Annalisse

I’ve been circling House of Flying Daggers for a while now. Maybe I’ll finally give it a try. I just know that now that I’ve seen an awesome, independent and smart female lead it’s hard to go back to the do nothing protagonists I was watching before. Thanks!

If you don’t like overwhelmingly cutsie dramas with lots of attempts at comedy, the. Stay far away. Otherwise this is an ok drama. I think they could have leaned into Shen Jin’s intelligence more than simply have here pick a hard lock a couple times, but her relationship with the General was adorable.I really liked how the entire drama wasn’t just about them getting together and falling in love, but the majority is them being a solid couple and taking on their enemies together. This was definitely an example of the ensemble cast making up for a weak story. I enjoyed all the characters individually and together they really got me to the end of this drama. Not worth a rewatch but you could do worse.

I LOVED this drama! I didn't expect to, it snuck up on me. I've seen previous reviews and can fully understand why some people might not feel the same way: the editing (especially towards the end) makes it feel rushed and the climax isn't as climatic because of it, and there were some lackluster endings for some villains and heroes that felt like an afterthought, and the explanation to Mo Wan's memory was sketchy at best...BUT I STILL LOVED IT! I think its because of 2 reasons: 1 the chemistry between Jun Qing and Mo Wan AND Mo Xin was amazing. 2 The female lead was smart and determined. I haven't seen that in a while. But she wasn't so smart that she made no mistakes or she was smart and then became dumb as the series went on. She was sincere, honest, human and her wits made up for many of her flaws. I loved her character. I wish there were more female leads written the same way. (hint, hint send me recs! :-)

I really enjoy this drama! I’ve seen most of the time travel Chinese dramas listed on MDL but adding the gamers theme is new and refreshing. The chemistry between the two leads was great and I love that the story didn’t waste time developing their relationship. It was off & running within a few episodes so we could focus on the character personalities and development. I especially like that we get to check in with modern day time every now and then and not just assume this gaming world is the new reality. That being said, there are some plot holes I did not appreciate. The main one being we never get to see HOW Li Xia is able to stay in the game at the end. I mean, does she die? Does she just play the game until the end and then go back to reality…? So much time was spent on trying to get her out of the game and referencing the menu button that I think we deserve an explanation!

Within the first 10 minutes of watching I knew this was going to be an absurd & mediocre drama. Funny thing is though, I kept watching it! This series was particularly good at leaving slight cliffhangers at the end of each episode, to make me want to watch the next episode to see what happens. Plus, since I had no expectations, I actually got to enjoy most of the series. It’s nothing new, or special. But it leans towards a comedic & fluffy palace romance if you’re in the mood for that. My biggest gripe, Lu Yao is portrayed as a loyal and good friend and genuinely befriends Zhu Yan even helps get her and Li Heng together..but Lu Yao easily forgets about her for the 2nd half of the drama. Granted there is a lot going on, but she never even attempts to fight for Zhu Yan like she did for Nong Ying. It was an inconsistency in Lu Yao’s character that I just didn’t like.

I waited so long for this...only to be greatly disappointed. Its all been said in reviews but I'll repeat it, because I feel the same: I hated the re-telling of Tin and Can's story and the fact that Ae had no other roll than to sulk through eps. I actually liked that Ae and Pete were broken up in this sequel rather than just having a happily ever after. Showed depth of story. BUT Ae had no purpose. I was hoping he was going to get over it by halfway through and find a new love to add some realism to the story. Nope. Not a chance. Why not though?! If the actor (Pete) wasn't going to be in it then write around it. The story isn't about that couple anyway! And spending half the series to retell the growth of a relationship against a conflicting timeline was cruel to fans. It confused me so much I had to double check to make sure I was watching the right series in the correct order! It could have been a quick web series if they were going to treat the story like this. ugh..

If you can make it through the 1st 2-3 episodes, there is some real gold here. Xiao En is annoyingly OTT but you'll find that her personality better fits into the world of the romance novel she is transported into. And that is when the plot really gets going and the comedy that comes from Xiao En and Si Tu's personality and reactions to each other sent me into hysterics! The series is very self aware of all the rom-com tropes and clichés and plays into them while calling them out and it makes for a great drama. It lagged towards the end, but that could just be me since I preferred the romance novel world! Highly recommend.

This had the potential to be amazing, but the story had a weird pacing that just didn't do it for me. The cuts to and from the past and present were abrupt and kept me from really getting to know the characters. Which kept me from falling in love with the OTP. I got a sense of Golf and Bank falling for each other by the end of the series, but am disappointed that I never got to see the blow up that separated them when they were young and how they dealt with it initially. I think the writers/directors, etc relied on people coming from the movie (which I haven't seen yet) to carry the weight of this story. But coming in with no previous experience doesn't help. A lot of people on MDL say the movie was better but even more sad, so I'll try that on a rainy day and hope for better results.

