✒ ⭐ Upstaged °6.5° °mostly good° ?%?
"I didn't look like this a day ago." Our FL is disheveled with dirt smeared cheeks, clothes sloppy, and hair a clump of matted weeds. She just pushed a total stranger against a building and smacked one on him. This was her desperation move; she was eluding pursuers, and they were gaining on her… Desperation? Or was this 💋 from her special reserve power?
These two have more in common than they realize. Each is fleeing (his father's / her grandfather's) chasing band of security, which is a common thing in Asian dramas. She's fleeing her engagement party - but this fool and her money had been soon parted a short time earlier, and she was already reduced to begging for food. Never fear! This maven-of-moxie is not even close to giving in to grandpop just yet. After the immediate threat is passed, our ML, Si Tu Feng, decides she's the perfect way to get revenge against his dad. Before Chen Qing Qing (Amy Sun) realizes what's happening, “His Highness” has dragged her into his father's wedding (his absence being the reason he had been pursued) and announces she's his fiance. Some quick negotiations and the realization that being his “fiance" means she can hide out and EAT, seal the deal. She's engaged for real now. For real profit. That's where it starts, but this whirlwind cruises through classes, jobs, projects, crusades, and iterations. By the end of the show she threatens to upstage °him°, a pop idol.
AIL is a 2018 release that is rated a generous 7.9 on MDL. It is 1 season consisting of 30 30-minute episodes. As is typical for Chinese modern-day features, AIL is seriously flawed, yet it's endearing, winsome, sweet, fun to watch and oddly relaxing. Guo Jun Chen, who plays Si Tu Feng / "His Highness", isn't bad looking but he would never get a (typical) romantic lead role in Hollywood. He looks like an Irish boy with funny ears. He does have a beautiful voice. He makes a pretty girl, too. He can't do math, but he passed grandpa's tests, and grandpa's tests are the hardest. The best looking male actor (by far) is the rebel (Zhao Yi Qin). His voice is dreamy, too. It's gorgeous. His highest rated streamable shows are Fake Princess and Wait, My Youth, so they go into the queue. The FL does look like an entirely different person when she is in disguise. She's supposed to be "ugly” but she's a cutie, and much more alive when in her casual & gaudy garb. Our leads get pressured from all sides: difficult parents and grandparents, nosy classmates, jealousy, a teacher called the witch, crazy fans, and a troublesome talent agency. He falls for her first. By the time she slows down enough to realize she's attracted to him it's too late to reveal her true identity without making him angry. Quandary😞.
AIL is frequently cute but painfully inept at the same time. There's poor acting, bad dialogue, logical faux pas, and general laziness about the quality. There's also some great acting. The leads and Zhao Yi Qin, who plays Feng's enemy, Lin Yi Yang, all do a wonderful job. Guo Jun Chen's Si Tu Feng is a convincing romantic lead. The viewer can feel his attraction to the vivacious Qing Qing. Most everyone else is wooden or stunted😑.
Things might be loosening up slightly, but the documented fact is that 🇨🇳society is not free. There's a fascinating split between the dialogue and acting of modern-day Chinese features and historic/fantasy pieces. In the latter, the characters are fully rounded with a full range of emotions. In modern-day shows and movies they are stiff with stoic expressions. The dialogue is simple to the point of being inane. They never get into deep explanations or deep explorations of intellectual, emotional, or philosophical topics, while the 🔮fantasy and 🎎period pieces can be quite intricate. Everything seems set up to subdue the brain and emotions rather than stir them up. They often have glaring logical gaps utilizing what I've tagged as dream logic: The viewer is required to know or accept things as so without explanations even when things look otherwise, like in a dream when you see your aunt Mabel but you somehow know it's really your younger sister. When your brain and emotions are already frenzied, Chinese modern-day features are weirdly soothing. There's Chinese 🔮 & 🎎 pieces that are among the best things I've ever seen, but there is not one modern-day feature that I would suggest to a friend or use as an introduction to Asian programming. Yet, AIL is surprisingly bright and carefree. The comedic timing is solid. It's actually a good recommendation for ✳10-16 year olds, as it's on that level.
