✒⛴ Mouse & Lighthouse /or/ Never underestimate the power of a good hairdo °8.5° °angelic°
“As long as there's a lighthouse you'll never get lost.” Mom’s an optimist. Even still, business has been bad. Hopefully this location near the lighthouse will turn it around. Speaking of lighthouses, not all are mere buildings: Some people can light our way.
Every element of ALTCFL is solid. It is the best modern-day Cdrama I've seen. Headed up by women, writer Zhao Qian Qian is a force for good w/ A Love So Beautiful-7 (already adapted into a Kdrama), Put Your Head on My Shoulder-7.3 & The Love Equations to her credit. The director is Qi Xiao Hui of Consummation. Gentle piano playing & soft techno-pop create a soothing effect. Spotify has the playlist.
That doesn't mean it's blemish free. It has typical Cdrama quirks, like when characters complain about the heat, yet they don't take off their jackets, smh. Kai’s father falls in the water. In Cdramas, going into the water is treated as a threat of imminent death. Just swim w/ it as a traditional representation rather than realism. Such small foibles can add up, but ALTCFL doesn't have many. What's probably the most offensive is how, when Miao is in her ugly stage, her skin is darker. Asia is under a shared delusion that pale skin is most attractive. Sure, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but just like a sunset is undeniably beautiful, so is nicely copper-toned skin. For Asia, this isn't really a looks-based preference at all, though. It's an antiquated fashion based on a prideful perspective from the days when fair skin was associated w/ wealth. Field workers were the ones w/ the tanned skin. The important people were the pasty ones. Psst- Hey, Asia!! - Pasty isn't prettier than a lovely tan.
Lai Kuan Lin (Don't Disturb My Study) plays ML & human lighthouse “Nian”. I've gotta admit he's delish. Even his coach seems to have a crush on him. He's kind to kids, including Miao's sister. When he says Miao’s name, he makes it sound scrumptious. Think his voice is a rich & woodsy bourbon? He was a pop star before he acted. Call him Mr. Asia: He's Taiwanese, a K-pop star, & is now a Chinese actor. He's also a superb romantic ML. What they did nicely in My ID is Gangnam Beauty-7.5 they do even better here. He sincerely seems to find her cute when she's in her “ugly” stage. The viewer believes he's being drawn into her w/ his eyes doing the majority of the work. At times he seems more likable than 🍦… or did I mean lickable? 😜
Zhao Jin Mai (Princess Royal) plays the homely Miao Miao. Her name sounds like “meow-meow”, but she's not a 🐈, she's a 🐭. She's got awful teeth & worse hair (it looks like a scotchpad scrubber). She ain't Ugly Betty. UB is a cutie. One can tell Miao’s impy face is cute, but only barely. Miao struggles w/ math, but she is good at making doll clothes for her sister's enjoyment. (When mom finds out why her curtains keep getting shorter - they've been using the fabric - it's not Miao's happiest moment. Mom is scary.)
Alone at a new school, Miao is transfixed by Nian. With her new house ensconced on his route to school, they /always/ seem to run into e/o. He is /always/ kind. Miao is seatmates w/ the surly “Kai” who is antagonistic towards his cousin, Nian. He's got a “thing” for family members: It's love or hate. But even he is patient w/ our sweet 🐭 who gets into everything, everywhere. The prim “Xin” initially is awful to our 🐭, but after a couple random acts of brave kindness they become friends. Xin appears snobbishly self-important at 1st, but she has a warm 💗 & she's true. Wang Yi Miao is the special topping on this confection as Miao's lifelong friend, 'Xia’. I'm jealous. I want a 'Xia’ too. She doesn't get to shine until the summer before college. Miao's Mom has a sharp tongue. Dad is warm & quietly content to let mom take the lead, but will step up when bravery is required. Miao's alot like dad. Little sis is a touch entitled & bratty but still endearing (she's alot like mom).
Soon, Miao starts to want to do more, to be more. Like a 🐭 grabbing crumbs & dedicatedly working the wheel, it all starts to add up to something good. In bangs she reminds me of actress Maisie Williams who plays Arya Stark. Like Arya's journey, this'll take awhile. Miao's teeth are even worse than her hair, & the viewer has to put up w/ them until the end of ep4. The braces don't come off until ep7. She still has dreadful hair, but she is a cutie-pie w/o a doubt. Ep7 also sees Nian going to college as the other 3 go into grade 12.
