Drama Addict

Exiled but Not Defeated: A New Chapter in Justice and Loyalty

The sequel picks up where the prequel left off—with both the Grand Princess and the Crown Prince deeply displeased with Su Wu Ming and Lu Ling Feng. Though the pair had cracked one of the greatest crimes of their time, their pursuit of truth had not served the political interests of either faction. As a result, Lu Ling Feng was banished to the remote western frontier as Chief Sheriff. While Su Wu Ming, after taking a bold and risky approach to craftily reveal the secret connection between Lu and the Grand Princess, incurred the Crown Prince's wrath. He was stripped of all official titles and exiled from the capital.

Forced to part ways, the two men left the capital separately—only for their paths to cross once more. On the surface, Su Wu Ming’s actions appeared to betray Lu Ling Feng. But Lu trusted that Su had acted with honourable purpose. Rather than turn him away, Lu welcomed Su as his advisor in his new post in the West.

No sooner had they arrived than they were confronted with a new mystery: civilians had been vanishing without a trace. True to form, the duo dived into the investigation, only to uncover yet another wide-reaching conspiracy.

As with the first series, the storytelling was gripping, the mystery layered, and the pacing well-handled. The culprit was not easy to guess, and the twists kept me engaged. I continue to rate this series highly. That said, I did find that some of the subplots in this sequel stretched credibility more than those in the original. So, while still excellent, I would deduct half a point for that. Still, it is a worthy continuation, and I remain eagerly invested in where the story will go in the next sequel yet to be released.

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Veils of Power

This detective story is an intriguing mix of suspense and drama, building up to a tense attempt at a palace coup.

In this gripping drama, Tang Fan, a brilliant scholar poised to take the top honor in the imperial examinations, found himself denied a place among the top three due to the disdain of courtiers who resented his youth. Meanwhile, Sui Zhou, born into nobility, defied his family’s expectations by choosing a path as an imperial guard. He stirred the jealousy of his superior, the ruthless Commander Wan Tong, who stopped at nothing to make his life miserable. Enter Wang Zhi, a young astute eunuch who earned the favour of Concubine Wan, the Emperor's most beloved consort. His sharp intellectual and strategic mind earned the trust of the Emperor and he held a powerful position as the head of the West Chamber of Guards.

As fate wove their paths together, these three unlikely allies had to navigate a treacherous web of court politics, high-stakes crimes, and deadly conspiracies. With their sharp wits and unbreakable resolve, they worked together to unravel sinister plots involving corrupt officials, foreign infiltration, and an audacious attempt to seize power, all while facing dangers that threatened their very lives.

Here's a closer look at the positives and a few areas where it could have been stronger:

The Highlights:

Stunning Costumes: The costume design was a visual delight, with Wang Zhi standing out in a series of striking outfits. His wardrobe changes were a highlight of the series, adding a touch of elegance and grandeur to the storytelling.

Authentic Backdrop: The setting was rich with historical accuracy, creating a vivid portrayal of the Ming Dynasty.

Charming Leads and Strong Supporting Cast: The three male leads were undeniably handsome , while the supporting actors and actresses added their own charm. Notably, the supporting actors playing the villains, especially Commander Wan Tong, delivered performances so compelling that they made me despise their characters with every scene.

Emotional Ending Theme: The melodious and sentimental theme song wrapped up the drama beautifully, leaving a lingering emotional impact.

Engaging Story: Though the plot has a few glaring flaws, it was overall captivating, keeping viewers hooked as the story unfolds.

Villains Get Their Due: It was satisfying to see the evil characters face justice, a nice touch that makes the narrative feel more rewarding.

Darren Chen's Transformation: A surprising twist – Darren Chen, usually seen in a more masculine role, was shockingly beautiful disguised as a woman, showcasing his versatility as an actor and his fine facial features.

Heart-Warming Moment: One of the most touching moments came when the Empress Dowager, long known for her deep-seated dislike of her daughter-in-law, stood firmly by her side in a moment of crisis. It was deeply moving—a glimpse of wisdom and grace from a woman who, despite past grudges, chose justice over personal vendetta. In that pivotal moment, we saw not just an Empress, but a true matriarch who recognized the greater good and stood on the right side of history.

A Few Weaknesses:

Opening Theme Song: The rap-like opening theme felt jarringly out of place for a period drama set in the ancient Ming Dynasty. It was too modern and clashed with the overall historical tone.

