage to stand alone for justice and...um...sleeveless tops.His quiet confidence never came across as ego to me. I can write an essay on his qualities but I wish for viewers to discover it themselves.
The female lead is quite a well written and well rounded character. She's caring enough to make sacrifices for her family in times of need but is also brave enough to take life altering decisions for what she wants for herself. Her drive for her goals and empathy for others has my respect.
Other characters- The actors playing the second couple, friend, villain and colleagues are all very convincing. The complex and layered storyline of the second couple and the bond between the FL and her friend is very heartwarming and enjoyable to watch ❣️Even the parents make you shed a tear or two.
The screenwriters deserve credit for taking a toxic and messed up 6/10 novel and making it a 10/10.
Overall, it has
1) Underdog FL who is talented, courageous,a bit mischievous and a romantic at heart
2) Overachiever, Calm, private, caring and secretive ML
3) Office romance
4) Cohabitation romance
5) Heartwarming friendships
6) Jealous enemies
7) Past family secrets and complicated family politics
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The journey of two brilliant enemies towards forgiveness, trust, peace and LOVE❣️❣️
This drama is not only bingeworthy and brilliant but also highly rewatchable. Its very hard for a drama to be both! Its going in my list of all time favorites.Plot -
The plot is your enemy families entering a truce via marriage alliance. So it involves two people highly suspicious of each other playing games to secure the position of their people. The male lead has an upper hand in this alliance in the beginning but the female lead is sharp enough to turn the tide many times. How they are able to preserve their loyalty and principles while moving forward to a new direction with their alliance is the most interesting part of the show that will have you DYING IN ANTICIPATION. To what extent will they side with each other ? How close will the new challenge end up making them? Will they be torn apart due to their duties? Who will outwit whom? Which allies will join them? This drama is an adrenaline adventure. Yet, it is beautifully paced to make it deep enough to leave you with some thought provoking LIFE LESSONS.
Humor -
The humor is an underrated and underappreciated part of the drama. They have done a brilliant 👏 job with balancing it with the political tension.
Romance -
Natural, slow paced, believable and magnetic 🧲 . Every smile, every touch, little act of kindness and development gives you butterflies 🦋 🦋 in the stomach. None of the characters have an "immediate" or unbelievable change of heart. None of them broke the consistency of their character during the romantic development phase which makes them the most detailed and well written main characters in cdramaland. You empathise with both and you end up rooting for both of them.
Acting and characters - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Both characters are quite mature . Its refreshing!
The Male lead has beautifully expressed the ruthlessness of a general, traumas of a son, cynicism and hatred of an enemy and tenderness of a lover.
The female lead is just a treat to watch. She's the water that exhausts the fire and the sea that is calming but has the ability to bring a hurricane. She plays a peacemaker and a strategist that has been sent to the husband TO STOP WAR or at least create circumstances to make sure that the war doesn't immediately break out. Its pretty obvious to the ML's clan but not many of his advisors hate her for it because her untimate goal is peace and prosperity of people. She's very responsible and rational minded with her goals.👸
The actress effortlessly played this intelligent woman but also SHOWED HER VULNERABILITY with much grace and brilliance. Sometimes, they make characters like her too perfect taking away their "human" nature and making them Gods. That isn't the case with this drama. She's imperfect and vulnerable at many times
Both sides have troublemakers and peacemakers.
The villains are so realistic that they will remind you of actual historical characters or people in your own life. A lot of them are grey as well and you are able to see things from their perspective.
The bonds between the ML and his brothers has a special place in my heart. The same goes for the "sister alliance" of the FL.
THE ONLY DOWNSIDE IS THE LAST 4 EPISODES.. Hated the last 4 episodes.
All in all, its one of the most memorable dramas I have seen in my life if I exclude the last 4 episodes
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Expectation =Trashy romance! Reality= SUPER ADDICTIVE trashy romance
If you have seen those mini cdramas, its like that BUT A LOT BETTER.Its a bizarre wattpad romance THAT PULLS YOU IN makes you binge watch the whole darn thing in one setting.
These are the kind of dramas where you become blind to logic, writing, editing...almost everything and watch for the feels! I never thought i would like it. I never thought I would lift my finger to write a review for something like this and yet, here I am.
Its a GUILTY PLEASURE 10/10 .
Also, I ama not embarrassed to say that I am waiting for season 2
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Quirky gumiho fantasy that dives into life philosophy, psychology and romance in a fun way.