ALTCFL is a superb romance. They slow-walk it, yet every moment is delightful. I had just finished watching Ms📝Zhao's PYHoMS, which starts strong, but falls off in the 2nd half as they drag out the romance in a frustrating way & don't seem to have enough content for all the episodes. In ALTCFL the director stretches it out perfectly. Nothing feels like filler. Nian excels at everything he does, afterall. So, when it comes to love, we shouldn't expect anything less.
Physical appearance is a theme. Many truths are parallel despite seeming opposite. “There are no ugly women in the 🌎 just lazy ones,” Xin avows. ‘No matter how pretty a woman is, someone out there is tired of putting up w/ her $h!+,’ on the other hand, is a common saying. People love to complain about the privilege of beauty, but it seems that 90% of us are part of the problem. Respecting, trusting, or going after a person merely for looks is as common as it is foolish. Drying up the deep-end, too many people treat beautiful people like collectible figures, & shallowness begets shallowness. Be that as it may, we will never stop people from judging external appearance, & looks will never NOT be a part of romantic attraction. Protesting it is like protesting the color of the sky. Wrongs should be called out, but complaining & name-calling are rarely (if ever) the right tactic. You will never complain your way to the top. (Complaining is a communicable disease that attacks emotional health but will never change core designs. It just drives them underground). True, beautiful people have a great advantage in life, but most of us are average. The good news is that confidence is the sexiest thing, & true lasting beauty comes from w/in.
Too little focus on appearance, on the flipside, is almost as imbalanced as too much. The physical, emotional, intellectual & spiritual are the 4 legs of the table that is humanity. To be fully developed, a person should work on & derive pleasure from each. Humans, by nature, take everything too far - people aren't good at balance or moderation. I've noticed that many of my fellow nerds refuse to compromise, believing they shouldn't have to change a thing to fit in. That's choosing to believe a lie. (The word for such a person is: Mumpsimus). We ALL need improvement, & most people should pay more attention to their looks (even moreso, their health). Don't spend 1 moment feeling sorry for yourself, Miao teaches. Keep going forward. Keep picking up crumbs. Keep improving. Steadily foster good habits. Life can get hectic & our busy schedules can be murder, but if all your energy is going into your job or being a mom then you aren't a wife or a completed woman. Try new looks - accessorize - put on makeup - try a new hairdo (it grows out, don't be scared) - pick up HEALTHY habits. If all your energy is going into work or worse things (like sports or video games) then you aren't a husband or dad. One could argue that there's a self-indulgent arrogance to neglecting one's appearance, especially if one is married. That person is saying that their mate is not worth the effort.
Don't want to put in the effort? That's a personal choice. Just accept the truth about the likely outcomes of your decisions. Don't carp because things align w/ the standard profile. “Just because I'm fat doesn't mean that I'm not aware of how society operates,” snaps the zaftig Xia. Xia inhabits reality. She understands what she must accept. She's made her choice about who she is, what she's about & she doesn't complain. She embraces life & she elevates the lives of those around her. She will always be loved just the way she is. She's the healthiest person in the show & the one we all want to hang with. If one looks at a photo of the writer, Zhao Qian Qian, it's easy to imagine that she wrote herself into Xia. I'm a fan, so I'd like to think she did. My biggest criticism of the show is that in the 2nd half, Xia devolves into a caricature of herself. She becomes a background eating machine as her character stutters & goes into neutral without continuing her arc. After building her up, they left her half done.
Finally, don't be part of the problem. Awareness is the key. Attractive people are given more deference & generosity. That ain't fair. Try to ignore looks & treat everyone the same. Don't be the 10,000th person to make a height joke or ask about a scar, birthmark, or some other anomaly over which a person has no control. Can you imagine having to hear the same jokes & comments from everyone that you meet? What a nightmare. Scripture talks about how when we help a stranger we might be helping angels, unawares. If angels do exist among us they probably do take on the appearance of street people more than celebrities. So be an angel & treat everyone w/ respect. You never know…
“You never know what the future holds.” The math teacher encourages Miao after she failed the exam. (Only one other student failed, & he's been absent since a serious accident). Her teacher wants her to keep plugging away. Don't give up. That's the theme: Stay on that wheel. Adjust. Try things. Maintain hope. Always be decent. Do your best. No quitting. Soon, YOU will be the lighthouse.
