Good pace and story for a short web rom-com drama about finding love in the midst of adversities.
Close to You is a short rom-com drama about two unlikely people from different backgrounds who ended up together through many obstacles they faced in school and life.It's my first time watching the main CP (Liu Xiao Bei and Zhu Lin Yu). They both did a decent job playing the characters.
Synopsis: Yu Ming Xi, an ordinary girl with a gift for sports, enters the elite Jingcai Academy to honor her late father's dream. There, she meets Jiang Bo Han, a brilliant student hiding behind a rebellious front. As their lives intertwine, they peel back each other's masks, confront past wounds, and begin to heal through an unexpected connection.
My Reviews:
1. Acting: 7
2, Script: 7
3, Music/OST: 7
4, Production Quality: 6
5. Cinematography: 6
6. Rewatchable: 7
7. On-Screen Chemistry: 7
Overall Rating: 6.5
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Good story about a divorced woman navigate through life curveballs and re-established herself.
A Better Life is a melodrama about a middle-aged woman who finds her husband has cheated on her, gotten a divorce, and is unemployed from her sales insurance job. As she navigated life's curveballs, she teamed up with someone much younger than her. She re-established her career, eventually finding her way again.Synopsis: Hu Man Li, a thirty-nine-year-old insurance practitioner, lost her marriage and job at the same time when she thought she was about to reach the peak of her life. Competitors secretly interfered, and Hu Man Li was fired from the company. The instigator turned out to be 28-year-old Xue Xiao Zhou. After several encounters between Hu Man Li and Xue Xiao Zhou, they gradually went from misunderstanding to mutual recognition. Hu Man Li decided to put aside past grudges and join forces with Xue Xiao Zhou to start anew. Xue Xiao Zhou has grown into a gold medal seller who cannot be underestimated in the insurance industry, and Hu Man Li has also decided to return to her career home ground.
My Reviews:
1. Acting: 9
2, Script: 7.5
3, Music/OST: 6
4, Production Quality: 7
5. Cinematography: 7
6. Rewatchable: 7.5
7. On-Screen Chemistry: 6
Overall Rating: 7.5
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It is a good sequel from previous season. Good story and acting with interesting twist at the end.
Fearless Season 2 is a legal melodrama that follows the previous drama. After being fired from their Law Firm, the three junior lawyers opened their law firm and defended cases that helped people. They also encountered lawyers from their ex-company.The acting and story are decent, but I am confused about the ending. I also have questions about Lou Ying Zi and Chen Shou's relationship. Did they break up because of the last case, or are they still together?
Synopsis: Luo Ying Zi, Qiu Hua, and Xia Shu were kicked out of Liangcheng Law Firm. Luo Ying Zi suspected the matter was related to an old case she was helping Mei Da Liang investigate. To survive, the three opened a law firm. Chen Shuo switched jobs to Liangcheng Law Firm to pursue Luo Ying Zi but failed. Luo Ying Zi still does not accept Chen Shuo, but she falls in love with her new partner, Xu Zhuo. Chen Shuo secretly helps Luo Ying Zi uncover the truth about Mei Da Liang's old case.
My Reviews:
1. Acting: 7.5
2, Script: 7.5
3, Music/OST: 7.5
4, Production Quality:7.5
5. Cinematography: 7
6. Rewatchable: 7.5
7. Onscreen Chemistry: 7.5
Overall Rating: 7.5
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Good story and acting about sibling rivalry through several decades with some dysfunctional dramas
Six Sisters is a melodrama about six sisters' lives spanning several decades, from the Revolutionary War to the present. It explores how they survive after losing their father and the sisters' rivalry, almost breaking up the family.The acting is good, and so is the story, especially the conniving and selfishness of the youngest sister, played by Jackie Li. She did a good job playing the bad person. She poked thorns into the dynamic relationship between the oldest sister and her mom over inheritance and money. In the end, she got what she deserved: Leukemia cancer, and it took her older sister to save her life via bone marrow transfer.
The lives of the three younger sisters are dysfunctional compared to the 3 older sisters, especially the fifth sister who went through a divorce, had no relationship with her son, her ex-husband died, and she remarried a convicted criminal. They were blessed with good sons-in-law.