One example of an irritation that must be dismissed is when Chen Qing Qing is looking at photos of her parents with a former schoolmate. She points out a photo from the first night they met, which was at a dance. In the photo her mom is wearing a long white dress, but in the later flashbacks mom's in a short red dress. Another annoyance is how our FL continues to dress up after Si Tu Feng knows her secret, including wearing glasses she doesn't need and drawing freckles on her face. He fell in love with the freckled cutie. Easing into a new look would be understandable, but as is, it's nonsensical. This is the type of sloppy stuff that frequents modern-day Chinese features and makes me slightly crazy - and I'm not fastidious. I can only imagine that people who are cannot abide shows like this, at all. You all know who you are, so be warned. Additionally, AIL drags alittle after the opening episodes and into ep10, but it then starts to get better again. Ep13 is adorbs. For the school dynamic they borrow from Boys Over Flowers, which is like calling out to a classic. They stumble into a gender-fluid school play version of Beauty and the Beast that is pretty amusing. There's also a bit with 2 guys fighting near a leaking helium tank that's funny.
In the balance, AIL is cuddly, spritely, and amusing. The romance is touching. The FL is inspirational - so much so that she's collected her own fans by the show's end. As many fans as His Highness? Maybe not, but give her time; there doesn't seem to be an upward limit to her reach.
QUOTE📢
Don't hurt yourself for a man who doesn't love you.
〰🖍 IMHO
📣55 📝52 🎭60 💓60 🦋50 🌞50 🎨40 ⚡30 🎵/🔊67😅45 😭25 😱25 😯15 😖0 🤔35 💤35 🔚77
✳Age 10+ with the following cautions: PG-13 language + in Ep21 they drop an F💣 and in ep24 they use the word pr!(k.
With what I now know, would I choose to watch it again for the first time? I might skip it, despite its cuteness. The female lead is fun, however, and it's a close call.
In order of ~lite & trite~ to ~heavy & serious~ you may also like:
🌐💘 -
You Are My Destiny 6.5
The Kings Avatar 8,
The Oath Of Love 7.6,
I Hear You 7.3,
Meteor Garden 7.4
🇰🇷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;
🎎 -
Overlord 8.4,
The Romance of Tiger and Rose 9.8,
The Sleepless Princess 9.1,
Under the Power 8.6,
The Rebel Princess 9.1
🇰🇷K -
My Only Love Song 8.7 excellent comedy;
Mr. Queen 8.5;
My Sassy Girl / Yeopgijeogin Geunyeo 8.5;
The Kings's Affection 8.3;
Mr. Sunshine 9
⚡/🚀 -
Love Between Fairy & Devil 8.9;
Douluo Continent 9.4;
Heavenly Sword 9;
Love and Redemption 10;
Originally 〰🖊 11/2023
These two have more in common than they realize. Each is fleeing (his father's / her grandfather's) chasing band of security, which is a common thing in Asian dramas. She's fleeing her engagement party - but this fool and her money had been soon parted a short time earlier, and she was already reduced to begging for food. Never fear! This maven-of-moxie is not even close to giving in to grandpop just yet. After the immediate threat is passed, our ML, Si Tu Feng, decides she's the perfect way to get revenge against his dad. Before Chen Qing Qing (Amy Sun) realizes what's happening, “His Highness” has dragged her into his father's wedding (his absence being the reason he had been pursued) and announces she's his fiance. Some quick negotiations and the realization that being his “fiance" means she can hide out and EAT, seal the deal. She's engaged for real now. For real profit. That's where it starts, but this whirlwind cruises through classes, jobs, projects, crusades, and iterations. By the end of the show she threatens to upstage °him°, a pop idol.
AIL is a 2018 release that is rated a generous 7.9 on MDL. It is 1 season consisting of 30 30-minute episodes. As is typical for Chinese modern-day features, AIL is seriously flawed, yet it's endearing, winsome, sweet, fun to watch and oddly relaxing. Guo Jun Chen, who plays Si Tu Feng / "His Highness", isn't bad looking but he would never get a (typical) romantic lead role in Hollywood. He looks like an Irish boy with funny ears. He does have a beautiful voice. He makes a pretty girl, too. He can't do math, but he passed grandpa's tests, and grandpa's tests are the hardest. The best looking male actor (by far) is the rebel (Zhao Yi Qin). His voice is dreamy, too. It's gorgeous. His highest rated streamable shows are Fake Princess and Wait, My Youth, so they go into the queue. The FL does look like an entirely different person when she is in disguise. She's supposed to be "ugly” but she's a cutie, and much more alive when in her casual & gaudy garb. Our leads get pressured from all sides: difficult parents and grandparents, nosy classmates, jealousy, a teacher called the witch, crazy fans, and a troublesome talent agency. He falls for her first. By the time she slows down enough to realize she's attracted to him it's too late to reveal her true identity without making him angry. Quandary😞.
