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It is a comical gangster love story that was a bit dull but watchable
"Ash Is Purest White" is a violent love story from 2001 to 2017. By Western standards, it was not a violent love story because there was no killing.Qiao Qiao (played by actress Zhao Tao) hangs around with the wrong crowd and falls in love with a gangster named Bin (played by Liao Fan). During an altercation between the gangs, she fired a gun in the air and got arrested, and went to jail for 5 years. After she got out, her lover moved on.
She was on a quest to look for him and eventually found him. They broke up but got back together after a stroke paralyzed Bin. There were a few comical moments, but overall the story was slow and dull.
I give it a 6.5 rating because it was not exciting. The acting was mediocre as well.
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Love the Wangx2. Watched them OWGM and now this. Awesome Romcom and fun to watch.
The Love You Give Me is another contemporary drama that reunited Wang Yu Wen and Wang Zi Qi together again. Their onscreen chemistry was off the chart in Once We Get Married, and now again in this drama.The script is good and focused on the mature relationship between the two, especially since together they have a son.
I like this drama a lot because Wang Yu Wen's character is a very capable mom and career woman in AI high-tech world, and Wang Zi Qi is an investor who invests in high-tech companies. Hence it makes their work relationship equal, and the kid, Cui YiXin, is so cute and smart playing their son, Min Quan Quan.
I don't care much for the 2nd and 3rd CP because they are unnecessary. It would be more interesting if Dr. Zhou RuJi had been more vocal about his interest in Min Hui; then, it would have made the dynamic of their relationship more interesting. I'm not fond of Yao Zi Zhu's character; she is annoying.
Overall, it is not a bad drama; I look forward to new episodes released M-Th and rewatch them often. I am giving it an 8.5 rating. A couple of songs in the OST are good as well.
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It is a mediocre Xianxia movie with bad plot and stupid cliffhanger
Jade Dynasty, started by Xiao Zhan, Li Qin, and Meng Mei Qi, is a mediocre historical Xianxia movie with an interesting plot but not a good ending.The beginning explains how he got to the heavenly realm, but the ending does not explain how he got the demonic blood in his DNA. The ending has a cliffhanger, and stupid for them to let him go knowing that he can be potentially bad.
For a 2019 movie, I expected better CGI. I would rate it as a C-rated movie and give it a 6.0 rating. MarcusHere, a Youtuber recommended it, so I checked it out since it started Xiao Zhan. I was not impressed because the plot is so stupid.
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A better crime drama in compared to "Who Is He". Chen Xiao performed great.
Thirteen Years of Dust tells the story of a series of serial homicides in Nandu 13 years ago, starting with Chen Xiao and Chen Jian Bin as they tried to solve the murders.Due to the limitations of CSI at the time, they failed to lock the suspect's case, so it became an unsolved case. 13 years later, the serial murder case resurfaced; the older and younger policemen joined forces again to investigate the cold case.
The flow of the drama alternate between 1997 and 2010; it is boring but not too bad. I think it is better than Who is He so far. The last 4 episodes reviewed more clues, and the unexpected suspect was eventually revealed.
I think it would be better for any crime drama to be cut short between 16-20 episodes so that it does not become draggy and dull. Otherwise, the theme and plot are repetitive as the policemen try to solve the crime.
I believe Chen Xiao performed better in this drama than last year, Being a Hero with Wang Yibo. Overall, it was not too bad; I give it a 7.0 rating.
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Cute drama about older woman and younger man. Wu Lei and Zhou Yu Tong are awesome in this drama
Nothing But You is a good romcom about an older woman (10 years gap) and a young tennis player starting, Wu Lei and Zhou Yu Tong.I loved Zhou Yu Tong and first watched her in Begin Again with Simon Gong, and I have followed her ever since. Although her recent dramas didn't do quite well, in my opinion, due to bad scripts (i.e., The Coolest World, Medical Examiner Dr. Qin: Silent Evidence, where I ended up dropping them), She is a good actress.
I first watched Wu Lei in "The Long Ballad," and I did not think he was a good actor, and I did not like his acting ability in Love Like the Galaxy. Zhao Lusi is a better actress than Wu Lei in that drama. However, in this drama, he did a decent job playing a young guy who falls for an older woman.
His onscreen chemistry with Zhou Yu Tong is not bad, and the supporting cast is also good. I have watched about 24 episodes already and will finish it. I would recommend this drama because of the flow of the story, it is believable, and the acting is not bad for the entire ensemble.
