FL is TERRIBLE
I've seen the FL as a supporting actress, one just stand there w/o words looking beautiful which she passed with flying colors. Now as the FL her overacting face is unbearable even for a fluffy romance drama. Despite enjoying this genre I couldn't continue watching because of her. Her character is equally unbearable. She's like a 5 year old that constantly makes dumb decisions.It's a shame because the ML is decent. Seen him in Hello Mr. Gu. the supporting cast had some good actors. Literally only the FL killed the whole drama.
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Rewatch preparing for S2 EPIC Script!
One of my all-time favorite dramas. This is the best script ever!Everything is absolutely perfect except the lighting. There's a lot of olive tunes to the drama making the actors look not as pretty which is incredible because there are a ton of beautiful actors in here.
For those people that may not like this drama for whatever reason, may missed all the essence of Chinese language word play. There's so much comedy but all lost in translation. Even the names are clever. Sadly, I can only understand 80% of it. I so wish I can read the actual book but since I can't, the drama itself is perfect.
Some Fun Word plays:
Fan Jian - Fan Xian's Dad's name actually sounds like "being bitchy"
Chen Ping Ping - A very girly name for the master schemer
Nei Ku - Treasury sounds exactly like underwear
There are countless of these.
Unique on every level.
1. Political scheming isn't all that interesting to me but it's part of every costume drama you can't avoid. However, it is interesting here because all the characters are all multi-dimensional.
2. Characters. You can't find any weakness here. Well written characters along with perfect casting.
Mini Fan Xian - I could've used extra episode of him. He's so cute and expressive.
Fan Xian - Everybody loves Fan Xian. I am 100% biased here because the actor has been one of all-time favorites.
Wang Qi Nian - The side kick endless funny punch line delivery guy
Teng Zi Jing - The assassin in the beginning that formed such strong bromance
Fan Si Zhe - Did not know the actor is actually a standup comedian but I can see why
I literally loved almost every character big or small. Shows how brilliant the script writer is.
3. Level of literacy
There's a scene of Fan Xian reciting all the famous poems. (no I never got to that level in my Chinese) but it's amazing the actor reciting all those poems in one breath. People with high Chinese literacy will surely appreciate this.
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Against all odds! GOAT of esports dramas!
Years later this is STILL The best esports drama & I am not even into esports!But to fully enjoy the drama, you'll need to:
1. Don't think too much into the plot holes with the time travel.
2. Don't think too much with the "sensationalism" of against all commonsense healing process. It's "insta recovery" to make the drama continue.
3. Rushed dramatic development of Xiao Bei's team. Too quick to conflict & too quick to resolve.
GOAT:
1. Casting. The actors all did a great job. You'll definitely feel the rollercoaster of emotions.
2. Greatest characters. Very few dramas have this number of enjoyable characters. Even supporting characters are given plenty of personality. There are NO filler moments with uninteresting conversations or extra characters.
3. Plenty of Humor and it's mixed with subtle, sarcastic & OTP kind. There are multiple characters that provide so much humor. I can't count the # of times I laughed so hard. I can't list them all, but I find myself rewatching:
When An Lan first went into Video game world and Seven was trying to teach her
The crazy hospital when they went into rescue A Ming and found 24K
Seven went into the game to apologize to DW
S+1 's a million cosplay outfits and they were the best!
Hair guy waking up in the hospital's dialogue.
4. Story/script. Great story telling with magic editing. I love how the gamers becomes the actual characters in the game.
5. Friendships/Bromance/Love interest. All the relationships are quite beautiful.
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Unexpectly cute HS drama
Pretty cute HS drama w/o excessive cringe scenes & bad characters. Easily binge through 24 ep.Positives:
1. Super cute cast especially the ML , FL and FL's bestie.
2. 5 friends ALL have very different and good personalities.
