couchpotat

Another Bad Adaptation

If you've read the novel that this drama is based off of, you should know that there are slight differences. While the scriptwriter has remained mostly faithful to the novel, the slight changes resulted in big changes in the nuance of the drama. Originally, the novel was about a strong female engineer/budding entrepreneur who succeeds with the guidance of a CEO. Alas, the CEO (who later becomes her boyfriend) messes up which causes them to break up. It sounds exactly like the script right?

While it may seem generally the same, there are major differences. The ML in the novel always viewed FL as someone could potentially be his equal with the right guidance. However, his big ego and hiding things from her eventually becomes the breaking point. Here, while they try to portray the same dynamic, the drama FL comes off as a naive girl. How can someone that is the supposed brain of a whole AI medical robot be foolish? While the drama FL can be inexperienced in the entrepreneur part of a start up, they completely rob her of her intelligence and contribute a lot of her success to ML. Another review said it perfectly when they wrote that the scriptwriters messed up when they portrayed FL as a poor decision maker and that they minimized the tension between the leads by making ML fall in love with FL in college.

My biggest peeve about the drama though was the big conflict. The novel's author foreshadowed that there would eventually be a problem because ML being slightly (if not too) overpowering/controlling while FL is fiercely independent. Similar to the drama, it was over the fact that ML was basically going to rob FL of the company she built. In the novel however, FL does give ML his just desserts and ML is eventually forced to apologize/grovel a bit. Here, there is basically none of that. ML realizes he messed up and does the whole woe is me act, but there is very little apologizing going on. Eventually the issue went from ML stole her company so that it would benefit his (a one sided betrayal) to the issue being it's an us issue because our personalities don't match. Drama FL leaving the company was fine, but then takes ML back the moment they reunite. They show her accepting ML's decision being the best for the greater good. This in particular rubs me the wrong way because it minimizes FL's acheivements and emotions. It implies that she is still emotionally charged and that her decision to walk away was a poor one - ie. zero change from the beginning of the drama. This doesn't sit right because if I were in her shoes and my company that I struggled to build from day one were stolen from me by the person I trusted the most, I would be upset too. I wouldn't be thinking about the 'greater good' but more about how the person who is supposed to love me the most just betrayed me. The fact that FL accepted this injustice is incongruent with how she reacted when she was sexually harrassed at the beginning.

A small note on the acting. I don't think I like Xu Kai as an actor very much. He tends to play 'cold' ML roles but it just feels like I'm staring at cardboard or stone. He keeps a blank stare most of the time but there's nothing charismatic about him. I just kind of expect something more than just a flat face. Seven did an okay job. There were some moments that were better than others and felt more natural. However, she tends to have this one wide-eyed expression that she applies to multiple different scenarios (ie. when she's dumbfounded, shocked, betrayed, etc.). One of her characteristic is her big eyes which gets her a lot of younger, more naive/pure roles, but here it's an obstacle. Like Xu Kai, she doesn't have a dynamic range of expressions when acting. Every time she pulled out this expression, I was reminded of Shin Se Kyung and the strained face she tends to use when she's run out of facial expressions. I can tell both are trying to broaden their range, but this was a flop.

TLDR: The novel was better. The drama reeks of fake feminism (a term coined by someone on NovelUpdates). While the drama seemingly talks about a strong female lead, her actions do not match up to the expectations. Furthermore, her acheivements are lowkey attributed to the ML and there was very little she actually did. Basically, a Cinderella/Knight in Shining Armor story. Definitely wouldn't watch again.

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Time Filler

Not all mini-dramas are bad but this one is just another one of them. The plot was fine but riddled with holes and 'twists' that were either really sudden and ill-foreshadowed or were really predictable. With such short episodes, it's really hard to write a script concise enough to protray the plot without feeling rushed. Another flaw many mini dramas suffer is the overdramatic acting. Many actors are new or C/D/F list actors that have little practice or fine control of their expression. This drama, unfortunately, also falls victim to this with many of their actors lacking subtlety when protraying emotions.

Fine to watch as a time killer but there are better ones out there.

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Everlasting Angst

Saw the plot and was intrigued, especially with the cast that it had. Couple of recognizable names and a decent sounding plot should make it a good production, right? Perhaps not.