Unbelievable Youth: Eunuch Wang, supposed to be barely 20, appeared far too mature and intelligent for his age. Similarly, Dong Er, around 15, was portrayed as a genius, which felt a bit exaggerated for the historical setting.

Villain from a Bygone Era: The main antagonist was revealed to be a descendant of the illustrious Tang Dynasty’s Li family—a classic trope that dramas often lean into, drawing on the grandeur and mystique of one of China's most celebrated dynasties. While the nostalgia for the Tang era certainly adds a sense of legacy and depth, it stretches historical plausibility. After all, the Tang Dynasty ended nearly a thousand years before the Ming era. Would it not have been more fitting—and more believable—to trace the villain’s lineage back to the Yuan or Song dynasties, which were far closer in time and relevance? The connection felt more like romanticized embellishment than credible backstory.

Over-the-Top Poison Scene: The scene where Tang Fan tested a deadly poison in a desperate attempt to save his love was overly dramatized. It lacked the subtlety and depth needed to truly convey genuine love in a believable manner.

Overused Names: The name "Qingge" was already used in another drama for a heroine, which felt like unoriginality creeping in. Why must so many dramas recycle names and locations from each other?

Dramatic Ending: The ending was nothing short of dramatic, but it felt a bit at odds with the sharp wit of the three lead characters, who were portrayed as exceptionally intelligent. Despite their brilliance, they were outsmarted by the key villain in a surprising twist, nearly losing the showdown with him in the process. It was a tense conclusion, but the leads' momentary lapse in strategy left me questioning how such clever minds could be so easily outmaneuvered.

Additional Thoughts:

Tang Fan's Emotional Turmoil: As brilliant and intelligent as Tang Fan was meant to be, he often behaved like a drama queen, making impulsive decisions that feel more emotional than logical.

Predictable Plot Twists: Heroes rarely die midway through a drama, so the outcome of the poison testing scene was all but predictable, reducing the emotional stakes.

The Pipa Scene: Baby Zhang's (Qingge) performance on the pipa was less than convincing. Her fingers seemed out of sync with the music, making it clear she wasn’t playing the instrument convincingly.

Final Verdict: Despite a few flaws and some over-the-top moments, this drama is highly entertaining and well worth your time. The performances are strong, the costumes are gorgeous, and the plot is captivating enough to keep you hooked. If you're looking for a mix of mystery, drama, and historical intrigue, this is a solid choice.

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Half Detective Mystery, Half Throne Power Struggle – A Promising Drama That Falters at the Finish

This drama is a thrilling mix of a detective story and a high-stakes power struggle for the throne.

Chu Chu, an aspiring coroner, travels to the capital, Chang-An, to take the coroner examination. If she succeeds, she would be the first female coroner in the city. It’s there that she crosses paths with Prince An-Jun, who masterminds the coroner exam. Impressed by her sharp skills, he recruits her as his sidekick, and together they solve complex crimes involving high-ranking officials. As they uncover hidden secrets, their journey takes them from Chang-An to Qian-Zhou, where they investigate the mystery of Prince An-Jun’s missing father and the illegal minting of coins that is discovered in the capital.

The drama keeps you intrigued for most of its run, blending mystery with historical intrigue. But as the story nears its climax, the narrative starts to unravel, leaving a sour taste in the end. It feels as though the screenwriter—or perhaps the director—changed midway through, and the once tightly woven plot becomes a bit of a stretch.

The grand conspiracy behind the story centres around a rumored revolt, and the long-lost Duke Chang, who is supposedly the rightful heir to the throne, planning to take back what he believes is his. Turns out, Duke Chang has been hiding in plain sight in the capital as the Minister of War. His plan is to overthrow the current emperor, his grand-uncle, and claim the throne for himself.

Here’s where things take a strange turn. Instead of using his position as Minister of War to command the army and secure the throne, Duke Chang goes to the extreme of faking his death, abandoning his identity, and returning as the Duke with a private army. This move feels unnecessary and, frankly, a bit foolish. He already has control over the Tang army—why fake his death and go through all the trouble? Plus, he leaves behind just enough clues for Prince An-Jun to piece together his true identity.

Then there’s the odd pseudo-science of the ball that Xu Ru-Gui shallows, which is supposed to be a lethal weapon against Chu Chu and Prince An-Jun. The drama never adequately explains how it was meant to work. Sure, it’s fantasy, but even fantasy needs a little bit of logic.

