It is confirmed... I do not like and I do not care for any of the female characters in this drama. Except for the girl in black but there is not much that has been divulged about her; aside, she is good at finding people. I can definitely do without any romance cliché; since, the writing so far has been very well executed.
I am not sure if Awaken 2020 is loosely based on the movie, The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion 2018... However, because of this Kdrama and their close resemblance in storylines, my friend insisted that I check the movie.
The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion 2018 is excellent, beyond comprehension. I can not wait for the second installment.
Darren Wang was super fantastic as male lead! He was mesmerising to watch. I loved every scene he was in and this…
Darren Wang knocked that role out of the park. Regardless of anyone’s individual point of view, in regards to the storyline, Darren’s performance in The Wolf was excessively far beyond expectations.
I said it before and I will say it again: Darren Wang in The Wolf - Best Chinese Character Portrayal of 2020. (Alongside) Joo Won in Alice - Best Korean Character Portrayal of 2020.
*Amusingly enough, both dramas were not the best dramas of 2020; however, their characters’ portrayals were mind-blowing.
This drama had all the ingredients to be a great fantasy/supernatural Kdrama... However, as I have previously said halfway through, I did not feel any magic from it, whatsoever.
For me, the most evident distinction between these 2: - Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (aka, Goblin)... 16 episodes were not nearly enough for me; I still wanted more after the last episode. - Tale of The Nine-Tailed Fox... Everything could have been compacted in less than 16 episodes; 16 episodes felt too long.
And lastly, for a drama created upon some well known magical and folkloric postulations... Personally, the magical feeling that I felt with Gu Family Book and Goblin from the get-go was no where to be found, in this one. Instead, It had a very similar feel to The Korean Odyssey. All of the ingredients but none of the magic when compared to Gu Family Book and Goblin.
*Yeah, I am probably the only one who did not feel any magic from the Tale of The Nine-Tailed Fox.
I am with you! Love Joo Won’s superb acting. The other male cast members were good as well.
I totally agree with you.
I was only hoping for Park Jin Gyum’s father to show more fatherly love toward him. I was desperate for his father to call him,“my son”... Or “you grew up well without your mother and I”... But it never happened:(
Other than that, I could completely differentiate the 2 Tae Yi from the 1992 timeline splits; when, the little girl got rescued after her father’s murder. The Tae Yi who grew up to be a physicist and worked for Alice is not the same Tae Yi who grew up to become a professor in physics and meet Park Jin Gyum.
Either way, i am completely OK with both approaches: - If the writer had decided to take the mother and son’s approach where they are reunited with the father... OR - If the writer had decided to take the romantic approach where he only sees his mother’s physical resemblance in her...
Contrary to popular opinions... I love this drama.
Joo Won did a fantastic job with the Park Jin Gyum character. I rolled my eyes... I laughed... I cried... Most of all, I enjoyed it... He certainly deserved and earned that 2020 SBS Drama Award for Best Actor (Selected by Producers).
Bad. The entire production budget was used to hire the expensive cast... And nothing else.
Indeed, stopping a production for 1 to 2 months could have most likely affected the end-result. However, it does not justify the obvious lackluster of the general production.
Am I the only one who thinks those bird accessories on both sides of her head look very weird?
I started this drama solely because of Jin Han; however now, I don’t know if I should continue with it or not... Even that little actress and her blind infatuation for that emotional dimwitted prince gets on my nerves.
Aarif Rahman is so damn dashing. He has the perfect physique for costume dramas - Strong, athletic and some very alluring facial features. That mixed-race of his did wonders for his genetics.
Fyi: Why do people think that he had gone through facial plastic surgery? He looks exactly the same to me, as always - Simply GORGEOUS.
Aarif Rahman is so damn dashing. He has the perfect physique for costume dramas - Strong, athletic and some very alluring facial features. That mixed-race of his did wonders for his genetics.
However so far, I am still not feeling his character in this drama. Fyi: Why do people think that he had gone through facial plastic surgery? He looks exactly the same to me, as always - Simply GORGEOUS.
I am not sure how this ancient Chinese Noona romance is going to work...Seriously...However, they were able to…
Ok. I finally got a chance to check this director’s repertoire. Apparently, some of the Wuxia and Xianxia classics that I like were directed by Zhu Rui Bin.
Some of his female characters personality are child-like but I blame mostly the screenwriters for that... Not him, the director, whose main job is the direction of the acting. Whether we like it or not; the main goal and the bottom line of the entertainment industry is to make money - By any means necessary. Yes, I would love that it was mainly about the artistry. However, that is not the world; we are living in.
So, I am optimistic about The Long Ballad; we still have a chance that it could be a great drama. If not, I may end up just loving a specific character (like, Lord Bo in The Wolf); instead of, the whole drama plot itself.
Fyi: As for Chang Jiang, this is her first time directing. So, I really do not have any point of reference for this screenwriter.
I am not sure how this ancient Chinese Noona romance is going to work...Seriously...However, they were able to…
First, I admit that I have never read the original Manhua so I have no point of reference to the characters’ age gap.
Second, I utterly disagree that Leo Wu’s past projects were bad. I actually find the kid extremely talented and full of acting chops. Aside from “ Guardians of the Ancient Oath” that was released early this year; I absolutely do not have any issues with any of his past projects. As a matter of fact, one of his dramas made my list of very few best dramas of 2020 - “Cross Fire.”