The plot kinda killed it for me. I should be more specific, it was how the characters were written. Everyone is so freaking obsessive and yandere. My guy. Every character (ML, FL, the Princess) was walking around like they're in control of everything. It got kinda repetitive, especially how the pairings interacted. Two thirds of the drama is literally ML holding FL hostage and FL having no inclination of leaving. When she does decide to leave, she's almost unable to every time. Where did your famous brains go? Just the way that this drama was built and formulated, it was very 2010-2015 C-drama angst. Think 'Lin Lang Wang' and 'General and I'.

Angelababy and Song Wei Long were the bigger names in this drama. I'll admit that I don't follow either actor too extensively. The last dramas I've watched starring these two were 'General and I' and 'Untouchable Lovers'. Regarding Angelababy's acting, I'm not sure I saw much improvement since 'General and I'. There definitely was more expression and less of the 'eye acting'/staring doe-eyed, but I still found her to be less flexible than her co-star Chen Chen. It was just a lack of fluidity between different emotions and lack of complexity that made it seem like she was forcing/acting rather than embodying the role. It's most noticeable when she's in the same frame as her 'sisters' and they're doing the reunion scene or when she's crying/grief stricken. Song Wei Long is one of those actors where I don't actively avoid but somehow I don't see any of their works. I know that his drama 'Go Ahead' was quite good, but haven't really watched it yet, so I am more lenient on him in this drama. My first impression of him from 'Untouchable Lovers' wasn't good, because that drama was a mess in of itself. While I can't say much about how he is in 'Go Ahead', I found that there was improvement, similar to Angelababy. One of the hardest things Chinese male actors have to figure out how to do is be the 'cold faced' ML while being expressive. It's a bigger task than most give credit for because if you're too flat faced, it just looks like you don't know how to be expressive. I found that Song Wei Long hit the balance between cold/ruthless and expressive in this drama. He was adequately expressive and portrayed the role quite well. I will say that one of the ways he manages to stay expressive/human while acting as a 'cold' ML was his use of interactions with others. While interacting with ML's subordinates, Song Wei Long smiles more and acts like they are more like friends. This does come back to bite him, I would say, when Song Wei Long's ML is trying to be more controlling and forceful. It feels less forceful and more like he's micromanaging. He doesn't have Angelababy's issue of fluidity in transitioning between expressions, but I've noticed that he has an issue of keeping a single expression for a tad bit too long. Anyone who has RBF, understands the pain.

Definitely the plot above all else was what made me feel like this drama was a waste of time. The questionable consent at times made me flashback to 2010-2015. The MOST annoying part was definitely the princess x guard love line. It was definitely a dated way to write that trope. I have never seen a more useless love line in my many years of watching dramas. You could potentially take out the role of the princess and not much would change. Just the sheer amount of time spent on the princess stalking and controlling the guard was crazy.

TLDR: Not a bad drama if you liked 'General and I'. Personally, I dislike plots written in this way and found the angst to be a little heavy and unnecessary.

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Another Dog Blood Drama

The trailer made me slightly excited only for it to be one of the most trope-y dramas to ever exist. This is clearly a story about FL trying to regain her position in her family's company after ML essentially takes over, but ML turns out to be the main character that outsmarts everyone time and time again. FL disappears into the wallpaper, being more bluster than brains and having the maturity of a high schooler.

This is like the third drama I've watched from Fan Zhi Xin and it always feels like a fever dream. This drama like a number of his other ones are uploaded on to Youtube by Youku and the comments are always praising how great of an actor he is. But when I watch his dramas, he plays the same character every single time. It's always some OP ML who's in a position of power (CEO, General, Young Master) with a love-hate relationship with FL and a hint of revenge. Weirdly enough, the dramas always are misogynistic flavored - the ML is always the sole main character and the FL is a ditzy character (immature, powerless, etc.) I kind of wonder if the same scriptwriter is the one writing his dramas. There's no way he's able to continue getting roles that are 90% similar to each other. The audience doesn't care I guess because they're more concerned with his kissing and bed scenes, hence the premises/character identities are important.

TLDR: Plot was every trope thrown together: friends to enemies, enemies to lovers, adopted sibling to lovers, high school love, inheritance fight, battling your father's conniving mistress who is the same age as you, switched at birth, secret identities, contract marriage, marriage of convenience, and pseudo incest. Acting was subpar and not subtle at all.