This drama explores the philosophical questions and debates that we, as humans, have been having about since centuries.1) Materialism vs Idealism
2) Immortality vs mortality
3) Ego vs Superego
4) Karma vs Fate
5) Is being ignorant and blissful better than suffering the consequences of discovering the truth?
6) Can money buy everything?
7) What is the true meaning of success?
8) What is love?
9) "Et tu, Brute?"
Seems very serious and deep right? Except its NOT because the writer has masterfully talked about it in the most light hearted way possible through this mythological modern fantasy. 😁
PLOT - A wish granting gumiho decides to live an immortal life of materialism catering to her and her only 💅. Her self absorbed self meets a young man with will of steel who believes in himself and himself only💅. What can you offer to someone who doesn't seek? This encounter leads to an interesting twist in their life. Opposite attract? No! This is "diamond cuts diamond"⚔️. Will these two self centered individuals see beyond themselves? Who will win the battle of wits? Can love triumph self obsession? Will our philosophical questions be answered? What is the meaning of life? Tune in to learn about the characters, the human world and yourself. 🤓☝️
Pros -
I was shocked as to how much thought has gone into some of the underlying themes here. I think the writer had an amazing vision for the drama but couldn't line it up well
Cons-
1) This is probably the first time when I found that story was actually pretty nice but EDITING AND ACTING HAS WEAKENED IT. This drama would have suited 15-episodes format more instead of the 12 that it has. Netflix has ruined the natural pace of many kdramas and it is one of them.
2) I found the MALE LEAD to be lacking in screen presence and the female lead has a very high pitched voice which makes her seem irritating at times. You don't feel anything when you see the ML on screen which is quite surprising considering the fact that he is a handsome man.
The director can also be blamed here as the gumiho doesn't have any mystical or magnetic aura around her.
This drama could have become better if these things were fixed. However, its still watchable ...and an easy 7.5 /10 for me.
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Ingeniously weaved web of transmigration serving romance and laughter
This is a refreshing take on transmigration plots. Only a few leads are EQUALLY AND PERFECTLY MATCHED as the two leads.This drama is highly recommended!Plot - The plot is far more than what it seems initially. It starts off funny and engaging and then traps you into a more complex and deep storyline.
Surprisingly, this drama has underlying themes that revolve around egalitarianism and it has some fiery speeches that deeply reflect on socialist values. Its very moving! None of these elements feel heavy because of the humor and the writers need to be credited for that.
Male lead 🌟- This is one of my favorite male lead characters. His mind is like a secret cave. You don't know what's inside, you don't kow how deep it is, how far it goes and what's at the end of it. His actions carry a golden retriever energy which makes him look completely harmless. This is a deadly combination.
RYAN CHENG IS ONE OF THE MOST MERITORIOUS ACTORS I HAVE SEEN IN CDRAMALAND. I CAN'T IMAGINE ANYONE ELSE IN THIS ROLE. Not only has he perfected his "tyrannical" look but can easily switch on the romantic soft eyes while balancing a mysterious persona on the side. Did I say that his comic timing is also very natural? ❣️
Female lead 🌟- The Female lead is super smart, funny, logical and she is the eyes of the audience. She is one whose moves the plot and uncovers it layer by layer. The FL has the street smarts but its her big heart that you will fall in love with.
WANG CHURAN❣️is genuinely one of the BEST actresses in cdramaland. She's a treat to watch. This woman has successfully served hundreds of emotions in this drama.
None of the supporting characters are predictable and that's what keeps you hooked onto this drama. You don't know on whose side they will end up and how they will react to the challenges in front of them.
Overall, this drama has -
1) transmigration
2) Funny and smart Leads
3) Palace politics
4) Secret personas
5) partners to lovers
6) complex web of mystery
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An undercover Agent in school, battling Corruption and Nepotism
The drama is mostly light and an easy watch. It didn't try hard to become extra complex and that works very well for it. I like the simplicity of this mystery.All the actors have good chemistry with each other and the lead couple is cute together.
The drama has the following -
1) undercover agent unraveling school mysteries
2) a cute love story
3) School relationships and teenage troubles
4) Very strong villains
5) Theme revolving around classism in Korea
Its basically the battle of righteous people against THE CORRUPT AND THE PRIVILEGED.
It was such an easy watch. Very clean and simple. Definitely a little unrealistic but it was a light comedy afterall. Loved it ❣️
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Fighting fate and prejudice. The great tale of discovering courage
Liu Yuning, you have done it Again!! 👏Plot - The FL enters a world which she thinks she knows very well until nothing makes sense anymore.