The casting of Duke Chang is another misstep. He comes across as too kind and gentle to convincingly portray a manipulative mastermind. When he finally reveals his true identity, it’s hard to believe that this mild-mannered character could have masterminded such a devious plot.

Lastly, the finale required Chu Chu, a small and delicate character, to somehow pretend to be the emperor and act as a hostage. The whole situation felt forced and unconvincing, taking away from the drama's realism.

What could have been a fantastic, well-executed series ultimately falters in the last few episodes. A solid detective story and a captivating political drama were overshadowed by questionable choices in the end. It's a shame, because the potential was there for a much stronger finish.

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Strong Cast and Beautiful Ending Song, But Weak Subplots

Typically, I avoid dramas with a rating lower than 8 on kisskh, but this one caught my eye. The leads, Li ZiTing (Arif Rahman) and Meng ZhiYi, had impressed me in Empress of China and Blossom respectively, so I gave it a chance. And while the drama had some redeeming qualities, particularly the cast and the ending theme song by Li ZiTing, the story itself had some serious issues that made it hard to fully enjoy.

The standout element was undoubtedly the chemistry between the lead couple. Li ZiTing’s performance continues to shine, and Meng ZhiYi held her own, making their interactions feel heartfelt and compelling. The ending theme song, sung by Li ZiTing, was another highlight that captured the emotional depth of the drama.

However, as engaging as the plot seemed initially, it was ultimately marred by numerous contrived and downright nonsensical subplots. Let me break down a few that really threw me off:

The Old Emperor’s Succession Plan: The old emperor, aware that Prince Jin (Xue Rong) would face significant opposition to his ascension, chooses an unnecessarily convoluted way to announce him as his successor. Why not just name him Crown Prince and give him an official endorsement? That would’ve saved everyone a lot of trouble—and given us fewer episodes to slog through.

The Young Emperor’s Foolishness: The young emperor goes on a trip with his lover, Yu Zhan, and—against the advice of his commander—dismisses his guards, putting both himself and Yu Zhan in unnecessary danger. This move is so absurdly reckless that it made me question his judgment. It’s a classic case of drama for drama’s sake.

The Emperor’s 'Heroic' Stunt: In a ridiculous scene, the bandit holding Yu Zhan hostage demands that the emperor jump into a well for him to ensure his escape. And, of course, the emperor complies, risking his life to prove his devotion. This could have been resolved with a simple negotiation, but instead, we get an over-the-top, melodramatic moment that feels more forced than heartfelt.

Jiang Shao's Blind Rage: Jiang Shao falls for a conspiracy to frame his future father-in-law for his mother's murder—without even attempting to verify the facts. If you’re going to try and assassinate someone, especially your lover’s father, shouldn’t you investigate the situation first? His impulsive decision felt more like a plot device than a believable character choice.

Fu Wan-er’s Reckless Assumptions: Similarly, Fu Wan-er jumps to the conclusion that Yu Zhan murdered her parents, without considering the complexities of the situation or understanding why Yu Zhan feels regret. And don’t even get me started on Shou-An and Li Huai Jin—blinded by jealousy and rage, they act out in ways that make no sense, simply to create drama. Sure, they’re young, but this level of impulsivity is just unrealistic.

Yu Zhan’s Implausible Disappearance: The drama’s attempt to create a bitter-sweet ending fails when Yu Zhan, supposedly poisoned and on the verge of death, manages to drug the young emperor and disappear. If she were truly dying from poison, she’d be struggling for her life, not plotting some ridiculous escape. Wouldn’t someone near death want to spend their last moments with their loved ones?

These are just a few examples of the countless moments that made me question the characters’ intelligence. Every drama has its share of exaggerated plot points, but this one took it to a level that felt too far removed from any sense of realism.

It’s clear that the drama was adapted from a novel, but whether or not I’d read the source material isn’t the issue. The drama itself needs to stand on its own, presenting a story that is both engaging and believable. And on that front, it fell short.

The overall tone and style of the drama, especially in the early episodes, gave me a strong Hong Kong drama vibe from the 1970s-80s. While nostalgic for some, the outdated feel didn’t quite match the modern sensibilities I’m used to in recent dramas.

Lastly, I found myself wondering whether Li ZiTing and Meng ZhiYi actually read the script before accepting their roles. A good cast can’t save a flawed story if the script itself doesn’t live up to expectations. Producers need to focus on more than just hiring star power—they need to ensure that the story is strong enough to justify their actors’ talents.

In the end, while there were a few shining moments, the drama didn’t do enough to make up for its flaws.