3. Positive teachers? What? in a C-Drama?
4. Minimal negative characters & lines although the ML's mom's scenes I still needed to skip that.
5. Chemistry: ML & FL personalities compliment each other very well.
6. Dialogue: Plenty of funny lines
7. Enough substance: coming of age experiences for character growth.
8. Natural sounding voices & natural makeup. Simplicity is key
Not so Great:
FL's character is still semi cringe. This does fall into the drama trope of academically challenged Female (at least she excels in English) that talks 10 years younger & always need to be saved.
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A worthy series to continue
The cast of Lee Kyung Young always deter me from wanting to watch but he's literally everywhere. I paused for a while but eventually circled back to this but had to skipped 90% of his lines.Then there's Cha Eun Jae's mom, I skipped her lines too. Control of a 30 year old is not something that's relatable to me.
S3 Positives:
-I loved the addition of the 2 new doctors that offered some comedy relief. Jang Dong Hwa & ex army doc Lee Seon Wung.
-They also kept most of the S2 cast including my favorite pair Cha Eun Jae & Seo Woo Jin. Hands down Seo Woo Jin is the best character.
-Master Kim evolved in this season to grand mentor status, no longer a hot head but super calm providing guidance.
-When the mentee becomes the mentor Seo Woo Jin character development.
-Relationship progressed with the couples as expected after 3 years.
-More screen time for veteran supporting cast Dr. Jung in Soo in all 3 seasons was very nice.
-Return of S1 Dr. Kang Dong Joo to the storyline felt nostalgic although he wasn't my favorite character in S1.
I hope this franchise can continue as there are so many interesting characters.
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Solid until ep 30
I've been waiting for the next drama on par with Ashes of Love and this although didn't meet that, it was a delightful drama overall. If you want action this is not it. There were definitely lots of lovey dovey scenes with > normal amount of pairings in a drama.Wonderful Aspects:
-All that PURPLEEEEE <--- Hottest color
-Beautiful cast that can act!
-ML (which I was never crazy about) & FL had mediocre chemistry but there were plenty of laughs. I especially loved the FL Ye Tan. Thought she was just the right amount of silliness, cuteness, beauty & brains.
-2nd couple with Chao Feng & Qing Kui was definitely the best pairing in xian xia world with looks & chemistry.
-Gu Hai Chao (Chang Feng)'s 1st in command probably my favorite supporting character provided many comedic moments
-Strong supporting characters overall, few include: The wolf/dog/pup, the bird, the muscle head brother, and my favorite bad character the Void Queen. That beautiful badass mama you'd love to hate.
-Family relationships: Aside from all that coupling, I really loved the sister/sister, mom /son, & friends positive relationships.
-Cinematography / costume / makeup - One of the best aspects about xian xia dramas
-OST - yes overplayed and need a few more songs but the few songs are very good
And then after ep 30.....
-Story got sloppy, tiring and lost all the humorous moments. Scene progression didn't make sense
-One dimensional antagonist characters (both of the kings) got especially tiresome
-A bit overboard on # of resurrections & tear jerking flashbacks.
-Rushed ending with a summary narrative................ Aiyahhhh YYYYY
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A Ghostless Tang Dynasty
I do love Ancient detective dramas but in this category The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty would be the gold standard for me. Not that the 2 dramas are completely similar as this is focused on solving super natural murder mysteries.Positives:
Su Wu Ming -- Humorous with a slight sarcasm. By far the most interesting character.
Ghost mysteries -- Interesting decipher of fake ghosts murders with several different mysteries. Good pacing.
Political struggles between the Queen vs the Prince and some how the mysteries intertwined with them.
Decent fight scenes - Not amazing but entertaining.
Could've been better:
Character development -- practically none. I had to give the series a break when when it felt like nothing but solving mysteries. Bromance never really blossomed and Lu Ling Feng's temper remain the same.
Enjoyable watch overall
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Just OK
I think if you watched this prior to Legend of Fu Yao or Eternal Love (Yang Mi's notable roles) then you would probably like it more. However if you watched this after that, then it's not as good. Story, chemistry, all felt less comparable. Sure the production is expensive. Costume and sets quite impressive.Yang Mi - Fang Hai Shi ( literally she acted the same as her other roles) but with worse dubbed voice. The only part that I did like is that she's honest with her feelings and bold to express it. The role also didn't pull a disappearing kung fu like so many other strong FL roles. She should start to part ways from young roles at this as she looks too mature for the part. Of course she's gorgeous for her age but being type casted for the same role over & over again gets boring. Not to mention 2nd lead ML looked 10 years younger than her.
