This review may contain spoilers
Disappointing Despite the Hype
This drama came highly recommended by a friend who's a big fan of Cheng Yi. She mentioned it was an S+ production and that Cheng Yi’s dramas never go wrong. However, after a few episodes, I honestly began to question the standard of what’s considered S+ these days.
My personal opinions from the episodes I picked up so far:
1. Production Quality. The overall production falls short of what I expect from a top-tier drama. The CGI looks unsophisticated and at times even distracting. The cinematography feels flat and lacks visual depth, making the scenes appear two-dimensional. Some of the fight scenes are so chaotic that they’re difficult to follow.
2. Costume Design. The costume design, particularly for the ML, is quite underwhelming. Some outfits are overly plain . There is a set in particular, a simple white and pink ensemble with a matching sash, appeared to lack any styling effort. While a few other costumes lean too heavily into a feminine aesthetic, which feels out of sync with the ML’s character and presence. Furthermore his hairstyle looks unkempt in some non-action scenes.
3. ML's Acting & Line Delivery. Given that this is a time-travel drama, I expected more comedic or confused reactions from the ML as he adjusts to an unfamiliar world. Unfortunately, his performance feels flat, lacking the emotional range or expression the situation demands. It was so flat that both his character and the overall tone of the scenes come across as dull and even exhausting to watch. Even more frustrating is his line delivery where his enunciation is so unclear that I often have to rely on subtitles and even rewind to catch the details I missed from reading the subtitles. This makes it impossible to watch at 1.5x speed or multitask, which is quite a drawback. Instead, I’m forced to focus entirely on the screen, which only draws more attention to the flaws in his delivery and acting.
4. Storyline & Logic. The plot has quite a few logical inconsistencies. For example, the ML’s mother shows a baffling level of bias towards him, despite his older brother being clearly more sensible and responsible. The time-travel aspect is also poorly executed that I feel it was added to tap on the AI hype. And no one seems to notice or question the ML’s odd behaviour, which feels lacking from a writing standpoint.
Final Thoughts:
Personally, this drama feels like a letdown, especially considering the S+ label and the high expectations surrounding Cheng Yi’s performance. Ironically, it’s the weight of these labels and glowing fan reviews that set the bar so high, only for the drama to fall short in several key areas.
Without all the surrounding hype, I feel it still a watchable show. My friend mentions the story picks up after episode 8, but honestly, I think I’ve seen enough. Perhaps this series will still appeal to devoted fans. For me, it just didn’t deliver.
My personal opinions from the episodes I picked up so far:
1. Production Quality. The overall production falls short of what I expect from a top-tier drama. The CGI looks unsophisticated and at times even distracting. The cinematography feels flat and lacks visual depth, making the scenes appear two-dimensional. Some of the fight scenes are so chaotic that they’re difficult to follow.
2. Costume Design. The costume design, particularly for the ML, is quite underwhelming. Some outfits are overly plain . There is a set in particular, a simple white and pink ensemble with a matching sash, appeared to lack any styling effort. While a few other costumes lean too heavily into a feminine aesthetic, which feels out of sync with the ML’s character and presence. Furthermore his hairstyle looks unkempt in some non-action scenes.
3. ML's Acting & Line Delivery. Given that this is a time-travel drama, I expected more comedic or confused reactions from the ML as he adjusts to an unfamiliar world. Unfortunately, his performance feels flat, lacking the emotional range or expression the situation demands. It was so flat that both his character and the overall tone of the scenes come across as dull and even exhausting to watch. Even more frustrating is his line delivery where his enunciation is so unclear that I often have to rely on subtitles and even rewind to catch the details I missed from reading the subtitles. This makes it impossible to watch at 1.5x speed or multitask, which is quite a drawback. Instead, I’m forced to focus entirely on the screen, which only draws more attention to the flaws in his delivery and acting.
4. Storyline & Logic. The plot has quite a few logical inconsistencies. For example, the ML’s mother shows a baffling level of bias towards him, despite his older brother being clearly more sensible and responsible. The time-travel aspect is also poorly executed that I feel it was added to tap on the AI hype. And no one seems to notice or question the ML’s odd behaviour, which feels lacking from a writing standpoint.
Final Thoughts:
Personally, this drama feels like a letdown, especially considering the S+ label and the high expectations surrounding Cheng Yi’s performance. Ironically, it’s the weight of these labels and glowing fan reviews that set the bar so high, only for the drama to fall short in several key areas.
Without all the surrounding hype, I feel it still a watchable show. My friend mentions the story picks up after episode 8, but honestly, I think I’ve seen enough. Perhaps this series will still appeal to devoted fans. For me, it just didn’t deliver.
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