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Comedy and satire around a feudal chauvinistic society

In this drama, you would meet eight princes of different characters. This drama was apparently based on a novel with a theme of time travel back to the Qing dynasty. If you had followed Chinese dramas closely, you might know that one of the most famous events in the Qing dynasty was the fight for the throne of the eight princes during the reign of Emperor KangXi.

This drama was however based on a fictitious kingdom call XinChuan with four other feudal states and the eventual winner was not the fourth prince. The story started with a selection of brides brought in from these states. The bridal candidates came from different backgrounds and with different objectives. These states had different attitudes towards the status of women in society - from the most backwardly chauvinistic like that of the Qing Dynasty to the most liberal where a female monarch reigns and women could be warriors.

Hao Jia, daughter of a concubine of a noble family, wanted to become the concubine of the Crown Prince as he was going to be the next king. She wanted prestige and power, and scheme to avoid the fate of becoming selected for the fifth prince, Yin Qi known to be a useless bum.

Li Wei on the other hand worked very hard not to be selected so she could returned home. She came from a humble family and tried to sell herself short. She introduced herself as a connoisseur of foods. She was not favoured of course and it looked like her feudal state was going to be short of someone in matrimonial alliance to XinChuan.

Unfortunately for Li Wei, one of the princes stepped up and volunteered to marry her. This prince was talented but unfavoured and lay low most of the time. He decided it was time to emerge from obscurity. She became the pawn for him get the attention of the King.

Each of the different marriages would have different dynamics. Each of the different brides struggled to adapt to their new environment and met different fate. Also, inevitably, fight for the throne ensued.

Comedies come with clowns. This drama presented two: the third prince who had an elevated opinion of himself and thought that the world revolved around him, and a chauvinistic clueless fifth prince who married a female warrior. Then there was the Crown Prince who harboured an inferior complex and took it out on people around him to show who was in-charge.

Overall, I think this is a very entertaining drama.

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Like a salad

This drama was like a salad with with a wide mix of ingredients all tossed together. It was like a combination of a xianxia story set in modern times, a wuxian story, a science fiction, a bit of a comedy, a youth drama and special effects all rolled into one. In some ways, it also looked like watching a computer game. I would say it was taking a break from the usual Chinese drama themes of fight for the throne and such.

Zhang ChuLan was an orphan and a superhuman with special superpowers which he tried to hide. One day he was informed that his grandfather's body was dugged up and missing from his grave. At the same time, a mysterious Feng BaoBao appeared and claimed to be his sister.

The incidence led to the exposure that ChuLan was a superhuman. The sect which his grandfather was once part of was trying to locate him. He was invited to the superhuman contest where the winner would be the next head of the sect. ChuLan soon found out that BaoBao was a powerful superhuman who had lost memory of her early years but was way ahead of him in skills.

The superhumans lived alongside ordinary humans and was governed by an organisation called NaDongTong (NDT). NDT forbade superhumans from using their skills to harm or take advantage of ordinary humans. However, there were always rogues who disregarded this.

Who stole the body and why? Who is BaoBao? The mystery of the latter was finally uncovered in the last episode. However, the end of the last episode was another of the mix-mesh. BaoBao was to deliver a parcel but end up meeting a comic writer who drew a picture looking like her, apparently laying the ground for a sequel. They were already setting the scene for a sequel - why not lay more clue of what to come next instead of this cliche, another meet the writer or creator of the story.

As a drama, it is entertaining. But it was certainly full of illogic. The explanation of each of the eight supreme superskills was absolutely mind-boggling, may I add, very creative but made no sense.

Neo Hou played a unambitious young Taoist who was only interested in his superpowers. The first drama I watched of Neo Hou was in A Girl Like Me and noticed how handsome he was (and still is). Wanyan LuoRong who later also acted in Dashing Youth with Neo Hou, was one of the leads in this drama. Like Dashing Youth, this drama had a good number of handsome actors.

If you are interested in science fiction with a modern setting and with strong elements of Chinese xianxia (fairytale), you would likely enjoy this drama.

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Handsome actors and lots of special effects

The recruiter for this drama certainly had excellent taste for handsome actors. I counted at least 10. And there were plenty of special effects. Whenever the fighting got heated, some fantasy cartoon like characters would be featured to represent the type of inner strength of the martial artists.