Overall, I enjoyed this drama and story. The ensemble's acting was good, and the supporting cast acted better than the ML & FL leads.
Synopsis: After the founding of New China, He Chang Sheng moved his family from Jiangdu, Yangzhou, to Huainan, Anhui, and took root on the banks of the Huaihe River to support socialist construction. Over the next twenty years, He Chang Sheng had six daughters in a row but died in a car accident. The eldest sister, He Jia Li, her grandmother, He Wen Shi, and her mother, Liu Mei Xin, shoulder the family's burden and arrange for the younger sisters to start a family and a business. Times are changing, and the six sisters of the He family have experienced the ups and downs of marriage, work, and life. However, they are united and face the ups and downs of life together. In the trials of life, the six sisters finally understand what their father repeatedly emphasized before his death: the meaning of "home."
My Reviews:
1. Acting: 8
2, Script: 8
3, Music/OST: 7
4, Production Quality:7.5
5. Cinematography: 7
6. Rewatchable: 7.5
Overall Rating: 7.5
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Bad acting, bad script but watchable to kill time while waiting for something better
She Rides the Wind is a web drama that is 11 minutes long per episode. The acting and script are bad, but the drama is watchable to kill time since there is nothing good in Cdrama Land, especially for modern drama. Stupid endingSynopsis: Qin Nan, the young heiress of Qin Airlines, is a sweet girl seemingly favored by the Heavens. She was betrayed by her husband, Luo Sen, and her stepmother, Tong Qian. But the Heavens gave her another chance by granting her rebirth. She will use this opportunity to get revenge. This is when she meets Fu Yun Lan, a "pilot of the stars" who, like her, hides many secrets.
My Reviews:
1. Acting: 4
2. Script: 4
3. Music/OST: 5
4. Production Quality: 4
5. Cinematography:4
6. Onscreen Chemistry: 4
7. Rewatchable: 4
Overall Rating: 4.0
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Beautiful scenery and good portrayal of costume crime drama in the Song Dynasty
Riverside Code at Qingming Festival is a costume drama set in Bianliang City during the Song Dynasty. It starts with Zhang Song Wen and Bai Bai He.There was no romantic gesture between the main CP. Still, their on-screen dynamic as a couple who loves each other and their family dearly works well because of the excellent acting skills of Zhang Song Wen and Bai Bai He, especially Zhang Song Wen.
The story's pace was okay, though some episodes were draggy and unnecessary. Overall, it was not bad, and the color and cinematography were excellent.
Synopsis: During the Northern Song Dynasty, a bustling corner of Qu'er Alley in Bianliang City was home to the Zhao family, five individuals with wildly different personalities. Zhao Bu You, a low-ranking clerk, sought a simple life, while his wife, Wen Yue, aimed to buy land and secure their future. Despite frequent arguments, the family remained close. Their lives dramatically turned when they were drawn into the sensational Mei Ship case.
My Reviews:
1. Acting: 8
2. Script: 7.5
3. Music/OST: 7
4. Production Quality: 8
5. Cinematography: 8
6. CP Chemistry: 8
7. Rewatchable: 7.5
Overall Rating: 7.5
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Not a strong plot but watchable and mediocre acting from main CP
Love Song in Winter is a romantic melodrama that starts with Johnny Huang, Sun Qian, Kira Shi, and Wang Tian Chen. It involves murder, the crime of passion, and the rekindling of love between the main CP.The pace of the drama is not bad. Johnny Huang has played a typical role in his modern dramas. He is not a good actor, but somehow, he makes it work in this type of role (policeman, firefighter, and soldier)
The on-screen chemistry between him and Sun Qian's character was okay. No spark between them. Wang Tian Chen played a good and convincing bad guy in this drama. The last episode ruined this drama for me. It should ended when they caught the bad guy. Episode 36 was meaningless, and it should not be included.
Synopsis: It tells the romantic love story of the reunion of the detective Jiang Cheng Yi and the anesthesiologist Lu Yan. They encounter each other by chance eight years after breaking up and unravel their misunderstandings as they work together to solve a serial murder case. Since the anesthesiologist Lu Yan "runs into" her dead college friend Deng Man during a night shift, strange things around her occur successively. As the investigation proceeds, Detective Jiang Cheng Yi, Lu Yan's ex-boyfriend from many years ago, is embroiled, and the long-hidden truth of eight years is gradually revealed.