Comedy - The plot parodies all the intense and high voltage romances/romantic tragedies cdrama lovers have seen. The comedy has chaos and elements of slapstick humor. The satire is very enjoyable
Characters🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
The FL is represents pessimists. She is practical and is quite good self preservation. She doesn't believe that the rotten system will change but she strives hard to protect her own people.
The ML represents optimists. He believes that he can change the system but suffers a lot in the fight along with like minded people (the nightwalkers).
Towards the end, we see a lot of growth in both characters and the transformation is WORTH THE WAIT
1) Ep 1- 10 - You are introduced to the script world which doesn't match the initial impression of how the characters are supposed to act. The FL fully entertains you with her quirks and she's quite comedically SELF CENTERED
2) Ep 10 -20 - Unexpected new characters are introduced which give more depth to the shallow and cliché script of the scriptwriter. We are charmed by the alter ego of the ML and his real personality starts to unveil itself. The FL stops herself from fully immersing into the world and believes more in the reality/script she read herself than the events or changes in this "fake world". She is quite DETACHED HERE and I believe that's realistic for her character. She still sees the world from the lense of an "outsider"
3) ep 20 -30 - You are pulling your hair out as audience and your heart cries BECAUSE OF INJUSTICE. The best part of this tortorous phase is that the Nightwalkers fully shine here. They are the very soul of this drama.❣️❣️ If you enjoy friendships, you will be able to immerse yourself here despite the pain
4) 30 -40 - This is all about confrontation, romance ❣️❣️confessions, healing and THRILL. A new twist/character enters the world. The chaos that he brings with him will have you on the edge of your seats ...especially in the last 5-6 episodes.
Overall, this drama was worth it for me!! There were times when it slowed down and I believe 30 episodes woukd have been ideal for it but I don't regret watching it and I fully recommend it to others.
FATE CAN CHANGE...IF YOU HAVE COURAGE!!
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COORNDINATED BOT ATTACK ON GENUINE AND NEGATIVE REVIEWS OF THIS DRAMA
Cringe acting, Unnecessary scenes of SA in a low quality script riding on BL dopamine and politics (this was the original title)Is there a way to somehow report harassment on MDL because I wrote this review long ago but have to update a lot because this is very different from other drama fandoms....there is constant harassment. Sometimes, one person replies twice or thrice under one comment and these are generally hostile. (There's also clever attempt to call people homophobic for saying that no means no ...even if its a man assaulting a man ans there's no need to whitewash or downplay or romanticise it)
The script has the quality of those 5 minute short dramas. Its pathetic. Its straight up rejected wattpad script.
I agree with Sarina's review here because this entire community is busy in BURYING AND DOWNPLAYING R*P* . The ML is actually orders gang rap* of a man in the first episode. This pretty much establishes his personality in the beginning and he has zero concept of consent for his partner.
Later on, he violates the consent and body of the ML many times and as pointed out by several people here, he does it many times after first episode.
The PR of this drama is busy in defending that by telling people that its actually like watching murder mysteries when its not! The script portrays him AS A ROMANTIC LEAD and not as a r@p*st. If this drama was about a r@p*st then, I would have agreed with them. Its quite shocking that people are being shamed for having basic respect for the character's dignity and autonomy.
🌟The PR is even comparing it some of the most well written things you have seen on TV and cinema.. for example, game of thrones, Godfather and other genres which AREN'T ROMANCE genre at all and even the writer might feel ashamed of a rejected wattpad script being compared to it by the PR. GOT shows incest,grooming of minors in times in fake land and nobody romanticises it "ships" them together unless they are in the same relationship in alabama and need some coping. This drama romanticises lack of consent and abuse. People want to see them "together happy forever" . They also have the audacity to compare ancient barbarians with MODERN ROMANCE which is a testament to the fact thar the ML has acted like a barbarians in matters of consent. This is early onset of complete madness. The denial of romanticisation of rapist and abuse is very real🌟
To add to this, every valid criticism of reinforcement of the most toxic and mysogynistic themes and romanticisation of it has been hit with the most immature "bl vs non bl" argument. Of course, sinophobia (quite obvious even for a non chinese like me) and political drama between west and east is also a part of this discourse which adds to the popularity of this drama. There's a lot of people who believe that they are fighting Chinese govt and its okay to support the abuse and mysogyny in this fight against the chinese govt. They have been using "China will ban it" 🚫 as a marketing campaign for this drama to create hype. Romanticisation of abusers while pretending to be allies is nasty. This is not it. That's counterproductive and anti progress. Genuine reviewers are being harassed for not liking this drama because
🌟1) they found the acting to be loud an cringy
🌟2) the script romanticises abuser and the direction tries to whitewash his character which is a valid criticism of both writing as well as direction
🌟3) It was marketed as a funny drama but honestly, other than being cringy, its very disturbing as well.Its hard to laugh at at an abusive relationship or an abuser. So, a lot of people didn't find it funny.
