BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
It has a great cast and backgrounds and environments are excellent. What isn't? The plot and story. At first it was great. I really enjoyed the first 5 or so episodes. But then... NOTHING SEEMED TO BE HAPPENING. I started getting bored around episode 15 and after that everything became so much more frustrating.If the writers couldn't write a plot, they could at least have shaved it down to half of the episodes so it was more compact and didn't drag on too much. It's funny because it simultaneously mocks terrible plots and is one at the same time. I've watched similar shows before, it can be done well. How not to do it well? Have the characters just lounge around going to parties and stuff where NOTHING HAPPENS.
WHYYYYYYYY?!
There's also issues with the characters. Other than the ML mostly EVERYONE IS STUPID. And the second FL? I hate her guts because WARNING!!!! The second FL attempts to s*x**lly assault the ML! (That doesn't count as a spoiler, right? Just a warning?) WHAT?! And the main FL was great up until around episode 14 or 15. She wants to do good... but she's like "let's kill x!" SHE NEVER LEARNS.
I just couldn't take how STUPID all but two - and then went down to ONE - were being. AHHHHHHH!!!
SOMEONE get the producers to write a fix it for this!!!! PLEASE!!!! (Actually that could be pretty cool. A transported to another world inside of a transported to another world).
Was this review helpful to you?
Not what I expected
Going into it, I was expecting something similar to Guardians of Dafeng in the sense of humour, pacing, and action. I was met with something different. This is a film that can sit by itself, though it would be hard to follow along if you didn't know the lore of Guardians of Dafeng.This is a quiet movie about struggle. The ending made the difference of how I viewed it - from a 7 star rating to an 8.5.
There were a few things that I was a bit confused about, namely when it was set. And if I remember Guardians of Dafeng correctly, this film might have created plot holes regarding where characters were and when.
If there ever is a series sequel to Guardians of Dafeng, I will be even more excited to watch it just because of a certain character in this I will be looking forward to seeing.
GREAT acting.
GREAT cast!!!
No Dylan Wang cameo, so don't be disappointed.
A beautiful story. 8.5 stars just because of the ending. I bust into tears.
Was this review helpful to you?
A Lovely Watch
To be honest I put off watching this for quite a while. I mean, I had tried watching the first episode after seeing multiple recommendations but I misunderstood it and so dropped it. Only after starting this review did I realise I had tried watching it before. This second time I fell completely in love with it. It is a beautiful story. Once they're adults the way they spend time together and the way to stay together through some struggles is beautiful. This story was well done. They did a fantastic job with it. I am deeply saddened that I've (almost) finished it. I love it so much that I don't want it to end, so I've decided to put it on hold until I'm less prone to crying over this. It is so beautiful!!!STORY
I'm used to watching more action-packed dramas. I usually only watch costume dramas and had somehow convinced myself that contemporary dramas were not for me. This changed my view point. This story is for those who love a contemporary romance. The characters love each other and the sets, families, friends all feel real.
ACTING
10/10
This is one of the best - if not the best - cases of acting I have ever seen. I watch a lot of dramas so I know the standard and this goes beyond. The Male Lead's actor Chen Zhe Yuan and the Female Lead's actor Zhao Lu Si did a fantastic job. They conveyed the emotion perfectly for every scene. They had brilliant chemistry on screen, too. The brother (Victor Ma) also did an amazing job. I wish he was in more dramas.
Was this review helpful to you?
A Weird Mix of Good Writing and Terrible Writing
I am really disappointed in this drama it could have been so much better. The mortal sets commonly looked lived in but the heavenly realm looked bare and - well - like they were lying about the amount of people there. It felt low budget when they weren't in the moral world. And the Marriage Pavilion? Where does everyone work exactly usually? I know we get a few scenes of them working but a lot of the time their "workplace" is empty. Where are they working then?Okay maybe I expect too much fantasy realism and immersivity.
I dropped this a few times but kept coming back to it until now. I just couldn't forget it and the reason is that there are sparks of charm and good writing in this amongst the terrible writing. I was undecided on what to do with this for so long because of it.
STORY
In some parts the writers did a good job. The emotion hits well and the story feels immersive... And then you get slapped in the face by the sometimes fake emotion. Suddenly nothing had any emotional weight or real consequences to the characters. I was left confused and disappointed. I grew to hate a lot of the Heavenly realm scenes because the characters felt bland. It didn't feel lived in and it was like all emotion was an act. And then you'd go back to the mortal realm and it would be almost polar opposite at times.
It started getting good again around episode 26. I don't have much hope for the story after episode 35 though. I think I've seen the peak. I can guess where it's going from spoiler clips and the situation. I don't want to watch anymore.
There's also a plot hole created around episode 30 regarding spiritual power. If you watch it and spot it, you'll get what I mean.