William Chan - Fang Zhu. He did a good job overall but chemistry wasn't strong w/ Yang Mi.
Emperor & Ti Lan - Talk about toxic relationship at its worst start to finish.
3rd couple Fang Zhuoying & Ju Zheliu, sweet couple but also not much going on there.
Too many episodes revolves around just the developing relationships and not so much on plot development. Often times felt draggy and repetitive. I'd rather see a lot more of plot development but I guess this is geared more towards sappy love story drama lovers.
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Heavenly Sword and Dragon Slaying Sabre
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Could've been so much more
This is one of those title that will for sure get some kind of spin off or remake every decade. I love that they used the same classic song in the intro. The stunts, wire works, fight scenes were great! Feels high budget. If you like classic wuxia this is a great watch at least for the fighting scenes. The series started out strong with a cutest child actor for WuJi. (same child actor in joy of life). The supporting cast had some great veterans, solid cast however the eye candies they picked out had some acting challenges. Pretty faces and ..... that's it. Lead Actor Wu Ji did a ok...job but did not do its character justice. 1. he didn't have any chemistry w/ any of the FLs. 2. He's supposed to be smart but it didn't translate 50% of the time in fact keep getting lied to by various females.40 ep later writing got sloppy and made no sense. Sadly yet another drama started out great and fizzled.
Favorite supporting characters:
Yang Xiao. I hated his character in dating in the kitchen but he's got wuxia swag in this one.
Sadly I watched this for the story and the supporting cast and not so much for the leads.
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C or K version?
Actually both are mediocre compared to a "Accidentally in Love" or "Extra-ordinary you" . That being said both had enjoyable moments just far and in between.Comparison:
1. K drama had better looking ML and 2nd Lead
2. ML in K drama is more likeable start to finish. C-drama had boy with abandonment issues hard to like
3. FL, both ultra cute but K version had way too many over exaggerated faces
4. 2nd Lead. C drama had a way too old looking one for HS actor but personality/lines wise he had funnier ones. K drama 2nd lead just felt like the standard sweet cute guy forever in the friend zone
5. Teachers in K drama were more likeable
6. FL leads parents were more likeable in K drama version
7. Song dances in K drama were cute
I mean it's just ok both versions. Something play on the side.
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Dad of the Year
This drama explores the best of the best of human nature but also the disgusting side. I just started this drama and already hooked. I did have to skip all the long dialogue of the nagging neighbors & relatives that feel the need to judge. Whole reason why I don't watch many modern C-dramas.The dad who opens the noodle shop is a saint who end up taking care of 3 kids. Then there's the godfather cop who is also a great character as well.
I wish they spent a little more time on the little kids versions as they are all so adorable.
Its so sad that adult issues impacted the kids early on and as the kids grow you can see the personalities develop still overshadowed by the abandonment. I love how the 2nd brother helps the dad so much knowing how lucky he is to be raised by him.
The older brother is much more introverted that loves taking care of Jian Jian, the carefree hyperactive girl.
I love the personality dynamics of the three as they navigate through life and the changed feelings.
However I do wish the drama is more realistic in that none of them really went through relationships. The older brother is almost 30 and still zero relationship history.
Must skip characters:
ML 1 : Grandma
ML 1: CRAZY mom. TOXIC
ML 2 Little Older Bro: Biological butt dad
ML 2 Little Older Bro: Aunt <---- same lines every time
FL's smart GF: MOM <--- What's w/ these redic parents?
FL's pretty GF: MOM <---- not as many lines but not less annoying
As the story develops, you'll see the impact and hurt each person faces. There are so many great outstanding performances.