AIL is frequently cute but painfully inept at the same time. There's poor acting, bad dialogue, logical faux pas, and general laziness about the quality. There's also some great acting. The leads and Zhao Yi Qin, who plays Feng's enemy, Lin Yi Yang, all do a wonderful job. Guo Jun Chen's Si Tu Feng is a convincing romantic lead. The viewer can feel his attraction to the vivacious Qing Qing. Most everyone else is wooden or stunted😑.
Things might be loosening up slightly, but the documented fact is that 🇨🇳society is not free. There's a fascinating split between the dialogue and acting of modern-day Chinese features and historic/fantasy pieces. In the latter, the characters are fully rounded with a full range of emotions. In modern-day shows and movies they are stiff with stoic expressions. The dialogue is simple to the point of being inane. They never get into deep explanations or deep explorations of intellectual, emotional, or philosophical topics, while the 🔮fantasy and 🎎period pieces can be quite intricate. Everything seems set up to subdue the brain and emotions rather than stir them up. They often have glaring logical gaps utilizing what I've tagged as dream logic: The viewer is required to know or accept things as so without explanations even when things look otherwise, like in a dream when you see your aunt Mabel but you somehow know it's really your younger sister. When your brain and emotions are already frenzied, Chinese modern-day features are weirdly soothing. There's Chinese 🔮 & 🎎 pieces that are among the best things I've ever seen, but there is not one modern-day feature that I would suggest to a friend or use as an introduction to Asian programming. Yet, AIL is surprisingly bright and carefree. The comedic timing is solid. It's actually a good recommendation for ✳10-16 year olds, as it's on that level.
One example of an irritation that must be dismissed is when Chen Qing Qing is looking at photos of her parents with a former schoolmate. She points out a photo from the first night they met, which was at a dance. In the photo her mom is wearing a long white dress, but in the later flashbacks mom's in a short red dress. Another annoyance is how our FL continues to dress up after Si Tu Feng knows her secret, including wearing glasses she doesn't need and drawing freckles on her face. He fell in love with the freckled cutie. Easing into a new look would be understandable, but as is, it's nonsensical. This is the type of sloppy stuff that frequents modern-day Chinese features and makes me slightly crazy - and I'm not fastidious. I can only imagine that people who are cannot abide shows like this, at all. You all know who you are, so be warned. Additionally, AIL drags alittle after the opening episodes and into ep10, but it then starts to get better again. Ep13 is adorbs. For the school dynamic they borrow from Boys Over Flowers, which is like calling out to a classic. They stumble into a gender-fluid school play version of Beauty and the Beast that is pretty amusing. There's also a bit with 2 guys fighting near a leaking helium tank that's funny.
In the balance, AIL is cuddly, spritely, and amusing. The romance is touching. The FL is inspirational - so much so that she's collected her own fans by the show's end. As many fans as His Highness? Maybe not, but give her time; there doesn't seem to be an upward limit to her reach.
QUOTE📢
Don't hurt yourself for a man who doesn't love you.
〰🖍 IMHO
📣55 📝52 🎭60 💓60 🦋50 🌞50 🎨40 ⚡30 🎵/🔊67😅45 😭25 😱25 😯15 😖0 🤔35 💤35 🔚77
✳Age 10+ with the following cautions: PG-13 language + in Ep21 they drop an F💣 and in ep24 they use the word pr!(k.
With what I now know, would I choose to watch it again for the first time? I might skip it, despite its cuteness. The female lead is fun, however, and it's a close call.
In order of ~lite & trite~ to ~heavy & serious~ you may also like:
🌐💘 -
You Are My Destiny 6.5
The Kings Avatar 8,
The Oath Of Love 7.6,
I Hear You 7.3,
Meteor Garden 7.4
🇰🇷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;
🎎 -
Overlord 8.4,
The Romance of Tiger and Rose 9.8,
The Sleepless Princess 9.1,
Under the Power 8.6,
The Rebel Princess 9.1
🇰🇷K -
My Only Love Song 8.7 excellent comedy;
Mr. Queen 8.5;
My Sassy Girl / Yeopgijeogin Geunyeo 8.5;
The Kings's Affection 8.3;
Mr. Sunshine 9
⚡/🚀 -
Love Between Fairy & Devil 8.9;
Douluo Continent 9.4;
Heavenly Sword 9;
Love and Redemption 10;
Originally 〰🖊 11/2023
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