CHARACTERS
Until around episode 26 I thought the FL was annoying. Her character felt inconsistent and whiny. She couldn't do anything herself. She kept trying to pout and act cute... and she looked like an ill-behaved child the parents were ashamed of. The reason I kept dropping this was partially because of her... And then it reached a certain arc and suddenly the character was awesome! Well, at least in comparison. It's a shame it feels like she reverted back after, though.
The ML felt like a cardboard cut out in a lot of the heavenly realm scenes in like the first half of the series. He kept going "Hmmm?" to get people to back off. And then in other scenes and arcs he was a great character.
ACTING & ACTORS
I feel sorry for Yang Chao Yue having been given this kind of whiny character. The only issue is when she tries to cry or talk when crying. A lot of the time it is obviously an act. It's a shame.
There are certain moments where Ding Yu Xi shines but I also think he could have been given a better character.
Was this review helpful to you?
Great until it isn't
This has absolutely amazing acting and it's a shame that the story is only brilliant for around half of it. It then feels less and less immersive. Where are the other people of Pei? We don't know. We only see the villain of the family and that's pretty much it. Around 2/3 of the way through we start to see the other families and they plan but it feels disconnected. I don't feel the big network I just see a stupid villain who is filled with hate.The love story.
I've got to admit, I was hooked with these two. They were brilliant... but then I stopped shipping them when the trust disintegrated. They became restrained. They didn't seem happy. There wasn't even a glimmer of friendship that could have rekindled the love. And this is when I just didn't want to continue to watch. The plot wasn't giving as much as it promised and it felt like the poor ML was in unrequited love, unhappy and restricting his own actions.
I also hate the ML's aunt. She's terrible!
Was this review helpful to you?
Frequently Made Use of The Skip Button
Usually with dramas if I start using the skip button it is within the next five or so episodes I drop it. With this? I started skipping scenes almost immediately and stuck with it for 24 episodes. Do I regret it? Partially. I fuelled my curiosity, anyway.The romance was boring. The "drama" was boring. Things felt slow. When the romance started around half way through I felt bored. There was nothing to make me root for them. He loves her - yes, it's established and Xu Kai does an excellent job with his acting... but that's it. There's no deep yeaning he is confident he'll get her. Even when she has a boyfriend and he has no chance, he doesn't really seem to mind??? He just stops pursuing her for a while. There's no emotional consequence. The romance is mediocre at best.
NOW the side drama? SO MUCH BETTER!!! But I still found myself using the skip button. I think the best one was the singer best friend's romance. Li Li's ended up stressing me out and I ended up skipping a lot.
FAMILY
Han Ting's great-aunt and uncle (cousin?) are great. I loved the uncle. The rest of his family, though? Only there to make him stressed and restrict him.
ROMANTIC COMPETITION
Oh my- I hated the woman with unrequited love towards Han Ting so much. She was SO full of herself. She had so many things wrong with her INCLUDING almost letting a sexual abuser stay in her company!!!! If it wasn't for Han Ting, I bet she'd've fired the FL instead!!! What makes it worse is that kind of thing happens in real life! The victim is made out to be the bad guy! I HATED IT!!! I also hate the fact that for something so serious, it's forgotten quite quickly.
CONCLUSION
If you want something to play in the background, this is meh. 5/10 stars. I'm so generous because I actually ended up past the half-way point.
Was this review helpful to you?
Not quite right
Let's be honest. I loved this at first - well, maybe love is a too strong a word. It was a breath of fresh air after struggling to watch a bunch of shows. That is until the writing kept going downhill. The acting and music didn't help.Don't get me wrong, they're good actors but I feel like they've been used wrong. I feel like if the director had directed them better the show would have been a lot better.
As for the story... Ugh. It was good and it had potential but seriously, they should have done another draft of the script. The "real" moments felt theatrical. Nothing felt real. As I kept watching I began to become less and less immersed. I started skipping scenes... and soon found myself using the arrow button too much (to skip scenes).
It had potential. The costumes, idea, and sets are all great it's just a mess. It's a shame.
Was this review helpful to you?
Got Bored After A While
In the beginning I found this super funny and a nice watch. I enjoyed seeing Lu Yu Xiao's acting... And then the story just kept being mediocre and started to get more and more boring.ACTING
Lu Yu Xiao is a great actor. She has a brilliant range of emotion and she was a perfect fit in this drama. I can't imagine another actress. I think the ML's actor did a good job, too. I think he should be in more things. I would like to see him in a costume drama - even better if it's with Lu Yu Xiao again. As for the other actors? They were meh.
STORY
It started off great. And then it started to seem a bit random. I lost interest around episode 11 and couldn't finish episode 12. The villain needed a slap. A few slaps. There was no reason for what he was doing (at least from what I can see from the explanation we get at episode 11-12). The story started to feel pointless. It felt like it was just dragging on and the characters couldn't get out of the whole the villain dug for them (Which yeah, can be executed well but this just felt meaningless and emotionless and a "ah this is so bad" and then someone cries kinda thing).
4/ 10 because of how acted this is which is a 10 but the story - WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?! I don't know where it went wrong but it went wrong somewhere. This could have been great but it just turned mediocre.