I am giving it an 8.0 rating. I wish there were more intimate scenes between the main CP, and I am content with the ending.
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Acting was great but the story was plausible. It is better to focus on crime investigation
Echo is a crime drama, and it is another iQiyi light on series. It started with Song Jia and Wang Yang and had 13 episodes.I finished it, and I have the following observations:
- The acting was good between the FL and ML; however, I did not like the plot.
- Half of the story was focused on the paranoia and broken relationship between Ran Dong Dong and Mu Da Fu characters. It was annoying to see that as a chief investigator of a police department, she had trust issues and was paranoid about her relationship with her husband.
- It was annoying and painful to watch both of them bickering about the same thing for 6 episodes which I don't think is relevant to the main story.
- It should focus more on crime scene investigation to solve the murder of the woman.
- I think the drama would be much better if it put the focus on crime and ended in 6-8 episodes.
As is, I did not like it very much and gave it a 6.0 rating because of the good acting between the lead actor/actress.
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Excellent ensemble and the acting is super, but it was too long (68 eps)
The Rebel Princess is a costume/historical drama starring Zhang Zi Yi, Zhou Yi Wei, and Tony Yang. It is about politics and power between the Wang and Xie family. Internal turmoil within the imperial family and Princess Wang Xuan's father is the mastermind behind all the disruptions and killing of the Emporer and many innocent people, including her mother.The acting is exceptional in this drama, from the main actors and the entire ensemble. My major complaint was that it was too long, with 68 episodes where it dragged out too long. It could have been excellent with a 9.0 or even 10.0 rating if it was cut short by 10-20 episodes.
It took a while for me to finish the 68 episodes on prime video. It was not realistic to have one prime minister overpower the entire kingdom. Her brother is useless for not standing up against his father even when he was expelled from the imperial palace.
I would be more satisfied if the ending where Princess Wang Xuan is the one to kill her father for his selfishness and power desire without any remorse.
I enjoyed the drama and gave it an 8.0 rating, but it was too long.
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Good acting but I found the drama too draggy and boring.
Ripe Town is a historical crime investigation of the Ming Dynasty, where the apprentice Qu San Geng, Judge Song Chen, and Gao Shi Cong tried to find out who murdered San Geng's master, Captain Leng.The first 5 episodes were interesting, and the acting was good, but it got draggy and boring. I have watched 7 episodes but could not find myself to continue. After I listened to the review from the AvenueX YouTuber, she did not give it a high rating. I am dropping this drama and giving it a 6.0 rating because the plot is not interesting, and the scriptwriters and director did not make the drama engaging.
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The story got weirder from episodes 18 onward, I am no longer interested and dropped it.
19th Floor is a suspense drama about a group of college students recruited to play a virtual reality game to save lives.The Synopsis:
Unconscious after a car accident, university student Chun Yu and her best friend Qing You mysteriously find themselves inside the dangerous world of a VR game. Several other people have also unwittingly ended up here, and they soon discover they were all involved in the accident - except for substitute teacher Gao Xuan, who claims to have fallen asleep. Seeing no other option than to play the game, they eventually beat the level and wake up ... only to return the next night immediately.
Faced with deadly monsters, puzzles, and mind games, the players must learn to cooperate despite being unsure if they can trust each other. The pressure increases when it turns out that people who die in the game fall into a coma in real life. And then several more students are dragged into the game! The group spends their night.
My Reviews:
1. It is like Squid Game but less gory.
2. It had interesting plots with good thrillers and suspense values in the first 8-10 episodes. Still, as it progressed, it became draggy and boring. It would be better if it finished in 16 episodes instead of 30.
3. It was something different for Miles Wei, unlike his typical rom-com role. I am glad that he is branching out to other genres.
There is no romance between the main CP, even though it is insinuated.
4. It is predictable, and for every challenge they take, I know they do it without sacrificing someone.
5. I have watched 23 episodes and am no longer interested in completing them. I am dropping it.
6. The FL was hypnotized and stuck into a cocoon, and her dad is a chef who sacrificed himself to save her, which was weird.
I am giving a 5.5 rating because the story is getting stupid and draggy from episode 10 onward.
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The kungfu fighting scenes are good, but I didn't like the plot. I am dropping it.