QUOTES📢
This is learning. You learn because you don't know it.
Attitude is Altitude
〰🖍 IMHO
📣8.3 📝8.5 🎭8.2 💓8 🦋7 🎨7.5 🎵/🔊7 🔚8.5 ▪ 🌞7 ⚡2 😅3 😭2 😱2.5 😯3.5 😖0 🤔3.8 💤0
Age 11+
This show can be appreciated by a wide age range of viewers. There's nothing objectionable. There's little physical contact. The relationship progresses slowly. No kisses until the mid to late eps. Rated- Per IMDB it's TV-G: General Audience & per MDL it's TV-PG-13: Parents Cautioned
Re-📺? Definitely
In order of ~lite & trite~ to ~heavy & serious~ you may also like:
♥️ -
C: Well-Intended Love 7.5 Rom-porn - extra points for the dopamine;
I Hear You ‘19 7.3, so cute but w/ many flaws
You are my destiny 6.8 ‘20 cute & sweet & 1/2 padding
Find Yourself 8.9;
The Sleepless Princess 9.1
K:
A Witch's Love 7.8;
Love To Hate You 8.9;
Touch Your Heart 8.2;
Crash Landing On You 9.1;
Oh My Ghost 10;
It's Okay Not to Be Okay 9;
Hospital Playlist 9;
My Mister 9.5;
Period -
C: Overlord 8.4,
Under the Power 8.6,
The Rebel Princess 9.1,
The Sword & the Brocade 8.6 (in ancient Chinese opera style),
The Rise of Phoenixes 9
K:
My Only Love Song 8.7 excellent comedy;
Mr. Queen 8.5;
My Sassy Girl 8.5;
The King's Affection 8.3;
Mr. Sunshine 9
Fantasy
C: Love Between Fairy & Devil 8.9;
Once upon a time in Linglian Mountain 7.5;
Douluo Continent 9.4;
Eternal Love 8.3,
Ancient Love Poetry 8.6;
Love & Redemption 10
Japanese lite romcoms: Maid Sama-10, Mischievous Kiss Love in Tokyo-7.8, Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions-8.4, Toradora-8.5
Every element of ALTCFL is solid. It is the best modern-day Cdrama I've seen. Headed up by women, writer Zhao Qian Qian is a force for good w/ A Love So Beautiful-7 (already adapted into a Kdrama), Put Your Head on My Shoulder-7.3 & The Love Equations to her credit. The director is Qi Xiao Hui of Consummation. Gentle piano playing & soft techno-pop create a soothing effect. Spotify has the playlist.
That doesn't mean it's blemish free. It has typical Cdrama quirks, like when characters complain about the heat, yet they don't take off their jackets, smh. Kai’s father falls in the water. In Cdramas, going into the water is treated as a threat of imminent death. Just swim w/ it as a traditional representation rather than realism. Such small foibles can add up, but ALTCFL doesn't have many. What's probably the most offensive is how, when Miao is in her ugly stage, her skin is darker. Asia is under a shared delusion that pale skin is most attractive. Sure, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but just like a sunset is undeniably beautiful, so is nicely copper-toned skin. For Asia, this isn't really a looks-based preference at all, though. It's an antiquated fashion based on a prideful perspective from the days when fair skin was associated w/ wealth. Field workers were the ones w/ the tanned skin. The important people were the pasty ones. Psst- Hey, Asia!! - Pasty isn't prettier than a lovely tan.
Lai Kuan Lin (Don't Disturb My Study) plays ML & human lighthouse “Nian”. I've gotta admit he's delish. Even his coach seems to have a crush on him. He's kind to kids, including Miao's sister. When he says Miao’s name, he makes it sound scrumptious. Think his voice is a rich & woodsy bourbon? He was a pop star before he acted. Call him Mr. Asia: He's Taiwanese, a K-pop star, & is now a Chinese actor. He's also a superb romantic ML. What they did nicely in My ID is Gangnam Beauty-7.5 they do even better here. He sincerely seems to find her cute when she's in her “ugly” stage. The viewer believes he's being drawn into her w/ his eyes doing the majority of the work. At times he seems more likable than 🍦… or did I mean lickable? 😜
Zhao Jin Mai (Princess Royal) plays the homely Miao Miao. Her name sounds like “meow-meow”, but she's not a 🐈, she's a 🐭. She's got awful teeth & worse hair (it looks like a scotchpad scrubber). She ain't Ugly Betty. UB is a cutie. One can tell Miao’s impy face is cute, but only barely. Miao struggles w/ math, but she is good at making doll clothes for her sister's enjoyment. (When mom finds out why her curtains keep getting shorter - they've been using the fabric - it's not Miao's happiest moment. Mom is scary.)