The story featured three male leads each with their own romance story. Baili DongJun was the young heir and grandson of Marquis ZhenXi. He led a sheltered luxurious life. His ambition was to become a wine deity, well-known for the wine he brewed. Only when he was selected by Prince Xiao RuoFeng to become a student of the prestigious JiXia Academy headed by Li Chang Sheng, the top martial artist of the world, that he started on a different journey.

Ye Yun, on the other hand had an unfortunate life. He was a close childhood friend of DongJun. His family was executed by the emperor, on some untrue allegation of treason. He escaped and went on to become a highly skilled martial artist. Unfortunately for him, his life took several negative turns. The Beique targeted him as a candidate to acquire their martial art which required a special disposition that he possessed. They needed him to wake up their king who had been deep in a meditation since they lost their kingdom to Beili. For this, they lay several traps for him as he was unwilling to help the enemy.

Sikong Changfeng was a friend that DongJun made while the latter was trying to carve out a name for himself as a wine deity. Before this, he was a vagabond who had self-trained in martial arts and had no memory of his life before he turned fifteen. For him, his path to success was a lot smoother than Ye Yun as he caught the eye of Nangong ChunShui, the reincarnate of Li and became his disciple.

In this drama, you see the contrast in the lives of DongJun and YeYun. Both were disposed with special abilities. For DongJun, his life seemed to be a bed of roses. He rose from adversities to become stronger and seemed to meet the right people to help him. The love of his life turned out to be a beautiful Beique princess who had given up reviving her kingdom as she did not want another round of war and believed it was a futile attempt.

As for Ye Yun, in spite of his capabilities, his life was ruined first by a selfish and suspicious emperor and then by the cunning Beique Chancellor. There had been several times, when his life could have turned for the better but circumstances turned it into a nightmare. The love of his life was his childhood sweetheart and fiancee who was still in love with him through the years he went missing, presumably dead. She was a great beauty but was quite ignorant and somewhat stupid, and was easily deceived by the Beique and became a pawn to their plots.

Being a bit philosophical here: in life, some people are just so blessed that they rose from one challenge to another, gaining grounds each time. While others having worked hard through their lives but were set back with each turn.

Somehow, Chinese drama always have emperors less than qualified for their job morally. In this drama, it was no different. The emperor allowed Ye Yun's family to be executed, even though he knew General Ye was innocent - a complete asshole in my view. Somehow the best heir, in both capabilities and moral disposition, he chose turned down the throne in favour of a rapist - I was rather disappointed in this.

Neo Hou (MingHao) had this boyish look about him that made him very suited to the playful and mischievous DongJun in his teens. It would be interesting to see whether he could graduate into more mature roles when he grew older.

The cartoon-like special effects however, made the drama looked a bit kiddy, a little out of line with the serious nature of this drama.

However, on the whole, this is an interesting drama worth watching.

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A kind and righteous vampire, is there such a thing?

I typically won't watch a drama with rating less than 8 on mydramalist. Additionally, I don't like to watch dramas set in the Republic era - there were usually too much political propaganda in these. I watched this drama because of a YouTube review which criticised the lead actress' acting. This review also criticised a couple of other dramas that I thought were very good, making me felt that they were very bias or had opposite preferences from me. So I decided to check out the trailer, found it interesting and started to watch the actual drama.

The drama was centred around Shen ZhiHeng and his nemeses who were out to get him. Shen was a newspaper mogul who offended the Superintendent Chi Shan Ying by exposing his bad deeds. His lackey, Li YingLiang, looking for someone to blame for his misfortune, held a grudge against Shen.

In an assassination attempt, Shen was fatally wounded but was saved by a blind girl, Mi Lan and his best friend, Dr Situ WeiLian. His speedy recovery from the massive injuries he sustained and show of exceptional strength and speed aroused the suspicion of Chi and Li. They teamed up with Mu LiHua from an ancient cult, to capture and subdued Shen to uncover his secret.

This drama is quite entertaining although I won't place it among the best I had watched. It started off very well, painting a mystical history of what happened over a thousand years ago. However, towards the end, it got a bit draggy especially the second episode before the last, when you would be watching them savouring their new year dumplings. On a whole, the momentum was quite slow, trying to build suspense but not well executed.

Additionally, it was quite choppy. The scene suddenly changed to another in the next episode, almost like some important parts had been trimmed.

There were also comments about Gao Wei Guang's acting by a reviewer on mydramalist that he looked like a model who walked into an acting scene and couldn't act. I won't be quite so mean. Honestly, I thought both Gao and Ouyang did quite well. However, I must say that Gao was a far cry from his performance in the two dramas of Eternal Love (Ten Mile of Peach Blossom). I feel sorry for Gao - since his shot to fame in these dramas, he had not had any other outstanding dramas.

