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As BORING as it is hyped
This has to be one of the most anticipated and the most disappointing dramas for mePros -
1) Production - high production quality and the set design is very vibrant. The clothes the FL wears are high end luxury brands and she rocks all those styles pretty well.
2) Marketing- The marketing is very desperate and strong. Cameos are used well. Overall, this drama has a lot of money power behind it. Lol! I wish they used some of that to make the script less cringe and messy
Edit : I feel obligated to say that Gwak Dong Yeon is one actor with amazing potential along with the main villain. These two are deserving of good scripts and main roles.
Cons -
1) Acting- I felt like the actors were underutilized. There is little to no depth in their acting and I have liked some of their previous work quite a lot. Both seem to fair well in ONLY one kind of role (FL being feisty and quirky and the ML being cold on the outside and a puppy on the inside kind of roles). They were somewhat in their safe/ comfort zone in this drama but I am not particularly moved by their acting in this one.
THE SUPPORTING CAST OUTSHINES THE MAIN LEADS. The villains are great at expressing trauma, duality, disgust with the elite, hatred and lack of empathy.
The main villain is the best part of the show
2) story- BORING and all over the place ! They have tried very hard to give an obviously toxic relationship a romantic turn and I am not buying it. I am not too fond of the chemistry between the leads. I guess the intent was to show a "push and pull" or "love break and redemption " type of chemistry but they failed. The FL'S brother and his "wife" surprisingly managed to create more tension and that kind of anticipation even with very limited screentime so far and it is because there are too many unnecessary side stories going on. I do not care about the main leads divorcing or breaking up anymore.
3) Direction - as I mentioned above, the villains and side characters have faired well but even their acting potential wasn't fully utilised. Some scenes were quite well done while others seemed unnecessarily theatrical. Dear director, try to make it subtle.
Overall, its a 5/10 considering its budget and heavy marketing.
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A Great adventure story with a pinch of romance
Firstly, the viewers need to set their expectations right for this drama. This isn't a fully romance based drama. Its about the adventures of a demon hunter and the life of his partner Banxia. The romance forms a small but sweet part of this story. Much like Sugar in tea.🌟Plot -
1) The plot involves various cases and every case brings fresh demons, little stories and lessons
2) The relationship between the leads develop as they solve cases together and the romance brews extremely slowly but naturally.
3) The side characters also show a lot of growth and they aren't written carelessly. One of the my fav characters is the law enforcement officer.
4) The mystery of the past lives of the leads unravels slowly .
🌟Acting -
Allen Ren has an eye for good scripts. He acted quite naturally and effortlessly, as he does in every drama. The female lead cries so convincingly and she is good at emotional scenes. The only weakness of both leads is comedy but its hidden quite well in this drama. The constable and her "fiance" stood out to me a lot. Especially ❤Fan Shuai Qi ❤(officer Sima)!She has a very magnetic presence and managed to capture my interest in her character within 5 minutes. I hope to see her as a lead very soon ❣️
Why I ended up dropping this drama? ...its the same old reason for me. THIS IS WAYYY TOO LONG.The pacing is not bad though I believe, it could have been faster. 30 episodes would have worked amazingly for this drama.
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Watchable but badly executed
Boring investigation cases have ruined the plot.The drama needed to be only 24 episodes with 30 min per episode for it to be fabulous
The ML lacks personality.
The FL is slightly annoying with her cute acting but the actress has some charm
The most standout performance and show stealer is Yang Shi Ze. He's got a magnetic screen presence. Would love to see him in a main role
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First love, separation, trauma and undying devotion
Let me just start by saying that this drama absolutely bingeworthy but It doesn'thave much rewatch value for me. I liked A LOT better than hidden love which seemed like it was made for teens. This one is more mature than that. Is it funny and light? Yes! Its mostly light depsite heavy themes.Plot - The plot is about two individuals and their journey from school to being working professionals. Its also about class differences, social deprivation, orphaned children and frienship but most importantly, its about the OLD SCHOOL ROMANCE and EVERLASTING LOVE
My only complaint is, the ML is a fantasy. His objectives aren't convincing enough realistically. However, he is perfectly enjoyable if you see it as a fairytale.
Romantic chemistry- I can see BJT doing heavylifting for the first 14 episodes at least. So, its Slowburn but still very watchable because of the angst. The ML is like the sun 🌞 in a dark and cold forest for her...
Direction and editing - the Style of direction is the highlight of this drama. The colors used gives you a feeling of a cozy blanket on a cold night. The darkness in dingy rooms is used well to describe the horrors and darkness in the character's life. Still, the overall vibe is deliberately kept warm and light. There are certain scenes where violence is not explicitly shown but the director has cleverly used blood and aftermath for impact.