My Reviews:
1. Acting: 5.5
2. Script: 7
3. Music/OST: 6
4. Production Quality: 6
5. Cinematography: 6
6. CP Chemistry: 5
7. Rewatchable: 6
Overall Rating: 6.0
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Decent crime drama with good acting from the cast that took 10 years to solve
Let Wind Goes By is a crime drama set in the rural town of Ningxia. A soon-to-be-retired policeman solved the case in 10 years with the help of the newly assigned team captain.The acting is excellent for the entire ensemble, especially Yang Cai Yu and Jiang Qi Ming. The story's pace is not bad, but the flashbacks between 1993 and 2003 were sometimes confusing. The drama would be excellent if it were cut short by 4-5 episodes. It is a bit dragging at times, and I watched with 2.x speed to bypass the unnecessary scene filters, which are quite common in Cdrama.
Synopsis: In 2003, a mining town in Ningxia faced relocation when suddenly a burned female body appeared in front of the police station. The circumstances of the case are very similar to an unsolved murder case from 10 years ago. The retired police officers Chu Zhi Qiang and Zhang Tao, who were reassigned to Ningxia, worked together to solve the case while simultaneously dealing with the town's relocation.
My Reviews:
1. Acting: 7.5
2. Script: 6
3. Music/OST: 6
4. Production Quality: 6
5. Cinematography: 7
Overall Rating: 7
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Good onscreen chemistry between main CP, but nothing special with the plot.
You Are My Lover Friend is a RomCom drama that starts with Zhang Xin Cheng as Jiang Shi Yan and Wang Yu Wen as Tang Yang. The main CPs were friends and buddies in high school who lasted through their university days, as well as working professionals.No one believes they would turn into lovers, not even their besties and mothers.
Synopsis: Tang Yang and Jiang Shi Yan were high school classmates and have been close friends for ten years. After finishing school, they passionately pursued careers in bank credit review and new media communication. Tang Yang helped the families of military martyrs start businesses in her small loan job. Inspired by their perseverance, Jiang Shi Yan made a documentary about their stories, which gained widespread attention. Throughout this journey, the trust and understanding they developed during their teenage years endured various challenges. They blossomed into a sincere and beautiful love. They went from being classmates and friends to becoming partners, building a family, and facing life together.
My Reviews:
1. Nothing special in the story. It has been done so many times in Cdrama land.
2. I like the main CP because they are talented actors.
2nd CP is most adorable and funny, especially the 2nd ML
3. The third CP should not have been part of the story. There is no chemistry, and the actress must be younger than the guy.
4. The moms are funny, too.
5. Overall, it is okay. It took too long for the main CP to get together until the last 3 to 4 episodes. It was draggy, and I was annoyed to see it take so long.
6. It would be better with 24 episodes instead of 30, but their onscreen chemistry was good.
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It is a good coming to age melodrama about friendship and community.
Wind Direction is a melodrama about growing up between Cheng Miao Miao and Li Si and their families in a small town where everyone knows each other. It starts with Sun Qian as Miao Miao, Zhai Zi Lu as Li Si, Liu Lin as Jia Dai Yu, and Tian Yu as Cheng Peng Fei.The entire ensemble's acting was exceptional. At times, it was quite draggy as the plot unfolded, but overall, it was a great story about growing up as they learned how to maneuver over life's unexpected events.
Synopsis: 17-year-old Cheng Miao Miao and her brother, 16-year-old Cheng Ya Ya, were born in the No. 1 Oil production plant of Linqi Oilfield. Three generations of their family are oilfield workers. Their father, Cheng Peng Fei, is an otolaryngologist, and their mother, Jia Dai Yu, is a team logistics. The family moved from the northwest to the seaside base, Heping Town, in the late 1990s. Miao Miao, with a yearning for the outside world, pulled her childhood sweetheart Li Si and her best friend Hu Qiu Min, intending to use the summer vacation of her first year in high school to start the adventure of "going to Hong Kong to welcome the city's return to the motherland," but failed.