(You can see that almost all negative reviews of this drama which give relevant points about why they were put off by it, are harassed)
Otherwise, its nowhere close to the the BLs that have come out this year...let alone being called the best BL of all times ☠️
The discourse that romanticises all problems and boring part of this drama has been dominated by non cdrama or non asian audience on western social media and that's where I recieved my recommendation from. I excitedly DIVED INTO IT WITH CHILDLIKE HAPPINESS UNTIL THIS DRAMA GOT BORING, CRINGE AND PROBLEMATIC (which started from the very first episode). PR has been asking for support by exploiting the sentiments of a lot of folks which is why you will see that not only the drama but the horrendous original work of the author also has widespread support among international audience.
It has terribly high rating because international fans consider it "China's BL comeback"
when in reality, its just a comeback of mysogyny, abuse,age old concept of patriarchy but most importantly (for drama audience) hostile marketing of LOW QUALITY PRODUCTS😔The women defending all of this are laughable.
If you are one of those women who get excited by two men being all over each other and your entire pull depends on sexual chemistry.. ..or you are a teen, you might enjoy it. That too, isn't as great as some Thai BLs to be honest.
This should also have some tags like 🚫 "Ra***t romanticisation". I know that would be quite bold but if they can show it, why not say it?
This drama definitely doesn't deserve a rating of 8.9 ....the rating at best should be at 4 at best though I don't even consider it worth watching !! If you like some quality in scripts, stay away from it.
Its highly disappointing!
I dropped this in the first half.
There's a lot of overrated chinese dramas here and I have called them out but this one takes the cake for being the most overrated if we consider its rating and quality
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CRINGE, MUSHY AND OVERRATED
There's so much that I didn't like about this drama BUT THE BROTHER ISN'T ONE OF THEM. LOVED the brother ❣️The relationship is creepy. He had seen her as a little girl and she had barely matured as a human when he started liking her.
What's funny is that they wanted to portray her as "an adult" but the actress really acted like a 15-16 year in the romance scenes making it soo much uncomfortable for me to watch. What's with the BABYING?
Its for teens but I hope they don't learn anything from this drama. She git married a little too early as well.
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BINGEWORTHY General lovebirds ❣️❣️
The premise revolves around the female general and her struggles to achieve greatness. She meets a male general who wants to restore his father's honor and their lives get TANGLED beautifully .The ML is such a treat to watch. Its hard not to fall for him ❣️ He is a great general, very calm, composed and seasoned at playing politics.
The FL is a true match. She's brave, loyal and extremely resourcefull.
Both of them have a SIZZLING CHEMISTRY with each other. FIRE ON FIRE 🔥
The pacing of this drama is great. The episodes aren't too long and its probably one of the greatest strength. I must applaud the editors of this drama for making it bingeworthy...even though I think they could have made the episode transition a bit more seamless.
One thing I truly enjoyed about the drama was the fact that the female lead is FULL OF LIFE. They didn't suck out her charm and naughty attitude to make the character hypermasculine in the most boring way. They retained her feminine charm too...which makes her unrealistic but absolutely ENTERTAINING TO WATCH. I don't care about realism here because the actress has done such a good job with quirky attitude.
It also some elements of
1) enemies to lovers ...
2) Student mentor romance
3) Introvert extrovert romance
So I can confidently say that they have NAILED the romantic aspect of the drama.
As for action 🎬, I did enjoy the action choreography quite a lot. Even the sword dancing was beautifully choreographed. It leaves you in awe of the character.
The politics is not not packed heavily in the plot so you won't get bored with it but necessary sub plots are there and those are very important to keep people engaged in the ultimate battle of wits!
I enjoyed a drama this much AFTER A LONG TIME! Highly recommended
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Extremely satisfying . This is therapy!
This drama is like one of those incredibly memorable older kdramas...when the stories used to be refreshing and every episode had some new tale to tell. This is what I was missing 😭The little stories have my heart ❤️
The plot is engaging and the female character is incredibly gripping.