This drama had a lot of borrowed ideas from the west: vampire, the mask from Silence of the Lamb, and even the names: WeiLian as in William, MiLan as in Milan.

Overall, I think it is worth watching and taking a break from period dramas on fighting for the throne or modern soap dramas on some extramarital affairs.

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Interesting beginning, interesting ending, middle so so

HuZi a descendent of a tiger 'demon', Wang YuQian of noble birth and Zhao XinTong a sorcerer gathered in Fulong City to participate in the selection of the Royal Sorcerers, an anti-demon organisation. Together with them was Qi Xiao Xuan who was a commander of the Royal Sorcerers and was hiding a secret of the Qi family who were descendants of the hero who slayed the Demon Emperor.

Hu Zi, XinTong and Xiao Xuan met their nemesis determined to stop them from advancing their careers in the Royal Sorcery world. Chaos happened of unknown causes. The four went on to lead investigations, against the will of the Royal Sorcery Council comprised of useless elders whose interest was to save their face, promote Cheng JiNian the son of their Chairman, and do nothing to risk their positions.

The investigation of the four led them to Dianfeng Island, said to be the home of demons. There, they discovered the great secret of all, to their surprise. The twists towards the end were very interesting as a secret hidden over 500 years was uncovered. You would be surprised at the outcome.

The hygiene factors were all there: good looking cast, excellent performance, appropriate costumes, good CGI. Zhang LingHe as usual did well with his portrayal of different characters and emotions. I watched this drama because he was the male lead.

Amidst all these, the middle part of the drama was a little lacklustre. Things were happening much like just another day in the office. No drama, no new development - just the regular preparation in secret for the journey to the island. It might be easy to drop the drama here. You have to survive through this to get to the journey to the island before things starts to brighten up.

Overall, I would say it was entertaining but certainly boring in some parts. However, if you are a newcomer to the Chinese drama scene, I would say it is worth a go to watch as you have not been spoilt by other better Chinese dramas.

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Stockholm syndrome

Overall, worth watching: excellent and good looking cast, fantastic chemistry between the leads, lots of mysteries and twists in the story and great backdrop.

However, be ready that the ending is open-ended. Would be nice if there is a sequel to tie everything up - but don't bet on it. I have not seen any Chinese drama sequel successfully released so far, and most of those released did not measure up to its predecessors.

Yun WeiShan was sent to the Gong clan as a spy by the WuFeng gang, disguised as a candidate for a bride. WuFeng was a notorious group which had dominated the martial art world and forced many clans to submit to them. However, the Gong clan rejected their demands and was about the last not to submit. And as the drama progressed, you would find there were other spies beside WeiShan. WeiShan found that she not only had to hide her identity from the Gongs, she had to deal with other scheming spies ready to betray her if necessary to protect their own identities and their mission.

The young handsome Gong ZiYu was thrown into the position of the clan leader when his father and eldest brother was assassinated, presumably by WuFeng's spies. While selecting his bride, ZiYu fell in love with WeiShan. Relationship between the spy and the new leader became complicated and it looked like she was a liability which might bring down ZiYu from the leadership position.

Highlights about this drama:

1. The story was very interesting. There was always new discoveries; nothing and no one was what they seemed to be.

2. There were good humour as portrayed by the character Gong ZiShang. Although her behaviour was funny in many scenes and helped lightened up the dark and serious drama, some were quite snapstick.

3. Zhang Ling He was as usual outstanding in this drama. He was the second lead in the drama Love between Devil and Fairy and was perhaps overlooked or overshadowed. But his subsequent performance in this and the Story of Kunning Palace along with Bai Lu was nothing short of outstanding.

4. The other main leads were equally good. Ryan Cheng played the cold faced Gong ShangJue who actually had a soft side. Yu Shu Xin hailed from the drama Love between Devil and Fairy - I am not quite convinced about her acting - she played the cool and calm spy - a character which was mostly quite boring - saved mainly by her chemistry with Zhang Ling He. By comparison, the scheming Shangquan Qian (Lu Yu Xiao) was more interesting and earned our disgust.

5. Everything was good except the last episode. Everyone was unhappy - a sharp contrast to the Story of Kunning Palace. I wish they could do a better job with the ending. I suggest with such lousy endings, come up with your own ending.