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Quality Visuals, Poor Script

A previous reviewer summed it up quite nicely, it was well directed but the script was quite poor. The drama was visually stunning and didn't lose to a higher budget drama. It had quality costumes, makeup, hair, etc. It didn't look tacky at all.

As for the plot, it was quite simple. Nothing too original, but what really messed things up was the pacing of the drama. The first few episodes were quite well paced, but they definitely ran out of time at the end because a lot of corners were cut to make it on time. There were weird jumps in plot and off screen action (that was quite significant) because they needed like five more episodes. If they had paced the plot line better, I think the drama would have fared better than most of its web drama competitors and longer counterparts.

Most of the time, people look for a well done drama. It doesn't have to be too creative, just executed well. Especially for short web dramas, pacing of the plot is everything. If they had paced things better, there wouldn't have been much to complain about since developing the plot line into something complex wouldn't have been possible for the amount of time given.

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A Sober Peek Into Healthcare

This is not an idol drama and it's not at all romantic which may throw some viewers off. Unlike Romantic Doctor Kim or Hospital Playlist, there's not really a clear 'right' or 'wrong' and there's a lack of emotional payoff that follows each case/issue. This gives the drama a more realistic (in my opinion) take on things that happen in healthcare. Not everything is sunshine and rainbows and sometimes the hardest problem isn't even the patients but management and administration.

Nuance is the name of the game for this drama. It talks about a lot of different issues while never really giving the audience a break. The issues keep coming and while it is episodic, the breaks between cases don't coincide with the end of the episode. There are two plotlines that follow. One is regarding the patient cases which often takes the main stage and the other is regarding administration which is the backdrop that everything plays out on. With the main leads (double female leads) being plastic surgeons, already it addresses the issue of plastic surgery out of necessity (scars, burn wounds, facial recontruction, etc.) vs elective surgeries (double eyelid, jaw shaving, etc).

The following is a brief, incomplete list of themes and issues that the drama sheds a light on: public vs private hospital bias, beauty standards, organ and blood donation, medical bias, sexual assault, victim blaming, blended family relationships, divorce, and profit in the healthcare industry. As the background plot intensifies, viewers may feel a little disappointed because of the overwhelming influence of office politics but I assure you that this is what working in 80% of medical facilities feels like (at least in American healthcare). The drama's hospital consultants play a role that parallels what American health insurance does: moneygrubbing and dictating what medical orders physicians give. And all the manipulation and suppression from administration (especially when they aren't licensed medical professionals) was all too real and frustrating.

Other things that made this drama quite a good watch was the romantic subplot. One of our FLs was amicably divorced (with someone she still talks to) but is now in a relationship with our ML who has a kid (out of wedlock). Again, it addresses more culturally sensitive topics and grounds these characters in reality. There was no real romantic issue yet as FL really doesn't care what people think anymore, but I love that the relationship is so natural. A lot of it happens off-screen and we see it develop from just a situationship to something more fullblown. The flirting and banter are very natural and not awkward at all. Our other FL, on the other hand, was happily married but their relationship went through a rough patch before the couple decided to separate due to differences. It was a very anticlimatic but real take on what happens when you just don't love each other anymore but still care about each other as a couple that once was in love. You'll notice that the two FLs are complete foils of one another in almost every aspect. This is done on purpose and is one of the main reasons for conflict in the drama.

Overall, I think that the drama was quite well written. I don't think that it deserves anything lower than an 8 stars, but it's lack of popular actors and feel-good moments probably was what tanked the ratings. Unfortunately, healthcare is kinda like that. There's moments of feel-good, but most of the time, you feel kinda overwhelmed by a lot of negative things like workload, administration, and office politics. It wasn't perfect, but for a medical drama (with a lower budget), I think they did quite a good job. The medical procedures were a little inaccurate (especially the infection control and sterile procedures). Sometimes the FL scrubbed in herself (flinging the gown open and walking around the OR) but you would typically have a nurse helping you and no one should be near the sterile site in scrubs with no gown.

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Worth the Hype, Really

Saw this drama release on Youtube but didn't watch it because of the unremarkable name. It wasn't until people went wild that I decided to give it a try. Definitely don't think it was a waste of time.