The FL is very direct, business minded and a complex mixture of good and evil like human beings. She is sadistic and I LOVE THAT. Its almost therapeutic to see her doing her job.
The ML, He is nice but for how long? His patience is repeatedly tested and you wonder how that will affect his thinking.
Together, they make a unique and interesting duo. Man, I totally want them to end up together happily but I don't know if that's possible.
I can't wait for upcoming episodes. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
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Shaman to the rescue of her first love. Beware of second lead syndrome
Plot - I am not a teen and this is targeted towards young audience but the reason I liked it is because I LOVE GHOST COMEDIES. The plot revolves around a young shaman who wishes to protect people from evil,especially her high school crush.Characters
FL - The FL is cute and your usual chirpy FL.
ML - He's ...as usual a ML with a sad past who has some specific thing that can only be cured by the FL 🤣 .
Okayy....Wow! That twist...his character gets an interesting twist around ep 6. It gives the ML more charm and makes his character shine fully.
2nd ML - I love his personality. He's a great friend and a man with 💪 strong chi. So, he can give you a major 2nd lead syndrome.
Overall, the drama has-
1) family bond/family troubles
2) ghosts
3) Good shamans and evil shamans
4) High school friendhips and love
Its a decent drama. I am liking it a lot more than I expected. Its a pleasant surprise. It did give me some nostalgia as I used to love korean Ghost romantic comedies (that was a whole genre at some time). ❣️❣️
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Best of 2025 and of the genre as well
The genre is enemies to lovers and THIS ONE IS WORTH THE HYPE!Its one of the best. Genuinely enjoyed watching their chemistry. Its was definitely electrifying.
The supporting characters were also super cute and the pacing decent for a 36 ep drama. It could have been a 32 ep drama in my opinion. Less is always more
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Its the Xianxia you wished for
1) The plot is well tied2) The romance is satisfying
3) The chemistry is electrifying.
4) The story is divided into 3 main phases - the pre love, the post love and post awakening ...All three phases are well cooked and you don't lose interest after phase one ends but my interest mostly disappeared after phase 2
5) I JUST LOVE THE FLIRTING and that's the biggest strength of this drama.
Cons - Its too long. It should have been 24 episodes.
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The Gold standard for mythology inspired dramas
I couldn't hold myself back from writing this review. I started watching this drama as a FILLER while I waited for some kdrama. I don't care about the kdrama anymore because this xianxia has exceeded my expectations in every way.My only problem with it is that ITS WAYY TOO LONG for my attention span.
1) Acting - if you have cringed at some highly marketed xianxia with actors selling eccentricism and loudness as "good acting", this drama is for you. Both the leads have made the characters extremely believable and have picked up the nuances so well. They are SEASONED actors ! By that, I simply mean, they know a lot more than screaming to show great pain, widening their eyes to show anger and staring into each other's eyes to show love. Its a treat to watch them. As for the side characters, many of them are exceptional actors while some are slightly weaker but serve their purpose (comical). IF FU RONG WANTS A LAWYER FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE...I am available!
2) Story - Its surpassed any mythology inspired chinese (and korean) dramas I have seen. Many dramas have used similar tropes but they failed to do justice to it like this drama does. They let the story breathe in the beginning and take time with character introduction of the FL but manage to not make it boring. The female lead is ferocious yet very level headed. As for the ML, his complex character is introduced a few episodes later and kept slightly simpler as we are focusing on the FL's journey in the beginning. This God needs to write a book called "HOW TO BECOME A GREAT GOD" and that is all I will say about him. The side characters also had interesting arcs but never overshadowed the main story. The politics between the realms (which is the boring part of xianxias in general) is surprisingly engaging here and serves as a perfect tool to move the story forward. The romance is THE SLOW BURN kind of romance but I wouldn't have preferred it in any other way.The writers did a great job.
3) Music : They have used elements of chinese folk music and that's my favorite. The flute music is quite beautiful as well. There's a perfect description of the flute music in the drama which I won't spoil for you. If the story is a bowl of ramen, the music is MSG.
4) SPECIAL EFFECTS - This is where I will give it a 5/10 but that's because I am comparing it to some movies and high budget shows. For a chinese wuxia, its pretty good. This would have reached a much larger global audience had the CGI been great.
overall, its a great drama and I highly recommend it. I wish to add a few more points but I shall have to wait for it to end which will be a bitter sweet experience regardless of the happy/sad ending.
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