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An intriguing and complicated story of time travel

The characters crisscrossed time into the future and back to the past so many times that I lost track. However, it is an interesting drama. I followed it through continuously and completed watching it across three days while recovering from a flu.

Two lovers from different time periods were star crossed and their shared memories were eventually erased. The drama cleverly kept its audience guessing the identity of two individuals- the missing boyfriend and the real killer, and wondering whether the killer could be stopped on time to save the lead lady.

The main actress Ko Chia Yen was excellent. She acted two completely different characters very convincingly - a timid depressed young teenager with an inferior complex and a confident university student who grew up very assertive.

The actors and actresses were good looking. The main cast acted their parts well. Some of the insignificant minor characters were not so convincing; however their less than a minute duration parts did not impact the overall drama. The backdrops were appropriate for the scenes.

The pace of the story was quite slow, so you have got to be patient. I nearly wanted to skip to the last episode.

As for the music, it's just that one piece 'Last Dance' and that's about all.

The main negative is the ending did not flow well. Suddenly, the main couple was on a bike appearing from nowhere - how they met again was not explained - if it was from the time when the female lead was a child, it would be very tacky.

If I were the writer, I would let them meet in the future with a role reversal - with Li Zi Wei returning from Canada, walking into a cafe and ordering his coffee. The waitress whose back was toward him, answered in affirmative, prepared his coffee and turned to hand him his coffee. Their eyes met, they found each other very familar, stared and asked each other simultaneously 'Have we met before?'

Overall I would highly recommend this drama.

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Don't upset those in power

This drama centred around Yun Xiang, an orphan who survived the massacre of his village. He was brought up by the mysterious head of Yantai with a hidden identity. Yun Xiang was trained to became a master of pretence and strategies. Like most dramas of this genre, he insisted on investigating the mastermind behind the massacre, although against the command of his Shifu (teacher).

The drama was interesting as the people hiding their identity was not only the head of Yantai. The drama was a battle of wits and cunning between Yun Xiang and Nan Gong Fang who appeared to be from a rival sect. But it got boring after each identity was revealed.

I am not a supporter of child emperors and lineage, and a believer of: may the best person win. I think only when the upright and capable become the leader can then a country prosper. I did not favour either side of the power struggle, as it was between loyalists to lineage and a capable Prince who was not so upright and did not care that much for the people and would do whatever to achieve his end.

This drama scored well on an excellent cast who performed well, good looking actors/actresses, and appropriate backdrop. Costume was mediocre but fits the purpose. Not a drama of grandiose. Overall, still a good piece of entertainment.

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Romantic makjang blockbuster

It has been over 2 decades since the release of this drama. This drama marked the advent of Korean dramas outside of Korea. It took the drama scene by storm at that time and Bae Yong Jun became the heartthrob of Asia.

While I had watched the Untold Scandal (movie) and The Legend (drama), and was impressed with Bae Yong Joon's acting skills and certainly his good look, and heard a lot of the Winter Sonata, I had never watched this drama, partly because of it 'low' rating on Mydramalist. With the large number of dramas to choose from, I typically do not pick a drama with rating less than 8. This time, I decided to give it a go - afterall, it was once a blockbuster and a classic.

I highly appreciated Bae's and Choi's (the main leads) acting and their onscreen chemistry in this drama, it had a very good cast and the cinematography was great. However, this story was not my favourite genre - the melodramatic romantic makjang with sobbing being the mainstay, but I had enjoyed most part of it. The entire drama would take you on an emotional roller coaster. And it is slow-moving as it worked to build up the emotions - given my impatience to get to how the story would develop, I clicked the forward button many times.

It had all the classic cliche of a makjang drama - love triangles, a scheming love rival, an upright patiently waiting fiance, unreasonable parental objections, unexpected death, dramatic return of an old flame, amnesia, attempted rape, flirting with incest, deceits, blindness, unwavering love, birth secrets and more. (Makjang = highly melodramatic, outrageous storylines that keep viewers hooked despite how exaggerated the stories become.) While all these can happen in real life, you have it all played up in one makjang drama. It played up my emotions so much that I was irrationally thinking: yah, just eloped together, who cared if you were half-siblings if you loved each other so much and had gone through so much together (although I did suspect that they were not real half-siblings).

Then, there was all these coincidences : the right / wrong person hearing what they should not hear, walking into the person you wish to see etc. I had encountered walking into classmates in countries away from where we had studied, seen incidences of being caught between 2 lovers, unexpected deaths, read in news about incest of siblings not knowing they were closely blood related. But they were few and far apart. Certainly the triangles were resolved quite quickly with little ramifications - there is a life to live, move on.