'Blossom' is a drama adaptation of a web novel with the same name (let me side track for a moment: can we please start having more original content?). In my opinion, making a good adaptation of a written novel has its pitfalls that not many people talk about. Things like script arrangement, storyline fidelity, character development are all impacted when you have to cut a novel down to fit the number of episodes. When it's a smaller novel with a simpler storyline, it's manageable. We've seen successful examples like Hidden Love (143 chapters). Longer novels or those with complex storylines suffer a bit because there is a decision that needs to be made: a) cut material, b) leave it but speed everything up, or c) go off the rails and make the drama 'loosely' adapted. An example of a more successfully adapted drama is Love Like Galaxy which chose to elongate the drama series to have sufficient time for story telling. Blossom like a couple of other dramas this year successfully avoids a lot of those pitfalls.

However. what makes Blossom stand out from other C-dramas this year was the subtlety of the acting and the characters decision making. The FL who experienced rebirth was not immediately this all powerful character with a golden finger. The ML who was adept in martial arts also wasn't all knowing and has his fatal flaw of impatience and acting out of impulse when it comes to his family. Meng Zi Yi, as an actor, had to walk the fine line of smart but not all powerful and makes mistakes but not dumb. Easy to describe but hard to execute. We've seen countless examples where the FL is almost too OP for the villains or too dumb/naive to be considered the main lead. Meng Zi Yi did a fantastic job portraying a strong FL who has a good noggin on her shoulders. Li Yun Rui, similarly, had to tread the fine line of powerful but human in addition to a fatal flaw of a lot of C-drama MLs: the curse of the stone block. All too many times we've have MLs that portray strong = no facial emotion besides ocassional anger. Li Yun Rui did a stunning job in portraying himself as a ML who was strong yet capable of emotions. In the beginning of the drama, expecially with his encounters with FL, Li Yun Rui showcases an array of emotions: resolve when deciding to take revenge on his uncle's killers, trust in FL, betrayal when he believed FL to have betrayed him, admiration when he slowly gets to know FL, and later being completely smitten. Each emotion was subtly different from each other and cannot be confused with a similar emotion.

That being said, the chemistry between the leads was off the hook. I truly was invested in their romantic development as a couple. It did not seem artificial and there was a palpable tension between them when they become more and more attracted with each other. Both ML and FL were attracted to each other. It wasn't just ML or FL's one sided pursuit of the other. That one scene where ML asks if FL truly wanted to get married to her fiance nearly took me out. Though it was a tropey kabedon, there was nothing forceful about it. FL wasn't some helpless lass trapped by this charismatic man there to force her to love him. I think that's definitely something that I appreciate about Li Yun Rui's portrayal of ML's love for FL. It never felt forceful. While I cannot tell if it was because of his acting or if his features weren't as sharp (like pointy sharp, not intelligent sharp), but Li Yun Rui's Song Mo was a gentle protector. Swoon~

So then here are my nitpicks... I think that the character list was a tiny bit too expansive. Because it was adapted from a 523 chapter novel, there are bound to be arcs and loads of characters. While I can see how they add depth to the story and create the illusion of mini arcs the ML and FL go through to get stronger, I think taking some of these characters out wouldn't have changed much of the main plot line. Examples of minor characters that I'd probably cut out (based on their role in the drama): the Crown Princess (1-2 eps), the Grand Princess (2-4 eps), Zhao Zhang Ru (5-9 eps), Official Mu (eh, this is an iffy one to cut; 2-3 eps). Regardless, I think they've already done a fantastic job at making the script concise and well developed. Another nitpick was the villains' endings... They were all pretty whitewashed. While I could see that the script writers wanted to give the characters a sense of depth, the sudden change in tone when portraying them made their individual demises a bit lackluster. Several characters had revealed or suggested that they fell in love. Others had off screen deaths. It was a little unsatisfactory because the ending was ever so slightly rushed. You can tell it was rushed starting from the moment ML's poison was revealed because at that point, things started to focus less on ML and FL and how they solve things and more about the plot from a narrator's point of view. Going from the characters' personal perspectives to a narrator's perspective definitely saved story telling time but it made the drama less immersive because it makes the characters seem more like storybook characters and not people.