Alone at a new school, Miao is transfixed by Nian. With her new house ensconced on his route to school, they /always/ seem to run into e/o. He is /always/ kind. Miao is seatmates w/ the surly “Kai” who is antagonistic towards his cousin, Nian. He's got a “thing” for family members: It's love or hate. But even he is patient w/ our sweet 🐭 who gets into everything, everywhere. The prim “Xin” initially is awful to our 🐭, but after a couple random acts of brave kindness they become friends. Xin appears snobbishly self-important at 1st, but she has a warm 💗 & she's true. Wang Yi Miao is the special topping on this confection as Miao's lifelong friend, 'Xia’. I'm jealous. I want a 'Xia’ too. She doesn't get to shine until the summer before college. Miao's Mom has a sharp tongue. Dad is warm & quietly content to let mom take the lead, but will step up when bravery is required. Miao's alot like dad. Little sis is a touch entitled & bratty but still endearing (she's alot like mom).
Soon, Miao starts to want to do more, to be more. Like a 🐭 grabbing crumbs & dedicatedly working the wheel, it all starts to add up to something good. In bangs she reminds me of actress Maisie Williams who plays Arya Stark. Like Arya's journey, this'll take awhile. Miao's teeth are even worse than her hair, & the viewer has to put up w/ them until the end of ep4. The braces don't come off until ep7. She still has dreadful hair, but she is a cutie-pie w/o a doubt. Ep7 also sees Nian going to college as the other 3 go into grade 12.
ALTCFL is a superb romance. They slow-walk it, yet every moment is delightful. I had just finished watching Ms📝Zhao's PYHoMS, which starts strong, but falls off in the 2nd half as they drag out the romance in a frustrating way & don't seem to have enough content for all the episodes. In ALTCFL the director stretches it out perfectly. Nothing feels like filler. Nian excels at everything he does, afterall. So, when it comes to love, we shouldn't expect anything less.
Physical appearance is a theme. Many truths are parallel despite seeming opposite. “There are no ugly women in the 🌎 just lazy ones,” Xin avows. ‘No matter how pretty a woman is, someone out there is tired of putting up w/ her $h!+,’ on the other hand, is a common saying. People love to complain about the privilege of beauty, but it seems that 90% of us are part of the problem. Respecting, trusting, or going after a person merely for looks is as common as it is foolish. Drying up the deep-end, too many people treat beautiful people like collectible figures, & shallowness begets shallowness. Be that as it may, we will never stop people from judging external appearance, & looks will never NOT be a part of romantic attraction. Protesting it is like protesting the color of the sky. Wrongs should be called out, but complaining & name-calling are rarely (if ever) the right tactic. You will never complain your way to the top. (Complaining is a communicable disease that attacks emotional health but will never change core designs. It just drives them underground). True, beautiful people have a great advantage in life, but most of us are average. The good news is that confidence is the sexiest thing, & true lasting beauty comes from w/in.
Too little focus on appearance, on the flipside, is almost as imbalanced as too much. The physical, emotional, intellectual & spiritual are the 4 legs of the table that is humanity. To be fully developed, a person should work on & derive pleasure from each. Humans, by nature, take everything too far - people aren't good at balance or moderation. I've noticed that many of my fellow nerds refuse to compromise, believing they shouldn't have to change a thing to fit in. That's choosing to believe a lie. (The word for such a person is: Mumpsimus). We ALL need improvement, & most people should pay more attention to their looks (even moreso, their health). Don't spend 1 moment feeling sorry for yourself, Miao teaches. Keep going forward. Keep picking up crumbs. Keep improving. Steadily foster good habits. Life can get hectic & our busy schedules can be murder, but if all your energy is going into your job or being a mom then you aren't a wife or a completed woman. Try new looks - accessorize - put on makeup - try a new hairdo (it grows out, don't be scared) - pick up HEALTHY habits. If all your energy is going into work or worse things (like sports or video games) then you aren't a husband or dad. One could argue that there's a self-indulgent arrogance to neglecting one's appearance, especially if one is married. That person is saying that their mate is not worth the effort.