Tiger and Crane is a historical/costume drama about young people fighting demons.The Synopsis: This tells the story of a group of teenagers who, for the sake of their dreams, love, and responsibility, trudge through the gloom of the chaotic world to save the world. The optimistic and cheerful mountain orphan Huzi accidentally swallows a red pearl, a treasure of Yang, and befriends the cold captain, a clean freak, Qi Xiao Xuan, a national demon master. The two young people with very different personalities are forced to go on the road together because of a red pearl, and they make friends with Zhao Xin Tong, Wang Yu Qian, and others.
Each other's differences attract them, and through some adventures, they become life-and-death friends when Qi Xiaoxuan is imprisoned to protect Huzi. To save Qi Xiaoxuan, Huzi, and his partners come together to participate in selecting the national imperial demon master. Still, they uncover the great conspiracy of the national imperial demon master and seek to find the truth about the human-demon war five hundred years ago.
The Kungfu fighting scenes in this drama have some funny moments. I think Jiang Long did a decent job, and I am watching this drama because I like Wang Yu Wen. I was not too fond of the character she played in this drama, and I believe she is better in modern drama than historical one.
Zhang Ling He is popular and has been in many dramas this year; however, I don't particularly like his acting. He is another one-dimensional actor with the same facial expression regardless of joyful or emotional/suspenseful scenes.
I watched 16 episodes already, and I am dropping it because I don't like the plot and am not interested in demons fighting. I give it a 5.0 rating.
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The screenwriter and director did a bad interpretation of this drama. A bad sequel of Hidden Love
The First Frost is one of the trilogy novels written by Zhu Yi. This drama follows the life of Sang Yan's character. He was an older brother of Sang Zhi from Hidden Love.I did not enjoy this drama, and the acting of Bai Jing Ting and Zhan Rou Nan was not up to par based on the characters they portrayed. They are talented actors/actresses; however, this story's script and direction were not good. I am disappointed with the director and screenwriter, Chu Yu Ning. I felt that his interpretation of the story was not good; it was too draggy, too long (it would have been better if it was 24 or 25 episodes instead of 32), had too many repetitive flashbacks, and the timeline scale at the beginning and how it was presented was confusing.
In addition, Victor Ma played Sang Yan better than Bai Jing Ting (in my opinion). Sang Yan's character in Hidden Love is outspoken and mischievous with his friends and his sister; I see none of it in this drama; their interactions were more cordial than bickering, as I saw in Hidden Love (which is fun to watch).
Furthermore, the dynamic of Sang Yan's college buddies was not as funny as in Hidden Love, and the actors portrayed were not good. Sang Yan's character in this drama is completely different from Hidden Love, a 180-character change; if it is part of a well-written trilogy, the personality of its character should not be altered.
A relative sexually harassed Wen Yi Fan; it should not take that long and too many flashbacks to solve and bring justice to the guilty uncle. The sleepwalking is stupid and lame, Zhan Rou Nan did not act well in this drama, and her onscreen chemistry with Bai Jing Ting was mediocre.
I did not like this drama; hence, I gave it a low rating.
Synopsis: Wen Yi Fan, a reporter, went to a bar called Overtime to meet with her best friend, Zhong Si Qiao. While at the bar, she met Sang Yan, a department manager and one of the owners of Overtime. He was Yi Fan's high school deskmate and the guy she once fell in love with. The two bumps into each other, and as Yi Fan pretends that she does not know who Sang Yan is, Sang Yan does the same. After some problems, the two accidentally become housemates and get a second chance.
My Reviews:
1. Acting: 7
2, Script: 6
3, Music/OST: 7
4, Production Quality:7
5. Cinematography: 6
6. Rewatchable: 6
7. Onscreen Chemistry: 6.5
Overall Rating: 7.5
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OMG - Why the hell this drama was made. STUPID PLOT and Unrealistic. Grr........
"Love Me, Love My Voice" is a rom-com drama, but there was no drama. After I had invested my valuable time in watching 16 episodes, I decided to drop it and not waste any more of my time. I should have dropped it sooner, but I hoped it would improve because it is a slow burn. It turned out to be a big disappointment.Tan Jian Ci played a doctor, Mo Qing Cheng, but in real life, he is a voice teacher named Qiang Qing Ci. None of his students knows what he looks like in real life except for Gu Sheng/Sheng Sheng Man, a voice student played by Zhou Ye.