The placement of the past SCHOOL memories is also excellent.
Acting- BJT is good as usual. However, I have seen him performing better in other dramas. The ML is slightly one dimensional for him to fully shine. Will you fall in love with him all over again? Absolutely! He made his character VERY DIFFERENT FROM SANG YAN FROM HIDDEN LOVE but still close to the novel lead. After 16 eps, I can't imagine any other actor doing it. The Female lead is pretty but needs improvement in the acting department. She is perfectly watchable but her character had IMMENSE scope for a good actor. There's so much she could have done. The co actors are all decent but the ones that particularly shine in the acting department are the mom of the FL and the little sister of ML. The LITTLE GIRL has done a fantastic job.
The second lead couple is also cute and enough time has been given for their story to grow properly. I liked that.
Interestingly, i end up dropping many dramas that are slow paced or have 32 episodes, but I KEEP COMING BACK TO THIS ONE. It has that x factor
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Enjoyable drama with heart touching moments
Plot - the plot has teenage love, misunderstandings, separation and reunion.Actors - Both couples (the young and the older ones) have given their best. They have chemistry and the supporting cast has meaty roles. The negative character will make you want to rip your hair out. Basically, all of the actors have done a great job and it is the biggest strength of this drama. The choice of the director for the younger couple is especially worth praising.
This drama is not a thriller so there is obviously some level of guessing that a viewer can do. It still has the ability to surprise you with a new "point of view" of the characters. You get to unravel their emotions and that journey makes the show interesting.
Overall, I found it to be enjoyable and it delivered more than what I expected from it.
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A tale of love, sacrifice and victory over evil
For a xianxia, it was well done. They tied the story neatly and the pacing was alright by present xianxia standards though I believe it could have been just 30 episodes.Set design and costume 🌌👗 - 10/10 . It deserves a pinterest board. The celestial themes have especially been done quite well. It does make the actors look heavenly. The male lead looked ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS and bailu carried her costumes quite well too.
Plot 🤓 - Its mostly about cultivating by experiencing the joys and miseries of life. The FL does the heavylifting here and ML has been slightly sidelined here in terms of depth of his arc though he had a good screen time. It also explores the themes of reincarnation and has the usual politics beyween different sects and realms.
The supporting cast is excellent and their character developent and stories have been given enough breathing time and respect that they deserved.
Chemistry ❤️❤️ - The chemistry is truly amazing and the romance is mature. The bond is not unnatural at all. Its more of a natural progression of their "professional relationship" into a personal one.
Music 🎵🎶- Loved the music. Its memorable!
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This review may contain spoilers
The best light xianxia to watch. (Don't be fooled by negative reviews)
I watched it when it got released and I am surprised that the REVIEWS ARE VERY DECIEVING AND HARSH1) Its a perfectly light Xianxia with a heartwarming romance compared to some serious xianxias which have the capability to make you tired and heartbroken
2) NO! THE FL ISN'T STUPID like the people say. The younger /earlier form of that particular plant with low cultivation is SUPPOSED TO BE NAIVE.
⚠️spoiler alert ⚠️
She represents the pure heart of a child...and selfless love (she isn't a child herself..but higher being/goddess who taken that form for a purpose). Only a heart THAT PURE CAN MELT AWAY THE REVENGEFUL EMOTIONS OF A DEMON. She obviously grows to become a courageous being and eventually transforms into her true self.
It has symbolism. People who haven't seen Esther or her work also hate her the first time they see her...or find her incredibly odd (especially if they don't come from eastern cultures) but Esther was a good pick for Orchid's pre transformation role. She was also pretty great at mimicking the mannerisms of the ML as well as acting out the post transformation Goddess role
3) The ML surprised me because I wasn't expecting him to do justice to the role. He was highly entertaining throughout the drama and his reactions as well dilemmas were convincing
Overall, I enjoyed it quite a lot and its appropriate for binging. If you enjoy Banter, enemies to lovers and visually pleasing xianxia, You will love this as well.
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THE SECOND LEADS HAVE MY HEART ❤️
This drama is absolutely binge watch worthy.It has high school romance and friendship. The relationships develop slowly and it takes you back to your innocent school days.
The characters are very sweet and the overall vibe of this drama is very wholesome.
THE SECOND LEADS OUTSHINED THE FIRST LEADS FOR ME. They carried the drama and had more of a personality. I wish we get a drama FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE. ❣️ The good thing is that they have enough screen time. I also loved all the other supporting characters along with the 5 friends. This is a beautiful relaxing drama.