On the other hand, her brother Cheng Ya Ya went to the back mountain for archaeology. He was almost mistaken for a tomb robber. Mother Jia Dai Yu often felt worried, and the siblings began their high school life full of chaotic moments. Cheng Miao Miao fell into a friendship crisis with Li Si. In Cheng Ya Ya's class, a newly transferred student named Yuan Shan Qing is the daughter of a wanted criminal. Ya-Ya was the first to stand up and resist the hostility from all sides against Yuan Shan Qing. The children ushered in growth in the changes.
My Reviews:
1. Great acting from the entire cast and a good storyline.
2. It has so many twists that it was unexpected.
3. It also shows how Miao Miao, her brother, and Li Si dealt with life's difficult situations.
4. The community supported each other in bad times and good times.
5. It is a good tears jerker as well.
6. I give it a 7.5 rating.
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A good action crime drama with many twists. Acting is okay not great but plot is good.
The First Shot starts with Johnny Huang and Wang Zi Qi as policemen in a Narcotics Control Bureau as they investigate, solve, and arrest the drug lords.The plot is good, with many twists, but it is a typical role that Johnny Huang is good at. He has no range as an actor, and this type of genre best suits him. The bad guy was unexpected until the end.
Synopsis: Tells the story of Halan in the Northeast in 1997, before the establishment of the Narcotics Control Bureau. Faced with a sudden drug crisis, a makeshift elite team is assembled, each with their own strengths but clueless about the new drug... As they confront the ruthless drug trafficking syndicate and unravel their devious and bizarre drug trafficking schemes, they must also navigate the moral dilemmas of love and law and the tests of justice and humanity. They stand by each other and overcome all obstacles and challenges, forging a heroic legend of fighting evil and upholding justice.
My Reviews:
1. Good acting from the supporting cast; the two MLs did an okay job.
2. The story is good but needs to be clearer, and it takes too long to get to the bad guy.
3. There is good action and a storyline, but it would be better to do it in 24 episodes instead of 32. I watched in 1.5 speed
4. I give it a 7.5 rating.
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The acting was exceptional by main CP but the storyline went downhill at mid-point.
Kill Me Love Me is a WuXia drama that starts with Liu Xue Yi (as Jing He) and Wu Jin Yan (as Mei Lin.) The drama begins with a good story of rivalry between the crown prince, Xuan Lie, and his brother, Jing He. The Qingzhou princess (Mei Lin) tries to seek revenge on her parents, who were burned to death.The acting was exceptional between the main CP however, the acting of the 2nd CP was awful, especially the acting of Baron Chen (the crown prince). He only has one expression and the same stoic looks for a dramatic and cold demeanor. His lover, the female general, did not act well either. After the crown prince's death, the storyline went downhill from there. It was so stupid and unbearable. I finished it quickly just to see the acting of the main CP.
Overall, I give it a 7.0 rating. Wu Jin Yan's character is much better in The Double Drama.
Synopsis: Prince Murong Jing He of the Great Yan Dynasty led his Weibei Army to reclaim Qingzhou, a lost territory. His triumphant victory should have been a moment of glory. Still, soon after his army entered the city, a devastating fire broke out. Whispers spread throughout Qingzhou, accusing Murong Jing He of harboring a grudge against the people for their alleged betrayal of Great Yan. Rumor had it that the prince, now known as the ruthless "Butcher General," ordered the city to be burned. In the flames, a young girl named Mei Lin lost her entire family. Heartbroken and consumed by vengeance, she vowed to kill the one responsible for the massacre. She joins a secret organization known as the Shadow Works, where she undergoes years of brutal training after consuming a deadly poison that turns her into an unstoppable assassin. Mei Lin's first mission is finally assigned: to assassinate her greatest enemy, Prince Murong Jing He himself. Disguised as one of a hundred Xiyan beauties sent to the Great Yan as part of a political marriage alliance, she patiently waits for her chance to strike. But Mei Lin doesn't know that the man who masterminded her entire assassination mission—setting her on this path of revenge—is none other than Murong Jing He himself.