This drama is so stupid and unrealistic in so many ways:
1. Mo Qing Cheng is a surgeon busy with his medical career, but the drama does not show his job as a doctor.
2. Instead, it showed his hobbies as a voice teacher and a cook.
3. The whole annoying drama is about his voice career and eating.
4. I was not impressed with Zhou Ye's character and the actress who portrayed her.
5. The on-screen chemistry between the main CP was not great. I like the 2nd CP better.
6. There was no drama or conflict between the main CP, which is annoying.
7. Tian Jian Ci is too short as a male lead. I like him better in Lost You Forever.
Why does China even bother to make this kind of trashy drama? I give it a 4.5 rating because of the stupid and unrealistic plot.
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Same old story with wives, concubines, and offspring bickering at each other. Overly done
The Rise of Ning is a custom drama about wives, concubines, and their offspring bickering at each other. It has been done so many times with other Cdramas. It starts with Zhang Wan Yi as Luo Shen Yuan and Ren Mi as Lou Yi Ning.I watched about 17 episodes, hoping the storyline would improve as it progressed, but it didn't. I am dropping it for the following reasons:
My Reviews:
1. The same old story that has been done with many other Cdramas.
2. I like Zhang Wan Yi; he is a good actor, but his character could be stronger in this drama, and his onscreen chemistry with Ren Mi could be better.
3. I don't like Ren Mi's acting ability. She has the same expression with many emotions.
4. It is draggy and slow. One cannot repeatedly take 40 episodes of the same type of bickering and jealousy.
5. I give it a 5.0 rating.
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A refreshing look at WuXia costume drama focused on loved story rather than politics and fighting.
Are You the One is a historical wuxia drama about the love story of Liu Mian Tang and Cui Xing Zhou when she suffered from amnesia and afterward. This is a cute love story and a non-traditional costume drama. Less of fighting and political scenes, which is refreshing.Synopsis: The clever and decisive Liu Mian Tang, as the first lord of Yang Shan, led the people of Yang Shan to punish the wicked, promote goodness, and uphold justice. However, she suffered serious injuries under the attack of various evil forces. Cui Xing Zhou, the Prince of Huai Yang, rescued her. When Liu Mian Tang woke up, she had no memory of Yang Shan, mistaking Cui Xing Zhou for her husband, Cui Jiu. If their identities were finally exposed, could they face all that honestly while enduring hardships?
My Reviews:
1. It is not a typical Wuxia drama; instead, it is focused on politics, fighting between kingdoms, or internal kingdom conflict. It also focuses on the relationship of the main CP.
2. It is a love story between Liu Mian Tang and Cui Xing Zhou during and post-amnesia.
3. The plot is slow and draggy, and not much excitement after she recovers from her amnesia.
4. Wang Chu Ran's acting ability is mediocre, but Zhang Wan Yi's acting is much better. However, their on-screen chemistry is good.
5. I don't care about the 2nd and 3rd CP, especially the reigning emperor and empress (3rd CP). Their lives are depressing, but they comfort each other and eventually show love and care for each other.
6. However, I must warn you that the plot loses its charm and becomes tedious after the amnesia recovery.
Overall, it is a watchable, refreshing look at costume drama. I enjoy it and give it a 7.5 rating.
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A disappointed Season 2 not as engaging as Season 1. Great acting by Yang Zi and Zhang Wan Yi
Lost You Forever Season 2 is a historical fantasy costume drama that continues from Season 1. Season 2 wasn't great, although Yang Zi, Zhang Wan Yi, and Tian Jian Ci's acting were excellent. The plot felt rushed, and there were too many confusing twists. The delivery and ending were bad and predictable.Synopsis: The story continues with Xiyan Cang Xuan establishing his rule over the Kingdom of Xiyan, Tushan Jing married to Fangfeng Yi Ying, Xiao Yao engaged to Chishui Feng Long, and Xiao Yao advising Xiang Liu that, once she is married, she will no longer make poisons for him. Their interactions will continue to shape not only their intertwined fates but also the fates of great clans, the three kingdoms, and the land of Dahuang. At the end of it all, will Xiao Yao still view herself as an abandoned person? One who cannot protect herself, with no person to rely on and no place to go?
My Reviews:
1. Yang Zi's acting skills improved in this drama compared to her other dramas.
2. Season 2 felt rushed, sometimes draggy, and unengaged compared to Season 1.
3. Deng Wei's character is too weak, and his resurrection from presumed death is poorly narrated.
4. Episode 20 was freaking confusing.
5. Episodes 18 and 19 were good acting by Yang Zi and Zhang Wan Yi.
I am giving it a 6.0 rating because it was not good compared to Season 1.
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