Indeed, he is younger than the female lead; however, I will not chastise his character, looks, physique or bearing before the drama is even released. Whether the era is modern or ancient; I can only hope that the concept will work.
2 
I do not like and I do not care for any of the female characters in this drama.
Except for the girl in black but there is not much that has been divulged about her; aside, she is good at finding people.
I can definitely do without any romance cliché; since, the writing so far has been very well executed.
I am not sure if Awaken 2020 is loosely based on the movie, The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion 2018...
However, because of this Kdrama and their close resemblance in storylines, my friend insisted that I check the movie.
The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion 2018 is excellent, beyond comprehension.
I can not wait for the second installment.
Regardless of anyone’s individual point of view, in regards to the storyline, Darren’s performance in The Wolf was excessively far beyond expectations.
I said it before and I will say it again:
Darren Wang in The Wolf - Best Chinese Character Portrayal of 2020.
(Alongside)
Joo Won in Alice - Best Korean Character Portrayal of 2020.
*Amusingly enough, both dramas were not the best dramas of 2020; however, their characters’ portrayals were mind-blowing.
:(
At least, it felt that she was enjoying it more...
Even with the romantic scenes, the kissing scenes and the bed scenes... There weren’t any magic in them.
However, as I have previously said halfway through, I did not feel any magic from it, whatsoever.
For me, the most evident distinction between these 2:
- Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (aka, Goblin)... 16 episodes were not nearly enough for me; I still wanted more after the last episode.
- Tale of The Nine-Tailed Fox... Everything could have been compacted in less than 16 episodes; 16 episodes felt too long.
And lastly, for a drama created upon some well known magical and folkloric postulations...
Personally, the magical feeling that I felt with Gu Family Book and Goblin from the get-go was no where to be found, in this one.
Instead, It had a very similar feel to The Korean Odyssey.
All of the ingredients but none of the magic when compared to Gu Family Book and Goblin.
*Yeah, I am probably the only one who did not feel any magic from the Tale of The Nine-Tailed Fox.
I was only hoping for Park Jin Gyum’s father to show more fatherly love toward him.
I was desperate for his father to call him,“my son”... Or “you grew up well without your mother and I”...
But it never happened:(
Other than that,
I could completely differentiate the 2 Tae Yi from the 1992 timeline splits; when, the little girl got rescued after her father’s murder.
The Tae Yi who grew up to be a physicist and worked for Alice is not the same Tae Yi who grew up to become a professor in physics and meet Park Jin Gyum.
Either way, i am completely OK with both approaches:
- If the writer had decided to take the mother and son’s approach where they are reunited with the father...
OR
- If the writer had decided to take the romantic approach where he only sees his mother’s physical resemblance in her...
I love this drama.
Joo Won did a fantastic job with the Park Jin Gyum character.
I rolled my eyes... I laughed... I cried... Most of all, I enjoyed it...
He certainly deserved and earned that 2020 SBS Drama Award for Best Actor (Selected by Producers).
However, it does not justify the obvious lackluster of the general production.
The entire production budget was used to hire the expensive cast... And nothing else.
I started this drama solely because of Jin Han; however now, I don’t know if I should continue with it or not...
Even that little actress and her blind infatuation for that emotional dimwitted prince gets on my nerves.
He has the perfect physique for costume dramas - Strong, athletic and some very alluring facial features.
That mixed-race of his did wonders for his genetics.
Fyi: Why do people think that he had gone through facial plastic surgery? He looks exactly the same to me, as always - Simply GORGEOUS.
He has the perfect physique for costume dramas - Strong, athletic and some very alluring facial features.
That mixed-race of his did wonders for his genetics.
However so far, I am still not feeling his character in this drama.
Fyi: Why do people think that he had gone through facial plastic surgery? He looks exactly the same to me, as always - Simply GORGEOUS.
Yes, their censorship laws and restrictions are downright retarded.
I finally got a chance to check this director’s repertoire.
Apparently, some of the Wuxia and Xianxia classics that I like were directed by Zhu Rui Bin.
Some of his female characters personality are child-like but I blame mostly the screenwriters for that... Not him, the director, whose main job is the direction of the acting.
Whether we like it or not; the main goal and the bottom line of the entertainment industry is to make money - By any means necessary.
Yes, I would love that it was mainly about the artistry. However, that is not the world; we are living in.
So, I am optimistic about The Long Ballad; we still have a chance that it could be a great drama.
If not, I may end up just loving a specific character (like, Lord Bo in The Wolf); instead of, the whole drama plot itself.
Fyi:
As for Chang Jiang, this is her first time directing. So, I really do not have any point of reference for this screenwriter.
The director!
You got me all confused and riled up, my friend;)
The director... Damn... That is not a good omen.
Second, I utterly disagree that Leo Wu’s past projects were bad.
I actually find the kid extremely talented and full of acting chops.
Aside from “ Guardians of the Ancient Oath” that was released early this year; I absolutely do not have any issues with any of his past projects.
As a matter of fact, one of his dramas made my list of very few best dramas of 2020 - “Cross Fire.”
Indeed, he is younger than the female lead; however, I will not chastise his character, looks, physique or bearing before the drama is even released.
Whether the era is modern or ancient; I can only hope that the concept will work.