All in all, it was still a fantastic drama. Personally, I might even choose Blossom over 'The Double', 'In Blossom', 'Blossoms in Adversity', 'The Rise of Ning', 'The Princess Royal', and 'The Story of Pearl Girl'.
Don't come after me, it might just be the post-drama emotions, but I really really really loved Li Yun Rui's portrayal of ML. I asked for romance and I got romance. Most importantly, I got the happy ending I didn't get from 'The Double' and 'The Story of Pearl Girl'. I'm tempted to include 'A Journey to Love' but the ending kinda fits with the genre of old-timey, Hong Kong TVB-esque wuxia.

TLDR: Really loved this drama. Worth the time. Other dramas listed above were good watches too. If I had to pick a similar drama I liked that was less political intrigue-y but won't make you cry, it would be 'The Autumn Ballad'.

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Underrated but Solid

Compared to its competitors, Moonlit Order does not boast a star studded cast or a unique plot and (to my knowledge), it is not inspired by any C-Novels. Given this, Moonlit Order does a fantastic job at drawing us into the story.

The plot can be smelt from a mile away and viewers can probably easily guess how the other 23 episodes will play out just by watching the first episode. While predictable, the aptly placed comedic relief and complex, changing roles of each character bring the story to life and make Moonlit Order subtly different from the recent influx of historical dramas featuring strong FLs who are all either generals or commanders.

Huang Jun Jie pulls off his role quite nicely as ML, but if I had to cite a flaw, it would be that his portrayal of characters is too overt. I find that he lacks the ability to subtly convey a character's nuanced emotions or change of heart. In this role, that didn't work against him too much as his character is a more down-to-earth, forthright fellow. HJJ could shape up to be quite a household name if he learns how to do this and becomes a little more charismatic in his acting.

Hankiz Omar was quite a surprise as the FL. As she is of Uyghur descent, she probably is most often compared to actresses like Dilabra and Gulnezer. Of the three, she probably is the least expressive when she acts and has had trouble gaining main roles. While there was significant improvement in her acting, she still has very flat expressions and emotions which make it difficult for viewers to understand the character's mind. The one thing that did catch my eye was her exquisite hand movements during martial arts sequences where she is unarmed. The sequences were most likely inspired by wushu and is reminiscent of 80s-90s Hong Kong style martial arts films. Not only was it a nice touch to highlight her strengths as an actress, it gave credibility to the character as a true martial arts practitioner (and not just another 'strong' FL suited in armor).

The support cast did a nice job as well (huge props to Yan Zi Xian for playing the bad guy, the good guy, and the comedic relief). The production was good as there were no discrepancies in audio, visuals, transitions, etc. The costumes did not look tacky and off-putting. All in all, it was an underrated drama that was solid in execution. Its current rating (at the time of this review) is 7.7 which is slightly lower than it should be when compared to other Cdramas of similar ilk and their inflated ratings, but is truthful in its reflection of the drama.

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Sparksnotes of Temptation of Wife 2.0

Previous reviews mention that this series is a hot mess... totally correct.

There is plot, but not much. It takes the typical shape of a revenge drama but since it's only 20 episodes that are 12 minutes each, there's simply not enough execution time. If more time was given to each episode, there's a chance that it wouldn't feel like a hot mess. The best way to describe this is a very very watered down version of a classic revenge k-drama like Temptation of Wife or a recap of the highlights.

If you like to skip through episodes and wanna waste some time, then you don't lose much when watching this. If you're planning to sit down and actually watch it, then probably don't chose this drama.

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Not Up to Par - the Result of Editing or Poor Writing?

Before you come at me, I suspect that a lot of my disappointment stems from the editing team cutting out a lot of the screentime from FL which made the script feel stilted or the writing team themselves. Not sure if all of Song Zu-er's scenes were retained or if the writing was just poor.