And definitely the moral of the story is: honesty handled with tactfulness is the best policy. Also, stop deciding for others what is best for them, let them decide for themselves. The obsessive, neurotic Kang mother in the drama and the two male lead characters certainly had lots to learn from this. If the mother was honest, a lot of anguish would have been avoided and certainly the accidents.

However, if makjang is your thing and you enjoy the emotional roller-coaster, then this is a must-watch for you. But if I rewatch, I do wish to find a version of the videos which are played in its original size and not stretched to fit the screen size of newer computer/TV screen, which makes it all blurry and the characters look fat.

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Makes your blood boils

This is a drama jammed packed with action and humour, although at times a bit snapstick. This drama is quite violent by my standard and I would only recommend it to mature adults.

Vincenzo, a consigliere of an Italian Mafia family was in Korea to retrieve an illegal hidden trove of gold. But instead he found himself drawn into a fight for justice after the villain and his accomplice murdered a number of innocent people to cover up his illegal activities. Together with the daughter of a murdered friend, they pitted their wits against a duo of psychopaths: a sly ruthless lawyer and a wealthy cunning narcissistic brat with their network of corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. Did he manage to retrieve his gold in the midst of the distraction?

What I like about this drama?

1. Full of action
2. Fight for justice
3. Demonstrate how corruption can infiltrate a democratic society
4. Smoking hot first and second lead actors. Very often a second lead could make a lot of difference and sometimes overshadow the lead. Although Ok did not overshadow Song in this drama, I must say he is really good and smoking hot.
5. Outstanding cast, both lead and supporting - all were outstanding
6. Very entertaining

What I dislike about this drama?

1. Vincenzo's fight for justice is commendable but the final episode when he raved about how he handled his enemies back in Italy is a bit twisted.
2. The story has a number of loopholes and this is the biggest: the idea of buying a commercial building, digging out a basement to hide a large load of gold and then killing all the movers is a bit silly in a modern day setting. The construction of the basement and move of the gold could be very inconvenient - almost impossible for the rest of the tenants not to suspect anything.
3. It seems a bit too easy for Jang and Choi to manipulate the politicians, justice system and investigation bureau - is the system really so fragile?
4. It would be nice if Vincenzo has done something for the tenants especially since they had helped him so much. It seems he just pocketed almost all the gold except for some for his few immediate helpers.

Overall, an excellent production - highly recommended.

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Hilarious - dealing with gender identity crisis

This drama was hilarious. Jang Bong Hwan, a casanova and chef at the South Korean Presidential Palace fell into the water and was transported back in time into the body of a newly wed queen of the Joseon period, Queen Kim So Yong. She committed suicide throwing herself into a lake in the palace.

This sparked off a series of humorous events when Jang faced an identity crisis being a man in the body of a woman - like having 'her' period and getting pregnant. He was infatuated with the King's favourite concubine and tried to seduce her. Given the two women were rivals and he was in a woman's body, all his advances was futile, of course, and very funny.

It was hilarious when King Cheol Jong tried to be intimate with his 'queen' and Jang tried his best to get away. Jang went berserk when the King claimed that they had an intimate wedding night when he remembered nothing of that sort as he was drunk. At the same time, there was a power struggle between the King and the Grand Queen Dowager, the regent who was from the same Kim clan as the Queen. As 'enemies' from different camps, the King and Queen were also suspicious of each other.

What I like about this drama?

1. It was hilarious and I laughed at every episode, although some of the jokes were a little snapstick.

2. Excellent chemistry between the lead actor and actress.

3. The lead actress was impressive acting a 'tomboyish queen' who was actually Jang with his rough modern ways.

4. The lead actor was equally good at acting the hypocrite.

5. Although clearly fictitious, it was very convincing.

6. Although time travel had become a common theme, this story was quite creative. The writer had picked a short-lived king and made him into a successful character who had changed history.

7. The period architecture and costumes and backdrop and cinematography were great.

8. The entire cast did an excellent job with no weak spot.

What I dislike about this drama? Not much, but if I am to nitpick, it would be the following:

1. The music befitted the comedy and the funny scenes but there was not much melodies.

2, The fighting scenes were good but not that well choreographed and a bit simplistic. But I like that they did not drag on to lengthen the drama.

So overall I would highly recommend this drama.

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