Don't want to put in the effort? That's a personal choice. Just accept the truth about the likely outcomes of your decisions. Don't carp because things align w/ the standard profile. “Just because I'm fat doesn't mean that I'm not aware of how society operates,” snaps the zaftig Xia. Xia inhabits reality. She understands what she must accept. She's made her choice about who she is, what she's about & she doesn't complain. She embraces life & she elevates the lives of those around her. She will always be loved just the way she is. She's the healthiest person in the show & the one we all want to hang with. If one looks at a photo of the writer, Zhao Qian Qian, it's easy to imagine that she wrote herself into Xia. I'm a fan, so I'd like to think she did. My biggest criticism of the show is that in the 2nd half, Xia devolves into a caricature of herself. She becomes a background eating machine as her character stutters & goes into neutral without continuing her arc. After building her up, they left her half done.
Finally, don't be part of the problem. Awareness is the key. Attractive people are given more deference & generosity. That ain't fair. Try to ignore looks & treat everyone the same. Don't be the 10,000th person to make a height joke or ask about a scar, birthmark, or some other anomaly over which a person has no control. Can you imagine having to hear the same jokes & comments from everyone that you meet? What a nightmare. Scripture talks about how when we help a stranger we might be helping angels, unawares. If angels do exist among us they probably do take on the appearance of street people more than celebrities. So be an angel & treat everyone w/ respect. You never know…
“You never know what the future holds.” The math teacher encourages Miao after she failed the exam. (Only one other student failed, & he's been absent since a serious accident). Her teacher wants her to keep plugging away. Don't give up. That's the theme: Stay on that wheel. Adjust. Try things. Maintain hope. Always be decent. Do your best. No quitting. Soon, YOU will be the lighthouse.
QUOTES📢
This is learning. You learn because you don't know it.
Attitude is Altitude
〰🖍 IMHO
📣8.3 📝8.5 🎭8.2 💓8 🦋7 🎨7.5 🎵/🔊7 🔚8.5 ▪ 🌞7 ⚡2 😅3 😭2 😱2.5 😯3.5 😖0 🤔3.8 💤0
Age 11+
This show can be appreciated by a wide age range of viewers. There's nothing objectionable. There's little physical contact. The relationship progresses slowly. No kisses until the mid to late eps. Rated- Per IMDB it's TV-G: General Audience & per MDL it's TV-PG-13: Parents Cautioned
Re-📺? Definitely
In order of ~lite & trite~ to ~heavy & serious~ you may also like:
♥️ -
C: Well-Intended Love 7.5 Rom-porn - extra points for the dopamine;
I Hear You ‘19 7.3, so cute but w/ many flaws
You are my destiny 6.8 ‘20 cute & sweet & 1/2 padding
Find Yourself 8.9;
The Sleepless Princess 9.1
K:
A Witch's Love 7.8;
Love To Hate You 8.9;
Touch Your Heart 8.2;
Crash Landing On You 9.1;
Oh My Ghost 10;
It's Okay Not to Be Okay 9;
Hospital Playlist 9;
My Mister 9.5;
Period -
C: Overlord 8.4,
Under the Power 8.6,
The Rebel Princess 9.1,
The Sword & the Brocade 8.6 (in ancient Chinese opera style),
The Rise of Phoenixes 9
K:
My Only Love Song 8.7 excellent comedy;
Mr. Queen 8.5;
My Sassy Girl 8.5;
The King's Affection 8.3;
Mr. Sunshine 9
Fantasy
C: Love Between Fairy & Devil 8.9;
Once upon a time in Linglian Mountain 7.5;
Douluo Continent 9.4;
Eternal Love 8.3,
Ancient Love Poetry 8.6;
Love & Redemption 10
Japanese lite romcoms: Maid Sama-10, Mischievous Kiss Love in Tokyo-7.8, Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions-8.4, Toradora-8.5
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