Fu Jun Jia Si Wo Gao Jia, She Zheng Wang Ye She Ming Chong
1 people found this review helpful
fun, energetic vertical drama
this was, frankly, a romp. i watched on youtube, so of course there were issues with sound / no music, but aside from that i had a great time. this is a rebirth/revenge drama, and these can sometimes get repetitive within a given production or get stuck on one scene for a thousand years. that didn't happen here - the story kept a great pace, with a smart and adaptable heroine. there were lots of moving pieces in terms of both plot and characters, so though i figured we were in for a happy ending i didn't know exactly how we'd get there. the male lead was charmingly earnest underneath his stern exterior. their chemistry wasn't sizzling, but it was gentle and pleasant, so i'm not mad about it. for a mid-low-production-value vertical... really very good!Was this review helpful to you?
Hei Qian Jin Mei Tian Du Zai Xian Da Lian
0 people found this review helpful
extremely cute and satisfying
the vertical drama equivalent of a cupcake from a fancy bakery: yes it's pure sugar, but it's pretty and delicious and you won't regret it later. decent production value (though there are some typically ill-fitting costumes), chock-full of soap opera tropes. any misunderstandings between the leads are cleared up quickly, and they spend most of their time teasing each other, helping each other out, and kissing. i had a great time. i watched on netshort under the title "bye crush, hello playboy hubby".Was this review helpful to you?
a calm delight
frankly i had a great time with this one. liu mingyue, the female lead, is calm, kind and thoughtful, a person who attends to every problem with practicality and patience. the general is - it sounds misleading to say adorable when he's a big strong grown man with a sword, but he gets bonkers hearteyes for mingyue SO fast. this is my favorite kind of romance, where very few issues come from inside the relationship. instead they're a united front pretty much from the wedding night onwards. there's lots of fun minor antagonists - her sister with whom she swaps grooms, their aunt, the emperor's nephew, the elder princess. the costumes are pretty, and there's some decent music. a surprisingly even-keeled and satisfying vertical.Was this review helpful to you?
Pure Bisexual Chaos
I said what I said. Look. Sometimes there are shows that, regardless of "objective" "quality", pass the vibe check with flying colors. Decreed By Fate is one of these. It was SO MUCH FUN, due entirely to the bonkers chemistry amongst the central trio. It's less a love triangle and more an electric OT3. I normally find jealous men to be tiresome at best, but here they were just hilarious. There's a scene towards the end where our two heroes were both near-mortally wounded and, while unconscious, were put in the same bed for expediency of care. As soon as they wake up they get into the most ridiculous slapfight in which neither of them has the strength to do any harm. PETTY. DELIGHTFUL.I enjoyed our heroine a lot as well. The height differences are perfection - she can literally disappear behind each of these guys - and the actress brings a cheeriness and boldness that makes the character's (sometimes unearned) bravado adorable rather than annoying.
There are flaws! I'm guessing this was pretty low-budget, so costumes, wigs and makeup aren't great. Sometimes the sound balance (music vs. speech vs. sound effects) is bizarre, and sometimes the lighting and editing choices might make you go, "Wait, what?" The background political plot is half-hearted and murky, and too many characters are telling too many lies for too long for no good reason. But WHO CARES when it's so much fun? A romp! A hootenanny, if you will. This would be a great palate cleanser after a more dignified labyrinthine drama/tragedy.
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