The reason I say POB was a little underwhelming is because the synopsis and trailer promised a strong FL and a strong ML, enemies to lovers type drama. The FL, in my opinion, had less scenes than ML and did not feel to me as a 'strong' character. While I suspect that part of it was because her scenes were cut and never restored (we have no way of knowing truly), it just was never convincing that this was a drama with two leads. It seemed more like the story about ML and his journey to putting down a blood feud, finding love in an unexpected place. Again, not the actors' fault, but potentially a downfall of the author or screen writer. I thought that it would be a drama with plenty of strong female characters (not just the FL) because of the cast, but it ended up feeling like a man's hero's journey written through the lens of a man. Putting aside FL, we feature a couple of seemingly strong female characters yet weirdly not:
1) ML's grandmother who was strong enough to keep the Wei clan together until her grandson took over, but not strong enough to weed out dissidents or manage her family
2) ML's mother who cared more about her niece than her son. Being a bit of a ninny while her son was super smart was a bit annoying as well.
3) FL's cousin who was caring and kind but later betrays FL's trust and doesn't help when it really counts, only to die by suicide to protect her husband
4) Lady Yu Lou (who was a bit of the main female villian) is this ultra talented and scheming woman only to be reduced to a jaded, delusional woman with low self esteem and inability to 'see' her partners' love and care for her

Between the FL and ML and their world, there was never a sense of equality between the two in terms of skill. There was always some sort of power relationship. FL is always trying to even the playing field: negotiating with Panyi's seal, raising support in a different state to keep ML and Wei in check, diverting ML's attention away from conquering Panyi. On top of that, ML is always distrustful and resentful of FL's family, but FL never really does anything about it because in her head, she and her family owes ML's family. Because of this premise, there is never a moment where it didn't feel like FL was trying to please or placate ML. ML (the character, not Liu Yu Ning) did the bare minimum for romance. Respectfully, the romance wasn't romancing at all.

My disappointment lays mainly with the screenwriter (and potentially the author) as the actors were fantastic. Strength can be found in different forms. I looked forward to seeing FL's strength that was 'gentle like water' but what I ended up seeing was strength being portrayed in very traditional, heteronormative ways. Men's strength is through martial arts and warfare while women's strength was through sacrifice: enduring political marriages, enduring one's in-laws, enduring public opinion, etc.

This style of drama is not unusual when compared to historical dramas of the early 2000s where men were the main characters. It was just a little jarring to see this type of drama in 2025, especially after so much hype about this being an enemies to lovers drama and after well written female centric dramas like Perfect Match aired earlier this year.

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Not Poor but Weirdly Lacking

With two well known actors as the main couple, it's expected that this drama be one that outshines some of its peers with smaller budgets, cast, and production. Surprisingly (or not), it felt like this drama was lacking something and it just didn't measure up.

First of all, like many of the dramas in recent years, Fight for Love draws inspiration from a CNovel. One of the biggest pitfalls of these sorts of adaptations is shrinking these novels while preserving iconic scenes and arcs as some of these novels are hundreds of chapters long. This particular novel was 174 chapters long which is pretty average as other novels like Rebirth of a Star General (which Legend of the Female General was adapted from) came in at 272 chapters. I found that there was nothing wrong with the way that the script was adapted. No particularly iconic scenes or arcs were cut and there weren't awful time-skips or jumps in the story, yet it still felt like there were too many side characters and too many things going on at the same time. The multitude of side characters which seemingly insignificant roles made it difficult to remember all of them and understand where the plot was trying to go.

Since the end of this drama, there were many articles talking about the lack of chemistry between the FL and ML (which I confess, I agree with) but I think there were a number of issues that contributed to this drama feeling a little lukewarm. Aside from the main couple, the major issue really was the fact that there wasn't a single scene stealer. To put it nicely, everyone on the cast is about the same level when it comes to acting. To be a little more blunt, no one on the cast was particularly good at acting and so there weren't scene stealer moments. You would expect that there would be at least one breakout star in such a big team, but it just felt like they shooed in a bunch of unknown actors to fill roles. (Edit: Joe Chen as the Eldest Princess and her yandere man was actually pretty good)

Ok, so here's the (potentially) controversial part. Many people said that Victoria and Ding YuXi just had too big of an age gap which is why there was no chemistry. but I find that to be only part of the problem. The FL in the novel is supposed to be older than the ML and Victoria has done 'noona' style dramas in the past, but the chemistry is lacking here for a couple reasons. The FL as a character doesn't feel like she's older than ML, whether it was due to the adaptation of the script or due to Victoria's acting. Similarly, ML has moments were he feels younger (more inexperienced) but also too young and naive for someone who is supposed to be from a military family. The fact that Ding YuXi also could pass for a 20 year old also doesn't help in this case. In essence, neither seem like the adult in the relationship so it becomes a bit of a mess seeing them go back and forth.