My Reviews:
1. Good acting but a bad script.
2. The 2nd CP cannot act.
3. The storyline went downhill after the mid-point
4. I give it a 7.0 rating.
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It is nice to see Tong Da Wei branch out to play bad guy instead of good guy in other dramas.
Interlaced Scenes is a crime drama and another light-on series from iQiyi. The drama is predictable because of how it is presented in the first 1-3 episodes. By that time, I knew the ending because the writer, Gu Yu Ming, was a murderer. Episodes 4 to 16 are more fillers that review the investigations and the linkage between Gu Yu Ming and the victim.Synopsis: Detectives Jiang Guang Ming and Shi Luo investigate a case when they discover that the crime scene resembles the crime scene from a novel by Gu Yu Ming. Fiction and reality get intertwined. Is it truly a coincidence?
My Reviews:
1. It is great to see Tong Da Wei branch out to play the bad guy instead of the good guy he has been playing in other dramas.
2. The drama focused more on Tong Da Wei's character than the actual FL and 2nd ML investigation scenes.
3. It would have been better if the drama had been cut to 12 episodes instead of 16. It was draggy and repetitive. I would like to see more evilness in Gu Yu Ming. Still, his character is an unsuccessful writer who plagiarizes a story and becomes famous with the help of his wealthy wife.
It is not a bad crime drama, so I give it a 7.0 rating.
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Main CP is horrible both with on-screen chemistry and acting. 4th CP had better plots
Men in Love is a romantic comedy about four men who have befriended each other since college and supported each other through the ups and downs of life, especially when it comes to love relationships with women.My Reviews:
1. The production quality could be better. The screen on my ultra 4K HD TV is too blue.
2. The script is non-original, nothing extraordinary. It is predictable and boring.
3. There were some funny scenes when the 4 men were doing childish behaviors and their interpretation of Love.
4. I like the 4th CP the best because they are funny and are the most solid out of the four CPs.
5. The story of the 3rd CP is more believable and convincing.
6. I am disappointed at the 1st and 2nd CPs, where the on-screen chemistry for these CPs could have been better, and the same goes for their acting ability.
7. I like Liang Jie and her acting skills, but her character was annoying in this drama. Her on-screen chemistry with Hu Yi Tian was awkward and unpleasant to watch.
8. It is also a predictable ending. It does not need to be 40 episodes. I could be better in 24-30 episodes.
I give it a 6.0 rating.
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It is a good relatable family drama that has its dysfunctional twists. Good acting from the cast.
Islands is a women-centric drama about three sisters, each with their own dysfunctional dramas in their family. They hide from each other and keep it secret from their mom. Eventually, through life-threatening events, it reveals how they stood by to support one another in crisis.Synopsis: Qiao Haiyun has set rules that all family members must go home every New Year. No one had ever broken the rule until the most honest third-generation Li Yijin suddenly broke the tradition of going to her boyfriend's home for the New Year. Qiao Haiyun has three daughters. The eldest, Meng Ming Wei, is not her biological daughter. Because of lame inferiority, Meng Ming Wei had great ambitions for her daughter, Li Yijin, but had a very tense relationship with her. Meng Wan Qing, the second daughter, and Tao Shuna were perfect mothers and daughters. Still, the two accidentally discovered each other's secrets. The process of rediscovering each other is also that of rediscovering oneself. The third daughter, Meng Yian, is like Qiao Hai Yun, strong and independent. Not wanting to be a strong woman like her mother, but by chance, Meng Yian took the same path as her mother. The three generations of women in the Meng family were like a flock of birds. Although they watched each other from a distance, they supported each other and coexisted.
My Reviews:
1. The overbearing mother is annoying. She needs to get a life instead of being a controlling mother.
2. Dysfunctional marriages for the 3 sisters, but the more mature and salvageable were the youngest daughter and her husband.
3. Xu Fan, who played an adopted daughter, Meng Min Wei, did a good job as an overbearing and controlling mother. However, I dislike her as a proud and controlling mom.
4. Sandra Ma played her daughter, who tried to please her mom but was unsuccessful until the end of the drama.
5. The cast acted great, especially Song Chun Li, who played the mother.
I enjoyed the drama and gave it a 7.5 for a decent script and good acting from everyone in the cast.
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