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This review may contain spoilers
FIVE Heartwarming,light and interesting stories packed in one.
Plot - The show has the story of a widowed mother and her 5 daughters. The bond between the daughters, their quirky personalities and many talents...and the kind of men they end up attracting is interesting to see.Actors - All the actors have done a great job but I am especially a fan of the actors who acted as the THIRD (husband of first widowed daughter) AND FOURTH HUSBAND. All the female leads and the mother have done an amazing job. They have put their all into the role.
Cons - The most disappointing part of the drama was the treatment of Yang Xian. The fact that they treated him like trash AFTER HIS SINCERE EFFORTS and redemption (all because he lost his wealth) is truly sad because he would have NEVER done that to the people he calls family. He even forgave his sister. Its a shame that they treated him badly and laughed about it. He endured the most pain, heartbreak and humiliation and Li family had zero remorse for it.
The FL ( second daughter) is too harsh and physically abusive to her husband which I do not condone..They have tried to make it funny but its never funny. The actors managed to make it light despite this major drawback in the writing so...kudos to them!
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This brought back the magic of kdramas for me after a long drought
Its one of the best action comedies in asia. THE QUALITY OF THIS DRAMA IS ACTUALLY AT PAR WITH SOME OF THE BEST INTERNATIONAL CONTENT IN THIS GENRE. They have taken some extremely serious themes and made it light. Its easier to make a serious and gloomy drama but extremely difficult to turn these themes into a light, deep and humorous plot.The slow mo is quite deliberate and gives that Anime/webtoon effect to it which I love. Its suits action comedy.
Its a 10/10 in every way for me. The suspense, thrill and the chemistry of the students is on point.
1)The into song is great 🎶🎵
2) The male lead has exceeded my expectations in every way. I had little to no hopes but HE KILLED IT.
3) The pacing is perfect and the mysterious characters and their stories add to the thrill of this drama. Every character has the ability to suprise you !!
4) chemistry between the study group is 🔥amazing
5) The plot is light yet deep and covers many social issues from school violence to classism to parental abuse and everything under the sun.
6) The villains (and there are too many of them) have done a great job of making me cling to the screen.
Waiting for season 2!!
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Extremely unsatisfactory romance. Dragged for no reason.
This could have become the best cdrama of 2024 but it missed the mark...BY A LOT1) the pacing is bad. The double had similar vibes but great pacing compared to this one. Cdramas are forcing people to drop stop watching by making it more than 20 episodes 15 would be perfect for a thriller and "Reset" is a good example of that.
2) Do the male leads have a good chemistry? Guess I will never know because they haven't explored that properly. This is definitely not for romance lovers. It seemed like an unfulfilled fantasy.
3) There's too many side characters. I have watched 60 eps cdramas as well and when I say there are too many side characters and side stories, it means its very messy.
Overall, it disappointed me and I am dropping it
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The best historical Drama I have seen in Cdramaland
Edit: I finished it and loved it. I must appreciate the villains of this drama. They did such a great job at playing those characters.I am compelled to write this review because I want to document my excitement. This isn't the best of historical drama of 2024, its just the best historical cdrama. Few more episodes till it ends! I am scared to finish the show and I am scared that once I finish it, I wouldn't get to watch this kind of masterpiece again in a sea of mediocrity.
Story- The story isn't just about revenge but is also about redemption of the male leads. Its about childhood traumas, sacrifice, empathy, kindness and love. The two leads navigate a cruel word by adopting shrewd tactics. They aren't living. They are surviving and tolerating the world to seek justice for themselvesand their loved ones. Every little thing they do take is a strategic step towards the bigger goal. I thought the revenge, sadness and the serious tone would drown my spirit in sorrow but I was wrong. ITS INCREDIBLY THRILLING. If you know a little bit about chinese culture and history, you will enjoy it even more.
There are many small storylines weaved into the story but all of them are connected very well and the story never deviates from the main plot.
Actors - very talented. They do not sell eccentricism and loud acting as good acting which I greatly admire in drama actors. They have an amazing chemistry. Its hard to maintain the intensity and angst in a slow burn romance but they have done a great job. The male lead is going to be in my favorite list now. The female lead, supporting cast as well as the villains are worth admiring.
Direction - The casting is well done. It took a while for me to adjust to the style of direction in the first episode (very short cdrama type of direction). I am not too fond of that style. The slight discomfort immediately ended with the first episode and I was hooked. The way the director has executed the whole drama is what I expect from all historical drama directors...Almost all of them fall short of that expectation. This did not!