Was this review helpful to you?
I LOVE IT!!!!
At first I wasn't sure whether I would like this. This is different to a lot of c dramas I have watched but I quickly fell in love with this series. It has the perfect blend of amazing characters, great acting from Dylan Wang, immersive scenes & effects, and mystery. Without the silly moments which add charm to this series, this would be much much darker and the darker moments wouldn't have as much weight.This was a great watch. I stayed up a few nights just to continue watching. I REALLY want a season 2 with another lot of 40 episodes. And I can't wait for Guardians of Dafeng: No One Like Me.
Was this review helpful to you?
This made me cry and squeal
I found this to be one of my new favourites. I haven't felt this enamoured with a drama since Guardians of the Dafang (which is my absolute favourite).ACTING
The main leads - No, EVERYONE - did a fantastic job. The ML really felt like this vengeful but also passionately in love person. The FL did well in all her emotions and she fave life to this character. And everyone else feels like a real person.
STORY
It didnt really feel like a story, it felt immersive to the point it felt real. The writers and director did a good job with the characters and the plot.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ It is so good!!!
CHARACTERS
They actually let the ML be a little creepy and unhinged!!!! It eorked really well for his character. He's passionate and wants everything. Hes a bit like a child in that way. He needs the FL to feel whole.
The FL tries to stsy by her beliefs. Her struggle feels real.
OVERALL
Loved it! I hope Zhou Yiran and Bao Shangen are in more dramas together they have great chemistry.
Was this review helpful to you?
BIG DISAPPOINTMENT but the acting and cast are excellent.
There is no plot. Why is the ML out for revenge (which is told in the first episode)? We don't know. I watched 11 episodes and BARELY ANYTHING seems to have happened. They're just jumping from one place to another with a kinda-motive.I watched the first few episodes with !..25x speed by accident and only barely kept watching. I kept thinking that SOMETHING would happen. It's such a shame. If there was plot this would have been epic. Especially because it's got Dylan Wang which is a great actor and the other cast members seem to do well, too, there's just no way they could show the emotional range in this drama.
I would recommend this to people who just want a slow romance and doesn't care about plot.
Was this review helpful to you?
Pointless and So Many Questions
I started this hoping for a good mini drama. What I got was a meaningless plot. I started to get so frustrated with the FL and the ML.Why is the FL in those tacky "posh" clothes in Modern Day? Who is she? Why is she concerned about someone in the past? Why? We don't get an answer. If it had a greater theme/idea I would have been okay with it but nope, nothing.
What are they investigating? They're investigating something but it seems to be endless and pointless. What clued the ML into that house? Dunno.
Why does the FL ACT LIKE THAT?! She's like "I'm going to investigate!" but she wanders around endlessly and just gets in trouble.
Okay, the ML has a crush on FL I'm guessing???? Okay. But like there's no romance. There's just cliché physical closeness scenes. There's no reason for them to like each other.
I felt tired watching this. It's a shame I wanted to like it but I just couldn't.
NOTHING happens.
Was this review helpful to you?
Missed that target
I guess they were aiming for a serious investigation romance drama. They missed the mark. I didn't feel any emotion whilst watching it. Things were just happening. People were crying or arguing or going to place to place but NOTHING was happening. There didn't seem to be any stakes. I didn't care about the characters at all. And it's a bit supernatural - okay. I love supernatural and fantasy elements when they're done right. But guess what? It's made to seem absurd and just feels disconnected to the actual story.I can't believe I endured for 4 whole episodes and a little of episode 5.
What makes the drama worse is that it repeatedly shows sexual assault and pretends to care about it but it just makes it seem like a premise to a romantic moment. It makes me sick. It belittles the horrific act. It almost glosses over it as if it's nothing!
Was this review helpful to you?
Failure of a sequel
I loved season 1. This feels like a knock off with the same cast.Chu Chu was charming in season 1. She's very much like her season 1 couterpart... just with odd quirks she wouldn't do in season 1 (like eating things with coronors tools). Sadly she is the only positive.
What happened to Chu Chu's brother??? Wasn't he a coronor 3 years ago? Now he is suddenly something else. It’s a bit inconsistent. They could have at least said he was in some distant part of the country 2 and a half years ago because season 2 starts around the 3 year anniversary of their meeting and Chu He was in their hometown being a coronor.
Okay now to the REAL dissappointment: the cases. They just felt flat and boring. I didnt care. There's nothing more to say. I csnt express how upset I am.
Big disappointment.
Was this review helpful to you?
THE FL IS SO FULL OF HERSELF!!!
After a lot of bad luck with dramas, I thought this would be better. I've seen it recommended a number of times and I thought I'd give it a shot.I DNFed after most of episode 2. I just couldn't watch it. She was SO full of herself. And unkind to someone who was almost dead! What made it worse was the silly music that was trying to make it out to be funny. It was disgusting. I thought this had a bit of comedy in it but it had none!
Was this review helpful to you?