Production-wise, the budget is large enough that the costumes looked well-made and not too tacky. The music wasn't really highlighted too much but it got us through. There were, however, jarring moments of CG use which made me question the artistic sense of the director and the purpose.

So in summary, a drag-y Sparks Note version of a script, a humongous cast with no real breakout stars, and a main couple with no chemistry really made FFL tank pretty hard especially airing after similar, but far more outstanding dramas in the same year like Legend of the Female General, Dream within a Dream, Legend of Zang Hai, etc.

To be completely fair, looking at the roles by themselves, Victoria Song and Ding YuXi are good fits for the roles. Victoria really stood out in martial arts sequences due to her background in dance and did not waver when performing moves (even with a sword) which is quite rare. Her expression of her character and how her state of mind changes could use work, but visually she fits the role. Ding YuXi also was a good fit for the role, but potentially he could have toned down how young his portrayal of ML was (but that also was partly due to the script) which could have helped make the main couple look more like a couple and not like big sister and little brother (who is way to young for her).

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Insightful Take on Korean Law and Society Overshadowed by Public's Need for Romance

Beyond the Bar is one of those lighter legal dramas complete with comedic breaks, an interesting second lead romantic subplot, and supporting cast. While it's nothing original or out of the box, it is a solid drama that stands on its own amidst dime-a-dozen romantic comedies. It's a shame that people paid more attention to the romantic plot than the actual message of the drama.

Each episode is a new case, with the exception of filler episodes, and pushes the overall relationship of the cast. Topics discussed include IVF, child abuse/neglect, plagarism, assisted suicide, rape (of a child), medical ethics, animal abuse, etc. Through each case, the screenwriter seemingly highlights how incomplete and lacking Korean law can be when it comes to protecting vulnerable populations. As such, the resolutions of each case aren't always as satisfying as it would be in an ideal world. In fact, through the MC himself, we are told that he, as a lawyer, uses both the law and other methods to achieve what he perceives to be 'justice'. Though we as the audience understand that this only works because it's a drama and the MC is the MC, it acknowledges all the ways in which the law is not complete. My favorite backhanded comment from our MC is when he mentions how more broadreaching Anglo-American law is because we sue for everything.

The romance between the second leads was quite interesting and had a lot of potential. It was not the atypical romance as it was between a 40 year old divorcee (with a grown child) and her colleague who is 10 years younger. To me, this was the main romantic plot and could have served as such if the ending wasn't messed up/rushed. It was a mature relationship that acknowledges each obstacle between them and works through them. While I was a hardcore fan of this relationship, I didn't feel the same way about the subplot between the MC and FMC. While both age gaps were about 10 years, I think it didn't carry the same weight as the second leads were friends and colleagues before they were a couple. Furthermore, FMC is someone who just recently graduated law school while MC has been an lawyer for a lot longer. Aside from the age gap, there is definitely an issue of power as he is her boss and she is basically at the bottom of the heirarchy.

I don't think the decision to rewrite the romantic subplot between the MC and FMC was wrong. In every way, there was just a huge gap in age (both as characters and in real life), in experience (MC legit is her mentor), and in the workplace. Instead of a lukewarm confession and rejection, I do think that the time could have been spent fleshing out the relationship between the second leads which got axed and sped up. Regardless, it was still a solid, underrated drama that has a lot of social commentary on Korean law and society.

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Yet Another Xianxia C-Trauma

Respectfully, I thought this was going to be a HE. The sheer number of C-traumas coming out this year is killing me.

Being based off of a novel, the arcs were quite typical and predictable. There was no surprise really (not even at the deaths) that all this happened. While tropes can be good if done well, I was a little disappointed that such a STAR-STUDDED cast was given a bland script. What probably played a part in making this script boring was the dilution that had to happen to fit the huge amount of content into 36 episodes. It felt like there were too many characters (each were equally interesting), yet not enough time to build a tangible connection with all of them. If I had to list the biggest flaw, it would be that the dilution of the plot made it so bare bones that it felt like a generic xianxia plot.

One reviewer did mention that every single person felt like they could act and I agree. Every actor in there displayed a degree of competency when it came to acting. But again, I wonder if the cast could have been cut down a little since there were characters in there that felt extraneous. I really did wish that each couple/duo had more time to shine on screen (it didn't feel like it was enough). There will never be another drama where you get to see so many established and rising stars on the same screen, so I lament the potential this drama had.