The flying of the robes was so cool. The set design is visually appealing and suits the tone of the drama. It isn't too bright or too dark. The clothes look gorgeous. Kudos.
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This drama is ALL ABOUT CHEMISTRY. It promises wattpad and it serves just that unapologetically
Plot - Very wattpad but it perfectly suits the vibe of a kdrama. The characters are thankfully NOT PERFECT.The tension between the leads is electrifying and addictive to watch. 🔥 If you love that sort of chemistry, don't have second thoughts about watching this drama.
This is NO SHERLOCK THRILLER so it does have plot holes like webtoons but it becomes clear for ep 1 that the drama is about romance and "tension" between the leads.
I am not fond of watching perfectly curated novel male leads with not a single hint of imperfection and just sad pasts which the female lead is supposed to heal with her touch. This is not that which is why I like it. I like the flawed characters.
ML - The male lead is shrewd, conniving, diplomatic and cold. He has all the qualities a politician needs to have in a dog eats dog world. They haven't tried to whitewash that part of his personality. Almost Every character of this drama is GREY and if you love grey characters, you're gonna LOVE THIS.
FL - she has a cute personality WITH A SPICY TWIST. Her character is interesting because more than her enemies, she is fighting her inner demons... asking her to stay quiet and guard every secret.
The actors - The ML is one of the best actors in Korea. He is the MSG of this drama. It seems like the character was written for him.
The FL has a challenging role and she brings out all the diverse and contrasting shades beautifully.
The supporting characters are also very interesting and I don't trust a single one of them.
Overall, its a binge worthy drama and if you decide to watch it when its ongoing, you're gonna have to endure the pain of suspense.
There's a lot of political propaganda in the comments as well as reviews. Its a decent wattpad style of story. Not much logic...but definitely not worth the extra hate its getting because of politics
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KIM SEON HO CARRIED THE DRAMA
I mean, I think they overcomplicated things from the beginning. Right from the start, the story felt a bit odd, lacking natural flow and depth.Its almost like they wanted it to be poetic but... that couldn't land perfectly. Still, i consider the attempt to be decent.
The drama also felt like it changed genre mid way and went from a sweet romance to a psychological mystery. It was a whole lot of mess.
The star of the drama is DEFINITELY KIM SEON HO for me. His tiny expressions, natural charm and somewhat non predictable behavior made things interesting and kept me wanting more. He has a knack for making characters appear natural.
The main actress is..fine....despite the crazy writing and range her character had ON PAPER, her acting range seems limited. Its more or less the same doll ...naive...pure...somewhat fantasy heroine expressions. The scary lighting, makeup and expressions helped her alter ego character but I think that credit goes to the director, makeup artists and stylists more.
I can see PEAK JUN JI HYUN nailing this role in my mind and that's a thought I can't get out of my mind.
The second lead couple had electric chemistry because BOTH HAPPEN TO BE EQUALLY GOOD AS ACTORS. They matched each other's wavelength quite well but I DID NOT LIKE THE SECOND FL AT ALL as a character. Her dating style was extremely nasty and messy.
The story could have been better but Seon ho and the second couple made this drama journey a non regrettable watch for me.
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UNDERRATED MASTERPIECE OF 2025 that goes in my all time fav list
This drama is actually the best of 2025 and I am surprised that other dramas of 2025 (especially some modern ones) have a higher rating on MDL.I completely trust the chinese sites on drama ratings and reviews and so I decided to watch it. Its good enough to deserve that an 8.8 rating considering MDL standards.
Why?
1)Plot - The plot has your general Student Teacher relationship with a twist. You get to see both the leads playing the student and the teacher. The premise revolves around FIGHTING DESTINY FOR LOVE and it has been done so well❣️
2) Characters and acting - The FL is truly the star of the drama. The way she has portrayed two very different personalities is worth praising. Its commendable. You fall in love with HER WORLDVIEW ❣️
The male lead's character sees tremendous growth during the entire drama and its believable. He has NOT been written like an all righteous and perfectly tame ML. I loved that. It was a treat to watch him.
The villains are your classic xianxia villains. The OG delulu jealous villainess and her pathetic one sided hatred. Then you have the nice second lead guy in love and of course the cute side couples who make the entire journey worth watching.
3) Romance : Slow burn 🔥 and interesting. Amazing chemistry. The push and pull is great.
👎Cons - The plot gets very slow at 20 something and and picks up again after 6-7 episodes . My complaint with this is my complaint with MOST CDRAMAS...its TOO LONG! 30 episodes would have been ideal
Overall, it was a great watch.
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