Short, sweet and effectively punched me in the feels. A lot of the BL series I’ve seen take place at school, and this one split its setting between university and home life. I like the domestic aspect of the show more than I thought. Very Japanese as far as the focus on realistic, everyday scenarios rather than the over the top dramatics I’m used to. I’d definitely recommend this one.

Decent series. Takes a couple of episodes to get into, which is saying a lot since there are only 8, but it gives me all the feels towards the end in the relationship between Zi Xuan and Yu Hao. The relationship between Wang Zhen Wu & Wang Zhen Wen felt like an after thought. Their entire story unfolded in the last 2 episodes and didn't NEED to be in the series. This could have just been about Zi Xuan and Yu Hao, and that would have been fine. But to put such a 'taboo' relationship on screen and not really take advantage of it (developing the characters so the viewer could really root for them) , was a waste. It was just there...not adding anything to the story...that's all.

I can blame COVID for the slapped together ending and maybe for Saifah and Zon's relationship not being developed as well as Fighter and Tutor, it is what it is. But if you watch this only for Tutor and Fighter, then this is worth the watch! Their chemistry is amazing and Tutor's innocent appearance paired with his devious smile is irresistible and Fighter's teasing but protective nature is just too sweet. Had the other relationships been developed as well, this would have toped my MDL Bl list, for sure!

I loved this drama, and there will be a season 2?! Ugh, I can't stand it! This is probably my highest BL rated drama to date, and 1 main reason really pushed it over the top for me: Bohn. I've seen and liked many BL that have the stereotypical "I don't know what I want, I can't love him because he's a boy" trope. While it has its place, I really appreciate (any) character who wants something and doesn't use any excuses to NOT go after it. Just straight forward "I don't know if I'm gay, but I know I want Duen." (Or something to that effect). And his friends are all "okay." Loved it! And the side relationships build steadily over time. Those are the slow-burns in the series, the main couple moves quite fast actually. There is an extra special place in my heart for their female friend in the group. She is our voice in the drama. At one point she says "all these boys are in love with each other. What about me?!" We feel your pain, girl!! So cute. Can't wait for season 2!

1st: I didn't watch TOSSARA because of bad reviews. SO I came straight to Love Mechanics with no preconceived notions. #NoRegrets. I came into this knowing it was only 4 eps, but boy did they pack a lot into those few eps! I didn't think I would like this as much as I did, and I know its because of the chemistry between Mark and Vee. It felt so sincere, cute and heartbreaking. Loved it all. I will say that it was hard to gauge how time moved in the series. A character would be all " its been a year since..." and I'd go "Oh. Was I supposed to know that? Well, makes sense." That's my only real pet peeve. Other than that, this was a solid BL and I can't wait to see War in a lead role someday soon. Hopefully a BL X-)

Honestly? The 1st 6 episodes were a pain to get through. You feel bad for Third's one sided romance, but as it drags on you get frustrated and angry that Third allows homself to be treated so badly. Forget him being not-so-secretly in love with his friend, Khai is a horrible friend! I couldn't see any redeeming qualities in him as a lover OR friend. If you can get through those 1st 6 eps though, THAT's when you begin to see things flip: Khai starts falling and becomes nicer and more attentive. From there, it becomes the kind of BL I love to watch. But getting there is a rough ride. Fair warning :-/

STILL not as strong of a finale as I wanted, but definitely better than the ending to the prequel. I like that Tine got some of his spine back, but there were still some WTF moments that I just didn't get. The whole sobbing because they were apart for 2 weeks was a bit much, and the constant flashbacks to show just how much they intersected before meeting in college was already established in the prequel. It wasn't needed here. They tried for 5 episodes to stick a landing they were primed for in the previous series and ended up with a half hearted solution.

This was adorable: the chemistry between Sarawat and Tine was amazing and their friend groups were so cute and supportive. This was on its way to being a 9 star series for me, but then halfway through it went downhill for me. Tine stopped being the hilarious, outspoken and likably stubborn character I loved to watch and became a damsel in distress for every episode. The side couples, which I live for in most BL series, had a nice build up but felt like forgotten storylines by the end. i hope the 5 episode sequel does a better job of wrapping things up...

Thanks! I’ll have to go back and watch that part. If that’s true that changes my entire outlook. Although the repetitive blaming was still annoying. Fewer eps would have made this a better series. I feel like I’m saying that a lot lately but it’s true. :-/

It’s been a while since I watched this, but from what I remember it starts out with an unyielding, jerk male lead (at least in his opinion towards the female lead). As you said, the acting is a bit cringe, but I think that’s what makes this more comedic and easier to watch. More soap opera drama than a serious melo In that way.

Same! I was waiting for more development from her character that would have helped the romance or help me root for her romantically and I was so disappointed when it didn’t happen.

Oooo thanks, I’ll have to check that out!