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The Most Interesting Collab of 2024

Having been a collab between Korea and Japan, this is probably one of the most interesting dramas of 2024 (moreso than what meets the eye). This was a true collaboration in the sense that both countries were strongly represented both on the script and on the screen. There were both Korean and Japanese influences on how this story played out, taking common comedic cues from J-dramas and the melodramatic cues from K-dramas. While retaining the episodic (and POV switching) nature of Japanese web novels, the drama managed to stay engaging by adopting a more K-drama-esque pacing. In every sense, this was an exhilarating drama to watch because it demonstrates the potential of cross-country collabs. Amidst the stagnating creativity, I give full points for creativity and look forward to what will come as a result of this drama.

Historical significance aside, I do have my bones to pick with this drama. Lee Se Young did a phenomenal job as per usual and demonstrates her versatility as an actress. Most of her Japanese lines (if not all) were quite well spoken and did not sound unnatural to the untrained ear. She went above and beyond just taking a few classes to improve her Japanese. Her phrasing and expression was very natural, especially during their breakup scene where she switches between languages. Sakaguchi Kentaro became my unofficial new favorite Japanese actor. There are moments where he resembles a younger, dorkier Gong Yoo. While they share physical similarities in some angles, it's Sakaguchi Kentaro's lingering gazes that remind me of Gong Yoo. The subtle emotions, the gazes that linger a millisecond too long, the quiet softening of his expression that really speak volumes on his character's love for FL. Coupled with the movie style directing and color grading (again, bless whoever decided this was a good idea because it was), it reminded me of Gong Yoo, Goblin and how beautifully shot it was. Really really big fan of the color grading.

Now here come the bones. It still ended up feeling like a long movie rather than a complete drama. While it could be due to following the novel to a high degree of fidelity, there was a significant lack of ending and resolution that made this drama fall short for me. Many many many J-dramas and J-novels have great build ups but tend to lack a firm resolution or ending. It is seen historically that a more open ending or shorter ending is preferred. While in some situations, this is understandable, it can end up being a downfall. In this case, after spending 5 episodes of building up the story, having a quick resolution was a bit disappointing to say the least. Because there was a real lack of climax and resolution, the drama felt laggy and plateaued into this monotone ending. Not to mention there were some moments that felt a little like NTR to me, again also due to the ending.

While being a tad too short and failing to deliver a suitable ending, "What Comes After Love" was quite a remarkable proof of concept. It was enjoyable till the end and is something that the industry should pay attention to. If more dramas of this quality can be produced in collaboration, it will have huge implications for the K-drama and J-drama industry.

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Imperfect Romances; Single Pringles Beware

So many people are disappointed with the ending... I can't say that I'm not either but it was meant to happen from the beginning.

TLDR: Very well written plot. The ending was justified. The characters were fleshed out and the acting was amazing. If you're looking for romance, it depends on what flavor you're looking for. This one is sweet, then sour, then sweet, then bittersweet. It's refreshing but probably will hurt those looking to live vicariously through the MCs. Probably NOT FOR SINGLE PRINGLES looking for a fairytale romance.

Formula: Reply series + sports anime feel + the tears of everyone who watched this
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Twenty-five twenty-one is written in a similar manner to the Reply series with someone from present day, looking back at the past but darker and heavier because it talks about the effects of the IMF crisis. It is nostalgic, comical, and very real.

It is a coming of age story aimed at a certain demographic because it doesn't just talk about the shallower aspects of growing up but also brings in larger crises that ended up affecting people's choices. Especially in these times, many people will relate to the MCs: young adults struggling to get their foot in society but keep getting bogged down by circumstances that are out of their control. Twenty-five twenty-one draws parallels between the IMF crisis and the pandemic in a way that is very poignant.

The main message was one of hope; that at the end of the tunnel, there is light. Both MCs (as well as the rest of the cast) were faced with obstacles that kept them from living how they want and from being happy. None of these obstacles were their fault and out of their control which makes them feel helpless. Regardless, our characters are able to find solace and comfort in one another and hope in their darkest time.

Caution, contents contain:
- crack-head energy
- friendship
- sport anime arc for FL and 2nd FL
- two people who fell in love, and grew apart despite still loving each other

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