However the ending felt rushed. Side characters didn't wrap up their stories really. Could've used a few more episodes. This is where 40 episodes felt not enough for a change.
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Cheap idol drama with everything wrong
If you watched enough Xian Xia dramas, it will be hard to handle this one.I really tried because I absolutely love Zhao Lusi but she needs to pick better scripts. Her star power is enough to get best of the best scripts.
So many things wrong with the drama:
-Cheap looking sets, cheap CGI & boring story
-Make up lighting is terrible 1/2 of the time making actors look worse.
-Casting of ML Wang An Yu. He does better in modern dramas. Here his hair doesn't flatter his face. What's more he has zero chemistry with FL. Had they used Li Yun Rui (supporting role) with Zhao Lusi, it would've been better. Previously he was a supporting character to Zhao LuSi in Love like Galaxy. At least they would've had some chemistry.
-Zhao LuSi's baby voice. I don't think the role required her voice to be so young.
Off to the next one!
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Good enough crime drama
I can't remember S1 anymore since it was so not memorable. S2 is an independent drama with all different characters.Nothing about this drama is amazing but if you enjoy crime dramas, this is a decent watch. The cases are standard, but I like the pacing, about 4 episodes per mini case while there is one big case. You won't grow emotionally attached to the characters or cases, but the characters are likeable enough. ML cop & ML's sister are both interesting characters as well as the mysterious informant Bai Zhe. The best scenes are the interaction between the ML's sister and the mysterious Bai Zhe. I wished they had more screen time.
Mini cases:
1. Not very strong, I would've dropped it if there weren't a bigger mystery with Bai Zhe.
2. Standard but better than the first one.
3. Case of the upcoming actress. I liked the twists in this one, so far the strongest mini case.
4. School case, straight forward
What's not so great:
Young female cop acts too naive to be a cop.
Unplausible super cop speed on saving people...
Not the greatest sets/stunts, prob low budget
Shaky hand camara shots, really doesn't work
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Overhyped but Watchable for some Dumb Comedy
Not to piss off Dylan Wang Fans but if you want to use your own voice in a costume drama, work on your accent + line delivery. Success of Love Between Fairy and Devil (which I did enjoy) was partially contributed by the right choice of voice dubbing (Sound, Accent, Line Delivery). Of course, I would love it if more actors can use their own voices but that's under the condition if they can do it properly. It's the same concept where European/Australian actors that play American characters with the correct accent. I am sure it's hard work but it's part of acting.From acting, many of his expressions are the same--that wrinkle between the eyebrow Look. Not comparable to the strong supporting cast. So many good actors can deliver those micro expressions.
Story wise ... kind of makes no sense how fast he solves the 1st case in 3 min. Lots of talking w/o actually going through the process of solving the murder. If you enjoy well written murder solving dramas like Imperial Coroner or Ancient Detective, then this is not it.
What's "Watchable"
Supporting Cast. There are so many familiar faces that can do these dumb humor roles very well. Although this kind of humor may not hit for everyone. 80% didn't hit for me. I much enjoyed "Go East" with Tan Jian Ci or The Happy Seven in Chang'an. Both are silly comedies that hit more for me.
I'll emphasize that these are just my personal opinion. I am not a super fan of any idol actors, but I am a fan of character portrayal and good story telling disregarding popularity.
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Poorly executed storyline
I am surprised at the high ratings??I love Zhai Zi Lu (Mu Chuan) and pretty much stuck through the drama because of him. The story plot isn't bad, but it was poorly executed.
The not so great:
-FL cried & cried... it was like a crying fest for many episodes, but it just doesn't connect. I think she's better in contemporary dramas.
-The love story is sweet, but I didn't feel the leads had any chemistry.
-Jing Chao as Mu Ze: I've seen him as the bad guy in one too many dramas. It was hard to sympathize with his character. No fault to his acting but the storytelling wasn't compelling.
-Low budget background: It was like .... poster fake.
-OST - very few and overly repetitive.
The good:
-Zhai Zi Lu - Hope he picks better scripts
-Actual story - It isn't a bad story
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